San Diego, CA

Opinion: Yes on Proposition 4 now or pay more later

Published

1 year ago

September 25, 2024

Opinion: Yes on Proposition 4 now or pay more later

Changing climate conditions are affecting our health, lives and economy. Just consider what San Diegans endured over the last year.

In recent weeks, a prolonged heat wave kept temperatures in the three-digit range, toxic smoke migrating from wildfires up north prompted air quality alerts, and area hillsides thick with dry brush caught fire. In January, nearly 1,200 people were displaced from flooding after 150 billion gallons of rain fell in six hours.

Natural disasters like these are expected to increase, putting this region at risk. Fortunately, many are working hard on proven solutions to these challenges along with rising sea levels and shrinking drinking water supplies.

Proposition 4 gives us a chance to invest in solutions now to prevent paying more when disaster strikes. This is why, as a scientist and a career firefighter, we urge you to support Proposition 4 on the November ballot.

To prevent wildfires and toxic smoke, Proposition 4 provides $1.5 billion to create fire breaks near communities, improve forest health, harden homes from wildfire, support specialized firefighting equipment, and deploy early detection and response systems. This is critical, considering four of the state’s top 20 deadliest wildfires occurred in San Diego County — destroying thousands of homes and filling the sky with smoke and ash.

To protect access to safe drinking water, Proposition 4 provides $3.8 billion to filter contaminants, recharge aquifers, rebuild crumbling water infrastructure and protect watersheds. California is the fifth largest economy in the world and it’s shameful nearly 3.3 million of us live without clean drinking water, where water systems might fail or could potentially fail. More than 36,000 are your neighbors here in San Diego.

Furthermore, Proposition 4 provides $1.2 billion to help communities confront rising seas and eroding beaches. San Diego’s coasts are projected to annually experience 20 days of high tide flooding by 2043 and at least 50 days by 2057. Investment in coastal habitat remains one of the most cost-effective ways to enhance storm protection and handle flood waters. San Diegans have pioneered natural protections, exemplified by the dune restoration at Cardiff State Beach and the wetland restoration at San Dieguito Lagoon. With many local beaches eroding 1 to 3 meters a year, more investments now can help shore up our communities and livelihoods that depend on the coastline.

Many local priorities are funded in Proposition 4, including $170 million for the Salton Sea Management Program, $73 million for the San Diego River Conservancy for watershed and wildfire resilience programs, and $50 million for watershed and water quality projects on the Tijuana and New rivers.

The longer we wait to take action on climate, the greater the consequences and costs.

A new era of megafires has begun. Nineteen of California’s top 20 largest wildfires occurred since 2000. Most burned since 2017, incinerating an area considerably larger than our major cities: equivalent to 17 Los Angeles, or 25 San Diegos, or 183 San Franciscos. From 2017 to 2021, wildfires caused over $100 billion in damages each year and $5 billion in costs to the state.

Wildfires don’t just threaten our communities. Our ability to breathe clean air is at stake. While a quarter of California has a very high or extreme fire threat and more than 25 percent of us live in these areas, wildfire risks impact us all because smoke travels great distances. A recent study found wildfire smoke exposure in California caused more than 50,000 deaths and $400 billion in economic damages between 2008-2018.

Our access to clean drinking water is also at stake. Water supplies are contaminated when watersheds are damaged by wildfire and migrating ash. In a jolt to 27 million Californians, state water officials announced advancing climate change could cause the State Water Project to reduce water deliveries by nearly a quarter over the next 20 years.

The good news is California knows how to tackle big challenges and we have the solutions to stop these conditions from spreading. Through Proposition 4, we can invest in them at scale to protect communities and local economies while keeping costs down for taxpayers and families.

For these reasons, we urge your support for Proposition 4. Let’s protect California and what makes it so special.

Engeman is an oceanography researcher and a member of the San Diego Sea-level Rise Working Group. She lives in San Diego. Anthony is a registered professional forester and former chief deputy director at CAL FIRE now working as a strategic wildfire consultant, and lives in South Lake Tahoe.

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San Diego, CA

Joan Endres – San Diego Union-Tribune

Published

4 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Joan Endres

OBITUARY

Born January 1939 in Cincinnati Ohio. Died February 14, 2026, in San Diego, California, with her sons at her side. Her beloved husband Dean passed away in 2010.

Joan was the only child of Thomas and Edna Palmer. In 1943, the family moved to San Diego, where Joan graduated from Helix High School in 1956.

In 1957 Joan married Dean Endres of San Diego, where they raised two sons. Joan followed her two great passions outside the home, the Arts, and Gardening. Both activities being a way to bring beauty to others and to the community.

Joan received a degree in Environmental Design from San Diego State University, and afterwords worked at UCSD, for the Campus Architect.

As an artist, Joan worked in various media, especially ceramics. She was active in many cultural and arts organizations, eventually becoming President of the Combined Organization for the Visual Arts (COVA). Later she turned to gardening, with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca Community College and the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County.

Joan is survived by her son Jeff and wife Katrin, grandson Jackson, and son Todd Endres, all of La Mesa, and sisters Alice Buck of Phoenix, Elaine Kennedy of San Diego, Nancy and husband Don Jones of Vista, Eva Budzinski of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and their children and grandchildren.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Joan in the near future. Those who wish to attend should contact celebratejoanuvart@gmail.com to receive details when they are confirmed. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests a donation to the Water Conservation Garden or the Diego Visual Arts Network (SDVAN).

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San Diego, CA

San Diego State moves back into NCAA Tournament field in latest ESPN Bracketology

Published

16 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

San Diego State moves back into NCAA Tournament field in latest ESPN Bracketology

The San Diego State Aztecs’ have moved off the bubble and back into the NCAA Tournament’s Field of 64 in the latest ESPN’s Bracketology projections.

The Aztecs must feel like a yo-yo, but now it’s in a good way. Bracket expert Joe Lunardi moved them from the bottom of the First Four Out — No. 72 — to holding the Mountain West’s automatic bid after an 89-72 home romp Wednesday night over Utah State, which had held the auto-bid in bracketology for a few weeks now.

Lunardi now has the Aztecs as the No. 11 seed in the West Region, with a projected first-round date against former MW rival BYU in Portland.

Lunardi wrote that SDSU’s auto-bid “shifts the entire bubble.”

Wednesday night’s victory not only pulled the Aztecs (19-8, 13-4) into a tie with Utah State (23-5, 13-4) atop the MW standings, but it was just their second Quad 1 victory in six such opportunities.

SDSU’s next two games are both Quad 1 chances, at New Mexico on Saturday and then at Boise State on Tuesday night.

The win lifted the Aztecs only one spot in the NCAA NET Rankings, to No. 43. Those rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.

SDSU’s resume for earning an at-large berth has been on shaky ground all season, and was seriously damaged last week when the Aztecs lost at home to Grand Canyon and were then routed at Colorado State, both Quad 2 games.

SDSU’s best bet to assure a trip to March Madness for the sixth straight season is to win the MW tournament in Las Vegas and claim the automatic bid. That requires winning three games in as many days, and perhaps a third showdown against the Aggies, who beat the Aztecs 71-66 in Logan on Jan. 31.

Lunardi now has Utah State projected as an at-large team, but still with the No. 7 seed in the East, facing No. 10 Texas A&M in a first-round game in St. Louis.

New Mexico (21-7, 12-5), lurking just a game behind SDSU and USU, has dropped from the Last Four In at No. 68 to the First Four Out at No. 70.

The Aztecs were the unanimous preseason pick to win the MW regular-season title in their final season in the league before moving into the Pac-12 along with Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State.

Saturday’s game at New Mexico is set to tip off at 11 a.m. PT and will air on CBS.

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San Diego, CA

Oregon State Dismantles San Diego 83-49

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

The top teams in the West Coast Conference are jockeying for position in the standings as the regular season draws to a close, and the Oregon State women took care of business Thursday night, blowing out the San Diego Toreros 83-49 to move to 21-9 on the season, and 13-4 in conference play.

Oregon State’s Tiara Bolden Grabs WCC Honor After 44 Points Over Two Games

The Toreros have been a basement dweller in the conference for the last few seasons, so this result isn’t surprising, though it’s magnitude is a bit eye-raising. The Beavers wasted no time putting San Diego into a hole, opening the first quarter on an 8-0 run that Tiara Bolden and Kennedie Shuler getting involved early. Oregon State held a 14 point, 26-12 lead after one.

The second quarter wasn’t as lopsided, but San Diego wasn’t able to make much headway into the Beaver lead. Six points from Olivia Owens kept San Diego within shooting distance, but defensive pressure from Kennedie Shuler and strong rebounding from Lizzy Williamson kept the Toreros under control. Oregon State ended the first half up by 13, 40-27.

Oregon State Dominates Cougars in 79-51 Blowout

Oregon State tightened their grip in the third. While Olivia Owens and Kylie Ray managed to give the Toreros some hope early in the quarter, Oregon State went on a run late in the period to get their lead to 21 at the highest. San Diego finally snapped the Beaver hot streak, but a three from Kennedie Shuler ended the quarter in a 61-43, 18 point Beaver lead.

The bottom seemed to fall out of San Diego in the fourth, with the Toreros only putting six points on the board. Tiara Bolden and Kennedie Shuler kept the points flowing for the Beavers, while Lizzy Willilamson continued to dominate the boards. A layup with an and one from Elisa Mehyar were the last Beaver points of the game, giving Oregon State a 34 point, 83-49 win.

Oregon State Takes Down Portland 64-54 in Season Saving Game

It was a good night for several Beavers, with Kennedie Shuler once again leading the team in scoring. She finished the night with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. She can do just about everything on the court.

Tiara Bolden continued her hot streak with a 17 point night, along with four rebounds and four assists. Jenna Villa added 14 points, one rebound and one assist. Lizzy Williamson added another double double to her resume, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Oregon State’s Winning Streak Ends With 55-51 Loss to LMU

There’s one last item on the agenda for Oregon State, a season-closing meeting with the Loyola Marymount Lions Saturday at Gill Coliseum. The Lions handed Oregon State their first WCC loss of the season back in January, so getting some revenge before the conference tournament would be a good statement from the team. Tip off is set for 1 PM PT.

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