San Diego, CA
Mainly Mozart soloist Erin Hannigan a standout on oboe and with animals

Last month, Erin Hannigan was preparing for her last two performances as Dallas Symphony’s principal oboist before joining the faculty at the prestigious Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston.
Before making the life-changing leap, Hannigan took time to discuss her big move, love of the oboe, reed-making, support of rescue animals and her longtime affiliation with San Diego’s Mainly Mozart.
She will be one of the 70 top musicians to perform at Mainly Mozart’s All-Star Orchestra Festival beginning Wednesday and concluding June 28. Four festival concerts will take place at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla. The other two will be at UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater.
Hannigan played seven times, from 1999 to 2007, with Mainly Mozart at its original home, downtown’s Balboa Theatre.
“I started performing with them again at the outdoor concerts the festival had smartly reconfigured for COVID,” she said, speaking from her Dallas home.
“I’ve liked watching how the organization has evolved. It wasn’t easy navigating all that and Mainly Mozart really did it well. And Michael Francis is just the perfect conductor for this orchestra. He’s excellent professionally, but he’s also very personable. Michael creates such a connection with the audience.”
Francis, in turn, calls Hannigan “a wonderful musician.” He expressed delight that she will share first and second oboe roles at the festival with Frank Rosenwein, Cleveland Orchestra’s principal oboe.
“It’s really charming,” Francis said. “They’re good friends.”
Hannigan believes that cooperative spirit is inherent to the festival.
“The number one thing to know about Mainly Mozart is it’s an amazing gathering of incredible musicians, but with no ego,” she said. “We just work out our assignments and have a good time. That egoless thing really adds to it all. The audience can tell we’re up there having fun.”
`Wonderful musical camaraderie’
This year, Mainly Mozart’s Francis is featuring more orchestra veterans as soloists than in other years. Wednesday’s opening night at the Baker-Baum will feature six concertmasters playing solos in Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.
On Friday, two Mainly Mozart mainstays, clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan and bassoonist Whitney Crockett, will be in the spotlight performing Strauss’s Duet Concertino.
In another unusual touch, the festival is highlighting the work of a contemporary composer. British violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley will perform his own “A Klezmer Concerto” with the orchestra on June 26.
On June 28 at the Epstein, Bendix-Balgley will join acclaimed pianist Joyce Yang and Robert DeMaine, principal cello of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, for Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 will close the festival that night.
“This year’s festival has a great balance,” Francis said. “It’s a terrific opportunity for our audience to hear familiar composers alongside slightly unfamiliar repertoire.
“I know that the musicians are excited because there will be so many solos. They always bring their best. It’s going to be a wonderful musical camaraderie.”
The Epstein now has more food and seating options for picnickers, noted Nancy Laturno, Mainly Mozart’s CEO. Attendees can buy food or bring their own.
“Before the concert, you can mingle,” Laturno said. “You can have appetizers, wine and other beverages, and then sit down — either on our patio furniture, the Adirondack chairs or a blanket on the grass — and watch the concert from the area where you just had your party.”
Artists for Animals
Joining in the camaraderie on stage, Hannigan will be a soloist in the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 on June 24 at The Conrad.
When the oboist, a native of Mt. Gretna, Penn., makes the move to Houston, she’ll be accompanied by her husband of six years, Fred Tuomi, Gabby, her Siamese cat, and dog, Jophiel.
During her time with the Dallas Symphony, Hannigan co-founded Artists for Animals, which supports nonprofit animal rescue organizations. The group presents Concerts for Kindness, which has raised over $450,000 for rescue organizations.
“The money we bring in all goes directly to the animals,” said Hannigan, who has fostered 156 dogs. “I hope to transfer this wonderful project to Houston, once I get the lay of the land. Rice University is very interested in community engagement. I’m sure I’ll find a landing spot for Artists for Animals.”
When Hannigan practices the oboe, Jophiel runs the other way. But Gabby will sit for hours while the oboist practices and makes reeds for her instrument. She calculated that she has made 8,000 to 10,000 reeds over the course of a career that began when she joined the Rochester Philharmonic in 1994.
“If you don’t make them yourself, you can end up playing on a setup of oboe and reed that makes it very hard to put your air through,” she said. “The reed needs to be properly balanced.”
Why the oboe, which she has played since the age of 7?
“The sound is incredibly expressive,” Hannigan explained. “Some of the most beautiful solos in the orchestral repertoire were written for the oboe.”
While teaching at Rice University, she will also be a guest as a soloist and principal for orchestras around the country.
But before embarking on that adventure, Hannigan will be spending two weeks here with Mainly Mozart. Her husband, a former Rancho Santa Fe resident with family in North County, is coming, too.
“I’ve gotten to know San Diego through Mainly Mozart,” Hannigan said. “In the early years, I got to know downtown San Diego, and — these days — La Jolla. Now it’s also family time. Fred spends time with his family, and I join whenever I can.
“It’s a lovely time to visit both San Diego family and the musicians and friends I don’t see other than at Mainly Mozart.”
Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival 2025 Schedule
When: All concerts begin at 7 p.m. Each performance lasts 75-90 minutes. Concerts at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall will have a 15-minute intermission.
Where: Epstein Family Amphitheater at UC San Diego, 9480 Innovation Lane, La Jolla; The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla.
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, June 18: Mozart’s Serenade in C Major, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Piazzola’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Baker-Baum Concert Hall
Friday, June 20: Mozart’s Serenade No. 6 “Serenata Notturna,” Strauss’ Duet Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon featuring Boris Allakhverdyan and Whitney Crockett, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major. Baker-Baum Concert Hall
Saturday, June 21: Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor and Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor featuring pianist Joyce Yang. Epstein Family Amphitheater
Tuesday, June 24: Stravinsky’s Concerto in E-flat, Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos No. 2 and No. 5, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 in D Major. Baker-Baum Concert Hall
Thursday, June 26: Mozart’s Overture to Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), Bendix-Balgley’s A Klezmer Concerto featuring composer and violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 in D Major “Reformation.” Baker-Baum Concert Hall
Saturday, June 28: Mozart’s Overture to Così, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in C Major, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major. Epstein Family Amphitheater
Tickets: Single tickets for Epstein Family Amphitheater concerts range from $25 to $149. Single tickets for Baker-Baum Concert Hall performances range from $65 to $149. Subscription packages are also available.
Info: 619-239-0100
Online: mainlymozart.org

San Diego, CA
How to buy 2025 San Diego Padres MLB playoff tickets, Padres postseason scenarios

With one week remaining in the regular season, San Diego Padres fans are hoping 2025 is the year the team finally wins a World Series.
After an 85-plus win season, the Padres clinched a spot in the National League Playoffs for the fourth time in the last six seasons.
With Padres fans hopeful for another deep postseason run, the time is now to secure playoff tickets. Check back as San Diego’s playoff scenarios, and ticket prices continue to update during the final week of the MLB season.
Shop 2025 SD Padres MLB Playoff tickets
San Diego Padres 2025 MLB playoff tickets
Padres postseason tickets are available for every scenario. If you purchase a ticket and San Diego doesn’t play in that round, tickets will be refunded. See below for all the potential Padres playoff scenarios.
San Diego Padres 2025 MLB playoff scenarios
The Padres have already clinched a playoff spot, but could still end the season as the No. 3, No. 4 or No. 5 seed. If San Diego overtakes Los Angeles for the NL West crown and the No. 3 seed, they will earn homefield for at least the Wild Card round. If the team ends as the No. 5 seed, they will play the No. 4 seed and be the road team in the best-of-3 Wild Card series and beyond.
San Diego Padres 2025 Wild Card Tickets
The Padres’ most likely scenario is to finish as the No. 5 seed and play on the road for the Wild Card round, but if they rise to the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the National League, they will host all three potential games in a Wild Card series. Here are the ticketing options for each Wild Card home game:
San Diego Padres 2025 NLDS Tickets
Should the Padres win their Wild Card matchup, they would advance to the National League Divisional Series. If the With San Diego entering as the lower seed, they would host Game 3 and a hypothetical Game 4 as long as the series doesn’t end in a sweep.
San Diego Padres NLCS Tickets
If the Padres advance to the National League Championship Series, it becomes a best-of-seven game series with the winner heading to the World Series. If the Padres are the favorite, they will host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. In the more likely scenario that the Padres are the lower seed, they will start the series on the road and would host Games 3, 4 and 6.
San Diego Padres World Series tickets
Should the Padres make the World Series, homefield advantage goes to the team with the better regular-season record. While that’s not a likely scenario given the team’s current record, it’s not out of the question. If the Padres did have the better regular-season record, they would host Games 1, 2 and hypothetical Games 5 and 7. If not, they would host Games 3, 4 and then Game 6 should the series require it.
*= if necessary
Shop SD Padres MLB Playoff tickets
San Diego, CA
Helen Woodward’s kid-focused Humane Education Campus opens

This spring, Helen Woodward Animal Center Education Center opened the doors on its new Sharron Lee MacDonald Humane Education Campus, named for MacDonald, a Rancho Santa Fe philanthropist. The $7.5 million project in Rancho Santa Fe features classrooms, animal enclosures and playgrounds, a special place for the more than 13,000 children that visit the center each year to learn and foster a forever love for animals.
The new center, which encompasses two buildings totaling 10,500 square feet with 20,000 square feet of accompanying outdoor space is the new home for Critter Camps, interactive exposure with animal ambassadors, educational programs with schools and Scouts and even birthday parties.
Haylee Blake, the center’s associate director of education, said what she loves most about the new facility is “just having a really intentional space for the kids”. From the floor to ceiling, whimsical wooden tree sprouting in the corner of the lobby to the playful classroom spaces and many opportunities to get up close and personal with an animal, she said they wanted to create a space that was inspirational, fun and engaging, a place to spark curiosity and empathy for animals and the natural world.
Humane education has always been a focus for Helen Woodward, teaching compassion and care for all animals. Blake said the new center will continue to be a place for kids to encounter animals, learn about science and debunk myths about certain animals that they may be fearful of.
When kids are able to interact hands-on with an animal, learn its name and personality, they might become interested in learning more and about how to protect it—even the less cuddly animals like insects and snakes: “They all matter when it comes to a good, healthy ecosystem,” Blake said. “We believe strongly that having live animal presentations is important….It creates a personalized experience.”
It took a long time for this dream campus to come to life.
In 1972, Helen Woodward, a native Californian and Del Mar resident for 40 years, bought a 12-acre farm in Rancho Santa Fe that was covered with weeds, a little house and a falling-down barn to establish what was then known as the San Dieguito Animal Care and Education Center. Many of the center’s structures were built after her death in 1983 and the center was renamed in her honor in 1986.
For many years, the old house on the property was used for the children’s education programs. When construction on the new and improved adoptions center started in 2018, the education program moved into trailers under the covered riding pavilion. Their old stomping grounds became the temporary “Adoptions Village,” and the center’s therapeutic riding program moved to an arena on the back of the property.
Planning for the new humane education campus started at the end of 2019 and was slowed by the pandemic. After breaking ground in the fall of 2023, construction took a little longer than expected to get going, after months of moving dirt around to lift the property out of the flood plain. During the year-long construction, the educational programming didn’t miss a beat. As soon as they snipped the ribbon at an opening ceremony in May, summer camps started rolling in the next week.
While funding for the project came mainly from MacDonald, the Jack and Marilyn McManama Charitable Trust, the Selander Foundation and the LaureL Foundation, donors contributed to the project in a variety of ways, from pitching in $5,000 to pledging $25,000. Throughout the new center, donors and supporters are recognized with names on features of the building or on colorful, animal-shaped donor plaques.
One of Blake’s favorite donor features is the concrete dog on the playground, which was auctioned off at their annual Spring Fling fundraiser. The winning bidder, the Viterbis, were able to get the dog painted to look like their beloved dog Lou—the climbing feature that sits sweetly on the playground even has a dog tag with his name on it.
Making it even more special, Lou was a Helen Woodward alumni: “Now he has been immortalized and will provide a lot of fun for kids,” Blake said.
The education center now has six classrooms for programming, all meant to be very fun and immersive spaces, themed around different animal habitats including the Desert Room, the Jungle and Woodland Room ( a larger room that can be split in two), Ocean Room, Tundra Room and Pets Room.
Graphic artist Brise Birdsong created all of the art in the rooms digitally—about 220 different are animals are depicted all of them native to the habitat featured, including the polar bear in the Tundra Room and the California mule deer in the Woodland Room, based on the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Pets Room features more domestic animals in a park and home environment—dogs and cats, a bearded dragon and goldfish. Birdsong painted one dog in memory of her dog Pepper who passed away at the end of the project.
As the focus of the classrooms was on making them easy to clean, there are a lot of hard surfaces which Blake can create a lot of echoing, not conducive to instruction or lots of excited talking. The acoustic panels were incorporated into the design—in the Pets Room they are clouds and in the Ocean Room it’s as if you’re submerged underwater with a whale swimming overhead. The constellation painted on the ceiling panels in the Desert Room is based on the actual constellations in the night sky on the day the center was founded on August 8, 1972.
Inside, all of animal ambassadors, from the bunnies to the birds to the lizards and snakes, all have new safe and spacious enclosures with lots of enrichment. New outside enclosures currently house chickens, goats and the newest arrival, an adorably fuzzy baby doll harlequin sheep yet to be named. One enclosure is currently vacant with plans for possibly a mini cow or alpacas—Blake said it’s all about finding animals with the right temperament for the educational programming.
Outside, two animal enrichment patios include bleacher seating with enclosures to keep larger animals like horses during an outdoor presentation.
The center’s outdoor space also features two new playgrounds, which they never had before beyond some bean bags, hula hoops, balls and donated playhouses. Now the younger kids ages 2-5 have a woodsy, nature-themed playground with logs for kids to climb on and through, with animals scattered throughout including a raccoon, bear, the beloved dog Lou and an eagle perched up high.
The playground for ages 5-12 on the other side of the center has a pollinator theme—the play structure is topped by a monarch butterfly and one of the climbing obstacles mimics a giant spider web. There’s a giant beehive and bee to climb, and a pretty hummingbird slide.
Each playground is connected to a large room specifically designed to host birthday parties, craft activities or camp lunches, each outfitted with two long tables.
The new building also includes offices for the staff and spaces for instructors and volunteers to work and collaborate, with room to grow.
Future phases of work at Helen Woodward Animal Center could include remodeling of the center’s equine hospital and the Club Pet boarding facility. Plans are still up the air for the old covered pavilion, it may revert back to therapeutic riding program or converted to parking.
To learn more about the education campus offerings or more at Helen Woodward, visit animalcenter.org
San Diego, CA
Crusaders Soccer Club highlights captains for program’s 40 top teams

Overview: Crusaders Soccer Club
Director of Coaching Victor Melendez noted, “Between our competitive and recreational teams, we have nearly 1,500 players wearing Crusaders uniforms. Of those players, 483 are on one of our 40 competitive teams, and 12 of those teams are now playing at a national level.”
On Sept. 2, the Crusaders Soccer Club held our annual Competitive Team Captains ceremony in the sanctuary of the Mission Trails Church.
The sanctuary was packed with the families of the players as they received their official team captain arm bands for the 2025/26 season.
Assistant Director of Coaching for the soccer club’s Competitive Program, Seth Tunick, was the master of ceremonies and coordinated this special event.
Tunick commented, “Each of our 40 competitive teams has two captains. This is a significant reward for these players. These players continually show dedication to the game of soccer and their team, while maintaining a positive attitude and, of course, demonstrating their leadership qualities. These young men and women are now responsible for demonstrating these abilities throughout the season for their team and the club.”
Director of Coaching Victor Melendez noted, “Between our competitive and recreational teams, we have nearly 1,500 players wearing Crusaders uniforms. Of those players, 483 are on one of our 40 competitive teams, and 12 of those teams are now playing at a national level.”
The first games of the 2025/26 were played Sept. 6-7. Among the competitive and recreational divisions, there were 64 games that weekend.
Nearly 1,000 recreational players on 88 teams also played the first of their 11 Saturday games that weekend. The slate continues through Nov. 16.
“Because of the advanced level of play of our recreational division, our competitive coaches will be scouting our recreational teams, looking for the next group of competitive-level players for future teams,” said Director of Coaching for the Recreational Program, Modesto Gardiniello.
He also wished “to sincerely thank all our volunteer recreational team coaches and coordinators, who ensure the complicated puzzle of assembling teams and ensuring everything goes smoothly throughout the 11-week season. Come out and watch a game. Our teams will be playing. Stop by just about any grass field on a Saturday in the Navajo area and enjoy a soccer game.”
-
Finance6 days ago
Reimagining Finance: Derek Kudsee on Coda’s AI-Powered Future
-
Business1 week ago
How Nexstar’s Proposed TV Merger Is Tied to Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension
-
North Dakota5 days ago
Board approves Brent Sanford as new ‘commissioner’ of North Dakota University System
-
World1 week ago
Russian jets enter Estonia's airspace in latest test for NATO
-
Crypto4 days ago
Texas brothers charged in cryptocurrency kidnapping, robbery in MN
-
World5 days ago
Syria’s new president takes center stage at UNGA as concerns linger over terrorist past
-
Technology5 days ago
These earbuds include a tiny wired microphone you can hold
-
Culture4 days ago
Test Your Memory of These Classic Books for Young Readers