More public parking opens up in Old Town just in time for summer
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — More than a hundred additional parking spaces will be made available in San Diego's historic Old Town neighborhood to accommodate the anticipated summertime rush.
In partnership with an organization called Hongos Coastal, the Harold J. Ballard Parent Center, which is operated by the San Diego Unified School District's Family Engagement Department, will open up 160 parking spaces on the property.
Grand jury rips into San Diego's metered parking program
Starting this Saturday, the spaces will be open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to a statement from the district.
'This collaboration is about community,' said Daniel Scott, co-founder of Hongos Coastal. 'We're proud to support both local access and educational resources.'
People will need to pay for parking at the lot using a mobile app. The district will receive 80% of the funds raised and Hongos Coastal will receive the remaining 20% and reimburse SDUSD for custodial costs.
The funds raised will go toward more services for the families/caregivers of the students within the district, as well as providing more educational opportunities, supplies and additional resources to improve students' literacy, math and social-emotional wellness, according to the district.
The center currently serves as a meeting place for SDUSD's parent groups, such as the District Advisory Council, Down Syndrome Support Group, Autism Parent Network and District English Learners Advisory Council. It also houses the district's DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and Title VII Indian Education offices.
The Ballard Parent Center is located at 2375 Congress St. in Old Town.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Staff at popular Atlanta restaurant say they were blindsided by sudden closing
The Brief Taco Mac's Midtown location abruptly closed Monday morning, leaving employees with no prior notice, according to one former worker. Former staff say they found out through text messages, social media and a sign on the door. The company declined to explain why it shut down Atlanta's last in-town location. ATLANTA - When Taco Mac's Midtown location suddenly shut down this week, workers say they had no warning. The owners announced the closure with a letter posted in the window of the restaurant that read "Permanently Closed." "It's frustrating because it's not knowing," Brandon Jovan Stephens, a former bartender at the Midtown location, said. "Just be honest. We bust our ass here." This was the only remaining in-town location of the Atlanta-based sports bar chain. A sign on the door said, "Our dedicated team members – the true heart of Taco Mac – will be offered opportunities at nearby locations." A spokesperson for the company declined to comment further. SEE ALSO: Taco Mac suddenly shutters 2nd Atlanta location in less than 2 months What we know Stephens said he worked over the weekend and saw no sign that the restaurant would be closing. "I worked over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday," he said. "Nobody told us anything." He said he first learned of the closure on social media and went to the restaurant to see for himself. "When I found out it was really true, was this sign. When the sign is gone and it's on the door permanently closed, that's it. That's all. Yeah. We have to bow out gracefully." The backstory The Peachtree Street location's closure comes less than a month after Taco Mac announced that it was shutting down its first location in Atlanta's Virginia Highland neighborhood after 46 years in business. "We built a clientele with our regulars, you know, but for this place to be shut down like this was, was just like a slap in the face to everybody," Stephens said. Just a few weeks ago, Taco Mac shut down its Virginia-Highland location — the original. The chain, which began as a single neighborhood bar in 1979, announced that the iconic corner of N. Highland and Virginia Avenue is transitioning to a new restaurant concept as the company focuses on future growth. It will be home to Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint. Another Taco Mac location on West Ponce de Leon in Decatur closed without warning in 2023. It had been in business for 22 years. "Lot of people had this as their only job," Stephens said. "You know, some people had kids." What's next Stephens said he's trying to stay optimistic about what's ahead. "It's frustrating to me and I'm standing up for it because it affected a lot of these people that worked here, worked here for a while," he said. "You got to think about it too, when one door closes, another one opens." The Source This article is based off of original reporting by FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo.
Skift
a day ago
- Skift
Tourism's Climate Promises Span 20 Years — With Few Results, Study Finds
Despite two decades of climate pledges, tourism emissions are still rising and many commitments remain unfulfilled. UN Tourism says it's time to focus on the future, but real credibility will depend on whether the next wave of promises leads to measurable change. Despite decades of climate pledges, hardly any of them have led to change or a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study by researchers at Linnaeus University in Sweden and the University of Waterloo in Canada. The paper, by Stefan Gössling and Daniel Scott, looked at the four main international climate declarations signed by governments, tourism bodies, and businesses going back to 2003. The researchers argued that emissions from tourism are still rising, and the sector is not on track to cut them by half by 2030, as many groups have pledged. 'The tourism sector's response to climate change over the last two decades, has been insufficient,' the study said. The most recent estimates of tourism's contributions to greenhouse gas emissions are around 9%, making it one of the biggest polluting sectors. 'It has taken 20 years just to build basic systems to measure emissions,' the authors said. 'In another 20 years, the sector is expected to be close to net zero. That's a vastly more complex and costly goal.' Gössling recently told Skift that while the tourism sector is one of the most exposed to the impacts of climate change, it could become a leader. 'We need systemic change, yes. But we also need pioneers. And tourism, ironically one of the sectors most exposed - can become a leader.' A Long List of Tourism Climate Declarations Many of the agreements the researchers reviewed were led or coordinated by UN Tourism, then known as the UN World Tourism Organization. The Djerba Declaration, 2003: It warned of rising heat in Europe and a shift in peak travel seasons. It emphasized planning and knowledge-sharing and 45 countries signed on. The Davos Declaration, 2007: It estimated that tourism contributed 5% of direct global greenhouse gas emissions and pledged a system for emissions monitoring. But no tracking system was created and no emission targets were set. The Glasgow Declaration, 2021: This declaration was driven by travel businesses and organizations. It was signed at the UN climate talks in 2021 in Scotland by over 900 organizations, including Booking Holdings, Expedia, and Accor. No major airlines signed on. The study noted that despite strong pledges, fewer than 30% of signatories had submitted a climate action plan by late 2024. UN Tourism said the Glasgow Declaration was still an important step forward because, for the first time, it included a monitoring framework. 'We are working on the first progress report which should be out in the next few months,' said Virginia Fernandez, programme coordinator at UN Tourism. Baku Declaration, 2024: 69 countries and nine non-state actors signed a declaration at the UN climate talks in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, once again emphasizing tourism's climate vulnerability and the need for urgent action. Countries that signed include Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Israel, Portugal, Russia and Kenya. But Gössling and Scott criticized the language for being too vague. Phrases like 'where applicable' and 'where relevant' led the study's authors to question how serious the industry is about acting. Fernandez said the Baku Declaration was different from past agreements because it was signed not just by tourism ministries, but by entire governments. 'This is the most significant agreement in travel and tourism to date,' she said. A New Global Partnership? One of the most promising outcomes of the Baku Declaration could be the launch of a new global coordination group for climate action in tourism, to be led by UN Tourism, the study authors said. But so far, no timeline or structure has been announced. UN Tourism told Skift the planning is ongoing and confirmed it will take the lead on the partnership. It acknowledged that the tourism sector needs alignment on climate goals and that the agency was best placed to take on this role. 'We can say UN Tourism will lead on this and make the decisions and tell people what to do. That would be quicker,' Fernandez said. 'But will it be more effective if we have a variety of stakeholders at the table - such as businesses, non-state actors, governments, tourism bodies. That way any agreements will be collective ones and I think that will be more effective in the long run.' Skift's in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift's editorial team.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
County offers $135k grant to save San Diego's fire pits
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava announced Thursday a last-ditch effort to save the city's beachside fire rings from the budgetary chopping block. The county has committed to provide $135,000 in stopgap funding from the Community Enhancement Grant Program to maintain the beloved fire pits through the next fiscal year, covering services like ash removal, debris disposal and safety compliance checks. This work to the rings — located throughout Fiesta Island, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Bay and La Jolla — was one of the proposed cuts included in Mayor Todd Gloria's budget draft to help the city close a more than $250 million budget deficit. San Diego unveils devices to help wheelchair users visit beaches Some residents of the impacted coastal neighborhoods were incensed by the proposed cut, arguing the fire rings are a core part of the city's culture. Others, however, expressed being more open to it. Supporters of the cuts described the rings as a relative nuisance due to their smoke and some residents' use of them to burn items like trash and furniture. Lawson-Remer explained in a statement the stopgap funding is intended to give the city the opportunity to work out a permanent solution to maintain the fire rings' funding moving forward. 'I believe in protecting the places that bring us together. These fire pits are part of our shared story as San Diegans – places where people connect across generations and backgrounds,' she said. 'This offer is about giving the community time to come together around a long-term solution, without losing an asset that matters so much to our region.' City blocked from applying vendor laws to beachside yoga classes The city will still need to formally accept on the grant. It is expected to be discussed as part of the City Council's Budget Committee Meeting on Friday, when they will be parsing through their proposed revisions to Gloria's proposal. 'Generations of San Diegans, including my family, have gathered around fire rings to celebrate, reflect, and build community,' said LaCava in a statement. 'This grant will allow the city to re-focus on locating the fire pits and ensuring they are used responsibly.' The council will have until June 10 to approve a finalized budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
