A 67-year-old man was seriously injured when he stepped in front of a truck in the Clairemont Mesa area Monday afternoon.

The collision took place around 2:20 P.M. on Monday at 6900 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, according to the San Diego Police Department.

A 68-year-old man driving a 2012 Ford F-150 truck reportedly struck the pedestrian after he stepped in front of the truck during the vehicle’s right-of-way on the off-ramp of the 805 to Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. .

The victim was taken to a hospital with a fractured skull. His injuries were non life-threatening, and alcohol was not a factor, police said.

Police asked anyone with information related to the collision to call SDPD or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Roads continue to be repaired in neighborhoods across the city of San Diego as part of the Transportation Department’s slurry seal resurfacing program.

Starting Tuesday crews began a program of resurfacing streets in and around Clairemont, La Jolla, Mira Mesa, Torrey Hills and University City over the next 3 weeks.

Preventing the deterioration of streets is vital to improving the overall condition of San Diego’s network of roads. It reduces the need for a more costly asphalt overlay and reconstruction for badly deteriorated streets. I

nformation about different types of street repair can be found on the Transportation webpage.

Slurry seal is often completed in phases over several days or weeks, and multiple slurry seal projects are happening across the city simultaneously. The latest work as part of Slurry Seal Project 2322 will be completed, weather permitting, through the month of November and the first week of December. The following roads will be resurfaced:

• Corte Isabelino
• Calle Isabelino
• Vereda Mar De Ponder
• Longshore Way
• Via Mar De Ballenas
• Fairport Way
• Carroll Canyon Road
• Lebon Drive
• Bloch Street
• Barkla Street
• Curie Place
• Diane Court
• Diane Place
• Diane Avenue
• Soderblom Court
• Lehrer Drive
• Bothe Avenue
• Hillery Drive
• Marbury Avenue
• Acrux Drive
• Cetus Road
• Octans Street
• Volans Street
• Vela Drive
• Spica Drive
• Bellatrix Court
• Eridanus Court
• Waterton Road
• Timsford Road
• Cohansy Road
• Hasbrook Road
• Octans Street

Slurry seal is a cost-effective pavement preservation method consisting of asphalt emulsion, sand and rock. This mixture is applied to the street surface at an average thickness of a quarter inch and extends the life of already in-good-conditioned streets.

Streets are selected for resurfacing through a pavement management system that helps determine when to schedule streets. Each street segment is assigned an Overall Condition Index score based on the pavement’s roughness and cracks.

To prioritize street paving, the OCI is used in conjunction with other factors, such as traffic volume, road type, equity, climate resiliency, mobility, maintenance history, other construction projects, and available funding. Repairs are often grouped within a neighborhood to include streets in similar conditions or performed after other projects, such as pipeline replacement.

View a map of street repair and other projects in your neighborhood by visiting the City’s interactive Project Finder map.

San Diego road crews began work Wednesday on resurfacing streets in and around Clairemont, Bay Ho, City Heights, Ridgeview and Emerald Hills, part of an overall effort to repair roads citywide.

Slurry seal is often completed in phases over several days or weeks, and multiple slurry seal projects are happening across the city simultaneously.

Slurry seal is a pavement preservation method consisting of asphalt emulsion, sand and rock. The mixture is applied to the street surface at an average thickness of a quarter inch and extends the life of streets that are already in good condition, reducing the need for costly asphalt overlay and reconstruction processes, according to the city.

The latest slurry projects will be completed, weather permitting, over the next three weeks. The following roads will be resurfaced:

• Fargo Avenue
• El Penon Way
• Hidalgo Avenue
• Edell Place
• Fawn Avenue
• Isleta Avenue
• Arroyo Lindo Avenue
• Barby Place
• Naugatuck Avenue
• Jutland Drive
• Arcola Avenue
• Atwell Street
• Guilitoy Avenue
• Massasoit Avenue
• Powhatan Avenue
• Della Place
• Gallatin Way
• Alexandria Drive
• Calaveras Drive
• Osprey Street
• Washington Place
• Pine Street
• Ingleside Street
• Sunset Boulevard
• Witherby Street
• Barcelona Drive
• Moana Drive
• Bayview Heights Drive
• Home Avenue
• Federal Boulevard
• Fairmount Avenue.

According to the city, streets are selected for resurfacing through a pavement management system that helps to determine when to schedule streets for repair. Each street segment is assigned an Overall Condition Index based on the pavement’s roughness and cracks.

The OCI is used in conjunction with other factors, such as traffic volume, road type, maintenance history, other construction projects and available funding, according to the city. Repairs are often grouped within a neighborhood to include streets that are in similar condition or performed after other projects, such as pipeline replacement.

A complete list of all the city’s projects can be found at the Project Finder map at
https://sandiego.maps.arcgis.com.

City News Service contributed to this article.

Fancy eats, films, football and always, festivals. This San Diego weekend, take the kids to enjoy a family fest, join your besties out for top foodie finds and top it all off with surf dogs on the sand. Because why not?

The LGBTQ Film Festival continues through Sunday, with tracks focused on men, women, U.S., international and adults only. Venues include Landmark Hillcrest and the Museum of Photographic Arts at Balboa Park. Films start at 1 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. All-access passes cost $150 with individual screenings at $15 each.

The inaugural Del Mar Food & Wine Festival continues at Surf Sports Park Friday. The festival aims to capture the local sun-splashed lifestyle, with a lineup of celebrity Food Network chefs including Antonia Lofaso and Eric Greenspan, mixed with local chefs like Brad Wise of TRUST Restaurant Group. Other guests include actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul and sports stars Drew Brees and Rob Machado. The associated events are individually ticketed, starting at $95. The festival concludes Monday.

Cirque du Soleil – still going strong. The troupe’s latest production, Corteo, continues at Pechanga Arena through Sunday. Tickets start at $39, with one show Friday and two shows each Saturday and Sunday.

The free Clairemont Family Day returns at the South Clairemont Recreation Center at 8 a.m. Saturday with a pancake breakfast to start the day, followed by a fest with a carnival zone, free pony rides, live music, dancers, magic and more on the main stage. Also, enjoy what’s billed as “The Greatest Show on Turf” with 250 cars, and AquaFest, starting at 11 a.m., at the Clairemont Pool.

ArtWalk Carlsbad, above the Flower Fields, focuses on fine art by more than 150 artists, who travel from all over the U.S. and Mexico to show and sell their work. See paintings, sculpture, glass work, jewelry, photography and more. Also, enjoy interactive art for families at KidsWalk, along with music, food trucks and vendors and more. The free event opens at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.  

Dancers Lavina Rich, Trixi Agiao and Marcella Torres-Sanchez, part of the Emerging Artist program at Liberty Station, perform at Saturday and Sunday showcases, both at 6 p.m. at Mockingbird Improv, 2590 Truxtun Road. The artists, wrapping up their residencies, will present the work they created, including both dance films and live choreography. The showcase is free, but seating is limited, so arrive early.

Cute alert! Helen Woodward Animal Center’s 18th annual Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon catches the waves at Dog Beach Del Mar on 29th Street at 8 a.m. Sunday. How many surfing dogs is enough surfing dogs? How about more than 70? The pooches will compete in 10-minute heats for many, many Instagrammable moments.

College football, check. Now, it’s time for the NFL’s new season. And the Gaslamp’s The Smoking Gun will celebrate with a Midwest tradition – a meat raffle. Yep, the prizes are sausages, steaks and more. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday hundreds of dollars worth of individually wrapped, cook-at-home steaks and meats will be up for grabs. The Smoking Gun will do the honors, though, for a charge. Purchase raffle tickets from waitstaff or by choosing select cocktails.  

A 68-year-old pedestrian was hospitalized with life- threatening injuries after he was hit by a Dodge Neon while crossing the street in the Clairemont Mesa East neighborhood of San Diego, authorities said Saturday.

San Diego Police officers were called at 11:28 p.m. Friday to the 6800 block of  Balboa Avenue where they learned the man was on the north curb of Balboa and was crossing the street heading south when the 2005 Dodge, heading west and driven by a 21-year old man, struck him, Officer Robert Heims said.

The pedestrian sustained multiple fractures and lacerations to the face and was taken to a hospital.

The department’s Traffic Division is investigating the collision and anyone with information related to it was asked to call 858-495-7800 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

— City News Service

While leaders and citizens have much debated the solutions to the San Diego region’s homelessness crisis, any initiatives are merely a stopgap. Affordable housing remains vital to achieving a lasting solution to homelessness.

Seven months ago, when the Serving Seniors Harris Family Senior Housing development in City Heights held its ribbon cutting on Nov. 14, participants shared a feeling of joy and hopefulness. The project provides 117 apartments for older adults, as well as a second building dedicated to families. It has developed into a vibrant, multi-generational community.

On Thursday, Serving Seniors will join community leaders and project developers in a groundbreaking for another project, a wide-ranging development that includes 179 units of affordable senior housing, a senior center open to the community along with additional affording family housing. It’s located in Clairemont at Genesee Avenue and Mt. Etna Drive at the site of the former San Diego Sheriff’s Department crime lab.

It’s one of the most exciting developments our organization has been involved with in our 53-year history. There will be four buildings with a total of more than 400 units. Two buildings will be set aside for lower- and moderate-income older adults developed by Serving Seniors in partnership with Chelsea Investment Corporation. 

Two other two buildings will be developed by the Southern California Housing Collaborative, also in partnership with Chelsea, for low- and moderate-income families, including units for developmentally disabled adults. Serving Seniors will provide onsite resident services and intergenerational activities for both seniors and families. 

The senior center will be modeled after our Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center at Fourth and Beech downtown. A wide array of services will be available at no cost, including meals, health services, workshops and classes, case management, cyber café and social activities.

It is within walking distance of existing public transportation, shopping, and services. It will be open to the public daily. Volunteer opportunities will allow members of the community to get to know and support their neighbors.

Housing is vital, but providing socialization is critical to the health and wellness of our aging population. The U.S. Surgeon General’s office recently presented a framework for a “National Strategy to Advance Social Connection.” Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said he considers loneliness in American society as a significant threat to our health.

According to the Surgeon General, social connections can buffer health problems which are especially harmful in older people. Symptoms of loneliness such as pain, insomnia, depression, and anxiety can affect people of all ages, leading to higher risks of heart disease, stroke, and dementia.

The first key to addressing this problem is strengthening social infrastructure in our communities. Our new senior center in Clairemont will lean into this challenge. Serving Seniors sees the positive results from our programs at our original downtown center daily. We’re eager to bring the same programs and services to a new community.

Socially connected communities enjoy better overall health. They are more prepared and resilient in the face of disaster situations. They experience greater economic prosperity, and even see reduced levels of crime and violence. These benefits extend far beyond the individuals who walk through our doors.

San Diego County needs more senior centers, just as it needs more affordable housing for people of all ages and backgrounds. But in the case of older adults, we know demographics are working against us. As our society ages overall, the need for programs and services targeting older adults will grow more quickly than we can address it.

In the worst-case scenario, we face a ticking time bomb. The most recent Point-In-Time Count of San Diego County’s unhoused citizens found increasing numbers of older adults over age 55 experiencing homeless less — nearly one third of the total population. The number of homeless adults over age 55 is projected to triple over the next decade.

As their neighbors, we must do more than simply write letters to the editor. We must encourage more affordable housing. Yes, even if proposed projects are next door to our own homes. Far from burdening communities, these projects are an asset, and we see from studies they improve the quality of life for everyone.

As we watch the Clairemont project come to life over the next year, let it motivate you to support the use of public resources and join forces with private organizations like Serving Seniors actively working on ways to force back the rising tide of negative impacts burdening all of us.

Paul Downey is CEO of Serving Seniors, a San Diego-based nonprofit that helps seniors in poverty live healthy and fulfilling lives.

A man pulled a gun on a woman during a domestic dispute at a Clairemont home early Wednesday and then refused to surrender when police showed up, prompting a SWAT standoff that ended when officers entered the residence and found the suspect gone.

The victim made a 911 call shortly before 1 a.m. to report that she had fled the residence in the 4700 block of Appleton Street due to the man’s alleged belligerence and threats, according to the San Diego Police Department.

After officers’ repeated orders that the man disarm himself and surrender went unheeded, police called in a special weapons and tactics team to surround the home and prepare to forcibly enter it if necessary.

In the late morning, the SWAT personnel entered the residence, finding it unoccupied, SDPD public affairs Officer Scott Lockwood said.

It was unclear when and how the suspect made his escape. His name was not immediately available.

Updated at 11:20 a.m. June 21, 2023

–City News Service

Authorities Tuesday publicly identified a 72-year-old woman who was killed last week when construction materials fell out of an overturning pickup truck on a Clairemont-area freeway bridge and landed on a vehicle on state Route 52 below.

Karen Cooper of La Jolla was riding in an eastbound Mercedes-Benz SUV near San Clemente Park when a bag of cement crashed through the windshield and landed on her shortly before 1 p.m. Friday, according to San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Cooper died at the scene.

The drivers of the SUV and the truck were uninjured. The latter told investigators the pickup overturned after his load shifted on the elevated connector between southbound Interstate 805 and eastbound SR-52, CHP public-affairs Officer Samuel Mendoza said.

A woman in her 70s was killed Friday when materials spilled out of an overturning pickup truck on a freeway bridge and landed below on an SUV.

The fatal wreck occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on state Route 52 in Clairemont, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver of the Chevrolet stake-bed truck lost control as he was exiting from southbound Interstate 805 onto eastbound SR-52.

The pickup toppled and dumped its load, part of which fell off the connector, CHP public-affairs Officer Samuel Mendoza said.

At least one bag of cement then crashed through the windshield of the eastbound Mercedes-Benz SUV, killing the woman at the scene. Her name was not immediately available.

The drivers of the SUV and the truck were uninjured, Mendoza said. The latter told investigators the pickup overturned after his load shifted in its cargo bed on the curving roadway, according to the CHP.

Intoxication was not believed to have been a factor in the accident, the spokesman said.

The accident forced a closure of the southbound I-805 connector to eastbound SR-52, Caltrans advised.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Updated 7:30 p.m. May 26, 2023

A passenger train fatally struck a pedestrian in Clairemont Monday.

The southbound Amtrak train hit the man near the intersection of Santa Fe Street and Balboa Avenue about 12:45 p.m., according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The pedestrian’s name was withheld pending family notification, Sgt. Jason King said.