Category: Sports

See Schedule of ‘Surge Pricing’ Beginning Sept. 1

Editordude: The following is from local grassroots policy advocate Lisa Mortensen’s Wednesday, August 20 email blast, written in response from to Jay Clevenger, Community Representative of Councilmember Stephen Whitburn’s office, to her inquiry about changes to parking fee structures downtown within the Ballpark District. This is what’s referred to as “surge pricing.” Clelvenger’s original email follows Lisa’s questions. The email was edited for brevity purposes. 

By Lisa Mortensen

My first question is, will the pricing go into a specific account that will be audited to make sure the funds are directed at the specific infrastructure and maintenance uses that you mentioned in your message below? Or will the funds be placed in the general fund?

I read the IBA report and it states: “FISCAL AND POLICY DISCUSSION – While many administrative reforms are being presented, some of the changes in the parking reform are anticipated to result in additional revenue for the City, including the General Fund.”

This concerns citizens because we know that funds that are placed in the General fund can be used at the mayor’s (and council’s) discretion and not for the original stated intent. Assertions about intended uses and benefits that have been made in the past have not always been honored,

The following is a reposted letter to the Editor at the U-T by one of our writers, Paul Krueger.

Re: “$10-an-hour-parking comes to Petco Park next month” (Aug. 5): San Diego’s “surge pricing” at downtown parking meters for Padres’ games and special events will benefit city hall financially. But working people will shoulder the costs.

Sports fans and music lovers have a choice: pay $10 an hour for meter parking, use a public lot, or take a bus, trolley, or ride-share. But thousands of low-paid hospitality workers and night shift employees don’t have those options.

By Ben Higgins / 10News / Aug 15, 2025

The center of the pickleball universe is at the Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma this weekend as the Major League Pickleball playoffs make their first-ever stop in San Diego.

“Pro pickleball is here,” said Samin Odhwani, commissioner of Major League Pickleball. “The amateur game is taking off. There’s so many people playing. There’s courts being built. So it was only a matter of time for pro pickleball to finally arrive on the scene, and I feel like it finally made it.”

The professional circuit is attracting a host of celebrity team owners, even with a $15 million franchise fee.

“Drew Brees, a great example, he’s going to be out here this weekend, supporting his team, the L.A. Mad Drops. You’ve got LeBron James, Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters, some amazing team owners all across Major League Pickleball and it’s really fun for us to get an opportunity for them to join in on the growth of the sport,” Odhwani told ABC 10News.

Many of the top players, like Texas Ranchers star Eric Oncins, were former tennis players who made the switch after seeing pickleball for the first time.

Editordude: This article is close to my heart, as I was a swimmer from PLHS in 1965-66, and on a champion freestyle relay team, winning runner-up in the CIF finals.So, good for these young people. 

by Scott Hopkins / Times of San Diego / July 11, 2025

All-League boys and girls teams, All-CIF titles, and a pair of All-Americans – these accomplishments were part of the 2025 Point Loma High swim team.

Leading the honors were sophomore speedster Alex Pletcher and junior girls standout McKenna Carroll, both of whom were named members of the 2024-2025 National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association All-American Team. This honor recognizes the top 100 swimmers in their events nationwide.

Pletcher ranked 10th in the country in the 200 Free and 30th in the 100 Free, where his best time was 44.19 seconds. Carroll ranked 59th in the 200 Free with a time of 1:49.38.

By Dave Schwab / sdnews.com / April 29, 2025

Point Loma muralist Jack Stricker’s latest endeavor is a real crowd-pleaser: a nostalgic portrayal of Padre greats Trevor Hoffman, Tony Gwynn, and Ken Caminiti in friar garb on the back wall of Harbor Town Pub.

The formal unveiling followed the Padres game on Saturday, April 19 in the rear of the popular neighborhood eatery and hub at 1125 Rosecrans St.

Large-scale Peninsula murals are becoming the stock and trade of Stricker, a hometown artist. His last community-based effort was a year ago at the United Portuguese S.E.S. Hall at 2818 Avenida De Portugal. Stricker combined with Austin Gosswiller to paint a two-sided mural there, a collaboration between UPSES and the Point Loma Association. That mural is a re-creation of “azulejos,” blue-and-white Portuguese tiles using acrylic paint. The tile mural was done on the historic building to highlight the 75th-anniversary celebration of the United Portuguese S.E.S. in Point Loma.

by Ernie McCray

There is so much around us
that can lift our spirits,
a song,
a poem,
a loving gesture,
a bright smile on
a handsome face
like the one of gratitude
on Eric Allen’s
as he received the news
that he had made the NFL Hall of Fame,

From Port of San Diego / April 23, 2025

The Port of San Diego has reopened the west side of the Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp after completing repairs to the west side floating dock.

The repair project began in January and included pumping about 200 cubic yards of sand out from underneath the damaged floating dock and placing it onto the adjacent beach, installing neoprene sleeves and stainless-steel wedge anchors along the seawall to prevent future sand migration, removing the damaged floating dock, and installing the new floating dock.

Come inside for details………

By Regina Elling / Point Loma – OB Monthly SD Union-Tribune / April 10, 2025

Whether by providing child care, youth and family services, resources for food and housing assistance and more, the T. Claude and Gladys B. Ryan Family YMCA in Point Loma has served a lot of people in its 55 years, “and we want to continue to serve for … generations to come,” according to Executive Director Jonathon Collopy.

That’s why the Ryan Family YMCA — previously known as the Peninsula Family YMCA — hopes for a new building to replace its current one at 4390 Valeta St., near Correia Middle School and Bill Cleator Park.

By Phil Rockhold

I am opposed to all “for profit” commercial activity on public beaches.

Our beaches are San Diego’s most valuable resource, and as such, open access to the beach should be maintained at all times for the general public. The larger issue that is not talked about in current discussions of beach use, is the City and Park and Recreation Department’s designation of various activities as either “commercial” or “non-commercial.” There appears to be no logic whatsoever in the designation.

I live in Ocean Beach, and for years, an obviously “commercial” enterprise has completely taken over the beach at the foot of Cape May Avenue.

Six days a week during spring and summer, and weekends in the winter, the public use of the soft sand area on the beach is blocked by a forest of temporary volleyball poles and nets.  The effect of this activity also has a massive impact on the already scarce availability of parking in Ocean Beach.

by Ernie McCray

I don’t see how anybody

who took time

to really watch

Kendrick Lamar do his thing

between halves

at the Super Bowl Game,

could call his performance

boring and trashy

as it was very entertaining

to me,

People into football have heard of Eric Allen.

And for those that haven’t, be it known that Allen played football under the legendary coach Bennie Edens at Point Loma High School in the early 1980s, and was just inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Finally. Because for him, it’s been a long wait.

For Eagles fans, Allen is the first cornerback in Eagles history to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was announced as part of the Class of 2025 on Thursday night last week at the NFL Honors awards ceremony in New Orleans.