This morning, thanks to the ACLU, I was able to speak to a classroom full of eighth graders at a San Diego area middle school. I was excited for this morning’s presentation and really couldn’t wait to meet the future of our country. What follows are my random observations.
Filed under Civic Engagement …
Redwood and McKinley Elementary (pt I): A community-driven safety project
A group of North Park neighbors who live primarily on Redwood, 28th, and Utah Streets, got together to try and figure out if we could make Redwood street safer for children and families along the path from McKinley Elementary School to Bird Park. Working together to make a change in the physical environment is a … Continue reading
The CalFresh Challenge: Food and Hunger
Each year, to raise money and awareness, the San Diego Hunger Coalition puts on a Calfresh Challenge. This is an opportunity to empathize with people who struggle to get enough decent food to eat. In 2012, I noticed Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez talking up this CalFresh Challenge and I thought it sounded like a good chance … Continue reading
#pintsandpols – Bay Park, Bikes, & (craft) beer: follow up
Back in June, a bunch of people got together in Bay Park to talk about our views as it relates to regulations around a height limit along Morena Blvd. In addition to enjoying a very tasty Jurata (a collaboration beer between Coronado Brewing and Cigar City in Tampa), lots of good came out of that … Continue reading
“Real Connect” – North Park enters Politifest Idea Tournament
I took this photo at the July 13, 2013, North Park Community Association Bird Park Summer Concert featuring Todo Mundo. There were hundreds of neighbors enjoying a beautiful community event. Now imagine every single one of them had an easy way to engage about issues or chances to volunteer or other developments in their part … Continue reading
Key Strengths of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation
Occasionally I stray from writing about good food, travel or new small businesses dedicated to quality craft beer to try to help get people more engaged in what’s going on in the San Diego region. That is my focus with the upcoming craft beer debate on education (details) and the reason I’m straying to … Continue reading
Planning for the future: North Park’s Community Plan in 2009
The beauty of Google is that it saves everything you’ll let it. So today I realized that the Greater North Park Community Plan Update began with an email…on November 18, 2009. Here’s my initial post about the Community Plan Update. Let’s forget for a moment the havoc that outdated plans can cause for incompatibility or … Continue reading
District 4 – And the race begins
As you can tell by this photo, some parts of the City’s 4th District are beautiful. This shot from the area behind the Jacobs Center is a good example. It sits just behind Market Creek Plaza at the corner of Market and Euclid. Here’s a useful graphic to understand the core “diamond” business district in … Continue reading
Center for Civic Engagement: a bit of background
One of the things that seems to be true is that organizations that create major change all started off as little more than an idea. Or perhaps a collection of ideas. The photo above was taken by my friend at SD Urban, who writes about San Diego’s urban communities. The photo is a park dedicated … Continue reading
What is the Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement?
A few months ago I was asked to give some time as a volunteer for the new Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement. It’s a division of the San Diego Foundation charged with, among other things, raising the degree to which people and institutions are actively participating in civic life in our region. This is, not … Continue reading