Some Mind Blowing Stats That Any Boston Red Sox Fan Would Love To Read - wokq.com
Some Mind Blowing Stats That Any Boston Red Sox Fan Would Love To Read - wokq.com |
- Some Mind Blowing Stats That Any Boston Red Sox Fan Would Love To Read - wokq.com
- WEEKLY BRIEFING – Pizza for papas at Scuderie Italia beach clean-up in PB food distribution in Point Loma - A round-up of news community and business briefs from sdnews.com highlighting what s happening in our community. Monday June 7 PB BEACH - San Diego Community News
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| Some Mind Blowing Stats That Any Boston Red Sox Fan Would Love To Read - wokq.com Posted: 07 Jun 2021 10:13 AM PDT  I'll admit that I didn't stay up to watch the Red Sox sweep the Yankees in extra innings last night, HOWEVER, these recent stats regarding the rivalry really blew my mind. The Yankees Are In Fourth PlaceWow. I guess 250 million dollars in payroll doesn't buy what it used to! It seems like just a week ago the national media was all excited that The Bronx Bombers were making their move to the top of the division. Not so fast. After dispatching the Yanks with a broom last night, The Red Sox find themselves within a game of the red hot Tampa Bay Rays (who seemingly haven't lost since Spring Training). The Red Sox are now have a five and a half game lead over New York who has lost eight out of their last ten games. Eleven Game SkidWould you believe that prior to their win on Friday night, the Sox hadn't won in Yankee Stadium in eleven attempts? Going back to September 6th of 2019! First Sweep In A DecadeThe last time the Sox swept the Yankees in New York dates back to 2011. This was the ill-fated 'Chicken And Beer' Red Sox team that ultimately collapsed and missed out on post season play. Believe it or not, it was beloved Sox manager Terry Francona's last season in Boston. I apologize for the negative aspects of these last two stats but it's easy to put a positive spin on them. I honestly thought that after crushing The Yanks head to head in the 2018 postseason on their way to another World Series title, not to mention the lovable 2013 team that won it all, we'd have to go back a decade to find stats that correspond with the butt kicking that Boston dished out this weekend. I love it!
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| Posted: 07 Jun 2021 07:33 AM PDT  Scuderie Italia in PB will offer a specialty 'Pizza Papà ' topped with sausage, oven-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil for Father's Day. A round-up of news, community, and business briefs from sdnews.com highlighting what's happening in our community. Monday, June 7 PB BEACH CLEANUP ON WORLD OCEANS DAY Shore Buddies is holding a beach clean up for World Oceans Day on at 8 a.m. June 8 at Law Street Beach. Bring your own items needed for a clean up mission: gloves, bucket/bag, trash grabber, face mask, water bottles, and anything else you might need. PIZZAS FOR PAPAS Landini's Pizzeria, at 1827 India St. and 2820 Historic Decatur Road in Liberty Public Market, will show dads that they're the greatest thing since sliced pizza with specially priced pies in honor of the holiday. Fathers and father-figures alike may purchase Landini's signature New York-style pizzas for half-price between 3-5 p.m. on June 20. Scuderie Italia, at 1525 Garnet Ave., will toss around some dough and show dads how much they pop with two featured offerings for Father's Day: a specialty "Pizza Papà " and jalapeño poppers. Pizzaiolo Johncarlo Ferraiuolo will prepare Pizza Papà topped with sausage, oven-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil at $18.50; and an appetizer of oven-roasted jalapeño poppers wrapped in bacon and filled with cream cheese, at $9.50. HOME START FUNDRAISER Home Start, a nonprofit dedicated to child abuse prevention and providing evidence-based family strengthening services, successfully raised nearly $100,000 from its annual "Blue Ribbon" event held recently. This year's event was titled "Blue Ribbon Broadcast for Bright Futures – It's a Family Affair," and was held virtually via Zoom. The theme played on the important family-bonding time that historically happens when families are gathered around a television enjoying famous shows. For more information about Home Start or to help support Home Start's clients, visit home-start.org. LOUD & PROUD To kick off Pride Month, San Diego Loyal SC Soccer Club has announced the debut of their "Loud & Proud" fan section as part of their new partnership with San Diego Pride. SD Loyal's new game-day initiative is said to be the first-ever in sports history. For all of SD Loyal's home matches in their 2021 season, USD's Torero Stadium dedicates section 110 to those within the LGBTQ community, as well as those who support and share the vision of inclusion in professional sports. The section, permanently decorated with Pride-related elements, collects 20 percent of ticket sales and donates to SD Pride to help with their mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities locally, nationally and globally. Fans are encouraged to stay connected by downloading the official team app or signing up for updates and news via SDLoyal.com and #SDLoyal. COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR San Diego County Credit Union has announced that SDCCU SVP of Business Development and Community Relations, Sarah Bilyeu, was named the 2021 IABC/San Diego Communicator of the Year. The award recognizes local leaders who demonstrate strategic excellence in communication, and lead the way with their contributions and high quality work. ROCK CHURCH DISTRIBUTION On Thursday, June 17 at 10 a.m. the Rock Church Point Loma campus will launch their community food, diaper and supplies distribution. The Point Loma Campus launch is part of an ongoing monthly effort to help those that have found themselves in an unexpected place of need during the COVID-19 crisis. If you would like to participate and receive groceries and other household supplies or if you'd like to volunteer, partner or donate to the Provision Ministry, visit sdrock.com/ministries/provisions/. NEW BIA CEO Lori Holt Pfeiler has been named the president/CEO of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County. Holt Pfeiler replaces retiring CEO Borre Winckel, who led the BIA for 13 years. Winckel's last day is July 16. Holt Pfeiler starts July 6. "I believe deeply in the transformative power of housing, and the ripple effects it has," Holt Pfeiler said. "I have seen the success a stable home can provide a family – for generations. As the new leader of the BIA, I look forward to putting my efforts to work to influence change that helps create thousands of homes in our region at all income levels. Improving the supply of housing and advocating for efficient and effective changes in the building process are important steps I'll pursue. My affordable housing expertise will complement the work of traditional home builders, with the ultimate goal of making our region an even better place for families and business." NAVAL BASE MEETING The next Restoration Advisory Board meeting for the Naval Base Point Loma Complex Environmental Restoration Program is Wednesday, June 16 at 5:45 p.m. This will be a virtual meeting to discuss relevant issues and is open to the public. To request a link for this virtual meeting, contact Kellie Koenig at [email protected]. For more information, call 619-556-8926. Thursday, June 3 CAMPBELL RECALL FAILS The effort to gather enough signatures in District 2 to get a measure placed on an election ballot to recall Councilmember Dr. Jennifer Campbell has failed. "This recall was unwarranted and unnecessary, reckless and ridiculous, desperate and divisive – and San Diegans were too smart to fall for it," said Dan Rottenstreich, Campbell's campaign consultant. "In rejecting this recall, San Diegans have shown once again that they want leaders focused on bringing people together to get things done, not more divisive politics tearing communities apart." "We want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who gathered signatures and the thousands of District 2 residents who signed the petition. You are the heartbeat of D2 and the reason we do what we do," said the Committee Supporting the Recall of Jennifer Campbell in a statement. "Although we came close, gathering over 10,000 signatures, unfortunately this was not enough to force the recall of Jennifer Campbell. The next round in that battle will be decided in November 2022, and we are already gearing up." CARMENCEMENT AT MESA COLLEGE On Friday, June 4 at 11 a.m., San Diego Mesa College will host the 2021 Drive-Thru Graduation Parade, or "Carmencement," to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2021. Graduates will follow a parade route through campus in their vehicles, receive gifts and be cheered on by faculty, staff and administrators. Over 350 students are scheduled to participate. This year, Mesa conferred over 2,200 academic degrees and 411 certificates, a 3% percent increase over 2020. The class of 2021 is boasting 75 valedictorians, 560 students graduated with honors and over 400 students received more than one degree or certificate. Among the graduates are the third class set of 28 students receiving a bachelor of science degree in health information management, as well as the third set of San Diego Promise students, who participated in the San Diego Community College District's free-tuition program. NUTRITION COUNSELING SERVICE AT GELSON'S Gelson's, with locations in Pacific Beach, Del Mar and Carlsbad, has announced the addition of virtual nutrition counseling sessions with onsite registered dietitian Jessica Siegel. Private virtual office hours are available for rewards members located in the Southern California area on an appointment-only basis. Members can schedule their complimentary appointment by emailing Siegel at [email protected]. Siegel developed a line of healthy salads available in the Gelson's Kitchen all of which use the Mediterranean diet as a guideline, making them full of veggies, fruits, beans, nuts and healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado. NINJA WARRIORS EXCEL Five junior ninjas from KidWonder, San Diego's first Ninja Warrior Gym at 4735 Point Loma Ave. in Ocean Beach, qualified recently for UNAA World Series Championships in Vegas on July 29. Those qualifying were Luke M (7&under), Harper K (9&under), Paxton Faltico (9&under), Levi Jones (11&under), Kaleb Server (13&under). American Ninja Warrior Junior is an American children's sports competition game show on Universal Kids that premiered in 2018. It is a head-to-head competition with multiple rounds and triple elimination each episode. There are no teams, and each child competes for themselves. CYCLING FUNDRAISER The Liberty Bike Commons, a fundraising project of the San Diego Bike Coalition to re-purpose Building 191 at NTC Park in Liberty Station, has officially been launched. Cyclists intend to convert the long-vacant building with private funding, transforming it into a regional bicycling hub. Astride dedicated City parklands, Building 191, once planned for demolition, straddles a major spur on the San Diego bike path system. The 20-by-80 foot structure was the 191st building constructed at the former NTC. The Liberty Bike Commons Campaign seeks to raise $ 2.6 million to convert Bldg.191 to help connect bicyclists of all ages and backgrounds from diverse regional communities. For more information visit sdbikecoalition.org. NEIGHBORHOOD FLORIST Little House of Flowers on Friars Road will be expanding their business to Point Loma at 1017 Rosecrans St., with a grand opening celebration scheduled for June 25-27. Owner Hilary Bateman is a San Diego native and Realtor. She decided to take a dive into the floral industry when she recognized the community's need for a boutique local florist. The original house was built in the '80s, Hilary, alongside her designer Auburn Torres, have refurbished the house into the iconic shop it is today. The charming shop is the go-to for everything from custom arrangements, to succulents, to wedding and event flowers. The expansion of Little House of Flowers to Point Loma has been highly anticipated for Bateman and Torres. The duo is looking to expand their services to the Peninsula community. Both Bateman and Torres hope to use their continued success with Little House of Flowers as an inspiration to their daughters and other young women who aspire to be business leaders. For more information, visit littlehouseofflowerssd.com. PLHS PARKING LOT The Clove Street parking lot near Point Loma High School at 2335 Chatsworth Blvd., is now closed for construction and the entrance is not accessible. Parking will need to occur in the surrounding neighborhood. Click here for the updated entrances and map for observers, in addition to spectator guidelines. Observers of athletic events will now enter through the following two entrances: for stadium events, use the Voltaire Street entrance, for gym events, use the Chatsworth Blvd. entrance. DANCE PERFORMANCES Three San Diego based dance companies – Malashock Dance, San Diego Ballet and San Diego Dance Theater – have come together to present four weeks of outdoor performances through June 13 at the Arts District in Liberty Station. After months of pivoting programs to film and online formats, the resident dance companies at the Dorothea Laub Dance Place are ready to convene audiences safely outdoors for this live event in person. Attend all three weeks to see, feel, and experience the variety of mixed reparatory presented by all companies. Cost is $30 plus fee. Students, military and seniors pay $25 plus fee. For more information, visit malashockdance.org. LPES LOGO WEAR Loma Portal Elementary School has brand new log wear just in time for summer. Items available include brand new neon trucker hats and for the first time, fitted baseball hats. Check them out on the school's online logo wear shop. Orders can be sent home with your child or email [email protected]. For more information, visit lomaportalshop.square.site. FIDO SUPPORT Fiesta Island Dog Owners group is calling for supporters to submit comments by Friday, June 4 at 5 p.m. to the California Coastal Commission, which will decide on June 10 whether or not to support FIDO'S preferred alternative for reconfiguration of the island, a popular off-leash area for dog owners. The city's adopted Plan B which preserves the off-leash area open and intact. FIDO has worked for 15 years to get this through various committees, including the City Council by a unanimous vote. Unfortunately, the commission staff is recommending that the commissioners throw out Option B and instead approve Option A, which puts a road, fences, parking lots, etc. in the fenced area. Go to FIDOSD.org, which has a link to the Coastal Commission agenda page and instructions on how to leave your comments. There is also still time to mail in comments to: 7575 Metropolitan Drive 103, San Diego, CA 92108. Call 619-767-2370. SEA LION PUPPING June 1 marks the first day of pupping season in which many of the female sea lions in La Jolla will be giving birth and caring for their young. To ensure the safety of sea lions and humans alike, District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava spoke to new signage and educational materials being created with partners to be displayed around Boomers Beach and La Jolla Cove this summer. LaCava was joined by representatives from the City's Parks and Recreation division to further detail responsibly enjoying the area during this delicate natural process. LaCava represents City Council District 1, which includes the communities of Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, Del Mar Mesa, La Jolla, Pacific Highlands Ranch, Torrey Hills, Torrey Pines, and University City. PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATED The San Diego Unified School District held its annual flag-raising ceremony of the Rainbow Pride and Trans Pride flags on June 1 at the Eugene Brucker Education flagpole at 4100 Normal St. in recognition of June as Pride Month. District representatives were joined by members of the Board of Education, students, educators, and special guest, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, to mark the occasion. The ceremony highlighted the district's ongoing commitment and education plan to promote safe and affirming school spaces for LGBTQIA+ students, families, and staff. LICENSE TO LOVE San Diego Humane Society is waiving all fees, including late fees, for dog licenses throughout June during its A License to Love campaign. Dog owners who live within San Diego Humane Society's jurisdiction sdhumane.org/resources/animal-service-jurisdictions.html can receive a free one-year license if completing the process before July 1. The promo code FREELICENSE will be required. The amnesty offer applies to first-time licenses and renewals, and all late fees (if applicable) will be waived. Licensing can be completed online, in person or by mail with the promo code FREELICENSE. To complete the license process, or to access information and resources such as low-cost vaccine clinics and spay/neuter services, visit sdhumane.org/license. SANDAG OPEN HOUSES The San Diego Association of Governments, the region's transportation planning agency, will be hosting a series of virtual public open houses and hearings throughout June and July to share information about the draft 2021 Regional Plan and ensure everyone has an opportunity to provide their comments. Below is a list of ways to submit comments as well as dates of upcoming virtual events. Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish will be available. Informational open houses (virtual):
You can submit your comments on the draft plan through July 30:
Friday, May 28 SPIRIT BARRE BACK Spirit Barre, a new barre/pilates studio in Pacific Beach at 1559 Garnet Ave., opened on May 22 with a refurbished studio. Barre classes have been absent from PB since the two studios offering it closed during the pandemic. Spirit Barre is offering free classes through Friday, May 28. For more information, email [email protected]. PENINSULA PROJECTS CITED Two Point Loma entries are among 18 major construction projects honored with awards by the San Diego and Imperial counties chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). They are: Nimitz Bridge at NTC Rehabilitation (Structures under $2 million) – Installation of two pedestrian curb ramps as well as new handrails, guard rails, and new light fixtures to ensure ADA compliant access at either end of the bridge; Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Phase II Trail and Revegetation (Environmental $2 million to $5 million) – Various improvements including trails, parking, benches, signs, ball field, pedestrian bridge and landscaping. Winners of the 2021 San Diego Region Public Works Project of the Year Awards include 11 City parks, playgrounds and facilities; water and wastewater system upgrades; air operations facility construction; and seismic retrofit and rehabilitation projects. Another seven City projects received Honor Awards from the San Diego APWA. The contracted construction projects were overseen by the City's Engineering and Capital Projects Department as part of its Capital Improvement Program. MARUTA GARDNER PLAYGROUND HONORED A Mission Bay coastal park is among 18 major construction projects honored with awards by the San Diego and Imperial counties chapter of the American Public Works Association. Honored was the Maruta Gardner Playground at Bonita Cove West (Parks $2 million to $5 million). The renovation of the park's playground including ADA-compliant sidewalk upgrades, security lighting, and new comfort station and new picnic pavilion. Winners of the 2021 San Diego Region Public Works Project of the Year Awards include 11 City parks, playgrounds and facilities; water and wastewater system upgrades; air operations facility construction; and seismic retrofit and rehabilitation projects. The APWA supports professionals in all aspects of public works and promotes improved practices in public works administration. JOB TRAINING GRANT The San Diego Workforce Partnership received a $310,000 grant from Together Toward Health, a program of the Public Health Institute, to fund a new behavioral health job training program. It is part of a statewide initiative to expand workforce development opportunities for Californians most impacted by COVID-19 and amplify outreach efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Workforce Partnership's newest paid training program is aimed at helping San Diegans launch meaningful careers in behavioral and mental healthcare. The grant is in place from now until Dec. 31. Funding from the grant will provide 120 hours of paid behavioral health and job readiness training, stipends, supportive services and childcare solutions to program participants. Workforce Partnership will prioritize the recruitment of women, refugees, youth, and Black and Latino community members for the paid behavioral health program. People interested in participating can share their interest and be notified when program applications open. AIRBNB PARTY BAN With travel coming back and COVID restrictions easing nationwide, the Airbnb industry has announced it will continue the party ban on its properties it issued in August 2020 indicating it would "remain in effect indefinitely until further notice." "Today Airbnb is announcing that this ban is being extended through at least the end of Summer 2021," Airbnb said in a statement. "In addition to our party ban, our policies also mandate that hosts and guests adhere to local public health laws. San Diego County is maintaining clear guidance on COVID-19, including regarding indoor gatherings. In advance of Memorial Day weekend, we want to make clear that those violating Airbnb's rules or San Diego's public health rules risk suspensions or bans from our platform, and even potentially legal action." Read more about Airbnb's party ban extension here. HOPE FOR VISION ZERO Circulate San Diego released its report, "Hope for Vision Zero" this month, showing modest improvements to street safety in the City since committing to Vision Zero in 2015. However, traffic injuries and fatalities remain unacceptably high. Recently, a 30-year-old e-scooter rider was injured in Pacific Beach attempting to stop after the driver in front of him stopped, when he stepped off of the scooter and slipped and fell. The rider sustained a fracture to his left ankle and was transported to the hospital. For more information, visit circulatesd.org/visionzero. ALLEGIANT AIR SEASONAL SERVICE Allegiant Air began seasonal nonstop service from San Diego International Airport to Mesa, Ariz. via Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The airline will begin seasonal nonstop service to Kalispell, Mont. via Glacier Park International Airport and Pasco, Wash. via Tri-Cities Airport on May 28. Flights to all three destinations will be offered until Aug.16. Beginning June 3, Allegiant Air will offer nonstop service to Bozeman, Mont. via Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport through Aug. 15. Beginning July 1, Allegiant Air will offer nonstop service to Des Moines, Iowa via Des Moines International Airport through Aug. 15. To view the latest schedules, fares, and flight times, visit allegiantair.com. BLOOD DRIVE San Diego County Credit Union is holding a blood drive on Tuesday, June 1, at its Sports Arena branch at 3455 Sports Arena Blvd. Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has put an incredible strain on the blood supply in the community. There is currently an extremely low inventory of blood, hospital shelves are almost empty and this short supply is affecting thousands of patients. The community is encouraged to help – lives depend on it. For more information, visit sandiegobloodbank.org. SEAWORLD KIDS' WEEKEND Kick-off the summer this Memorial Day weekend at SeaWorld's Sesame Street Kids' Weekend. Elmo can't wait to see everybody at a fun-filled weekend in Sesame Street Bay of Play. Join your favorite Sesame Street friends for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus Memorial Day now until June 6. Sesame Street character-themed weekends, storytimes with furry friends, physically distanced dance parties, and more continue. PADDLE FOR PEACE The Surfrider Foundation of San Diego County is sponsoring an International Surf Day barbecue celebration on Saturday, June 19 at La Jolla Shores from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Special guests include professional longboarder Nique Miller and other surfers. Join them for a zero-waste vegetarian-style bbq. SUMMER LEARNING Created this year by the San Diego Unified School District and The San Diego Foundation, Level Up SD, a Summer of Learning and Joy features in-person classroom instruction in the mornings at neighborhood schools with San Diego Unified teachers and summer activities offered by dozens of nonprofits in communities across the city. There is no cost to families for the classroom instruction or the activities, thanks to a $31 million commitment by the San Diego Unified Board of Education. To be eligible for #LevelUpSD, students must be enrolled in San Diego Unified for the 2021-2022 school year. Summer school generally is offered to a select group of struggling students. Level Up SD is open to all K-12 students. This means thousands of kids from every corner of our community can now take advantage of academics and free activities beyond the classroom, like learning to kayak or learning to fly a drone, for the first time. Learn more at SDFoundation.org. PB BIKEWAY OPEN The Rose Creek Bikeway was officially opened recently with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The bikeway is a two-mile segment of the Coastal Rail Trail and a priority project as part of the Regional Bike Network Early Action Program, connecting University City to Mission Bay and Downtown San Diego. People biking, walking, and rolling can now travel safely along the new multi-use path as it is completely separated from vehicle traffic and includes environmentally sensitive lighting for night rides. The Rose Creek Bikeway was constructed concurrently with the Mid-Coast extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley. Together, the Rose Creek Bikeway and Trolley extension will provide a Complete Corridor near I-5 giving people more options to travel between points north like Sorrento Valley, University City, and UC San Diego, and points south including Mission Bay, Pacific Beach, Mission Valley, and Downtown San Diego. PALMYS PB Set to open this summer in the 1920s-era cottage that last housed a branch of Brick & Bell in Pacific Beach, Palmys aims to be an all-day neighborhood espresso bar, bistro, market and community hangout space. Palmy's is the creation of longtime restaurateur Dillon Berkabile. Palmys will offer an all-day menu with healthy options for breakfast, brunch, lunch and eventually dinner. The eatery will have an espresso bar, organic smoothies and juices, and health-focused bowls, sandwiches, toasts and entrees for breakfast and lunch. Palmys aims to open in late June to early July at 976 Felspar St. Thursday, May 27 CITY COUNCIL APPROVES GAS AND ELECTRIC FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS The City Council voted on May 25 to approve the tentative gas and electric franchise agreements with San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) secured by Mayor Todd Gloria and the City negotiating team. SDG&E has held exclusive franchises with the City to provide gas and electric service since 1920. The agreements allow the franchisee to use the public right-of-way to install and maintain the pipes, poles, wires and other infrastructure necessary to provide energy to San Diego's residents and businesses. In January, Gloria initiated a public-outreach effort to educate city residents about the franchise agreements and solicit opinions about San Diego's energy future. The process included partnering the City Council to hold 13 virtual community forums, which hundreds of people attended, and an online survey that drew nearly 1,400 responses. MEMORIAL DAY VACCINATIONS Saint Brigid Parish at 4735 Cass St. is hosting vaccinations on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. First and second doses available at no cost. Health insurance and appointments not required to be vaccinated. Appointments also available, if preferred. Number of no-appointment vaccinations limited per location. Parents or legal guardians must provide their consent for an eligible minor to receive the vaccine. Consent must either be provided in-person by the parent/guardian at the vaccination site or a parent/guardian can provide their consent in advance by completing a consent form. Only the Pfizer vaccine may be provided to minors at this time. For information on scheduling a vaccination appointment, visit Coronavirus-SD.com or call 2-1-1, which is available 24-hours a day in more than 200 languages. All calls are free and confidential. LA JOLLA LIBRARY OUTDOOR BOOK SALE The Friends of the La Jolla Library will be holding an outdoor book sale on Saturday, June 5, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in front of the library at 7555 Draper Ave. Books, magazines, jigsaw puzzles, and DVDs for all ages will be available starting at 25 cents (cash or credit/debit only). For a limited time, the Friends of the La Jolla Library will be accepting donations of gently used books, magazines, puzzles, and DVDs for future sales. One-hundred percent of the proceeds go to the Friends of the La Jolla Library in support of the La Jolla Library. PICKLEBALL CLINICS The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center Jacobs Family Campus offers beginner, intermediate, and youth pickleball clinics open to the community. Pickleball is growing in popularity. The sport – a mix of tennis, badminton, and ping pong – is an outdoor, socially distanced sport. Beginners can learn easily, and advanced players can enjoy the fast-paced, competitive game. To learn more about pickleball, visit usapickleball.org. The JCC encourages players to bring their own pickleball paddle to the court. The level of intensity is a player's preference and JCC offers different clinics based on experience: Beginner Clinics – overview of court and game, basic rules, scoring, proper grip and body placement, and groundstrokes; Intermediate Clinics – serve and return techniques, improve consistency, develop strategies, drop shots, and point play. Adult beginner clinic will take place Sunday, June 13 from 9:30-11 a.m., and the intermediate clinic will take place Sunday, June 27 from 9:30-11 a.m. Instructors are advanced pickleball players, as well as experienced coaches and teachers. Beginner and intermediate clinics are $24 per session, or $20 for JCC members. For JCC members, only private, semi-private, and group clinics are available. For more information on pickleball clinics or pricing, visit www.lfjcc.org/qualcomm/tennis. UC SAN DIEGO DEED RESTRICTIONS The City Council voted 7- 1 recently to remove land use restrictions on a 43-acre portion of UC San Diego's East Campus. With the City joining the U.S. Navy and the County in lifting deed restrictions across university properties, UC San Diego will now be able to use public-private partnerships to finance and complete East Campus development that serves one or more public purposes. As part of the Council action, UC San Diego will allocate certain tax revenues generated by the new uses to the City. "UCSD is a regional partner," said District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava. "Providing the flexibility to fund projects through public private partnerships assures that the university will continue to deliver San Diegans education, health, and economic benefits." MBHS PETCO GRADUATION The 2021 commencement for Mission Bay High School will be held at Petco Park at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 11. Each graduate can receive up to four guest e-tickets for immediate family members only. E-tickets cannot be used for non-family members. Guests will need to adhere to the health/safety guidelines provided by Petco Park, which includes limitations on items that can be brought in by guests. Students will need to arrive to Petco Park at 7 a.m. Guests may park at any of the nearby parking lots or structures, including Tailgate Park, Padres Parkade, Premier Lot, and Bayfront Hilton garage. Noting last year's graduation was a drive-thru event, MBHS principal Ernest Remillard said San Diego Unified School District this year has "been focused on how we have classes graduating together. Our connections with the Padres and Petco Park came through and we'll have as many classes as possible graduating together while social distancing." Remillard said the graduation stage will be at second base facing inwards so graduating students will be in the first section behind home plate. "We'll have the Jumbotron going on with all the lights going and the banners suspended around the stadium. It will be really nice, and tailored for our kids." The principal noted MBHS has 260 students graduating this year. "We're anticipating five days a week, normal full days, this fall." MT. SOLEDAD MEMORIAL DAY The Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial in La Jolla, and various memorials and museums, will honor Air Force Airman 1st Class William Pitsenbarger (Honor of Medal recipient), the 30th anniversary of Desert Storm, and the nation's heroes through a live and virtual tribute event on May 31 from noon-1 p.m. and streamed at memorialdaylive.com. This event will honor Pitsenbarger whose story was portrayed in the recent movie "The Last Full Measure," which showcased his story in the Vietnam War including actions that led to him being posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, saving a number of American soldiers in 1966. Attendees and speakers will include the film director, producer, and airmen who served with Pitsenbarger, and the Army soldiers that he saved. "This is an unprecedented chance for us in person in San Diego, and those online, to hear the important story of Pitsenbarger and his sacrifice," said Phil Kendro, vice president of the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial Association's board of trustees and executive producer of the event. "Every American has the ability to take a moment to reflect upon such persons, and they should." The Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial is located at 6905 La Jolla Scenic Drive South and is open daily from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. GARNET BLOCK CAPTAIN PROGRAM The Garnet Block Captain Program held a Save Garnet's Trees day on Tuesday, May 25 to refresh stressed trees with water. Program chair Eve Anderson pointed out the 1400 and 1500 blocks (Gresham to Ingraham) had jacarandas "looking puny, with faint flowers and tiny leaves." Anderson added about 23 trees total in the program area needed care the form of water poured slowly on them with buckets, a practice, she said, which should be repeated every three weeks until it rains again in the fall. "We might need to schedule a 'bucket brigade' for the future," Anderson said. The Garnet Block Captain Program is looking for volunteers, working roughly from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays. For questions or more information, email [email protected]. PB COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES SOLD Tony Franco of the Franco Realty Group reports sales of several commercial properties in the 92109 ZIP Code. They include 1146 Garnet Ave. (two commercial units, one residential unit) for $1.6 million; 3746-48 Mission Blvd. (two commercial units, two residential units) for $2.5 million; 3449 Ocean Front Walk (six residential units, highest price per unit ever for a commercial building throughout all of San Diego County) for $7.45 million; 1261-69 Garnet Ave. (three retail units, largest retail sale in more than 24 months in 92109) for $5.3 million. PET SUPPLIES NEEDED FACE's Community Outreach Program focuses on connecting under served pet owners with resources to veterinary care and pet supplies. This year, outreach is being expanded to significantly increase the amount of assistance provided to pets in need and their families through this program. They need help to achieve this goal: consider donating pet products for this program. How you can help: Donate your new pet items, such as unused collars, leashes, blankets, unopened pet food, and other supplies; schedule a donation pickup or drop-off; provide a financial donation that will go directly to purchasing supplies. For more information, visit sdhumane.org. NEW NONSTOP SERVICE TO JFK Alaska Airlines has begun daily nonstop service from San Diego International Airport to New York via John F. Kennedy International Airport and seasonal nonstop service to Bozeman, Mont. via Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. "Alaska Airlines' new flights to JFK will provide San Diegans yet another option to access the greater New York area," said Kimberly Becker, president /CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. "We are excited to add more service to Montana, a state that has an abundance of outdoor recreation and is home to several national parks." Alaska Airlines will offer nonstop service to Bozeman and Kalispell through Sept. 7. With these additions, Alaska Airlines now offers nonstop service to 32 destinations from San Diego, more than any other carrier at SAN. To view the latest schedules, fares, and flight times, visit alaskaair.com. VETERANS HELPING VETERANS Ahead of Memorial Day, Feeding San Diego will host a special free food distribution for veterans and military families that is also a day of service for residents of Veterans Village of San Diego. In partnership with the Veterans Village of San Diego, a "Veterans Helping Veterans" food distribution will be held on Thursday, May 27 from 10 a.m.-noon at Pechanga Arena San Diego, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., in a drive-through format. At the distribution, residents of Veterans Village will volunteer to distribute food, including fresh produce, dry goods and a frozen meat protein, to San Diego's military community. This event is the chance for veterans to extend their hands and hearts to provide the gift of food ahead of a holiday that honors and remembers fallen comrades. Military families and veterans can register to attend here. PREPARE FOR WILDFIRES Residents can help protect their homes and lives from disastrous wildfires by reducing the flammable brush and fuels materials from around their properties. Creating Defensible Space zones and removing cleared brush and dead tree limbs that provide fuel for wildfires can make all the difference between a prepared neighborhood and one more prone to wildfires. The Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County, in partnership with the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County, has been awarded $3.5 million by the San Diego River Conservancy via Senate Bill 85 to immediately implement protective measures by homeowners and residents to reduce wildfires within wildland urban interface areas of the San Diego River watershed. The Wildfire Early Action Program is allocating resources to implement fuel reduction projects by creating fire breaks, removing dead, diseased or dying trees, assisting elderly, disabled and low-income residents in establishing defensible space around their homes, and hosting workshops and fire preparedness training in preparation for the coming fire season. Contact the Fire Safe Council at 619-562-0096 for more information, questions, or application assistance. SOHO PRESERVATION AWARDS Save Our Heritage Organisation, San Diego's countywide preservation group, celebrates its 38th annual People In Preservation Awards, on Thursday, May 27, at 4 p.m, during National Preservation Month. At that time, find the free online awards ceremony atsohosandiego.org/pip2021/awards.htm. This year's awards will honor 12 distinctive people and projects ranging across multiple historic preservation mediums, from building restorations and adaptive reuse to historic community traditions and important arts and cultural centers. They include the extensive restoration of a Mid-Century Modern coastal gem, the rehabilitation of a support building at the beloved Hotel del Coronado, and the recognition of a long-time writer, Carol Olten, especially known for her work in La Jolla. You will be hard pressed to find another writer who has a better way with words for sharing San Diego and La Jolla history than La Jolla Historical Society historian Carol Olten. The breadth of topics she has written about include discussions of popular architectural styles and building types in La Jolla. She has also chronicled La Jolla landmarks, such as the Red Roost and Red Rest, the long-lost Green Dragon Colony, and the Marine Room restaurant. For more information about SOHO visit SOHOsandiego.org. RABBIT VACCINATIONS San Diego Humane Society's veterinary team is urging owners of pet rabbits to have them vaccinated against Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2, a contagious and fatal disease for rabbits. Because RHDV2 is extremely contagious and spreading fast in Southern California, San Diego Humane Society is also asking for the public's help in quarantining rabbits who do not require immediate medical attention for 18 days, if at all possible, before bringing them to SDHS or rehome the rabbit on their own. Rabbits who have been vaccinated one week to one year against RHDV2 before admission into the shelter do not need to be quarantined. Rabbits should be kept indoors and separate from other rabbits who may go outdoors or be exposed to wildlife, as well as separate from rabbits who do not live in the home. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/Animal_Health/RHD.html, RHDV2 has been confirmed in domestic rabbits at 49 backyard properties in Southern California since July 2020. To date, six counties, including San Diego County, have detected the disease in wild cottontail rabbits and/or jackrabbits. CROSS-BORDER VACCINATIONS A coalition of six United States subsidiary companies have sponsored a COVID-19 mobile clinic to vaccinate 10,000 maquiladora workers employed in Baja California, Mexico. "We started, six to eight months ago, talking to the private sector on how to help our people with their health and the economy of our state. We have to accelerate the pace of recovery from this pandemic because our health and our economy are hurting," said Luis Lutteroth, president of Consejo de Desarrollo de Tijuana, speaking on behalf of Cámara Nacional de la Industria de la Transformación Tijuana and the participating companies: Poly, CompañÃa Embotelladora Del Fuerte-Coca Cola, Jacuzzi, Flex, Call Center Services International-CCSI and Sempra-IEnova. Approximately 1,500 workers, recruited by their employers, will be vaccinated daily over seven non-consecutive days at a temporary UC San Diego Health mobile clinic in San Ysidro. The companies are covering operating and vaccine costs. Because of the complex logistics required to vaccinate 10,000 people, the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was selected for this clinic. Visit health.ucsd.edu or sandiegocounty.gov to find the nearest vaccine clinic. SANDAG REGIONAL PLAN The draft 2021 Regional Plan is now available. Join the SANDAG Board of Directors meeting Friday, May 28, at 9 a.m. for an overview of key milestones that led to the development of the draft 2021 Regional Plan, which will be available for public comment May 28-July 30. The draft 2021 Regional Plan is the result of years of planning, data analysis, and community engagement to re-imagine the San Diego region with a transformative transportation system, a sustainable pattern of growth and development, and innovative demand and management strategies. SUMMER KOMBUCHA Nova Easy Kombucha in Ocean Beach is gearing up for summer with the rollout of their new Sexy Mojito hard kombucha. Infused with bright flavors indicative of the popular Cuban libation, Sexy Mojito showcases an effervescent blend of mint, Tahitian lime, lemongrass and agave syrup, all while touting probiotics for your gut and clocking in at 8% ABV per 12-oz. can. Folks can get their hands on a can of this at select retailers, online and at Nova's Ocean Beach taproom at 4845 Newport Ave. SD LOYAL HOME OPENER San Diego Loyal Soccer Club (SD Loyal) is prepared to take on Las Vegas Lights FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 29 for its home opener of the 2021 USL regular season. San Diego's men's professional soccer team will have fans in the stands (season ticket members and partners only) for the first time since its last inaugural match against the same club on March 7, 2020 prior to the pandemic. San Diego Loyal SC announced that single match tickets for their 2021 season are now on sale to the general public. Fans can purchase tickets and return to Torero Stadium for the first time since its 2020 inaugural match for all matches beginning on June 19. For more information, visit sdloyal.com. Monday, May 24 IV HYDRATION BAR AT LIBERTY STATION Eden IV hydration therapy will open doors in Liberty Station's Quarter District at 2445 Truxtun Road, Suite 100 in June 1. Founded by local business partners Dr. Larry Lyle and Kemble Ng, the IV hydration bar offers treatments combining luxury service with quality products. The menu of services spans the entire wellness gamut, with infusions intended for everything from chronic illnesses to glowing skin. A graduate of osteopathic medical school, Lyle is a respected medical professional with more than 30 years of experience. He has done pivotal work in Washington, D.C. and San Diego treating people living with HIV. Since retiring from the active practice of medicine in 2011, he remains active within medical communities and has served as a community advisor for the AIDS Clinical Trials Group advising the development and implementation of HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis clinical trials. VIETNAM VET BOOK Local author Bruce A. Bastien draws back the curtain on that era's high-conflict period to share his experience as a young Marine – both the common notions of war and the mundane, daily life experiences that shaped his 13-month tour of duty. His novel, "13 Months," sweeps readers up on a coming-of-age journey through a U.S. Marine Corps grunt's daily struggles, battles, and funny moments as he navigates a new and sometimes unforgiving environment. Bastien's book shares with readers the range of emotions and physical discomfort he experienced during his service, from unmitigated terror to utter boredom, hot and dry to wet and cold, rested and ready to frazzled and wired. "13 Months: In the Bush, In Vietnam, In 1968" is available through iUniverse, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. POP-UP PUPPY PICNIC Founded by influencer-and-entrepreneur Ciera Chang, Puppy Picnic Co. is the latest vendor to tap into the booming pop-up picnic trend. The business at 850 Womble Road, Suite 100, launched Mother's Day weekend. Having signed on as Liberty Station's exclusive picnic partner, Puppy Picnic Co. offers a variety of dog-approved experiences – think "yappetizers," "barkuterie boxes" and (non-alcoholic) dog beer and wine. Meanwhile, guests can choose their picnic fare from Liberty Station's lineup of gourmet eateries or opt to pack their own meal. The stylized picnics include chic tablespaces, cozy throws, bohemian décor, and even a vintage 1970 Volkswagen bus with a retrofitted photo booth. Operating its event services out of a unit in Liberty Station's South Promenade, Puppy Picnic Co. also doubles as a retail boutique. The pop-up shop, which is currently open by appointment only, totes a variety of doggie treats and toys, trendy picnic supplies, tote bags, home décor and more, with 10% of merchandise sales donated to a local animal shelter. JEWISH LECTURE SERIES Jews, Race and Racism: A four-part lecture series" will be held Wednesdays through June 16 from 10-11 a.m. Engage in this virtual four-part lecture series that covers the most important historical moments for American Jews and questions of race. For more information, visit Lawrence Family JCC (lfjcc.org). NONSTOP SERVICE TO HAWAII Southwest Airlines has announced it will expand service to Hawaii from San Diego International Airport (SAN) by adding nonstop service to three Hawaiian cities and expanding their Honolulu service from one flight daily to two flights daily beginning June 6. SD BUSINESS HUB In partnership with local tech company GoSite, San Diego Regional EDC has launched the San Diego Business Hub, which in its first phase will offer up to 100 small, service-based businesses a full suite of digital tools at no cost. Made possible by grants from The San Diego Foundation and Union Bank, SDbizhub.com is accepting applications from businesses most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic — women, minorities, veterans and other economically under-resourced groups. FAQ and applications are available at SDbizhub.com, and will remain open until the cohort is full. MAINLY MOZART Mainly Mozart today has announces its 2021 All-Star Orchestra Festival at the Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park from June 11-19. This event welcomes the return of in-person, socially distanced, assigned seating in an outdoor venue. With five concerts featuring members of prestigious orchestras, this festival presents well-known works, ranging from Mozart to Beethoven to J. Haydn to name a few. For information on the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival or to purchase tickets, visit mainlymozart.org. VIRTUAL POETRY READINGS The second round of SDPA 2020-21 virtual anthology readings will take place Friday, June 11 and Friday, June 18. Both of these Zoom readings will run from 6-8 p.m. Poets can choose to read at one or both events. Preference will be given to any poets who didn't get a chance to read during the Point Loma Library virtual reading in April. Any 2020-21 anthology poets reading for the first time this year will also be given first crack at the mic. Returning poets are encouraged to sign up and can choose to read a new poem or the same poem from the anthology. New poets–who aren't in the anthology this year but are interested in publishing with us–are also welcome to sign up to be seen and heard and supported by our community. Sign up here: SDPA Signup Friday, May 13 OB PIER COMMITTEE A committee is being formed to explore the future of OB Pier, the longest concrete pier on the West Coast. The pier is suffering from old age and wave/saltwater abuse. The City of San Diego completed a recent study and has three ideas for solutions. Volunteers are being sought to serve on a committee to make recommendations and work toward a solution. If you have expertise in construction, architecture, marine environment, finance, marketing or grantwriting, OB needs you. Send an email to Denny Knox at [email protected]. FIDO ON FIESTA Fiesta Island Dog Owners is asking supporters to join them in lobbying the California Coastal Commission to back the City's plan preserving Fiesta Island's off-leash area. That plan, which FIDO has worked for 15 years on, would leave the off-leash area intact with no roads or fences bisecting it. The Fiesta Island issue is expected to be on the Coastal Commission's June agenda, meaning public comments will open in late May. The public will only have an eight-day window in which to submit comments. FIDO is asking supporters to submit personal stories about why it's important to keep the off-leash area intact, focusing on the benefits to people and not just dogs. For more information visit, FIDOSD.org. LOMA PORTAL The Loma Portal Yearbook can still be purchased online until Friday, May 28. Send any questions to [email protected]. Inviting all incoming TK and kinder students (fall 2021) to join for the annual Day As a Dolphin event on Friday, May 21 from 9-10:30 a.m. RSVP here or email [email protected] for more information. BAYFRONT FIREWORKS Maritime Museum of San Diego invites San Diegans and regional visitors to celebrate Fourth of July at the museum at at 1492 N. Harbor Drive. Plans call for a pre-fireworks kick-off at the event with a demonstration of historical gunnery to ignite the celebration, the largest collection of fully operational artillery west of the Mississippi. The museum has two options to choose from; social distancing dinner ashore or an evening bay cruise. Space is limited. Reservations are required. Each activity includes general admission to tour the Maritime Museum of San Diego's historical vessels and open exhibits. Reservations can be made at sdmaritime.org. CABRILLO UNDER THE STARS After years of hosting fundraising Cabrillo Under the Stars at Cabrillo National Monument, the Cabrillo National Park Foundation will hold its first virtual fundraiser, Cabrillo For the Stars, on May 22 at 7 p.m. In a fun half-hour, you will discover all that the foundation does to support San Diego's only National Park by protecting the tide pools, promoting science education and environmental stewardship with our youth, and much more. There is also a silent auction that kicks-off Saturday, May 15 going through Sunday, May 22. The event is free to attend. Register and learn more at http://1cau.se/aSr BLOOD DRIVE The American Red Cross urges all who are healthy to make this a summer full of life for patients by scheduling an appointment to give blood or platelets. As the nation transitions to a new, hopeful phase of this devastating pandemic and people begin to return to some of their favorite activities, the Red Cross is concerned about the impact this could have on blood donor turnout and the blood supply this summer. The need for lifesaving blood transfusions never takes a break. It's critical to have blood ready to go when every second counts. Individuals of all blood types are urged to schedule an appointment now to give blood, and in most cases, those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can donate. However, knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they received is important in determining donation eligibility. Appointments can be made by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. PB REC CENTER MURAL The Pacific Beach Recreation Center has served the beach community for more than 65 years and is in need of improvements. The PB Town Council is working with San Diego artist Rob Tobin to install mosaic murals, part of an overall project to update the space inside and out. Donated surfboards will be used to create a flower mosaic on the north wall and a sunset on the south wall. People can help by being a sponsor, donating a used surfboard, helping prepare the artwork for installation and sharing news about the project. Get more details at pbtowncouncil.org. DANCE IS IN THE AIR FESTIVAL San Diego Dance Theater's new artistic director Terry Wilson announces "Other Times, Other Places." This weekend of performances are May 21-23 and will be on the outdoor stage at Arts District Liberty Station's South Promenade. It is part of a greater collaboration with Malashock Dance, and San Diego Ballet, for the Dance is in the Air Festival, which will take place on an outside stage in the South Promenade of Liberty Station in May and June. Performance times will take place Friday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 23 at 2:30 p.m. All tickets are $30 and must be purchased in advance at sandiegodancetheater.org/performances/rep-show. LJ BUDGET TOWN HALLS District 1 City Councilmember Joe LaCava said his office has received hundreds of calls and emails regarding city services, attended community meetings and webinars, and met with constituents and stakeholders leading up to the City's annual budget deliberations which have begun. "I invite you to share your neighborhood budget priorities in (virtual) person and attend one of our two upcoming District 1 Budget Town Halls featuring independent budget analyst Andrea Tevlin," said LaCava. Register for May 15 at bit.ly/D1BUDGETMAY15. SUNNIE'S OCEAN FRIENDLY TO-GO The growing mountain of take-out waste grew a little less last week as the first San Diego restaurant began implementing "Ocean Friendly To-Go." Sunnie's Ocean Beach Mexican Cuisine & Coffee at 4723 Point Loma Ave. is ready for you to place your to-go orders sans the disposable container waste. All you have to say is "Ocean Friendly To-Go" when you place your order and your order will come out on reusable dinnerware. From there, you can pack it up in your own containers at their designated and sanitized "Ocean Friendly To-Go" station and be on your way. Nothing complicated about it. For more information, visit sandiego.surfrider.org/sunnies-offers-ocean-friendly-to-go/. LA JOLLA LUNCH BRUNCH La Jolla Community Center is holding a Lunch Brunch on Monday, May 24 at 11 a.m. for members and guests at the Plaza courtyard on the corner of Herschel and Torrey Pines Road. There will be cuisine from three restaurants – Marketplace Grille, Himitsu Japanese Bistro, and Karina's Cantina Mexican Restaurant. Each individual will order and pay for their own lunch. RSVP by email at [email protected] or call at 858-459-0831. LA JOLLA COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAM Hiking San Diego: Tips and trails for all ages. Join Scott Turner, co-author of "Afoot and Afield San Diego County," and Stefanie Maio, Sierra Club San Diego Chapter Outings leader-trainer for a presentation on San Diego's beautiful hiking Wednesday, May 26, 10-11 a.m. This virtual presentation looks at some of the best hikes in San Diego suitable for all ages while breaking down how to determine whether a trail is right for you. Maio and Turner will reveal some of the best local trails with a few further afield while touching on strategies to get the best of the San Diego hiking experience. Register at ljcommunitycenter.org/wc. Turner is a local hiking guide author, photographer, and therapist. Turner has written four additional books covering some of the most beautiful national parks in the American West, including "Hike the Parks: Joshua Tree National Park"; "Hike the Parks: Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park"; "Hike the Parks: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks"; as well as the soon-to-be-released "Day Hiking Yosemite National Park," due out on Oct. 1. Maio has been active with the Wilderness Basics Course since 2007 as a participant and later chair of the organization that teaches people how to hike, camp and backpack safely. She is passionate about the outdoors and enjoys inspiring others to explore, enjoy and protect the planet. Her favorite places to hike usually involve water and/or slot canyons. MISSION FED NEW VP Mission Fed Credit Union has appointed Amy Goodrich as VP, director of contact center operations and strategy. In this new role for the organization, Goodrich is responsible for the needs of Mission Fed's San Diego-based call center and the remote engagement services the credit union provides its members. Members rely on the contact center for new accounts and loans, a wide range of financial transactions and inquiries, and assistance with online and mobile banking services. The contact center receives over 2,000 calls per day, in addition to assisting members via email and chat. ARMED FORCES DAY Pay tribute to the men and women who have served (or are serving) in the U.S. military on Saturday, May 15 by participating in a fundraising barbecue from 1-5 p.m. at VFW Post 5985 at 853 Turquoise St. Cost is $10 per plate, which includes hamburger, cheeseburger or hot dog (choice of one), sides and dessert. Affordable libations will be available for purchase at the canteen. Socially distant indoor and outdoor seating will be available. Food can be ordered to go. Face masks are required. All proceeds will benefit VFW Post 5985. GALLERY EXHIBITION New paintings titled "Resurgence" by Rex Yuasa will be on exhibit May 22 to June 26 at R.B. Stevenson Gallery at 7661 Girard Ave., Suite 101. An opening reception for the artist will be Saturday, May 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. This exhibition will be the third show for the artist at the gallery. Visitors will be required to wear face masks and social distance while in the gallery. For more information, call 858-459-3917 or visit rbstevensongallery.com. CHURCH VACCINATIONS Saint Brigid Catholic Parish at 4735 Cass St. in Pacific Beach has applied to be a walk-up, no-appointment-needed COVID vaccination clinic site. The County Health Department is working on getting final approvals for that effort, and more will be known after a scheduled onsite visit to the church by the health department on May 19. LA JOLLA SYMPHONY AND CHORUS The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus has re-imagined its 2020-2021 season combining some favorite things: lively conversation, fascinating ideas and extraordinary music. In this six-part monthly series, LJS&C is preparing a menu of musical encounters featuring interviews, solo and small ensemble performances and selected pre-recorded works from the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus archives. On May 14, LJS&C will release a new program titled "A Meeting in Time." In this next virtual event, selections of Bach's Cantata #106 will be arranged and performed. Visit lajollasymphony.com. PB LIBRARY VACCINATIONS The County of San Diego is providing free COVID vaccinations in the PB Library's north (Thomas Avenue) parking lot Thursday, May 27, from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Drop-ins welcome, or you can make an advance appointment at coronavirus-sd.com. FOOD DELIVERY APPS Assembly Bill 286 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) to require companies like DoorDash, UberEats, and GrubHub to provide an itemized cost breakdown of each transaction to both customers and restaurants passed the Assembly with bipartisan support on a 55 to 8 vote. "Small mom and pop restaurants and their customers have a right to know when they're charged hidden fees on delivery orders so they can make informed decisions," Gonzalez said. "This bill ensures customers and business owners can understand what they're being charged, and delivery workers are actually receiving the full amount of their tips." AUTO BUYING WEBINAR San Diego County Credit Union will present a free auto buying webinar on Wednesday, May 19 from noon-1 p.m. During the webinar, SDCCU auto professionals will walk attendees through the car buying process discussing topics including ways to shop and find your vehicle, pros and cons of a new vs. pre-owned vehicle, loan vs. lease and how to make the financing process smooth and convenient. This free webinar is open to the public, but virtual space is limited and reservations are required. To register or for details, visit sdccu.com/fww. LJ BUDGET TOWN HALLS District 1 City Councilmember Joe LaCava said his office has received hundreds of calls and emails regarding city services, attended community meetings and webinars, and met with constituents and stakeholders leading up to the City's annual budget deliberations which have begun. "I invite you to share your neighborhood budget priorities in (virtual) person and attend one of our two upcoming District 1 Budget Town Halls featuring independent budget analyst Andrea Tevlin," said LaCava. Register for May 15 at bit.ly/D1BUDGETMAY15. DOWNTOWN BIKEWAYS Over the past month, SANDAG crews have continued construction of the Fourth and Fifth Avenue Bikeways in the City. Construction has been ongoing of raised concrete median islands, storm water drainage improvements, and upgraded curb ramps on Fourth Avenue between Walnut and Pennsylvania avenues and on Fifth Avenue between Walnut and Robinson avenues. Concrete was poured in raised concrete median islands on Fourth and Fifth avenues between Redwood Street and Robinson Avenue. Crews also installed soil materials in raised concrete median islands that will be landscaped before project completion. BOATING SKILLS VIRTUAL TRAINER San Diego West Marine at 1250 Rosecrans St. is one of nine select stores nationwide to offer a Boating Skills Virtual Trainer in-store simulator from America's Boating Club starting this weekend of May 14 – May 16. The simulator allows boaters to practice essential boating exercises. Customers will need to register for a 30-minute time slot via this Eventbrite link. In addition to the simulators, West Marine will offer exclusive resources and tools both in-store and online throughout the month. LITTLE CAKES KITCHEN PARTNERS WITH GELSON'S Gelson's in Pacific Beach has expanded its local partnership with the Vista-based bakery and two-time winner of Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" Little Cakes Kitchen by offering up its bakery space at 730 Turquoise St. Baked from scratch and using the finest ingredients, the bakery is now open and is serving up its famous eclectic cupcakes in addition to full-size cakes, cheesecakes, pies, cookies, and other baked goods. Family-owned and operated, Little Cakes Kitchen now operates four locations in San Diego including their flagship bakery in Vista, where they offer more than 100 rotating cupcake flavors, and Gelson's three San Diego locations – Del Mar, Carlsbad and now Pacific Beach. VIETNAM VET BOOK Local author Bruce A. Bastien draws back the curtain on that era's high-conflict period to share his experience as a young Marine – both the common notions of war and the mundane, daily life experiences that shaped his 13-month tour of duty. His novel, "13 Months," sweeps readers up on a coming-of-age journey through a U.S. Marine Corps grunt's daily struggles, battles, and funny moments as he navigates a new and sometimes unforgiving environment. Bastien's book shares with readers the range of emotions and physical discomfort he experienced during his service, from unmitigated terror to utter boredom, hot and dry to wet and cold, rested and ready to frazzled and wired. "13 Months: In the Bush, In Vietnam, In 1968" is available through iUniverse, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION The U.S. Small Business Administration will begin delivering economic relief from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, established by the American Rescue Plan and signed into law by President Joe Biden, to more than 16,000 approved applicants. This first round of funding represents over $2 billion of relief awarded since last Monday's successful program launch. Restaurants and other food and beverage businesses across the nation will begin to see funds in bank accounts as early as Tuesday, May 11. Under RRF, restaurants are eligible for funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue losses, capped at $10 million per business and $5 million per location. The SBA will continue to fund approved applications until all funds have been exhausted. SBA has prioritized a customer-centric approach to the delivery of economic aid, eliminating cumbersome application requirements, streamlining the application process, and by partnering with point-of-sale (POS) vendors to provide seamless ways to apply to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Apply through SBA-recognized POS vendors or directly via the SBA online application portal: https://restaurants.sba.gov.
CARLSBAD FLOWER FIELDS The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, 5704 Paseo Del Norte, is extending its season to May 16. The original last day of the season was May 9. Thanks to Mother Nature and her cooler spring weather she has extended blooming season. There are still approximately 14 acres currently of bloom. For more information, visit www.theflowerfields.com. UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION Hanna and Mark Gleiberman have given $12 million to UC San Diego Internationally recognized head and neck cancer center at UC San Diego Health now named after the couple. Hanna and Mark's $12 million gift will support many areas within the Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center, including:
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| Turtle power, lotto mania, slaughterhouse strike: News from around our 50 states - USA TODAY Posted: 07 Jun 2021 07:39 AM PDT AlabamaMontgomery: Groups representing landlords on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to end the federal moratorium on evicting tenants who aren't paying rent during the coronavirus pandemic. The Alabama Association of Realtors is leading the petition that argues that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority in issuing the order regarding evictions and that any health concerns have since dissipated since people are now gathering in public without masks. The eviction ban, initially put in place last year, provides protection for renters out of concern that having families lose their homes and move into shelters or share crowded conditions with relatives or friends during the pandemic would further spread the highly contagious virus. The order is now set to expire June 30. The emergency petition asks for a lower court decision blocking the order to go into effect immediately. "Landlords have been losing over $13 billion every month under the moratorium, and the total effect of the CDC's overreach may reach up to $200 billion if it remains in effect for a year," the emergency petition says. There have been multiple lawsuits over the eviction ban. AlaskaJuneau: Supporters of efforts to limit cruise ship traffic in the city said they failed to gather enough signatures to qualify their proposals for a vote. A group of Juneau-area residents behind the effort needed to collect signatures from nearly 3,000 registered Juneau voters for each of the three proposed measures to qualify the questions for an Oct. 5 municipal election. Karla Hart, a leader of the group, said the group failed to do so. She declined to say how many signatures were collected, KTOO Public Media reports. Wednesday was the deadline to turn in signatures. One of the proposed measures sought to prohibit cruise ships that carry more than 250 passengers from docking or anchoring in Juneau between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., and another sought to ban them from docking or anchoring on Saturdays. The third proposal sought to bar cruise ships larger than 100,000 gross tonnage from being at dock or anchor after Jan. 1, 2026. The proposed ballot questions were the subject of vigorous debate in Juneau, where tourism is a major industry, and state and local officials and businesses pushed for cruise ship travel to resume after the pandemic halted cruises last year. ArizonaPhoenix: The state's top health official expressed cautious optimism Friday that Arizona can reach a goal of getting 70% of adults partially vaccinated in the next month. "I just am fearful with our slowdown and decreased demand, it's going to make it harder to reach that 70%, but I'm hopeful Arizona would," Dr. Cara Christ, director of the state Department of Health Services, said during a virtual briefing. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a "month of action" to urge more Americans to get vaccinated before the July 4 holiday. In Arizona, less than half of the state's population eligible to receive vaccines has actually been inoculated. Unlike some other states, Arizona has not created any vaccine incentive programs. However, officials are open to partnering on one-time events. The state teamed up with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona for a family vaccine clinic Saturday at Chase Field offering free tickets for shots. There have been other incentives at the local level. In Pima County, the local health department gave out Arizona Lottery scratcher tickets at two vaccination sites over the Memorial Day weekend. A local chain of marijuana dispensaries in Mesa is offering "Snax for Vaxx," a free pre-rolled joint and an edible gummy for getting vaccinated. ArkansasLittle Rock: One of the state's largest courthouses is set to reopen to the public after access was limited due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock is scheduled to reopen Monday. Restrictions on entry into all county facilities by the public have been lifted. All visitors will be required to wear a face mask and have their temperature checked upon entry. Social distancing will also be mandatory in all areas of the courthouse. "We appreciate the support and patience of Pulaski County citizens with our temporary operational area during the last 15 months. It wasn't ideal, but my office was determined to remain open for business and provide the essential services. We look forward to serving the public inside the various offices once again," said Pulaski County Circuit and County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth. Coronavirus cases in the state rose by 253 on Friday, while those hospitalized with COVID-19 dropped by two to 178, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. "While we are seeing hopeful COVID-19 progress, let's continue this trend by ensuring we all play a role in protecting others," Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted Thursday. CaliforniaSacramento: Gov. Gavin Newsom played game show host Friday in a drawing for 15 winners of $50,000 prizes for getting vaccinated. "If you're on the fence, if you're just a little bit hesitant, or you just were unwilling in the past, but all the sudden you think, 'Wait a sec, I could really use $50,000,' we're doing all of this to encourage that and to get you to think anew and hopefully act anew," Newsom said at the California State Lottery headquarters, where he was flanked by a machine used to randomly choose winners and a Wheel of Fortune-style colored wheel for show. It was the first in a series of drawings for $16.5 million in prize money aimed at encouraging Californians to get their COVID-19 shots ahead of June 15, when the state plans to lift almost all virus-related restrictions. So far, 67% of eligible people 12 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The state's goal is to fully vaccinate at least 75% of people. Newsom announced the prize money last week, warning the state's vaccination rates were about to go off a cliff without an intervention. State officials said rates had dropped at the time by 18% from the week before. This week, another 15 people will win $50,000, and on June 15 there will be 10 grand prize winners who will get $1.5 million each. ColoradoDenver: The state has picked its first $1 million winner in a new lottery aimed at inspiring residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that Sally Sliger of the Weld County town of Mead won the first of five $1 million prizes for residents who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Sliger is a clinical data analyst at Tru Community Care, a Lafayette-based nonprofit health organization that offers hospice and other care. Sliger recounted how she and the community at large have suffered both personally and professionally the loss of neighbors and loved ones during the pandemic. "Like all the rest of us, we have postponed family events," she said. "We've postponed memorial services. … So when the wait was over, there was no doubt I would get my vaccination." She said she and her husband, Chris, initially planned to bolster their retirement savings and help their children with the winnings. "I am hoping that you all get the vaccine because this is the gift we have right now. This is the gift that keeps on giving," Sliger said. Every resident who was vaccinated by the end of May was entered in the first of five weekly drawings. Residents needed to be 18 years old and have received at least one dose to be eligible. They didn't need to register for the drawing, conducted by the Colorado Lottery. ConnecticutHartford: The city's Puerto Rican Day parade returned to the streets Saturday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started, with colorful floats winding their way through neighborhoods. People on the floats and in vehicles in the caravan waved the red, white and blue flags of Puerto Rico and played music as hundreds of onlookers cheered and displayed their own flags. This year's procession was smaller than in previous years. Last year's parade was canceled because of the pandemic. Saturday's event also honored health care workers, first responders and other essential personnel for their work during the pandemic. Parade watcher Juliany Polar said the parade had the atmosphere of a neighborhood party. "People are happy," Polar told the Hartford Courant. "People are ready to get out and about and enjoy the better weather, the better rates against COVID." DelawareWilmington: The state has seen a 35% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the past year, though local experts say the total is likely far higher due to the challenges of counting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 60% of that increase is among children, according to a recent report from the Housing Alliance Delaware, a statewide nonprofit that performed the count and aims to alleviate issues facing the homeless population. The count didn't include unsheltered people living in cars and encampments due to COVID-19 precautions and logistical challenges this year – communities that would drive up the total number of people experiencing homelessness across Delaware. "Even though they didn't count the unsheltered, which should have brought the count down, the count went up by 35%," said Stephen Metraux, director of the University of Delaware's Center for Community Research and Service. Experts say the increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness is due to a variety of factors, including a lack of affordable housing and COVID-19 safety concerns that led people to stay in hotels and motels for extended periods of time. In response, increased funds and rapid rehousing programs in the state are helping members of the homeless population find and maintain stable housing. District of ColumbiaWashington: With the resumption of full parking enforcement, residents have been scrambling to find available appointments at the Department of Motor Vehicles, WUSA-TV reports. After a 14-month hiatus due to the pandemic, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that ticketing wound resume again, including for expired parking meters, expired residential parking permits and expired vehicle tags. Vehicles must also display valid registration stickers. However, due to public health protocols, the DMV currently doesn't allow walk-ins, and spots must be reserved online. Residents have until July 1 before enforcement for expired driver licenses will resume, according to the city. The mayor announced the plans weeks in advance, but some residents say it was still a struggle even to find a reservation. FloridaTallahassee: The state's chief justice says Florida's justice system will soon be allowed to resume in-person court proceedings without masks and social distancing rules put in place last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The administrative order issued Friday by Chief Justice Charles Canady would also require courts to take steps to resume rules guaranteeing speedy trials, which were suspended amid the logistical challenges the pandemic posed. The chief justice, however, directed courts to continue conducting most proceedings remotely, such as jury selection, unless an in-person hearing is required. Some proceedings, including hearings to determine whether an individual should be involuntarily committed, would have to be conducted in person unless the requirement is waived by the subject of the hearing. The order said criminal jury trials will be given priority for in-person hearings, while less serious cases will continue to be conducted remotely as part of the transition to pre-pandemic operations. Florida Supreme Court officials said the restrictions are being lifted because of increased vaccination rates and updated guidance from health officials. Chief judges across the state may drop the mask and distancing requirements in courtrooms as soon as June 21 and no later than Aug. 2. GeorgiaAtlanta: The Biden administration is reevaluating a plan by Georgia officials to overhaul how residents buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act as federal officials try to boost former President Barack Obama's signature health care law. In a letter to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services raised concerns about the state's proposal to have the private sector, not the government, engage in outreach to get residents to sign up for insurance under the ACA. "In its application, Georgia neither quantified the size of the expected investment by the private sector nor indicated any specific commitments by the private sector to engage in outreach and marketing," the letter sent Thursday said. It asked the governor to reassess his plan to bypass healthcare.gov and have residents shop for federally subsidized health insurance through private agents. Former President Donald Trump's administration approved that plan last year, and state officials have touted it as a way to boost insurance coverage. A spokeswoman for the governor's office, Mallory Blount, said Friday that the letter was still being reviewed. HawaiiHonolulu: Gov. David Ige said Friday that the state will drop its quarantine and coronavirus testing requirements for travelers once 70% of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Hawaii will also lift its requirement that people wear masks indoors once that level has been reached, he said. The state Department of Health website said 59% of Hawaii's population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 52% have finished their dosing regimen. The state is using its own figures, not those provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to calculate thresholds for lifting restrictions. Health Department Director Dr. Libby Char said that's because Hawaii's numbers are more accurate. She said it appears the CDC has been counting some of Hawaii's doses twice. Right now, travelers arriving from out of state must spend 10 days in quarantine, or, to bypass that quarantine, they must show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken before departure for the islands. Once 60% of Hawaii's population is vaccinated, Ige said, the state will allow travelers to bypass a quarantine requirement as long as they can prove they were vaccinated in the U.S. Restrictions on travel between the islands will open up before that. IdahoBoise: Schools didn't report the majority of coronavirus cases among the state's K-12 students in the most recent academic year, the Idaho Capital Sun reports. While state officials count more than 16,000 cases among school-age kids from September through May 22, a website showing cases by school listed only 8,660 known cases in that time period, causing concerns about whether districts and schools are armed with the information they need to prepare for the fall semester. Dr. David Pate, an adviser to Gov. Brad Little and some schools on handling the pandemic, said underfunding, privacy issues, and a lack of coronavirus testing – compounded by Idaho legislators' rejection of federal funding to expand surveillance – combined to make the already complicated task of tracking COVID-19 outbreaks even more difficult, according to the newspaper. IllinoisSpringfield: The state announced Friday that it will officially enter Phase 5 of its reopening plan on schedule this week, marking the end of 15 months of capacity restrictions and mandates brought on to help defeat the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a press release that with hospitalizations and caseloads declining, not to mention having more than half of the population vaccinated, the time was right to commence the move to full reopening next Friday, June 11. "After a tremendously challenging year, Illinois has now reached a defining moment in our efforts to defeat COVID-19," Pritzker said. "Thanks to the hard work of residents across the state, Illinois will soon resume life as we knew it before – returning to events, gatherings and a fully reopened economy, with some of the safety guidelines we've adopted still in place." The new guidance means that businesses, sporting events, conventions, theme parks and other events can return to full capacity and attendance, with vaccinated people being allowed to go without their masks, a sign of a return to normalcy that so many across the state have anticipated. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said that "the vaccine is giving us our freedoms back and allowing us to move to Phase 5." IndianaIndianapolis: A judge will hear arguments this month over whether the governor can go ahead with a lawsuit challenging the power legislators have given themselves to intervene during public emergencies. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb asked a judge in April to block the new law passed by the GOP-dominated Legislature following criticism from many conservatives over COVID-19 restrictions that Holcomb imposed. Attorney General Todd Rokita, also a Republican, has argued he has the authority to stop Holcomb from taking the dispute to court after the Legislature overrode the governor's veto of the new law. His office's court filings have called the private lawyers working for Holcomb "unauthorized counsel" in asking for them to be removed from the case. Marion County Judge Patrick Dietrick on Thursday set a hearing about that dispute for June 16. Holcomb and some legal experts maintain the state constitution only allows the governor to call the Legislature into special session after its annual session ends. They argue the constitution doesn't allow the new process under which legislative leaders could call the General Assembly into what it calls an "emergency session." IowaDes Moines: A spontaneous scene of joy erupted downtown Friday as the Lauridsen Fountain in Cowles Commons was switched on for the first time since fall 2019. The signature fountain's jets of water sprang to life in mid-morning Friday. Within the hour, a shirtless, barefoot boy was running amid them and rolling in the shallow pool. By midday, as many as eight other children and two dogs had joined the revelry as the temperature climbed above 90 degrees. The fountain had been shut off for the winter, as usual, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020. With public gatherings forbidden and shows at the adjacent Des Moines Civic Center postponed or canceled, Des Moines Performing Arts left the fountain shut down throughout summer 2020. Now, with the coronavirus infection rate waning, the Willis Broadway Series at the Civic Center rescheduled, and free public events planned over the summer on the commons, DMPA has revived the landmark water feature. Completed in 2015 as part of a major redo of the former Nollen Plaza, the so-called zero depth fountain is comprised of 17 arcing jets of water rising from the pavement of Cowles Commons. Lighted at night, they provide a colorful contrast to the illuminated sculpture "Swirl," by artist Jim Campbell, that dominates the opposite side of the plaza. KansasTopeka: The state ordered less than 1% of its vaccine allocation from the federal government for last week, the state health department reported Friday. The disclosure came as the department's data showed that Kansas still had nearly 593,000 unused doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Friday, about 21% of the 2.8 million shipped to the state. Demand for inoculations has dropped, prompting the state and county health departments to increase mobile clinics and bring vaccines to churches and work sites. The state, Wyandotte County and the University of Kansas Health System partnered with Kansas Speedway to promote vaccinations Thursday and Friday at the Kansas City, Kansas, NASCAR track. The speedway offered people who got vaccinated two laps around its track and entered them in a raffle for prizes that included tickets to the NASCAR Cup Series race there in October. The state health department said it ordered only 1,020 doses, or 0.7% of its federal allocation of 147,660, for last week. Its data showed that an average of 4,348 vaccine shots a day were administered during the seven days ending Friday, its lowest seven-day average since Jan. 21. The department said 42.5% of the state's 2.9 million residents had received at least one vaccine shot as of Friday. KentuckyFrankfort: The state joined the giveaway bonanza Friday to entice more people to get COVID-19 vaccines, with Gov. Andy Beshear offering $1 million prizes and college scholarships. Three Kentucky adults will win $1 million prizes, and 15 students ages 12-17 will be awarded full-ride scholarships to a Kentucky public university, college, technical or trade school, he announced. The Democratic governor is hoping the chance at landing a lucrative prize is enough to overcome vaccine hesitancy keeping many Kentuckians from rolling up their sleeves for the shots. "If you're on the fence, how about a free ride to college?" Beshear said at a news conference. "Or how about the best odds that you will ever have at winning $1 million? All you've got to do is the right thing that every public health official in America says you ought to be doing anyway." To enter the three drawings, Kentucky adults vying for the $1 million prizes must have received at least the first dose of a Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Kentucky youngsters 12-17 must have received at least their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to be eligible for the scholarships, which will cover tuition, room and board, and books. Drawings will be July 1, July 29 and Aug. 26, with winners announced the next day. LouisianaNew Orleans: The state is adding free entry to all 21 state parks as a perk for getting vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday. Unlike the free drinks available this month at some bars and restaurants around the state, the free admission runs through July for anyone who can prove full vaccination, no matter when, he said. About 32% of all eligible residents have been fully vaccinated, he said. That compares with 41.2% nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under "A Shot for a Shot," announced earlier in the week, participating establishments are offering a free drink this month to anyone who shows proof of full vaccination within the previous seven days. The state parks freebie is for visitors as well as state residents. It is part of Louisiana's "Bring Back the Summer" initiative, Edwards said. He also noted that there are numerous nationwide incentives listed at www.vaccines.gov/incentives.html. "Stay tuned for more incentives and rewards that will be offered in the near future," he said. MainePortland: The state's mobile COVID-19 vaccine unit is being redirected to parts of southern Maine later this month and will wrap up service in two weeks. The state has used the mobile unit to provide vaccines to rural and underserved communities. It's scheduled to continue that effort in Madawaska in far northern Maine through Monday. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah said the mobile unit will then come to Portland and Old Orchard Beach. Its final day in service will be in Old Orchard Beach on June 18. That represents a shift in strategy for the unit, Shah said. Moving it to high-population centers in its final days will allow it to serve many people before it closes, he said. The unit will also be able to offer some of the numerous hospitality workers in southern Maine a shot, Shah said during a Maine Public appearance Thursday. "For much of the mobile vaccination unit's drive through Maine, it has focused on rural Maine," he said. The unit can administer about 500 shots a day, Shah said. It has provided more than 9,000 vaccinations, mostly to rural Maine residents, he said. MarylandWestover: Eastern Correctional Institution inmates harvested 13,000 pounds of produce in 2020 despite the constraints of a pandemic. A Somerset County Health Department initiative that started in 2014 aims to address food insecurity and childhood obesity in Somerset County, which has just two grocery stores and a Dollar General, making options for fresh fruits and vegetables slim. Sixteen inmates at ECI work daily throughout the year tilling, weeding and watering – their three gardens have no irrigation system – to grow plants including kale, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, yellow onions, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, zucchini and bell peppers. Their first harvest of the 2021 season weighed in at 764 pounds, which is believed to be the gardens' largest yield yet for the start of a season. Project director Sharon Lynch of the Somerset County Health Department explained that the boxes will be divvied up among roughly 20 community partners. From there, they will reach family tables in Somerset and Wicomico counties. The program started with a three-quarter-acre plot on the prison property but has since expanded to place a garden on each side of the main prison compound and at the annex. MassachusettsBoston: Four communities that state officials say were shortchanged in federal pandemic relief aid will receive a total of $109 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday. The communities were among those hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic but, due to shortcomings in the federal funding formula, were set to receive disproportionately smaller amounts of funding compared to other hard-hit communities, the Republican said. "Our Administration committed additional funds to Chelsea, Everett, Methuen and Randolph to ensure all of the Commonwealth's communities received the funding they deserved from the federal relief package," Baker said in a statement. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden this spring, allocated direct aid to some municipalities based on the federal Community Development Block Grant program formula, while aid to other communities was allocated on a per capita basis. The Baker administration said the use of these two different formulas created disparities in distributions. Chelsea, Everett, Methuen and Randolph are the four designated hardest-hit communities to receive disproportionately smaller levels of federal funding compared to other hardest-hit communities. MichiganLansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday vetoed Republican-sponsored legislation that would have exempted high school graduation ceremonies from COVID-19 restrictions on crowd sizes. The veto, which was expected, came two days after her administration's order was loosened to end outdoor capacity limits and limit indoor gatherings to 50% occupancy. "This bill is a solution in search of a problem," the Democratic governor wrote to the GOP-led House. "Rather than sending me half-baked and punchless legislation like HB 4728, I encourage the Legislature to join me in eradicating this pandemic and making transformational investments in our economy." When the measure won final passage more than two weeks ago, Michigan was restricting crowds at many outdoor stadiums to 1,000. At most indoor arenas, the limit was 375. Also Thursday, Whitmer vetoed a bill that would have prohibited a governor from issuing an emergency order extending response times for public-records requests or otherwise limiting a public body's duties under the Freedom of Information Act. She did so for two months early in the pandemic. The since-expired order, Whitmer said, was designed to protect government officials' lives during the first surge. She said she will not sign bills that constrain the governor's ability to protect people. MinnesotaSt. Cloud: U.S. Sen. Tina Smith met with child care leaders and providers Friday to talk about the toll of the pandemic on child care in Central Minnesota. At Blooming Kids Care Center, she toured the facility and talked with owner Abdi Daisane, who said he's seen a drastic drop in attendance during the pandemic. Affordability of child care, access to culturally sensitive staff and operating costs are significant problems for Minnesotans that have become even more exacerbated in the pandemic, Smith said at the meeting. During a roundtable discussion with Smith at the United Way of Central Minnesota, many of those present talked about the high cost of child care in the area, the need for more centers that are affordable for families, and benefits of public prekindergarten education. Others talked about the high costs associated with operating child care centers, which often leave owners like Daisane to take on second jobs and don't motivate new people to enter the industry. A Minnesota family can spend tens of thousands of dollars a year on child care costs, equivalent to a semester's tuition at the University of Minnesota, Smith said, and two-thirds of Minnesota counties are "child care deserts," meaning there is one spot available at a child care center for every three children in the state. MississippiJackson: The state's top health official said Friday that lack of access isn't the reason Mississippi is last in the nation for COVID-19 vaccinations – it's apathy. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said he guarantees the state is among the easiest in the country to get a vaccine, but many people refuse because they don't think they need it. "I think that's something that we really struggle with because it's part of our health care culture here," he said during a virtual conversation with the Mississippi Medical Association. "It's really sad because people in foreign countries would saw off their small toe to get a COVID vaccine, and … we're not going to take five minutes as we walk by the Kroger pharmacy." Only about 27% of the population is fully vaccinated. Vaccines are available at state-run sites throughout Mississippi that don't require appointments and can be accessed at dozens of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals, all listed on the Department of Health website. "It's almost like you need to try to not get the vaccine," Mississippi Medical Association Executive Director Dr. Claude Brunson said Friday. Dobbs said he has been doing at-home visits personally to vaccinate homebound residents, and he said the Department of Health is exploring incentives and other measures to encourage more vaccinations. MissouriSpringfield: Health officials in Springfield and Joplin are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations amid relatively low vaccination rates and more people gathering for social events without masks or social distancing. CoxHealth's flagship hospital in Springfield had between 35 and 40 COVID-19 patients, more than double the number two weeks ago, CEO Steve Edwards said Thursday. And nearly 20% of patients tested at CoxHealth facilities in southwestern Missouri are testing positive for the coronavirus, up from just 5% two weeks ago, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Three hospitals in Joplin reported a total of 39 COVID-19 patients Wednesday. That figure hovered around 15 in early May, The Joplin Globe reports. The city straddles Jasper and Newton counties, which have relatively low vaccination rates. About 38% of Joplin residents have completed vaccinations, but only 19% of Jasper County residents and 16% of Newton County residents have been vaccinated, according to state data. Edwards said more people have been gathering for events such as graduations, and fewer people are wearing masks or social distancing. He said nurses tell him patients say that they did not think COVID-19 was real and that they wish they had been vaccinated. MontanaMissoula: A record number of residents are enrolled in the state's Medicaid expansion program, which provides health insurance for low-income adults, according to the state health department. Nearly 99,000 people were being served by the program in April – 18,300 more than the nearly 80,500 enrolled a year earlier, according to state data. The state stopped disenrolling people from Medicaid programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the higher enrollment numbers, Chuck Council, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health and Human Services, told Montana Public Radio. The department will resume taking people off the programs if they're no longer eligible once Montana's public health emergency ends, Council said. Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls, who co-sponsored the Medicaid expansion legislation, said the program is working as it should. "When we get into hard times, people get into hard times, this is a safety net measure to make sure that folks are not neglecting their health care and that providers are getting paid for the services they provide," Buttrey said. The previous enrollment high was 96,656 people in August 2018. Medicaid expansion in Montana, which requires participants to pay premiums, is funded with 89% federal money and 11% state money. NebraskaOmaha: The University of Nebraska Medical Center will require faculty, staff and students to document whether they've been vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning June 21. Documentation is required because medical students work with patients in clinics and hospital wards, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Faculty, staff and students who choose not to get vaccinated will be required to wear masks at medical facilities, and students who are not inoculated might miss out on clinical placements outside University of Nebraska partners. The documentation is only required for the medical center and not other campuses in the University of Nebraska system, said Jane Meza, interim executive director for the office of health security at UNMC and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Creighton University will require all students to be fully vaccinated at the Omaha and Phoenix campuses starting July 7, said the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, the university president. Creighton faculty and staff are encouraged but not required to get vaccinated. NevadaReno: The Washoe County School District will offer $2,000 hiring and retention bonuses, earmarked from federal pandemic relief funds, to school bus drivers in the wake of a critical shortage ahead of summer school and the 2021-22 school year. A returning driver could make as much as $3,000 in bonuses for returning to the job and referring someone who is hired. District bus drivers get paid between $14.18 and $25.04 per hour and are full-time benefitted employees who are eligible for Nevada's Public Employees' Retirement System. The district and the union representing bus drivers have already signed on to a memorandum of understanding for the $2 million proposal. The agreement is slated to go in front of the school board for final approval Tuesday. Meanwhile, Washoe County School District Superintendent Kristen McNeill said the district was working on contingency plans if bus drivers and other support staff don't show up for work Monday, after rumors that bus drivers and others who were paid for snow days and are expected to work this week without additional pay might not show up. The school year originally was scheduled to end Friday, but three days were added after schools closed for snow and smoke last year. New HampshireConcord: The state House on Friday rejected an attempt to introduce legislation aimed at protecting workers from being punished for getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Rep. Joshua Adjutant, D-Bristol, sought to suspend the rules and introduce a bill prohibiting employers from firing or docking the pay of workers who take up to three days off in connection with vaccination appointments. The goal, he said, was to eliminate a key concern for those who have yet to get inoculated. "I hope this will still do some good for some folks," he said. Republicans argued the bill was unnecessary given the state's high rate of vaccination. Rep. Al Baldasaro, R-Londonderry, was particularly scornful. "There comes a time and a place where we all come together and say enough is enough," he said. During the pandemic, the 400-member House has met at the UNH ice arena, outside on an athletic field, in a parking lot from their cars and, for the past several months, at a Bedford athletic complex. Former House Speaker Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack, died in December, a week after being sworn in at the outdoor ceremony. "We've played enough games," Baldasaro said. "We're sitting here when we should be in our Statehouse. I hope everyone stands tall and says no." New JerseyTrenton: Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill to end the state's public health emergency stemming from the coronavirus in the next 30 days. Murphy, a Democrat, signed the bill just a day after the Democrat-led Legislature passed it over objections from Republicans and a loud crowd outside the Senate chamber calling for the measure to be killed. The measure does away with some 100 executive orders, retaining just over a dozen, including one that created moratoriums on evictions and utility shutoffs. It leaves in place an executive order barring the garnishment of stimulus checks and extending certain rulemaking deadlines, among other directives from the governor. "Today's lifting of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is a clear and decisive step on the path toward normalcy," Murphy in a statement. "The past 15 months have been a challenge, and I thank every New Jerseyan who stayed home, masked up, took precautions to keep this virus in check, and got vaccinated for allowing us to get to this point." The public health emergency goes back to March of last year, when the first cases were detected in New Jersey, and the state soon became a hot spot. The new law says the state's mask and distancing requirements cannot be more restrictive than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises. New MexicoSanta Fe: State finance authorities have said demand appears to be building for minimum-interest loans aimed at helping small businesses that lost income or experienced major disruptions during the coronavirus pandemic. New Mexico Finance Authority CEO Marquita Russel told a panel of state legislators Wednesday that about 865 businesses have applied for loans worth a combined $65 million since the program was overhauled in March. Reforms to the state's small-business recovery loan program, signed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in early March, doubled the maximum individual loan amount to $150,000 and broadened eligibility after businesses expressed a limited appetite for the original program. "That program, as a result of the changes made to it, really had some traction, and we've seen a great deal of interest," Russel said. The federal government has closed out its Paycheck Protection Program that provided forgivable loans to businesses beginning in April 2020. Restaurants are still in line for federal relief under the Biden administration's $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package. New Mexico's small-business recovery loans are repaid at half the prime rate of interest that commercial banks charge their most creditworthy customers, with zero interest accrued during the first year. New YorkAlbany: The state failed to provide desperately needed protective gear, testing, and help with staffing for group homes serving residents with developmental and intellectual disabilities at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of those homes and family members told lawmakers at a legislative hearing Thursday. Staffing levels in New York's system supporting individuals with disabilities have dwindled since the beginning of the pandemic, which advocates say threatens the quality of care for some of the state's most vulnerable residents. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers faced calls Thursday to boost pay for group home workers, require routine coronavirus testing and ensure people with disabilities are a priority in response plans. Among advocates' concerns is that group homes, unlike nursing homes, aren't required to regularly test staff for the virus or launch rounds of testing after a resident or staffer tests positive. At least 577 people have died due to confirmed COVID-19 infection at group residences overseen by the state's Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, according to the agency's latest data. That tally doesn't include the number of residents who died at hospitals, or deaths of residents who likely died of COVID-19. North CarolinaRaleigh: For the first time since COVID-19 vaccines became available in December 2020, the state declined to accept any more supplies last week. Instead, last week's requests from North Carolina providers were being fulfilled through transfers from other providers or through requests to local health departments, according to state health officials. "We are currently focusing on prioritizing the in-state inventory of vaccine by using a first-in, first-out strategy so that providers use vaccines by date of expiration in chronological order, as well as transferring vaccine between providers who can use them," the state Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Friday. The move comes as North Carolina nears an announcement on additional financial incentives to boost vaccine participation amid a sizable drop in vaccine demand over the past two months. North Carolina had returned more than 1.2 million doses to the federal government as of Friday. Nearly all states have contributed to the federal pool, according to the state Health Department. Data the department released Friday shows a surplus of nearly 2.4 million COVID-19 vaccines waiting for residents to take. The state has also turned down nearly 2.4 million additional shots from its federal allocation. North DakotaBismarck: The state is accepting applications for its Medical Marijuana Advisory Board after changes to the panel's membership by the 2021 Legislature. The Bismarck Tribune reports the deadline to apply is June 30. Current board members' terms will expire July 31. New membership of the nine-member board includes six people appointed by the governor: a health care provider, a state Health Department representative, a manufacturing representative, a dispensary representative, a registered qualifying patient and a licensed pharmacist. Voters approved medical marijuana in 2016. The 2017 Legislature implemented the program, which has 5,392 active patient cards and eight dispensaries operating in the state, including one in Bismarck. OhioColumbus: The state's firefighters, officers, nurses, doctors and child care providers all worked outside the home throughout the coronavirus pandemic. But who among them deserves a $1,000 bonus check from federal pandemic relief funding allocated to the state has become a heated debate. Three Republican representatives and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost introduced a plan to give first responders $1,000 checks if they worked full time throughout the pandemic and weren't disciplined during that time period. Part-time first responders and volunteer firefighters would get $500 checks. But Rep. Erica Crawley, D-Columbus, said she thinks all front-line workers deserve these "hero pay" checks. "I don't think we should be pitting one essential worker against another," Crawley said. "We all needed them in their respective fields as we navigated COVID-19." Shannon Jones, a former Republican state senator who now runs early childhood advocacy group Groundwork Ohio, went a step further, calling it a "punch to the gut" to see the Senate put lines in its budget proposal to prohibit Ohio from giving child care workers these kinds of bonuses. "The average wage for child care professionals is $10.60 per hour," Jones said. "They could have earned more money on unemployment during the pandemic." OklahomaOklahoma City: More than 51,700 residents have qualified for Medicaid since enrollment began last week under an expansion of the program that voters approved last year, state officials said Friday. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which oversees the Medicaid program, reported that 51,708 Oklahomans have already qualified for benefits, including about 30,000 from urban areas and more than 21,000 from rural Oklahoma. Benefits will begin July 1. After a decade of Republican resistance, Oklahoma voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment last year to expand eligibility for benefits. Now, an individual who earns up to $17,796 annually, or $36,588 for a family of four, qualifies for Medicaid health care coverage. The Health Care Authority has projected that about 215,000 residents would qualify for expanded Medicaid for a total annual cost of about $1.3 billion. The estimated state share would be about $164 million. But those numbers could be considerably higher given the number of Oklahomans who lost their jobs and work-related health insurance because of the economic shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. OregonPortland: Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday that the state is close to lifting masking, physical distancing and capacity restrictions statewide. Last month, Brown set a vaccination goal of 70% of Oregon adults receiving at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine before reopening the economy. As of Friday, 66% of residents 18 and up had been vaccinated. "I want to be very clear that we are able to reopen like this because of the efficiency of the vaccines," Brown said. "However, there are still Oregonians who need to take extra precautions to feel and stay safe." For more than a year, Oregon has faced some of the nation's strictest safety measures – county risk levels, mask requirements inside and outside, limited gatherings and restaurants closed for indoor dining. But as vaccination numbers increase, restrictions have been loosened as the state shifts from emergency response to recovery. Last month, Brown set statewide and county vaccination targets, with the hope of reopening the state's economy by the end of June. Another 127,000 people must be vaccinated to reach the goal of 70%. "This has really become a tale of two pandemics. If you are vaccinated, then you're safe; you can carry on safely without wearing a mask and social distancing," Brown said. "If you are not vaccinated, this virus still poses a very real threat." PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia: Bike riders won't need their shirts, pants, skirts or even underwear – just a mask. Organizers of the annual Philly Naked Bike Ride say this year's event will take place Aug. 28 and will require masks, based on the city's earlier coronavirus restrictions. The city lifted most of its COVID-19 rules last week, citing an increase in vaccinations and a decrease in cases. But ride organizers said they hadn't had a chance to chat since the city's guidelines changed, so for the time being, they're "going to stick with our initial mask guidance." Lead organizer Wesley Noonan-Sessa said they'll keep an eye on what the city says in the next month or so. Ride participants, sometimes in the thousands, usually gather in a park to strip off their clothes and paint each other's bodies before carefully hopping on their bikes. The naked ride aims to promote positive body image, advocate for the safety of cyclists and protest dependence on fossil fuels. Riders pedal a 10-mile course while taking in sights including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps, featured in the "Rocky" movies. The coronavirus pandemic slammed the brakes on the ride that had been planned for last year. Organizers said then that canceling the 2020 event was "the most responsible thing to do." Rhode IslandProvidence: The state's restaurant industry, with the backing of some lawmakers, wants to extend a pandemic state-of-emergency rule that allows eateries to sell alcohol along with takeout orders. With indoor dining banned or limited for long stretches during the crisis of 2020, it was a way for restaurants make up for lost sales. Sam Glynn, owner of Chomp Kitchen & Drinks in Providence, said when restaurants were first reopening after last spring's lockdown, takeout drink orders made up as much as a quarter of his sales. That has dropped to closer to about 10% as indoor dining has returned to near-normal. He would like to see the rule made permanent. "I remember when it first passed, people were concerned it would get taken advantage of, but it hasn't been a problem, and now it just allows people to have some of the experience of going out for drinks when they are home," Glynn said. The House passed a bill in March that would allow beer, wine and cocktails to be sold with takeout orders through the end of this year. An initial Senate version of the legislation would have made the last call for takeout drinks the end of 2022, but that was dialed back to March 2022 in a revised version that passed the Senate special legislation committee Wednesday. South CarolinaColumbia: People who get vaccinated against COVID-19 at breweries in the state this month will receive a free beer as part of an effort to get shots into the arms of young adults, the health department announced Thursday. The "Shot and a Chaser" events are scheduled throughout June at participating breweries across the state as part of a partnership between the Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Brewers Guild. Trained medical professionals will offer the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine; people who get their shot on site can get a free beer or soda. Some sites will also offer the two-dose Moderna vaccine. "Young adults are often busy travelers and incredibly social, so we want to make sure they get their shot to protect themselves and others while visiting restaurants, vacationing and attending various events," Dr. Edward Simmer, the agency's director, said in a statement. The campaign targets young adults in the state, health officials said. Fewer than 16,000 people between the ages of 20 and 24 have been vaccinated in the state, according to DHEC data – equaling less than 1% of all vaccinated people in South Carolina. South DakotaSioux Falls: In a sign of meatpacking workers becoming emboldened by the pandemic's health threats and economic repercussions, the union at a local pork processing plant that experienced a bad coronavirus outbreak last year has overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer from Smithfield Foods and will next move to bring the prospect of a strike to the negotiating table. The Sioux Falls chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union said 99% of union members who voted on the new contract offered from Smithfield Foods rejected it. Throughout the pandemic, workers have organized around pushes for workplace safety and are now navigating an economy where some slaughterhouses, desperate for employees, have suddenly boosted wages. Smithfield Foods downplayed the contract rejection, saying it was a "routine" part of negotiations. But the UFCW plans to vote Monday on whether to authorize a walkout. Union leaders said they view striking as a last resort, as they push for a base wage of $19 an hour to match the rate at a JBS pork plant 70 miles away in Minnesota. Slaughterhouse jobs usually offer elevated wages and benefits in exchange for the bloody, back-breaking work on butchering lines. But the wage gap is closing between meatpacking jobs and those at fast-food chains or retail stores, union leaders warned. TennesseeNashville: Summer concerts returned in the city's post-pandemic restriction era with the OUTLOUD Music Festival over the weekend. "It feels good to be back out," said Jack Davis, founder of Good Neighbor Festivals. The two-day festival Friday and Saturday featured 18 solo acts, music groups and bands and was billed as "a celebration of LGBTQ+ artists and allies." OUTLOUD is not to be confused with the annual Nashville Pride Festival, which is traditionally held in June. This year's event was postponed until September due to the pandemic. Friday's OUTLOUD lineup featured Japanese Breakfast and Tank and the Bangas as the headliners. The latter headlined again Saturday along with Todrick Hall. It was OUTLOUD's fifth year holding a concert series, with similar events to this weekend's held from 2017 to 2019. Organizers held a drive-in concert in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. "It was a good learning experience that I never want to do again," Davis joked. OUTLOUD serves as one of many unofficial ends to the COVID-19 era in Nashville. For weeks the city has lowered restrictions at restaurants, bars, sporting events and concert venues as the vaccinated population rose to nearly 1 of every 2 Nashvillians having received at least one dose. TexasAustin: After a hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Eric Munscher of Houston returned to the Austin lakefront restaurant County Line over the weekend – not for its barbecue but for its turtles. On Saturday morning, Munscher of the Turtle Survival Alliance and a handful of other volunteers gathered at the restaurant, which sits on Bull Creek near Lake Austin, to resume a study of the abundant turtles in the area. "It's just neat to finally be out again and getting people to come see the turtles," said Munscher, director of the alliance's North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group. With fishnets in tow, they dived into the water to catch, identify and tag turtles. They returned Sunday to continue their work and to celebrate the six different local species at the Turtlemania fundraiser, where people can drink beer and save turtles. Proceeds from the event, featuring discounted beer from the Celis Brewery, are earmarked to help fund the Turtle Survival Alliance's research. Munscher, who occasionally watched the turtles through the restaurant's online "turtle cam" during the pandemic, said the group plans to return again in the fall, when he said they hope to open the volunteer opportunity to more members of the public after further progress in vaccinations in economic reopening. UtahOgden: If not for a special pot of federal COVID-19 relief funding meant to help foster kids and young adults who have left the system, Olivia Kilfoyle worries about what could have been. Thanks to the funding, she recently moved into an apartment and has a place to call home. Without the help – part of some $343.5 million in all meant to help foster kids and former foster youth around the country contend with the fallout from the pandemic – she worries she may have joined the ranks of the homeless, the Standard-Examiner reports. "It put me in a safe place," said Kilfoyle, 21, a former foster child now living on her own. Now, state officials who help foster kids and those who have aged out of the system are putting out a call. Utah received $2 million, and funds are still available for those in need. "Please get in contact if you're out there and need help," said Aubrey Adams, who aids the population as a program administrator with the Utah Department of Human Services' Division of Child and Family Services. Funds can help with back rent, apartment deposits, car repairs, some schooling-related expenses and more, she said. The program is meant for those 14 and older in foster care but is also geared to some adults as old as 27 who no longer receive care but did at some point after the age of 14. VermontMontpelier: The state has launched an economic recovery program for businesses that have not received prior state and federal pandemic-related funding and for others that continue to suffer pandemic-related losses. The program is expected to deliver $30 million in federal financial relief to businesses that were ineligible for state and federal funding and to businesses that can show a continued loss of revenues, Gov. Phil Scott said. "As we move out of the pandemic emergency and into our long-term recovery, it's so important that we support Vermont's small businesses and employers, who are the backbone of our economy," Scott said Thursday. "These grants will provide critical relief in the short term, allowing them to rebuild a stable foundation for their economic futures." The state will start taking applications for the Economic Recovery Bridge Program on Monday. Grants will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. In the first 30 days, priority will be given to businesses that have not received or do not have a pending application for any state or federal financial assistance in 2020 or 2021, officials said. More information is available online on the Agency of Commerce and Community Development Recovery Resource Center website. VirginiaMount Solon: After a year's hiatus due to the coronavirus, Red Wing Roots music festival is back and set to sell out quick, according to festival organizers. "We are thrilled to be coming together after such a long, difficult time," said Michael Weaver, co-founder of the festival. "We anticipate a lot of emotion. For sure, it will be a year unlike any other." The festival, the brainchild of local band The Steel Wheels, is focused on finger-picking, bluegrass and American roots music. It is also a way to bring the band back home to the area each summer. The music festival, which takes place at Natural Chimneys Park in Mount Solon, will be held July 9-11. In addition to The Steel Wheels, other 2021 headliners include Yarn, Asleep at the Wheel, The Mavericks, Dustbowl Revival and Tim O'Brien Band. Since it began in 2013, Red Wing has emphasized great music, great food and great fun for the entire family in the great outdoors, a release said. This year, the festival will have featured musical performances on five stages, along with regional food trucks with options for craft beer, cider and wine. WashingtonOlympia: The state is joining the trend of offering prizes to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announcing a series of giveaways that includes lottery drawings totaling $2 million, college tuition assistance, airline tickets and game systems. The incentive program, called "Shot of a Lifetime," applies to those who start the vaccination process this month, as well as residents who are already inoculated. "This is a very, very commonsense investment to save lives," Inslee said. Starting Tuesday, the state lottery will hold two drawings a week for four weeks, one for adults and another for those ages 12-17. The lottery cash prize will start out with a weekly prize of $250,000 through the end of June. On July 13, a final $1 million drawing will be held. In addition, the state's public four-year universities and two-year community and technical colleges will receive nearly $1 million to run their own drawing for free tuition and expenses for vaccinated students. The state lottery will also hold drawings to offer 30 prizes of one-year of tuition college credits to 12- to 17-year-olds through the state's Guaranteed Education Tuition program, with the credits going directly to the students' families. West VirginiaCharleston: Gov. Jim Justice has called a special session of the Legislature aimed at allocating federal pandemic relief funding and increasing funds for road improvements. Justice announced that the session will begin Monday at noon. Lawmakers were already scheduled to be in Charleston for June committee meetings, he said. The Legislature will consider allocating federal relief funds to the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Education, Justice said in a statement. The funding was received after the end of the regular legislative session, he said. He also wants lawmakers to consider allocating $150 million from the state's general fund to the Division of Highways for road projects. Justice said it would fund 702 miles of road paving and projects on 40 bridges across all 55 counties. West Virginia's aging infrastructure often receives a failing grade. Voters approved a $1.6 billion bond measure called Roads to Prosperity in 2017 that the governor championed to improve public works. WisconsinMadison: Gov. Tony Evers made it official Saturday, announcing his bid for a second term in the battleground state where he stands as a Democratic check on the Republican-controlled Legislature. Evers, 69, said he decided to run again because he has unfinished business and needs to remain able to stop Republicans through his veto powers, especially as they advocate for election law changes that would make it harder to vote by absentee ballot. "Even though I haven't played much hockey, I have come to appreciate the role of being a goalie," Evers said. He announced his plans during the Wisconsin Democratic Convention, which was held virtually Saturday for a second year in a row. The first 31/2 years of Evers' term have been marked by clashes with the GOP-led Legislature and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans brought successful lawsuits accusing Evers of overstepping his authority with closures, capacity limits and mask orders meant to slow the spread of the virus. Evers said his handling of the pandemic saved lives, and he listed it as "easily the most important thing that we've done." Wisconsin Republican Party spokeswoman Anna Kelly accused Evers of a multitude of failures, including not getting kids back to school sooner and not getting benefits to the unemployed quickly enough. WyomingCheyenne: Health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic have changed how ticketing will be handled at this year's Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. The "World's Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration" is switching to a mostly virtual system for the July 23-Aug. 1 event, which was canceled last year for the first time in its 125-year history. Digital tickets can be scanned via an app or browser on a smartphone, and those who opt for printed tickets will face steep surcharges, according to the newspaper. Few other pandemic-related precautions are planned, with crowds allowed at full capacity and no mask requirements. From USA TODAY Network and wire reports Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/06/07/turtle-power-lotto-mania-slaughterhouse-strike-news-around-states/116883348/ |
| Everything You Need to Know About COVID-19 Testing at All-Inclusive Resorts - TravelPulse Posted: 01 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST International travel comes with new obstacles in the time of COVID-19 and in the wake of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) latest requirement that all U.S.-bound air travelers test negative for coronavirus within 72 hours of departure. However, many popular destinations and leading all-inclusive hotel and resort brands have been quick to meet these new challenges with on-site COVID-19 testing programs—many of which are free—and extended stay protection plans that make navigating the CDC's new requirement fast and easy while also providing additional peace of mind. ADVERTISING Trending Now  Travel advisor Tiffany Vail was among the first to experience the new process during a recent trip to Sandals Montego Bay in Jamaica. Sandals and Beaches Resorts are among the many operators currently offering complimentary COVID-19 testing for guests this winter. From scheduling a test to securing their results, travelers can anticipate a quick and easy process. "COVID-19 testing at Sandals was very easy and free. You were sent to the nurses' station and there you filled out a questionnaire. Then you took the questionnaire to the COVID-19 testing station which was set up in a different location across the way. I took a rapid COVID-19 test and the results were instant," said Vail, who had visited the property before. "She filled out a negative test result paper for me which I provided to American Airlines before I was able to get my boarding passes. They also handed me an assertation paper, which basically was a paper having me initial that I took a COVID-19 test and that my result was negative." "Overall, I was pleased with the process. It took about five minutes of my vacation to get this done," she added, pointing out that occupancy at the resort was very low. "I liked the fact the results were instant and I wasn't waiting on an e-mail to arrive. My only advice that I can give is to do your research before you go. Some resorts offer on-site testing and some do not. Some also offer a complimentary 14-day stay if you test positive."  In addition to complimentary or discounted on-site COVID-19 testing at all of its hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean, Playa Hotels & Resorts is offering guests who test positive for COVID-19 an Extended Stay Protection Plan for only $29 per person per stay. The plan provides complimentary quarantine accommodations for up to 14 days. Meanwhile, children age 12 and under who test positive or children of parents who test positive can stay for free. "We understand travel can feel complicated these days and our goal is to simplify the process by removing any uncertainty," said Kevin Froemming, Playa Hotels & Resorts' Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "And now for just $29 per person, our guests have the added certainty of comfortable and secure quarantine accommodations at our resorts in the instance of a positive COVID-19 test result." As Vail recommends, travelers should be sure to do their research in advance to find out what sort of testing and extended stay programs their all-inclusive hotel or resort is offering. Working with a travel advisor is an even better idea amid today's COVID-19 restrictions and requirements as they can provide helpful answers and address any concerns regarding testing and quarantine. |
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