A new street sign honoring the late community leader and former Assemblymember Howard Wayne was unveiled in Linda Vista on Saturday.

The honorary sign reading “Howard Wayne St” was placed at the intersection of Morena Boulevard and Buenos Avenue.

“Howard’s passion to make a positive impact wherever he went and with everything he did  was an inspiration for so many in the community, myself included,” said San Diego City  Councilmember Raul Campillo, who arranged for the sign.

“He truly loved his community, and his community loved him. I’m grateful to be able to celebrate Howard with an honorary street naming in his home neighborhood of Linda Vista,” Campillo said.

Wayne, who died in November 2023, served as a deputy attorney general, assemblymember for the 78th District, and chair of the Linda Vista Planning Group.

The site of the street sign was chosen because Wayne was instrumental in the Morena Corridor Plan and because his wife, Mary, lives nearby.

A power outage left hundreds of homes and businesses without electricity for part of the afternoon Thursday in parts of San Diego, including Linda Vista and Mission Valley.

The blackout struck at about 2:30 p.m., knocking out power to a total of 1,421 San Diego Gas & Electric customers, the utility advised.

As of shortly before 4:30 p.m., service had been restored to all the affected addresses, according to SDG&E.

The cause of the outage was under investigation, the power company reported.

– City News Service

San Diego city crews were repairing a break Tuesday on a 16-inch water main that occurred Monday evening near the intersection of Morena Boulevard and Sherman Street in Linda Vista.

The intersection was closed Tuesday morning and traffic was detoured, the city said on social media.

Commuters were advised to avoid the area.

It was anticipated that repairs will be complete on the damaged pipeline later Tuesday.

— City News Service

Affordable housing developer Community Housing Works has opened a second project in Linda Vista with 59 apartments for people 55 and older with limited income.

The Puesta del Sol Apartments are located at 2601 Ulric Street, adjacent to the developer’s existing Amanecer Apartments, and together the buildings form an affordable, intergenerational community.

Sean Spear, president and CEO of Community Housing Works, said the two apartment buildings represent the first new affordable housing in the neighborhood and are designed to serve vulnerable populations of all ages.

“Our hope is that these two communities will really interact with each other as an intergenerational community within Linda Vista,” he said at the opening ceremony last week.

Units at Puesta del Sol apartments are reserved for households earning 30%-60% of the area median income. Additionally, six of the 59 vouchers will serve chronically homeless individuals supported by wrap-around services to ensure success. 

The building offers only one-bedroom apartments, with public amenities that include a large outdoor courtyard, barbeques, computer room, rooftop terrace, and centralized laundry area.

The San Diego Housing Commission provided a below market rate loan. Additional funding was provided by Chase Bank and Red Stone Equity Partners. The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee provided 9% tax credits, and the city of San Diego waived $144,000 in permit fees.

Founded in 1988, Community Housing Works is a nonprofit organization that develops, rehabilitates, preserves, and operates affordable apartment communities in California and Texas.

An 18-year-old Riverside County man was killed over the weekend in a car crash on southbound Route 163 in Linda Vista, authorities reported Monday.

The Perris resident was heading south through San Diego at about 4 a.m. Sunday when the Nissan Maxima he was driving veered off the freeway north of Friars Road, struck a tree and overturned, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The teenager, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was ejected from it and died at the scene of the accident, the CHP said. His name was withheld pending family notification.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation Monday, CHP public-affairs Officer Salvador Castro said.

City News Service contributed to this article.

This San Diego weekend, there’s art, music and street fairs, a party for a king (really!) and cocktails and cheese. What more could you want?

First up, two art extravaganzas, in Balboa Park and Little Italy:

• Art Alive, an event in which flowers are used to represent great works of art, continues at the San Diego Museum of Art Saturday and Sunday. See installations, live performances and more with the focus on the art of India. Tickets cost $40.
• ArtWalk, celebrating its 40th anniversary, makes its Little Italy stop Saturday and Sunday with dozens of artists selling their wares from booths on the street and interactive projects for art fans to join in too. Stroll the fair for free.

The free Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair and Parade features music from Divina, SM Familia and Kekoa, cultural exhibits and performances and a beer garden. Head to Linda Vista Road between Comstock and Ulric streets at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Adams Avenue Unplugged includes more than 60 free performances inside restaurants, bars and coffee houses along a two-mile stretch of Adams from University Heights to Kensington. Beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, the day includes the headliners, the California Guitar Trio, who will be at Normal Heights United Church at 7 p.m. Saturday. That event requires tickets, at $25 each. The church also hosts the Main Stage and a Community Beer Garden.

Say cheese! Brick at Liberty Station hosts the Liquid City Cheese Expo with breweries, coffee roasters, distillers and kombucha and cider makers offering one-off collaborations and demonstrations with heralded cheesemakers from across the country. General admission costs $95, with two sessions to choose from, at 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday.

We don’t have kings in these parts (fought a little war to avoid that), but we’ve always found royalty a little curious here stateside. Practice a little diplomacy at San Diego King’s Day at 1 p.m. Sunday as the Dutch Business Community of San Diego celebrates the birthday of Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands. There will be music and food at San Dieguito County Park, 1628 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, for the occasion. Wear your orange best!

A group of 21 restaurants and bars take part in the inaugural San Diego Cocktail Championship at 2 p.m. Sunday as part of a Gaslamp Quarter block party, with guests sampling and voting for their favorites. Entrants include Monarch Ocean Pub in Del Mar, the Whiskey House in downtown, Ponce’s in Kensington, Cococabana in Oceanside, Fernside in South Park and more from across the county. General admission to the 5th Avenue party is $49. All voters are automatically registered to win $2,100 worth of gift cards.

Authorities are circulating photos of a man suspected of sexually assaulting a girl at a San Diego residence last week after the suspect allegedly returned to the same home early Sunday.

The suspect entered a home in the 2800 block of Wellington Street in the Linda Vista neighborhood at about 1:45 a.m. on April 18, and allegedly assaulted the girl, officials said.

At about 3:25 a.m. Sunday, a man who matched a description of the suspect was seen on surveillance footage returning to the same home, according to the San Diego Police Department. He did not gain entry into the home and no one was harmed.

The suspect was still at large and was described as a man in his early 20s, with dark hair and wearing a dark-hooded sweatshirt with light printing down the left sleeve and an unknown image on the front. He also was wearing light-colored sweatpants and dark shoes, and had a backpack and bicycle, officials said.

Police urged anyone with information about the case to call the department’s Child Abuse Unit at 619-531-2210, or the SDPD at 619-531-2000.

City News Service contributed to this article.

A man sneaked into a Linda Vista home early Thursday through an unlocked garage and sexually assaulted a child before fleeing.

The molester entered the home in the 2800 block of Wellington Street through an unlocked garage door and attacked the girl as she slept at about 1:45 a.m., according to the San Diego Police Department.

The assailant was described as a roughly 5-foot-8-inch, 170-pound man in dark-colored clothing, including a lightweight jacket, police said.

No further information, including the child’s age, was released.

– City News Service

A second suspect has been arrested in connection with a shooting that left a 41-year-old man dead in Linda Vista two years ago, authorities said Thursday.

Arturo Diaz, 25, taken into custody Wednesday during a City Heights traffic stop, is suspected of taking part in the July 24, 2022 killing of Johnny Ramon Ramirez, according to San Diego police.

Shortly after 5 a.m. that day, patrol officers in the 2200 block of Ulric Street found Ramirez, of San Diego, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper back, Lt. Steve Shebloski said. The victim died at the scene.

“San Diego police homicide detectives were called to the scene and over the past year and a half have continued to investigate this incident,” Shebloski said. The step, he said, included following leads, processing and examining physical evidence, obtaining surveillance video and interviewing witnesses.

Last October, detectives arrested Eduardo Vasquez, 25, of San Diego. Both Vasquez and Diaz have been booked on suspicion of murder.

Police have released no suspected motive for the shooting and have not disclosed what relationships, if any, the victim and suspects might have had with each other.

– City News Service

The non-profit Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market has been operating every Thursday afternoon since May of 2022. By bringing local farmers to the Market — located at the parking lot of the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center — it has succeeded in providing the residents of this diverse San Diego community with a weekly opportunity to purchase a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Residents have responded by taking advantage of this opportunity, choosing to frequent the farmers’ booths and making each Thursday a worthwhile endeavor for these San Diego County farmers, as well as other local vendors. However, a valuable state government assistance program designed to help people purchase healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at certified farmers markets like the one in Linda Vista is at risk of being eliminated. 

One of the major factors contributing to the success of the Linda Vista Farmers Market has been a government assistance program called Market Match. According to the program’s web site, “Market Match is California’s food incentive program that matches customers’ CalFresh nutrition assistance benefits with farmers markets and other farm-direct sites.”

Customers with a CalFresh electronic benefit transfer (EBT) account card can go to an eligible farmers market like the Love, Linda Farmers Market, have their card swiped at the EBT counter/booth, and receive tokens that can be used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at that particular farmers market.

But what makes Market Match such a great program is that it will match a customer’s benefits. In other words, the program provides one dollar for every dollar of CalFresh benefits spent at the market, up to $15 per market day. The benefit is made possible by a combination of federal and state grant funds. 

This benefit allows CalFresh EBT customers to stretch their dollars during these challenging inflationary times. Customers also receive the benefits of leading a healthier lifestyle. At the same time, local farmers are able to enjoy an increase in sales. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. 

Not all certified farmers markets are willing to take on the responsibility for administering Market Match; the program requires additional paperwork/administrative reporting. However, the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market has embraced the program and found the volunteer manpower to take on the additional requirements for the benefit of the community. 

Current funding for the Market Match program has been extended through 2024. Unfortunately, the program is presently in danger of being cut. As part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to address drastic shortfalls in the 2024 budget, the $35 million state grant to fund Market Match between 2025-2027 has been identified for elimination.  Such a move will have a significant negative impact on farmers markets and the people they serve.

Jonathan Widener, President of the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market commented, “When Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market was granted the resources to be part of the Market Match program in 2022, the local minority and refugee small farmers at our market doubled their sales of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The number of EBT customers also tripled.

“Our main EBT customer base is minority seniors and moms with their kids. We are so happy to participate in this vital resource for our community. If we lose this program, it will impact the food security of fresh and healthy food choices for our community.”

Though the governor’s proposed budget cuts impact numerous worthy programs, Market Match is especially significant because of its broad value to both consumers and vendors at over 250 certified farmers markets throughout the state. Furthermore, all Californians benefit from the promotion of a healthier lifestyle amongst our fellow residents.

As further explained by Rachel Oporto, a volunteer board member for the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market, and a manager for the San Diego Food System Alliance, “It is essential that we advocate to preserve the $35 Million (California Nutrition Incentive Program) budget that funds Market Match across the state.

“This is a program that has been funded and operating successfully for nearly 15 years, with widespread bipartisan support. California would be leaving millions in matching federal dollars on the table. Most importantly, it would have a devastating impact on the tens of thousands of families that access fresh fruits and vegetables with Market Match dollars, and on the California farmers that rely on local shoppers to survive.”   

Benefits related to nutrition and farming are not the only ones provided by Market Match.  The program plays a strong role in encouraging residents to attend small nonprofit farmers markets like the one in Linda Vista, which in the process helps to contribute to building a stronger sense of community for these host neighborhoods. 

Over time, a successful farmers market becomes a place where local residents regularly meet and interact with each other, and help to support the local micro-enterprises selling their wares at vendor booths. Market Match’s ability to serve as an appealing resident draw for these farmers markets is a bonus that cannot be ignored.   

Hopefully, California legislators from both political sides of the aisle will work in the coming months to remove Market Match from the chopping block. 

Steve Rodriguez is a retired Marine Corps officer and high school teacher who last taught at Olympian High School in Chula Vista.