August 3, 2023

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Today’s Forecast

📷 Picture it now

Bum being treated for a fractured leg in 1887. | Photo via San Diego City Clerk Archives

Love a good scrapbook? This is why we enjoy exploring the City of San Diego’s archives — a treasure trove of photos that tell the history of the people, events, places, and things that have shaped America’s Finest City.

Sometimes, we find ourselves scratching our heads at some of the snapshots. What are we looking at? Let’s dig deeper.

Official Town Dog Bum gets help, 1887

Why is everyone crowding around this adorable dog? Well, that pooch is Bum — San Diego’s Official Town Dog — a San Francisco-born steamboat stowaway who arrived in San Diego in 1886. He was known to rove around town and “bum” food off local eateries and residents, thus becoming SD’s communal pet.

In this photo, Bum is being treated for a fractured leg after being kicked by a spooked horse. The beloved St. Bernard-Spaniel mix died in a county hospital in 1898; a statue depicting Bum sits at Pocket Park in the Gaslamp Quarter — that’s a good boy.

SD 1935 California Pacific International Exposition — A couple of kids enjoying at snack at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition at Balboa Park.
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Photo via San Diego City Clerk Archives

It’s corn, 1935

Before present-day viral “Corn Boy,” these boys took a corn break to restore their energy at the California Pacific International Exposition at Balboa Park.

Featuring hundreds of exhibits, the fair-like event was designed to promote San Diego and support its economy.

SD City Archives the San Diego Chicken — What the cluck is happening here?
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Photo via San Diego City Clerk Archives

Feathery fame: The San Diego Chicken, 1978

Sure, local professional sports teams have memorable mascots, but in the 1970s the Famous San Diego Chicken — aka the KGB Chicken — rose to feathery fame not just locally, but worldwide.

SDSU student Ted Giannoulas first donned the suit, and his energetic, comedic approach was described by sports reporter Jack Murphy as an “embryonic Charlie Chaplin in chicken feathers.” Soon, he was a regular at Padres games and events — and sometimes attended City Council meetings. In this pic, the mascot is presenting a proposal for the development of a soccer field in Morley Field East.

5 more SD snapshots

Events

Thursday, Aug. 3

One Paseo Kids Happy Hour | Thursday, Aug. 3 | 3-5 p.m. | One Paseo, 3725 Paseo Place, San Diego | Free | Bring the kids to the Carmel Valley shopping hub to enjoy family-friendly entertainment and snacks every Thursday through Aug. 31.
La Mesa Classic Car Show & Music Event | Thursday, Aug. 3 | 5-8 p.m. | 8393 La Mesa Blvd., Downtown La Mesa | Free | Vroom, vroom: The community gathering returns, this time with Love is a Rose taking the stage.
An Evening with Admiral William H. McRaven | Thursday, Aug. 3 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Coronado Performing Arts Center at Coronado High School, 650 D Ave. | Free | Meet the author behind “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life ... and Maybe the World” and “The Hero Code: Lessons Learned From Lives Well Lived.”

Friday, Aug. 4

Taste of Imperial Ave. | Friday, Aug. 4 | 4-9 p.m. | Gilliam Space, 2835 Imperial Ave., San Diego | $20-$35 | Sample food and drinks from Logan Heights vendors alongside live music and a beer garden.
Pop-up Cookout feat. Sam the Cooking Guy | Friday, Aug. 4 | 6-8 p.m. | Little Italy Food Hall, 550 W. Date St., Ste. B, San Diego | Free | Catch Sam “The Cooking Guy” Zien preparing this month’s taco on the Piazza with music and lawn games.
Padres vs. Dodgers | Friday, Aug. 4-Sunday, Aug. 6 | Times vary | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $54+ | Everybody, join the chant now: Let’s go SD — beat LA.
Beethoven by the Bay | Friday, Aug. 4 | 7:30 p.m. | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego | $27-$100 | Johann Stuckenbruck leads the San Diego Symphony Orchestra with Eric Lu on piano.

Saturday, Aug. 5

2023 South Bay Summer Festival | Saturday, Aug. 5 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Montgomery-Waller Community Park, 3020 Coronado Ave., San Diego | Free | Enjoy a day of family fun with food, dancing, live music, and an immersive space for teenagers.
Artwalk @ Liberty Station | Saturday, Aug. 5 + Sunday, Aug. 6 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. + 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | 2751 Dewey Rd., Liberty Station | Free | This festival celebrates visual arts and the region’s top artists — and some ARTS District galleries will offer free admission.
R&B Block Party | Saturday, Aug. 5 | 5-9 p.m. | Quartyard, 1301 Market St., San Diego | $10-$25 | Dance it out to jams from the 1990s and early 2000s at this dope 21+ party.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Civic

City Council has given the greenlight to the San Diego Police Department’s proposal to install 500 smart streetlights equipped with license plate reader technology. The cameras would be added to communities like Barrio Logan, Otay Mesa, and downtown SD; police say the tools could help fight crime, but opponents worry about privacy. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sports

The Padres have acquired MLB veterans Ji-Man Choi and Rich Hill. This means the Padres will become the first team in nearly 20 years to have two players who are over 43 years old — Hill and Nelson Cruz. This hasn’t happened since 2005, when Roger Clemens and John Franco played for the Astros. (FanNation + MLB.com)

Edu

SDSU researchers secured a record-breaking $192.2 million in funding in 2022-2023 — a 17% increase over the previous fiscal year. The sum includes federal funding and will be used to advance the university’s work to reduce health disparities, preserve cultural artifacts, and support climate justice advocacy. (SDSU NewsCenter)

Number

$727.48 billion. That’s the record-setting assessed value for all taxable property in San Diego County — an increase of $48.3 billion, or 7.2% — over last year. The figure includes 1,013,632 real estate parcels, 55,888 business personal property accounts, 14,476 boats, and 1,534 aircraft. (ABC 10)

Biz

The county’s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) program has been going strong for a year, allowing home chefs to run mini restaurants under certain guidelines. The county has issued 63 permits to MEHKOs thus far — cooking cuisines from Egypt, Italy, Indonesia, and more.

Kids

Sesame Place San Diego is running its “Kids Go Free” deal through Sunday, Oct. 29, where kids ages 3-9 get in free with a paid adult admission. The Chula Vista water park is open daily through Labor Day — after that, it’s open weekends only, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Announced

The San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony are spearheading The California Festival Friday, Nov. 3-Sunday, Nov. 19 — and they’re in good company. The local symphony says 95 organizations including orchestras, jazz ensembles, and choirs will participate, performing at 80+ venues across the state.

Pets

Barrio Star has partnered with Paws4Thought Animal Rescue to host a dog adoption event this Saturday, Aug. 5, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Bankers Hill restaurant. The eatery and organization are hoping to match rescued and rehabilitated dogs with loving forever homes.

Plan Ahead

San Diego-based Chicana fashion designer Claudia Biezunski-Rodriguez — aka Sew Loka — will sell her one-of-a-kind pieces at the WNDR Museum’s upcoming WNDR After Dark: Secondhand Style event on Thursday, Aug. 17, 6-9 p.m. The evening will include live sewing demos, a DJ, spoken word, and the museum’s immersive exhibits.

Festival

🎊 Go global, locally

Colorful art pieces at Bazaar del Mundo in San Diego

The vibrant vibes are strong at the Latin American Festival. | Photo via Bazaar del Mundo

Old Town’s Bazaar del Mundo is known for its colorful, global art but this weekend, its vibrant vibes will reach new levels as the Latin American Festival and Mata Ortiz Pottery Market fills the marketplace.

The free event — Friday, Aug. 4-Sunday, Aug. 6, starting at 10 a.m. daily (4133 Taylor St.) — will feature live art demos, mariachis, folklórico dancers, and authentic folk art for sale including embroidered clothing, textiles, jewelry, and pottery. Food vendors will sell tacos, aguas frecas, elote, and more, too.

The fest will also feature a large Mata Ortiz pottery display — hand-painted pieces known for their intricate designs.

Event organizers say that appearances by Latin American artists at this year’s festivities include Oaxacan weavers Pedro and Diego Montaño, Salvadoran portrait artist Silvia Berrios, and Jacobo and Maria Angeles — known for their traditional alebrijes featured in the Disney and Pixar film “Coco.”

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Monica

From the editor

La Jolla’s historic Cave Store — established in 1902 — continues to be one of those uniquely San Diego experiences. Once you’re inside the gift shop, you can take a self-guided, 15-minute cave tour that descends down 145 wooden stairs into a tunnel that passes through the cliffs into a breathtakingly beautiful sea cave.

The lines get long, especially on weekends, but you’ll feel like you’re in “The Goonies.” It’s a lot of fun to do with the little ones — just make sure everyone wears comfortable shoes and is prepared to climb back up the stairs, too.

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