Today’s Forecast

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📸 From negatives to positively identified

California State University San Marcos looking to identify photos for its ‘Dan Rios Papers’ project

A zookeeper and a newborn animal, possibly a zebra.

This baby needs its name. | From the Dan Rios Papers, California State University San Marcos Special Collections, University Library.

Photographer Dan Rios learned an important piece of information early into his career: Never throw away the negatives.

Rios found his passion when studying photography at San Diego Junior College (now San Diego City College). He then started working for the “Escondido Times-Advocate” in 1968. When the “Times-Advocate” was going to discard its old negatives in 1977, Rios preserved them, knowing their value. As he kept working, his collection kept growing.

The photojournalist retired in 2001 and his garage was filled with nearly 200 boxes containing ~1 million negatives. These images captured decades of local history, so Rios donated them to the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) library Special Collections department.

Two kids are running — one in a wheelbarrow. Assumed to be in the 1980s. — We need to know who won this race.
|
From the Dan Rios Papers, California State University San Marcos Special Collections, University Library.

What’s the goal?

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but many of these photos have lost their stories to time. A project dubbed the “Dan Rios Papers” seeks to identify people, places, events, and dates captured in Rios’ collection.

To do this, CSUSM hopes community members can help fill in the blanks. Most images are set in the 1970s or 1980s in San Diego’s North County and its surrounding communities. University staff members have worked to match images to archived newspapers, but there are still a lot of photos that need information.

Renaissance fair in San Marcos — Did we miss out on this Ren Fair?
|
From the Dan Rios Papers, California State University San Marcos Special Collections, University Library.

How can you help?

You can explore the archives on Flickr, and if you know information about something depicted in a photo, leave a detailed comment on the site.

A representative from CSUSM told SDtoday no new images will be uploaded beyond this month, but comments will still be open and monitored to help update archives with data.

Events

Thursday, May 4

Holocaust Remembrance: From Hatred to a Better Tomorrow | Thursday, May 4 | 1:30-3:30 p.m. | Southwestern College Performing Arts Center, 900 Otay Lakes Rd., Chula Vista | Free | A moving tribute featuring survivors of the Holocaust and their family members.
Crown Comedy Night | Thursday, May 4 | 7:30 p.m. | Nicky Rottens, 100 Orange Ave., Coronado | $25 | Jim Gallagher hosts a night of laughs featuring John Wynn, Learnmore Jonasi, and Heather Pasternak.

Friday, May 5

Viva La Música | Friday, May 5-Sunday, May 7 | Times vary | SeaWorld San Diego, 500 SeaWorld Dr. | $70-$109 | A Celebration of Latin music, food, and more — Anything For Salinas Band performs Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m.
San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers | Friday, May 5 | 6:40 p.m. | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $58-$248 | Score $5 drinks during “Party in the Park” theme night as the team reps their Nike City Connect jerseys.

Saturday, May 6

Beach Cleanup | Saturday, May 6 | 9-11 a.m. | Ocean Beach Pier, 1850 Ocean Front St., San Diego | Free | Join the Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego Chapter to clean up the area around OB Pier.
Puppy Prom | Saturday, May 6 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Original 40 Brewing Company, 3117 University Ave., San Diego | Free | A prom, auction, and a costume contest will crown the King and Queen — all in support of the Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Cinco de Improv | Saturday, May 6 | 2 p.m. | Patio Playhouse, 201 E. Grand Ave. #1D, Escondido | $10 | At this festive comedy show, the audience tells the performers where they are, who they are, and what they are doing, and they take it from there.

Sunday, May 7

Miracle Babies 15th Annual Superhero 5K | Sunday, May 7 | 7-11 a.m. | Naval Training Center (NTC) Park, Liberty Station, 2455 Cushing Rd., San Diego | $15-$50 | Sport your superhero cape and walk or run 3.1 miles to support families with hospitalized infants.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Civic

San Diego County supervisors approved a proposal that aims to help recruit and retain local mental health workers. The program will spend $75 million from 2024-2029 to offer no-interest loans for studies, funding for training, and incentives for workers to continue living locally. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Traffic

Construction is moving along on state Route 78 from El Camino Real to College Boulevard, and Caltrans expects eastbound lanes to reopen next week. Crews have been working around the clock to finish repairs that began with a sinkhole formed during a storm in March.

Open

Encinitas is getting a new taste of Mexican cuisine at Échale. People started to taco ‘bout this brand when it appeared as a North County pop-up over the past couple of years. The upscale restaurant is open Tuesday-Sunday, 5-10 p.m., but plans to offer lunch soon. (Eater San Diego)

Closing

Machete Coffee in National City announced it will be closing on Saturday, May 13. The cafecito shop operates inside Machete Beer House and is known for its fun drinks and stickers. The brand says it hopes to return as its own brick and mortar location in the future.

Legacy

Mary, an Asian elephant who lived at the San Diego Zoo, has died. The gentle giant began living at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 1980 and moved to the zoo’s Elephant Odyssey in 2009. Mary lived to be 59 — surpassing the species average of 47.

Coming Soon

Escondido is buzzing over news that Dutch Bros Coffee is expected to open two stores in the city by the year’s end. The Oregon-based chain first moved into San Diego County last year when it opened a shop in Oceanside. (The Coast News Group)

Ranked

This is sweet — Yelp ranked the top Asian-owned bakeries in the US and CAKED rose to No. 7. The Miramar shop is known for its variety of cookies and huge brownies, and its treats can also be found at various local farmers markets.

Drink

Hint is the water that actually makes us want to drink water. Shop from their top sellers + online exclusive flavors and get 45% off three cases for just $36. (That’s $1 per bottle plus free shipping.) Just use code 6AMCITY.*

Number

10 days. That’s how long you have until Mother’s Day. The good news? That gives you just enough time to order a gift from Quince — a brand offering high-end and sustainable products at affordable prices. Think: European linen shorts, silk slip dresses, cashmere crewnecks + Italian leather totes. Shop now.

Outdoors

🌅 A pier-fect sunset

Scrippshenge 2023 seen in La Jolla, San Diego

Beachgoers caught more than waves at Scripps Beach in La Jolla this week. Lucky visitors watched and photographed the perfectly aligned sunset that resulted in “Scrippshenge.” The local phenomenon occurs when the sunset can be seen through the opening at the end of the landmark Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography gave the biannual event the playful name after Stonehenge — one of the ancient wonders of the world — and San Diegans consider the Scrippshenge to be a local wonder.

Locals can expect to spot a Scrippshenge twice a year, if weather allows. The first occurrence is typically in early May and the second one is usually in early August.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Michael

From the editor

Good morning, San Diego. Today’s lead story was a thrill for me to write, because I love digging into local history archives. One of my favorite fun facts is that there used to be a nudist colony in Balboa Park. That’s just one bullet point in San Diego’s wonderfully quirky history — there’s so much more to discover.

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