San Diego, CA
The best things to do in Poway, Rancho Bernardo and 4S Ranch: Week of Oct. 16-29

Editor’s Note: Send event details (who, what, where, when, cost and contact information) in an email to ehimchak@pomeradonews.com. The deadline is noon Friday. Items run on a space available basis. Questions? Call 619-806-7305.
Thursday, Oct. 16
Early bird networking: The Poway Chamber of Commerce hosts speed networking at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 at Cully’s Restaurant, 13252 Poway Road. Non-member guests can attend free of charge for their first event. For details, visit Poway.com.
Worldly topics: Abel Julio Gonzalez will talk about protecting people from radiation during the 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 World Affairs Council North County meeting. It will be at The Remington Club, 16916 Hierba Drive in Rancho Bernardo. For details, visit northcountyworldaffairs.org.
Save a life: The Community Church of Poway is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 at church, 13501 Community Road. To schedule an appointment or for details visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter “Poway” for the sponsor code.
Silver Screeniacs: Adults age 50-plus are invited to watch the free movie, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” from 1 to 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 at the Mickey Cafagna Community Center – Oak Hall East, 13094 Civic Center Drive. Complimentary popcorn will be provided. For details, call 858-668-4671.
Planners to meet: The Rancho Bernardo Planning Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 in the Bernardo Heights Community Center, 16150 Bernardo Heights Parkway in RB. For the agenda, visit RBPlanningBoard.com.
Friday, Oct. 17
Textile treasures: Make a pumpkin pillow while exploring natural and synthetic fibers during a class for adults age 50-plus from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17 at the Mickey Cafagna Community Center – Willow Room 306 in Community Park, 13094 Civic Center Drive. Cost is $15 per participant; registration is required. For details, call 858-668-4671.
Help the blind: The Rancho Bernardo Lions Club will be holding its annual White Cane Fund Drive from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 outside the Rancho Bernardo Albertson’s, 12475 Rancho Bernardo Road.
Teen party: Teens ages 11 to 17 years old can play laser tag and enjoy pizza at a free after-hours party at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road. Registration is required. For details, call 858-513-2900.
Bingo: San Rafael Catholic Church Women’s Fellowship is hosting a bingo night on Friday, Oct. 17 in the Parish Hall, 17252 Bernardo Center Drive in Rancho Bernardo. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Play starts at 7 p.m. Cost: $10 to play eight games with three chances to win each game. Cash prizes and light snacks. Proceeds go to charity. Men and women ages 18 and up welcome.
Saturday, Oct. 18
Like poodles? The annual Poodle Palooza Extravaganza benefitting 4 Paws of Love pet therapy organization will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 in Webb Park, 16826 Bernardo Center Drive in Rancho Bernardo. Viewing is free and open to the public. There will be a poodle parade around the park (9:30 a.m.), dog and non-dog related vendors, a silent auction, swag bags for poodle participants, contests, games and more. Cost: $25 per poodle. For details, visit 4pawsoflove.org.
Tool sharpening: The Seven Oaks Woodworking Club will sharpen knives, serrated knives, scissors and garden and hand tools. Drop off items between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Seven Oaks Community Center, 16789 Bernardo Oaks Drive in Rancho Bernardo. Pick up late Saturday or Monday. Cash or check. No chainsaws, power tools or saws. For details, call 858-487-4058.
Help the blind: The Rancho Bernardo Lions Club will be holding its annual White Cane Fund Drive from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 outside the Rancho Bernardo Albertson’s, 12475 Rancho Bernardo Road.
Pumpkin craft: Adults are invited to make a succulent pumpkin craft from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road. Sign-up is required. For details, call 858-513-2900.
Diwali: The Rancho Bernardo Library will hold its free celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. Participants will make and decorate Diyas (traditional oil lamps) and enjoy light refreshments. This is for all ages. The library is at 17110 Bernardo Center Drive. For details, call 858-538-8163.
Teen science: Teens in grades 6 to 9 are invited to unearth nature’s wonders with experiments and encounters with animals during a Teen Program Series from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Mickey Cafagna Community Center – Oak Hall in Community Park, 13094 Civic Center Drive. Cost is $6 participant; registration is required. For details, call 858-668-4671.
Sunday, Oct. 19
Diwali: The Poway Library will hold its free celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19 at the library, 13137 Poway Road. The event features dance performances and crafts for kids. For details, call 858-513-2900.
Free concert: Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church will present a free concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19 in the church sanctuary, 17010 Pomerado Road. Organist Christoph Bull will perform rock music and other genres on the organ. He is a university organist and organ professor at UCLA as well as organist-in-residence at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, which houses one of the largest pipe organs in the world. All are welcome. For details, email liz@rbcommunity.org.
Monday, Oct. 20
STEAM for kids: A science, technology, engineering, arts and math activity will feature slime at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road. For details, call 858-513-2900.
Tuesday, Oct. 21
RB safety: A representative from Navy Federal Credit Union and an expert in fire prevention-home hardening will speak at the 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21 Rancho Bernardo Neighborhood Watch community meeting. It will be at the Seven Oaks Community Center, 16789 Bernardo Oaks Drive in Rancho Bernardo. For details, visit RBNW.org.
Council meeting: The Poway City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21 in the City Council Chambers, 13325 Civic Center Drive.
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Aloha ukulele: Adults aged 50-plus are invited to learn tablature, sheet music, chords and lyrics through ukulele strum-and-sing sessions from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 at the Mickey Cafagna Community Center – Willow Room 306 in Community Park, 13094 Civic Center Drive. Sheet music is provided and limited ukuleles are available for class use.
Canasta: Adults aged 50-plus are invited to play the popular Canasta card game that combines elements of Bridge and Rummy from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 at the Mickey Cafagna Community Center – Willow Room 301 in Community Park, 13094 Civic Center Drive.
Thursday, Oct. 23
Teen craft: Teens ages 11 to 17 years old are invited to make Halloween candles at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct 23 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road. For details, call 858-513-2900.
Bocce: Adults ages 50-plus are invited to play bocce ball from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at Poway Community Park’s Bocce Ball Courts, 13094 Civic Center Drive. Playing is free and instruction is provided during the first hour.
Chamber mixer: The Poway Chamber of Commerce invites community members, organizations and businesses to meet, network and collaborate with food, drinks and drawing prizes at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at The Hop Stop, 14055 Midland Road. Free for chamber members and first-time guests; $25 for returning guests. For details, visit Poway.com.
Saturday, Oct. 25
Band tourney: The 48th annual Mt. Carmel Tournament of Bands will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Mt. Carmel High School, 9550 Carmel Mountain Road in Rancho Peñasquitos. It will feature 38 bands from across Southern California and feature parade and field show competitions. Field shows start at 8 a.m. and continue into the evening in Sundevil Stadium. The parade review starts at 11:45 a.m. in the school’s parking lot. Field show general admission tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for students, seniors and military; and free for children 5 and under. Reserved seating is $35. Watching the parade is free. For the schedule and to buy tickets visit tinyurl.com/MCHS-band25.
Dog adoption: Coldwell Banker Realty will host a Homes for Dogs Project from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 25 at its office, 16787 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 6 in The Plaza at Rancho Bernardo. Its adoption partner will be A New Life Rescue. In the days leading up to the event it will also accept donations of pet items for A New Life Rescue and Love Your Feral Felines. For details, call 858-676-6138.
Halloween carnival: The National Charity League will present the annual Halloween carnival with games, candy and a haunted hallway at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road. For details, call 858-513-2900.
Sunday, Oct. 26
Choir performers: The Haneen Choir will sign traditional Syrian songs at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road. For details, call 858-513-2900.
Trunk-or-treat: The Community Church of Poway is hosting its free Trunk-or-Treat from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26 in the church’s parking lot, 13501 Community Road. There will be games, prizes, hot dogs and snacks along with decorated vehicles and lots of candy. For details, call 858-748-3304.
Tuesday, Oct. 28
For women: The Rancho Belles women’s social organization will discuss the benefits of participatory arts during its 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 gathering in the Eastview Community Center, 17520 Drayton Hall Way in Rancho Bernardo. Participatory arts are forms of artistic expression that enable shared ownership of decision-making processes that aim to generate dialogue, social activism and community mobilization. For details, email Ranchobelles@gmail.com.
Open house: The Poway Chamber of Commerce is hosting an open house to give the public the chance to meet the staff, board members, local business owners and city officials from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 13029 Danielson St., Suite 120. For details, visit Poway.com.
Concert: The Kensington Baroque Orchestra will perform at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 in the Rancho Bernardo Library’s community room, 17110 Bernardo Center Drive. Admission is free, but donations are welcome to support the Friends of the Rancho Bernardo Library concert series. For details, call 858-538-8163.
Wednesday, Oct. 29
Learn more: San Diego Oasis will hold its catalog pick up party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29 at its Rancho Bernardo location, 17170 Bernardo Center Drive. Learn what classes and other activities it has to offer to adults 50 and older in coming months. There will be free refreshments and opportunity drawings for Oasis gift cards. For details, call 858-240-2880 or visit san-diego.oasisnet.org.

San Diego, CA
San Diego wants hotels and restaurants to pay more for valet stands and on-street dining. It’s not going over well.

San Diego hotel and restaurant owners are balking at a city proposal to charge them steeply higher fees for their valet parking spaces and on-street outdoor dining areas.
City officials say the hikes are justified, because San Diego loses revenue when parking spots that could otherwise have meters are devoted to other uses like dining or valet parking drop-off and pickup.
But critics, including the county lodging association and merchant groups, say the hikes could prompt some restaurants to eliminate on-street dining altogether and force hotel guests to clog streets by double parking.
One Mission Beach restaurant owner said Tuesday the city can’t keep raising fees and costs on a struggling industry and not expect a rash of closures. “We are teetering,” said Eric Christiansen, the owner of Guava Beach Bar & Grill.
The proposal, which the City Council is scheduled to consider early next month, is part of a wider city campaign to cope with expected budget deficits by raising parking rates and beginning to charge in new places like Balboa Park.
City officials say it’s costing taxpayers many thousands of dollars per year in potential parking meter revenue — revenue that could fund city services — by allowing on-street dining and valet spots, especially popular downtown because hotels there lack space for self-parking by their guests.
And the amount of potential revenue the city is missing out on rose sharply this year, after hourly meter rates were doubled from $1.25 to $2.50, daily meter operations were extended by two hours and a special event zone with higher rates was created near Petco Park.
In an effort to recover a greater share of that lost revenue, city officials are proposing to raise the fees for street-dining space by more than 30% and to hike valet parking fees even more dramatically. Currently, those fees are nearly $38 per square foot in most areas; they would rise to $50.
Fees for outdoor dining would rise by nearly 32% in most neighborhoods and even more in the special-event zone. Also, a fee exemption would be eliminated for seating that is open to the public, instead of reserved only for restaurant customers.
For valet spaces, hotels would pay $5,600 per year for the standard allotment of two valet street spots of 22 feet each, up from the current $600 per year. City officials say the $600 is an application fee, and the $5,000 is a new fee that aims to recover part of the city’s costs.
The hotel industry has mostly accepted that change, but it’s objecting to proposed fees for hotels that want more than two valet spots. Each additional valet spot beyond two would cost a hotel $10,000 in areas that have parking meters and $15,000 in the special-event zone.
“That is just too high for guests, as well as the operators, to be able to absorb,” said Fred Tayco, executive director of the San Diego County Lodging Association.
Tayco said some hotels could end up paying close to $100,000 per year if they need several additional valet spots, predicting that scaling back valet spots would lead to dangerous double parking and unloading of luggage.
“While valet parking may appear like a luxury, for downtown it’s a necessity,” said Tayco, noting that 63% of tourists who visited San Diego last year came by car.
Michael Trimble, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, questioned how the city arrived at the new proposed fee amounts.
“We can’t support arbitrary, unpublished surcharges that punish businesses,” Trimble said.
City officials say the proposed fees were carefully calculated based on the typical revenue a parking meter generates in a year.
Ahmad Erikat, a program manager in the city’s Transportation Department, said a typical meter downtown generates $25 per day, which may rise to $30 per day now that operating hours have been extended by two hours.
Erikat said the city multiplied that rate times the 350 days per year that meters operate — there are 15 holidays per year when they don’t — to get a total expected revenue per downtown meter of $10,500. So the city decided to charge $10,000 for additional valet spots.
“The objective is to be as close as possible to cost recovery,” he said.
In the special-event zone, a similar calculation led the city to propose $15,000 per valet spot, Erikat said.
For restaurants or hotels willing to operate valet spots only from 5 p.m. to midnight, the fee would be $2,500, which is based on how much meter revenue could otherwise be generated during those hours, Erikat said.
He stressed that the first two valet spots would still be heavily subsidized by the city. Instead of charging the $20,000 that cost recovery would dictate — $30,000 in the special-event zone — the city would charge $5,600 for those two spots.
Full cost recovery would kick in only when additional spots beyond the standard two are required by a business.
The proposal was approved 4-0 by the City Council’s Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last month. It is scheduled for a vote by the full council on either Nov. 2 or Nov. 3, according to a spokesperson for Mayor Todd Gloria.
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who chairs the committee and represents downtown, said he sympathizes with businesses facing higher fees.
But he suggested keeping those fees down is less important than making sure hotels have the ability to claim additional valet spots if they need them.
“The policy enables valet services to remain possible while enabling the city to recover the true cost of lost parking revenue,” Whitburn said.
He said the hotels make enough money to cover the higher costs. “The collection of valet parking revenue results in some pretty significant revenue,” he added.
Christiansen, the Mission Beach restaurant owner, considers the fee hike for street dining a huge mistake.
“It’s a ridiculous increase by a tone-deaf city,” said Christiansen, who has operated Guava Beach Bar & Grill for 23 years.
With the city’s minimum wage still rising incrementally and costs for food and energy going up, he said the city shouldn’t charge more for street dining spots when restaurants are barely surviving.
“We can’t absorb anymore costs — we are teetering,” he added. “It’s going to be a rude awakening for the city when restaurants start to close. Boarded-up buildings are a bad look for tourists.”
The Little Italy Association, whose businesses would be some of those most affected, declined requests for an interview.
San Diego, CA
Best Bets: A quick guide to La Jolla entertainment and experiences

The La Jolla Light presents this continuing listing of local in-person events and online activities.
Halloween and fall events
• Nightmare on Nautilus haunted trail: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, La Jolla High School, 750 Nautilus St. $7. ljhstheatre.com
• Family Fall Festival: Shoreline Community Services’ second annual Family Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, La Jolla United Methodist Church, 6063 La Jolla Blvd. The event will feature carnival games, pumpkin painting, a pie walk, rides, treats and more. $10-$50. bit.ly/SCS-Fall-25
• Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): “Día de los Muertos Storytime with Ms. Jackie,” 3-5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Día de los Muertos concert, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, both in the La Jolla/Riford Library’s Community Room, 7555 Draper Ave. Children are encouraged to wear traditional Día de los Muertos makeup.
• Halloween Aglow: 6-8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-25, at Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. The event will include games, trick-or-treating, special lighting and decorations, live music by Billy Lee and the Swamp Critters, divers doing underwater pumpkin carving, and pop-up science stations. $20-$45. Reservations are required. aquarium.ucsd.edu/events/halloween-aglow
• Dogoween: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, The Kitchen at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. The event will feature a costume contest, pop-up tents and music to raise funds for local pet adoption organizations. $30-$100. lajollalovespets.org.
• Movie Night: “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”: 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. Refreshments will be provided. Free for Community Center members, $10 for non-members. ljcommunitycenter.org/specialevents
• Trunk or Treat: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, on Draper Avenue between La Jolla Presbyterian Church and the La Jolla Recreation Center. Pre-approved cars will offer trick-or-treating, non-alcoholic apple cider, chili with toppings and pie in a cup. Pumpkin carving also will be available.
• “Beyond the Rainbow”: 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, 9700 N. Torrey Pines Road. The “Wizard of Oz”- and Halloween-themed event for ages 21 and up will feature cocktails, bites, characters, entertainment and more. $115. bit.ly/4q9qMX0
• Halloween Lunch & Costume Contest: Noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. Free for Community Center members, $25 for non-members. Registration is required. ljcommunitycenter.org/specialevents
• Creepy Candy Crawl: 3-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at participating shops in La Jolla’s Village. Children of all ages can go trick-or-treating with goodie bags available at the Real Estate Brokers Association, 908 Kline St. The event also will include a costume contest featuring prizes donated by Geppetto’s toy store. bit.ly/42x0aoQ
Lectures & learning
• The Peer Learning Collaborative at the La Jolla Community Center continues “Oceanography and How We Get Fish on the Plate” with oceanographer John Ugoretz at 3 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 16 and 23, at 6811 La Jolla Blvd. The remaining topics are: Oct. 16, “Sharktober! Shark Incidents in California and San Diego;” Oct. 23, “What We Need to Understand about Marine Protected Areas, Especially in La Jolla.” ljcommunitycenter.org/plc
• “The Precarity of ‘Privilege’: Intermarried Families in Prague during the Holocaust,” featuring Tatjana Lichtenstein, kicks off UC San Diego’s Holocaust Living History Workshop series at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at UCSD’s Geisel Library, 9701 Hopkins Drive, La Jolla. Free. calendar.ucsd.edu/event/HLHW-Tatjana-Lichtenstein
• “Judeo-Sephardic (Ladino) for Beginners” is presented at 10 a.m. Mondays from Oct. 20 through Nov. 24 online. The six-class course is taught by Agnieszka August-Zarebska, an assistant professor in the Taube Department of Jewish Studies at the University of Wroclaw, Poland. Registration is $250 until Thursday, Oct. 16, and $300 afterward. yiddishlandcalifornia.org/ladino-judeo-spanish-for-beginners
• The La Jolla Garden Club presents “Learning About Sogetsu Ikebana” with Sharon Bristow at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the La Jolla Woman’s Club, 7791 Draper Ave. Free.
• “Afternoon Insights: The Silent Epidemic of Loneliness: Identifying and Addressing Loneliness in Our Aging Population” is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. Free. ljcommunitycenter.org/specialevents
• The Korea-Pacific Program at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy presents “Economic Statecraft in a Divided Peninsula,” a roundtable discussion of how the United States and South Korea are tasked with aligning their economic policies and finding strategies to deter North Korea, at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in UCSD’s Great Hall, 9810 International Lane, La Jolla. Free, though registration is required. bit.ly/4n8plWb
Health & fitness
• The La Jolla Newcomers Club presents Saturday Morning Walkers at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 18, meeting in front of the La Jolla Shores Hotel, 8110 Camino del Oro. A walk will proceed along the water and through the surrounding neighborhood. Those interested can meet for coffee or brunch afterward. lajollanewcomers.org
• The relaxation class “Fit & Flexible” is presented at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 28 at the La Jolla Cove Bridge Club, 1160 Coast Blvd. Free for newcomers, $25 for others. Register via email at solyoga@yahoo.com.
• “Restorative Bliss Yoga with Ocean Savasana” is offered at 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 29 at the La Jolla Cove Bridge Club, 1160 Coast Blvd. Free for newcomers, $25 for others. Register via email at solyoga@yahoo.com.
Art & film
• “Alex Katz: Theater and Dance” continues at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego through Sunday, Jan. 4, at 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. The exhibit is the first comprehensive exploration of Katz’s collaborations with choreographers, dancers and members of avant-garde theater ensembles over six decades, showcasing rare archival materials, major sets and paintings and previously unexhibited sketches. mcasd.org/exhibitions/alex-katz-theater-and-dance
Dance scholar Emma Clarke and MCASD’s manager of education, Maru Lopez, will explore works and themes of the exhibition in a lecture at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the museum’s Strauss Galleries. $5. mcasd.org/events/lecture-emma-clarke
• Quint Gallery presents a reception with artist Kim MacConnel at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, for her exhibition, “Tilt-A-Whirl,” which continues through Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7655 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free. quintgallery.com/exhibitions/260-kim-macconnel-tilt-a-whirl
• R.B. Stevenson Gallery hosts an opening reception for artist Geoffroy Tobé from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7661 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Tobé will present the exhibition “Here and There” with new paintings and ceramics through Saturday, Nov. 8. Free. rbstevensongallery.com
• The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library hosts an opening reception for “Nolan Oswald Dennis: Demonstrations (i)” at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The art exhibition will run through Saturday, Jan. 17. ljathenaeum.org/events/exhibition-2025-insite
• Artwork by Katherine Keeling is on display through October at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, 5627 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. birdrockcoffee.com/cafes/la-jolla
• Joseph Bellows Gallery presents the art exhibition “Kate Breakey: In Pursuit of Light” through Friday, Oct. 31, at 7661 Girard Ave., La Jolla. josephbellows.com/exhibitions/kate-breakey2
• “Prospect 2025,” this year’s renewal of an annual exhibition highlighting artworks being considered for acquisition, runs through Sunday, Nov. 2, at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. The show features five sculptural artworks by Hugh Hayden, Daniela Gomez Paz, Ryan Preciado, Sarah Rosalena and Barbara Sanchez-Kane. mcasd.org/exhibitions/prospect-2025
• The Salon of Art Gallery presents artist Concetta Antico’s exhibition “Ethereal Beauty” through Friday, Nov. 14, at 7655 Fay Ave., La Jolla. Free. bit.ly/4fRGK3h
• UC San Diego’s Mandeville Art Gallery hosts “Omni Intelligent,” an exhibition by nine artists and collectives in a range of media from scent and holography to ceramics and film, exploring artificial intelligence and the intersections of humans and machines. The exhibit continues through Saturday, Dec. 6, at 9390 Mandeville Lane, La Jolla. mandevilleartgallery.ucsd.edu/exhibitions/omni-intelligent.html
• “Land and Sea: Selections from the Collection,” an exhibit featuring land and seascapes by more than 20 artists with connections to the region, runs through Wednesday, Dec. 31, at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. It includes pieces in the museum’s current collection, as well as new acquisitions. mcasd.org/exhibitions/new-on-view
• The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego presents “A Burial in Shanghai,” an exhibit of large paintings by Chinese-born artist Yan Pei-Ming, through Sunday, Jan. 4, at 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. mcasd.org/exhibitions/yan-pei-ming
Music & dance
• The La Jolla Music Society presents jazz by the Peter Sprague Trio, featuring Sprague on guitar, Mackenzie Leighton on bass and Danny Green on piano, at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at the Wu Tsai QRT.yrd at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. Free. theconrad.org/events/qrt-yrd-peter-sprague
• Art of Elan presents music by Foote, Ginastera and Debussy at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at The JAI at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $18-$53. theconrad.org/events/art-of-elan-at-the-jai
• Cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia and pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion play at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The performance is part of the Barbara and William Karatz Chamber Concert Series. $16-$58. ljathenaeum.org/events/chamber-2025-1020
• ArtPower at UC San Diego presents the dance and music ensemble La Mezcla in “Ghostly Labor,” a rhythmic performance, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at UCSD’s Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9480 Innovation Lane, La Jolla. $30-$50. amphitheater.ucsd.edu/event/la-mezcla
• The La Jolla Community Center concludes its 2025 Fourth Friday Jazz Series with Holly Hofmann presenting “Some of My Best Friends are Guitar Players” at 8 p.m. Oct. 24 at 6811 La Jolla Blvd. $25 for Community Center members and $30 for non-members in advance; $35 at the door. ljcommunitycenter.org/ffjs
• Bach Collegium San Diego presents “When in Rome: A. Scarlatti, Corelli and Handel” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $38-$73. theconrad.org/events/when-in-rome
• Pianist Dmitry Shishkin performs at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Baker-Baum Concert Hall, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $48-$75. theconrad.org/events/dmitry-shiskin
• The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library presents its four-concert Jazz Fall Series from Oct. 29 to Dec. 5 at two venues in La Jolla. Performances are: Kris Davis Trio, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St.; Anthony Wilson Nonet: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, Scripps Research Auditorium, 10620 John Jay Hopkins Drive; Django Festival Allstars with Veronica Swift, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, Scripps Research Auditorium; and Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. $188 for the series for Athenaeum members, $208 for non-members. Individual concerts are $50-$55. ljathenaeum.org/jazz
• The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus opens its 2025-26 season with “The French Connection” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, at the Mandeville Auditorium at UC San Diego, 9390 Mandeville Lane, La Jolla. The performances will feature French and French-inspired works by Kevin Puts, Igor Stravinsky, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Betsy Jolas, Claude Debussy and Erik Satie. $20-$45. ljsc.org
• San Diego Baroque presents its 2025-26 Bach’s Lunch Concert Series at 12:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month, except January, through May 6 at St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla. Upcoming performances are: Nov. 5, Mozart string quintet; Dec. 3, Vivaldi Gloria; Feb. 4, Handel and Scarlatti vocal works; March 4, French baroque; April 1, Vivaldi Stabat Mater; May 6, works based on Shakespeare and Cervantes. Free. sdbaroque.com
Books
• Wayne Thiebaud holds a book release event for “A Radical Realism” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Tasende Gallery, 820 Prospect St., La Jolla. tasendegallery.com
• The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center will host a series of Jewish authors speaking about their books at 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. The schedule: Yardena Schwartz, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16; Dara Horn, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18; Pamela Nadell, 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17. $115-$150. my.lfjcc.org/15540/15541
• Author Leslie Johansen Nack discusses her book “Nineteen” in conversation with Judy Reeves at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Warwick’s bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free, or $17.99 for a reserved seat and book copy. warwicks.com/event/nack-2025
• Warwick’s bookstore presents a meet-and-greet and book signing with Dave Berke and Jocko Willink for their book “The Need to Lead” at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. $35. One ticket admits two and includes a book copy. warwicks.com/event/berke-and-willink-2025
• Warwick’s bookstore presents La Jolla author Loni Belle discussing her children’s book “Moo-Nay R U Monet?” at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free. warwicks.com/event/belle-2025
• The La Jolla Historical Society presents the “Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project,” an exhibition that brings together the graphic novels “Our, Past, Present and Future” and “Beyond Gaming,” written by Kumeyaay tribal historians Ethan Banegas, Michael Connolly Miskwish, Lorraine Orosco and Stanley Rodriguez and illustrated by John Swogger. The event runs through Sunday, Oct. 19, at 780 Prospect St. Free. lajollahistory.org/current-and-upcoming
• Author Jill Hall discusses her book “On a Sundown Sea: A Novel of Madame Tingley and the Origins of Lomaland” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at Warwick’s bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free, or $18.99 for a reserved seat and book copy. warwicks.com/event/jill-g-hall-2025
Theater
• La Jolla Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical “Working Girl” from Tuesday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Dec 7, at the Mandell Weiss Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive. The production, based on the 1988 movie, features music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, a book by Theresa Rebeck and choreography by Sarah O’Gleby and is directed by Christopher Ashley. lajollaplayhouse.org/show/working-girl
Galas & events
• The Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa concludes its Tea in the Garden Series of themed afternoon high teas on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 9700 N. Torrey Pines Road. $75. bit.ly/4jZblwR
• The Corazon de Vida Foundation presents its annual fundraiser Noche de Gala beginning at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, 9700 N. Torrey Pines Road. The gala benefits orphaned and abandoned children in Baja, Mexico, and will include champagne, cocktails, silent and live auctions, entertainment, dinner and dancing. $250. ndg.givesmart.com
• The La Jolla/Riford Library hosts “Remember Us the Holocaust,” or “RUTH,” an exhibit that features stories of Holocaust survivors living in San Diego County and artifacts from the Holocaust and World War II, through June 28 at 7555 Draper Ave. Free. bit.ly/49TLiDr. sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/ruth-exhibit-program-418127.
Do you have an event — online or in person — that you’d like to see here? Email your leads to Rob Vardon at robert.vardon@lajollalight.com by noon Friday for publication in the following week’s edition. ♦
San Diego, CA
Opinion: Providing connection and care by the San Diego River

It’s 4 a.m. on a recent Sunday at the San Diego River, and volunteers from various organizations are gathering to conduct an annual census of people experiencing homelessness. The count is part of the San Diego River Park Foundation’s ongoing efforts to better understand the needs and challenges along the river. They work closely with my colleagues on the outreach team at PATH, and that morning, Assemblymember Chris Ward and college student volunteers joined the effort.
At first glance, it might not be obvious why an environmental organization is on the front lines of the homelessness crisis. But the reality is that when people use the river as a home and build encampments for survival, the environmental impact and the unsafe conditions that can result cannot be ignored.
The riverbed has long been a refuge for people experiencing homelessness. Many who relocate there have been displaced from other neighborhoods and seek stability after being shuffled around. Data collection events like this census have demonstrated the need for a specialized team dedicated to outreach along the river. Thanks to state funding from the Encampment Resolution Fund that is administered through the city of San Diego, PATH teams have been deployed to provide person-centered, trauma-informed care to those in need.
Having the Assembly member there was especially meaningful and personal. During his time on the San Diego City Council, he supported a PATH pilot program that reshaped how outreach is conducted. I was working as a community representative in his office at the time and was proud to be a part of that effort. Previously, outreach teams rotated through different areas each day, often meeting new people without the opportunity to build deep relationships. In 2018, Ward’s office provided some of the seed funding for the Mid-City Homeless Outreach program, a neighborhood-based case management model spearheaded by PATH. Instead of constantly moving, outreach workers were assigned to a specific community, allowing them to get to know people, build trust and address unique needs. The program’s success led to multi-year, citywide outreach contracts with PATH, which have since expanded across San Diego County.
On the morning of the count, volunteers encountered a small group of deaf individuals that had already built rapport with the River Park Foundation team. The group included a couple who were ready to enroll in services. Kat Moore, a member of PATH’s team, approached them and used her phone to communicate, following up on previous conversations they had with her colleague, Kendall Burdett, about providing support. Before leaving, she supplied them with a San Diego River Park Foundation-provided care kit that included socks, water, granola bars, trash bags and hygiene supplies. Most importantly, she left them with a pathway to stability and hope.
The following Monday, Kat enrolled them in case management and secured them a spot at the city of San Diego’s Safe Sleeping site. She arranged for an interpreter to be present at their intake. That is what outreach is all about — meeting people where they are, building trust and offering solutions tailored to their needs. Kat is part of a dedicated team that provides this level of tailored support to people experiencing homelessness in all the communities that PATH serves. Her level of compassion and commitment is what we look for when building our diverse outreach teams.
From June 2024 to July 2025, PATH’s city of San Diego outreach teams enrolled 1,283 unhoused people in services. The ultimate goal is to secure housing, but there are many important steps to navigate along the way. With support from our teams, 968 of those individuals achieved temporary exits, meaning they moved into a shelter, substance use treatment program, long-term care facility, or reconnected with friends or family. More than 300 people were connected to permanent housing, ending their homelessness.
While results and data are crucial to measuring impact and the efficacy of these programs, there is one thing they cannot capture: human connection. For people with few resources or social connections, a consistent relationship with a case manager, someone who checks in, helps you work toward your goals and genuinely cares, can be a lifeline. Along the San Diego River and across San Diego County, outreach offers more than services. It offers connection, care and a path to home.
Renner is the communications director for PATH, a statewide homeless services provider, and a board member of San Diego Pride. He lives in University Heights.
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