Mayor-Elect Todd Gloria On San Diego's COVID-19 Response

Speaker 1: 00:00 Mayor elect Todd Gloria talks about a new shutdown in San Diego. Speaker 2: 00:05 Ultimately, what we have to do is as San Diego to follow the public health order, Speaker 1: 00:10 I'm Maureen Kavanaugh. This is KPBS midday edition Ballpark attractions plan for a post COVID Speaker 3: 00:28 Future. It has been a time of learning to adapt quickly to whatever comes our way Speaker 1: 00:37 Jazz and one man performance of Dickens. Christmas, Carol live in up our weekend. Preview, stay with us for midday edition Speaker 3: 00:45 Coming up next. Speaker 1: 01:01 When Todd Gloria is sworn in as mayor of San Diego, next Thursday, he will inherit a city in the grips of a raging pandemic, and most likely in the midst of another business shutdown, governor Newsome announced yesterday that when hospital ICU capacity shrinks to 15%, a new stay at home order and business shutdown will go into effect. San Diego is part of a larger Southern California region where I see you capacity is now at 20%. The lockdown restrictions will last at least three weeks. And joining me now is mayor elect Todd, Gloria, and welcome to the program. Thank you for the invitation, Maureen, how is your incoming administration preparing for this new lockdown and, and what public health officials say is going to be a tremendous increase in COVID cases? Speaker 2: 01:49 Well, I want to first just, uh, assure your listeners and viewers that, uh, mayor Kevin Faulkner has been tremendously helpful during this transition a marked contrast at the federal level. Uh, he has made his staff and himself available, particularly on the issue of COVID-19 so that when my team and I take over next Thursday, uh, there we're fully briefed about the city's current response and strategies, and we can figure out how to match those strategies with our vision for the city, as well as the changing circumstances in light of the governor's order, as well as our rising number of cases. Uh, ultimately what we have to do, um, is as San Diego needs to follow the public health order, help us get our numbers down and allow us to get back to where, uh, we were, hopefully back in March while we work simultaneously to distribute the vaccine in the community, Speaker 1: 02:38 What kind of new aid might the city be able to give to small businesses affected by this new shutdown? Speaker 2: 02:44 Well, Maureen, I think the aid that we may be able to give, if any, would likely come from federal action, uh, I'm hopeful that all of your listeners will apply pressure to our members of Congress to make sure that they actually give the city the resources that we can in turn, distribute to the community. Uh, we have to be creative and finding the other ways the city can be assisted on a local level. Uh, but again, pray that we get that federal relief. Speaker 1: 03:07 You know, mayor elect Gloria. There are some complaints about San Diego being lumped into a Southern California region with LA and Riverside. The thought being that we might be able to keep COVID hospitalizations down longer than other counties. Do you think the state's regional approach is fair? Speaker 2: 03:26 I, you know, I do believe that we're all in this together. Um, and so I think that's the spirit of the governor's proposal at the same time. When you look at the differences between our numbers and some of the other counties that we're, uh, collected with, uh, it does, uh, invite questions and I look forward to posing some of those questions to the governor and the state's team. Uh, in the days ahead Speaker 1: 03:45 In the news today is word that you will keep the convention center open to house homeless San Diego and beyond the December 31st deadline. Why did you make that decision? Speaker 2: 03:56 I think that that, uh, particular initiative of housing over a thousand homeless individuals at the convention center at a time when it has no functional purpose, because we can't have a conventions trade shows and the like makes a lot of sense. And when I think back to our fears of what COVID could do to our unsheltered population at a time when we're telling people to stay at home, yeah, this population has no home. You know, those worst fears of back in March and April have never come to pass. So this has been a success. And here we are, uh, at a time when the funding forward is running out at the end of this month. And yet we continue to be mired in a high number of cases, hospitalizations in ICU admissions and the new stay-at-home order from the state we can't in good conscience closed down that facility. The challenge in this figure case Maureen is money. And I believe that under the authority is given to the mayor. We can reasonably keep the convention center functioning through the month of January, uh, beyond that, we're going to need to ask the council's consent for additional operations. And that really involves finding more money. Maureen, I'd like to give you some more details. Once we have our arms around reasonable funding solutions, one of those solutions could be additional federal relief and again, a call to our federal partners to provide that relief. Speaker 1: 05:07 You know, some San Diego County officials have expressed disappointment at the lack of police enforcement of public health orders. How will COVID shutdown restrictions be enforced under your administration? Speaker 2: 05:20 Well, I share those concerns about enforcement recognizing that the vast, vast majority of San Diego wins and businesses are abiding by the public health order. And yet we have a few that choose not to. And while I don't necessarily know that the San Diego police department needs to be our lead agency for the enforcement of the public health order, I believe that there are ways that we can enforce this to make sure that we're doing everything we can to contain the spread of the virus and Maureen I'd invite you and your listeners to consider what it means to be in a community that doesn't follow the law. Uh, while I recognize some people have objections to the public health rules that we're dealing right now, I've always believed if you don't like it, you should change it, but you simply can't ignore it. And that isn't true. That includes our public health order. Speaker 1: 06:04 Quick question from some of the parents here at KPBS will caution tape be put back up on playgrounds. Speaker 2: 06:10 When I take over on Thursday, my hope is that we can find a way to address these concerns of parents, but that issue has been flagged for me by a number of constituents. And we'll be working with city staff to figure out hopefully a solution that can take care of our children, but doesn't allow for the spread of the virus. But I recognize the importance of playgrounds in play have been, uh, for parents who are struggling with children that must get out of the house. Um, I'm hopeful that a partnership where parents are following the public health order, wearing masks, maintaining social distance, could allow for some way for that to continue to happen. Speaker 1: 06:43 Finally, you know, many San Diego ans right now are struggling with unemployment, anxiety, isolation, and even sickness right now. What's your message to them. As you prepare to become there, Speaker 2: 06:56 I'd ask them to have hope. I know that's difficult. These are dark days, but we know that thanks to some of the innovative minds here in our life sciences, uh, economy, uh, we have vaccines that are only weeks away from being distributed to San Diego means, uh, we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Um, but we need to recognize that the next number of weeks are going to be difficult. I ask for your partnership and making sure that we're doing all that we can individually to contain the spread of the virus, where we wait for the vaccine and that we were already planning for the reopening of our economy to do it safely and to do it as swiftly as possible. I believe we'll get past this sooner than people expect. We all have a role to play in continuing this virus. It starts with your individual responsibility. I asked people to mind that responsibility, recognizing that their adherence to the public health order does not only respect their health and the health of their loved ones, but the health of our community and the vitality of our regional economy. Speaker 1: 07:50 I've been speaking with San Diego mayor elect Todd, Gloria. And thank you very much. Thank you, Maureen. It's often called the Juul of San Diego Balboa park, but the Juul has lost a bit of its luster as its many museums and other attractions are closed. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic KPBS reporter. John Carroll brings us the second half of his series on how some of the parks cherished institutions are holding up during the pandemic. Speaker 4: 08:28 Well, Bella park is many things. The Juul of San Diego is home to most of the city's museums, but in a transcendental sense, it is also a place of peace. It is the primary mission of the international cottages to take the concept of peace and make it reality. The house of Pacific relations is the umbrella group that oversees the cottages Pacific of course, meaning peace Eugenie King is its vice-president. They are a, a Juul Speaker 2: 08:56 Of the park. There are something to explore, to develop, to discover Speaker 4: 09:00 At some point in 2021, probably in the spring, visitors will discover new cottages. The first built in decades once complete the countries of Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, Korea, India, Peru Turkey, as well as the cultures of Palestine and Chamorro part of Guam and the Mariana silence will all be welcomed into new cottages. The first cottages were built for 1930 fives, California Pacific international exposition meant to foster a spirit of understanding tolerance and Goodwill. There's no doubt that mission is still very much alive today, symbolized by the primary sponsor for the new house of Palestine, Speaker 2: 09:40 The first vote to, uh, to approve their membership and to recommend them for membership in the house of Pacific relations was done by the house. Speaker 4: 09:48 The international cottages are fairing pretty well during the pandemic. The buildings are owned and maintained by the city's parks and recreation department. And they're run entirely by volunteers. And the volunteers are an important part of just about every museum in the park. Most rely on paid staff at the fleet science center like everywhere else in the park. It's been a challenging year, the fleets communications manager, Carla NEF, Harati Speaker 5: 10:14 It hasn't been a time of learning to adapt quickly to whatever comes our way. Speaker 4: 10:20 The fleet is fortunate in one way, they are able to host what they call distance learning hubs, places where young children can come and learn about science in a COVID safe way, Speaker 5: 10:31 Come into the fleet science center and do their online learning as well as combined with, um, science activity, Speaker 4: 10:38 But like bell Bulla parks, other museums and attractions such as the Spreckels organ concerts, the fleet has had to move whatever they could online. The essence of the museum experience visiting in person not available for now. Speaker 5: 10:52 We haven't been able to have anyone in our galleries or North theater, which was our number one revenue generator. So we are relying a lot more on, um, donations and grants and, um, just people in general being, um, generally Speaker 4: 11:09 With news that vaccines are on their way. Balbo parks. Museums are eagerly looking toward the time they can reopen when they do the changes in the way they do things brought on by COVID won't entirely disappear, Speaker 5: 11:22 Definitely going to keep doing things virtually. We have fleet TV, which we started, um, to keep engaging with their audiences online. However things change in the future. Uh, we're looking to adapt to whatever that looks like. Speaker 4: 11:35 There are exciting things to look forward to. In addition to the new international cottages, the Comicon museum is expected to open sometime next year, but for now the outdoor pleasures of the park are still here. The buskers, the food vendors, the Japanese friendship garden has stayed open things to enjoy. While we wait for the institutions that are so much a part of Balboa park to once again, open their doors. John Carroll KPBS news, Speaker 1: 12:03 The annual December nights celebration had to be canceled this year. Instead, the city came up with taste of December nights, a drive through food event, which takes place today through Sunday It's December. And perhaps you're not quite in the holiday mood yet or ever, or maybe you've been decking the halls since Halloween. Well, our picks for arts and culture this weekend give you plenty of options along the festive scale. Joining me with the details as KPBS arts editor and producer Julia Dixon Evans, and welcome Julia. Hi Maureen. Thanks for having me. Let's kick things off with the new exhibition of outdoor projected photography in San Ysidro. Speaker 6: 12:54 Yeah. So the friends art in Kaltura and Santa Sedro opened two new exhibitions. Recently, one is an indoor one. And by appointment, you can view a group exhibition called magnetic currents with work by 13 really great visual artists, but exciting in a 2020 sort of ways, the adjacent outdoor exhibition it's called [inaudible] and it features works at photography projected onto the front of the building. It's kind of perfect for our pandemic weary arts consumption. So they installed a large screen and they project the art from across the street. It's viewable throughout the night on select evenings. There's four artists. The works are themed on reflections mirrors and movement. And I kind of love the idea that you could drive by and catch just a split second of an image, or maybe the transition between two images and experience the art in a totally different way than if you were to stand on the sidewalk and watch the whole thing. It is about a 15 minute runtime. So that's doable too. And if you bring a flashlight, you can check out these new murals on the same block that were recently commissioned by the front. Speaker 1: 14:08 And now TIVA is projected on the front gallery in San Ysidro tonight from 6:00 PM through morning, next theater and literature lovers alike are sure to love a new filmed production of Charles Dickens classic a Christmas Carol, how was the LA Jolla Playhouse bringing this show to our city virtually? Speaker 6: 14:30 So this is the Tony award winner, Jefferson Mays in a one man production. This adaptation, it originally premiered at the Geffin and LA a few years back. And they recently staged and filmed it in New York at the United palace theater. It's part of a collaboration between theaters and production companies across the country, including LA Jolla Playhouse. And now that COVID is expanding our access to productions from all over the world. It's kind of a nice way to ensure that these local organizations are supported. As we check out this world-class stuff from elsewhere. Jefferson Mays and director, Michael Arden have been on the Playhouse stage before. And this film and stage hybrid is a really great flex for their skills. Maze is pretty mesmerizing as Ebeneezer Scrooge. He's playing something like 50 roles at once, and it's a pretty spooky production playing up the terror of these hauntings. That's some funds special effects. Here's a clip of maze in the ghost of Christmas present scene courtesy of at Christmas Carol live Speaker 3: 15:37 Set her giants to and raised it high to shed his light on screw as came peeping round the door. I am the ghost of Christmas present. Speaker 1: 16:01 That's Jefferson Mays in a Christmas Carol presented by the LA Jolla Playhouse live streaming. Now through January 3rd, a youth dance organization has pivoted their annual production to a virtual dance film. What does transcend dance youth arts project have to offer? Speaker 6: 16:22 Yeah, so this group transcendence offers free intensive dance instruction as well as school programs and title one schools. And each year they put together a pretty impressive performance. This year. They rehearsed online and came together masked and socially distant in the park to film this production. It's called home within a home. It's a collection of nine dance pieces, peppered with stories and interviews from the dancers. One is a collaboration, even with musical youth, non-profit locally, David's harp, and they wrote a piece called six feet away. Another piece women of the home is movement set to this collection of spoken texts that the dancers themselves wrote about the women in their lives and the complicated themes of home and domesticity. And here's a clip of women of the home. Speaker 3: 17:13 She, she, who is out of [inaudible] beautiful. She works for her children. Everything is a strong warrior. Her daughters are, is the protector, the provider Speaker 1: 17:40 That's from transcendence virtual production home within a home that's streaming Saturday at seven and Sunday at 3:00 PM. And finally, the Athenaeum hosts live jazz from some of San Diego's greats. How do we tune it? Speaker 6: 17:56 Yeah, Monday night, you can ease yourself back into the week with some of our finest jazz in town guitarist. Peter Sprague has been central to the jazz scene here since the seventies, and he's collaborated with vocalist Leonard Patton for years now. And patent also, it takes some turns on the hand drums when they played together, their performances often hop around genres, dabbling and jazz, as well as Americana covers a rock and roll and folk music. And here's a clip from their 2015 full length album. And it's a cover of Nat King. Cole's straighten up and fly, right? Speaker 3: 18:45 [inaudible] blogs. The top Speaker 1: 18:50 That's Peter Sprague and Leonard patents are edition of straighten up and fly. Right? You can check out their music live stream from the Athenaeum monday@sevenpmformoreartseventsortosignupfortheweeklykpbsartsnewslettervisitkpbs.org slash arts. I've been speaking with KPBS arts editor and producer Julia Dixon Evans. Julia. Thanks a lot. Thanks. Have a good weekend. Speaker 3: 20:35 [inaudible] [inaudible].