San Marcos announces partnership with Blue Zones Project
<<<HEADLINES>>>
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14TH>>>> [AN INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON LIVING LONG AND HEALTHY LIVES JUST POPPED UP IN SAN MARCOS]
More on that next. But first... the headlines…#######
YESTERDAY, COUNTY SUPERVISOR PALOMA AGUIRRE TRAVELED
NORTH TO SACRAMENTO TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA
STATE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
AGUIRRE WAS THERE TO CHAMPION 'ASSEMBLY BILL 35'
IF PASSED THAT BILL WOULD SPEED UP RELEASING FUNDS FOR VARIOUS CLIMATE, WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROJECTS
THAT INCLUDES A PROJECT TO DECREASE EXPOSURE TO TOXIC GASSES FROM THE TIJUANA RIVER
SUPERVISOR AGUIRRE SAYS THAT PIPES INITIALLY INSTALLED TO HELP
PREVENT FLOODING ARE INCREASING AIRBORNE POLLUTION
Unfortunately, that cascading effect, (2:17) that drop-off,
that riprap, those four pipes are actually creating
more turbulence in the river. (2:26) So that's what I mean
when it's intended to prevent flooding, but now is
actually causing (2:32) the release of more gases
and pollutants shooting up into the air because of
that turbulence (2:39)
A-B-35 WILL NOW HEAD TO APPROPRIATIONS
IF APPROVED THERE, IT WOULD THEN MAKE ITS WAY TO THE STATE SENATE
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PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S FLAG FOOTBALL HAS LANDED NOT JUST IN SAN DIEGO BUT THE ENTIRE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGION
THE NEW LEAGUE IS CALLED THE SO CAL WOMEN'S PRO FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE
EACH OF SO-CAL'S EIGHT COUNTIES IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A TEAM
LEAGUE ORGANIZERS SAY WOMEN'S FLAG FOOTBALL IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING SPORTS IN THE U-S
THE PLAN IS TO HAVE FOURTEEN GAMES IN THE REGULAR SEASON WITH THE GAMES STARTING IN JUNE
TRYOUT DATES, TEAM NAMES AND VENUES WILL BE RELEASED NEXT MONTH
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PERIODS OF GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY
WHILE FORECASTERS SAY WARMER TEMPERATURES HAVE BEGUN TO MAKE THEIR WAY IN
AFTERNOON HIGHS FOR THE COUNTY’S VALLEYS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ROUGHLY TEN TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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SAN MARCOS IS LOOKING FOR WAYS FOR ITS RESIDENTS TO LIVE LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES.
THE CITY WANTS TO BECOME THE NEXT “BLUE ZONE” CITY.
NORTH COUNTY REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN LOOKS INTO WHAT THAT MEANS.
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BLUEZONE 1(AN) trt: 0:58 SOQ
Some researchers coined the term “Blue Zones” to describe communities where people live very long lives. Diet and exercise are some of the reasons, along with low stress and rich social interactions.
Tuesday, San Marcos announced that it is partnering with the Blue Zones Project for a citywide assessment to come up with a plan to achieve that.
To help with the assessment … the city is also partnering with local health care providers such as TrueCare and PACE.
Mary Jurgensen with PACE says health care and city planning cannot operate in silos if the goal is to develop a healthy populace.
SOT 3912 17;34;03;11 → 17;34;20;07
CG: Mary Jurgensen // Gary and Mary West PACE
“We're excited to be part of this project because it will ensure that not only for today, we will have some improved policies and even, infrastructure in the city, to improve access to things such as transportation, healthy food and choices.”
The assessment will cost an estimated 150 thousand dollars. The city says it’s all paid for by private donors. AN KPBS News.
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SAN DIEGO CITY LEADERS ARE STANDING AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP’S NEW OFFSHORE DRILLING PLAN.
ENVIRONMENT REPORTER TAMMY MURGA SAYS THE PLAN WOULD ALLOW NEW OIL EXTRACTION IN ALMOST ALL FEDERAL WATERS.
DRILLING 1 :56 SOQ
San Diego is joining a chorus of cities in the county and state opposing new oil and gas drilling.
The City Council approved a resolution that says drilling would threaten coastal resources, marine wildlife and human health. It affirms the stance the city took in 2018.
Local resolutions have no legal authority over the federal government’s plans. But Joe LaCava says they can have some influence. He is the council president.
DRILLING 1 00:08
“If we don't send a clear message to Washington about what is important to us, then we really failed, I think, the residents and the businesses.”
San Diego County, Solana Beach, Vista and Escondido have also approved resolutions opposing the administration’s proposal.
It would allow oil and gas companies to lease offshore sites. Three of the proposed sites are off the Southern California coast.
The gas leasing program is open for public comment through January 23rd. Tammy Murga, KPBS News
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RAIL ADVOCATES ARE RENEWING A PUSH TO ELECTRIFY THE TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN SAN DIEGO AND LOS ANGELES.
METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS THE PROPOSAL IS FACING SEVERAL OBSTACLES.
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LOSSAN 1 (ab) 1:14 soq
AB: Electric trains offer faster and quieter service. They're also less polluting than the diesel locomotives that are currently in use. Electrification comes with steep upfront costs, mainly to install overhead wiring. But operating costs are lower, which allows trains to run more frequently, says Andrew Graves of the grassroots advocacy group Californians for Electric Rail.
AG: You want to make it so that people can just show up at a station and get on a train. They don't have to think about looking at the schedule or planning their whole thing around it. It makes it a lot more easy for people to shift their way of thinking to just show up at the station and take the first train that comes.
AB: State Senator Catherine Blakespear said the LOSSAN rail corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego needs more statewide oversight and coordination. And the state needs more professional advocates for rail.
CB: In California, we've really hollowed out our rail expertise. … We don't have a Caltrans equivalent for rail, which would be great. So building that back up of course takes a financial commitment. It is true that there is a lot of reliance on consultants.
AB: A statewide rail plan released in 2024 aims to electrify most trains in California by 2050 — but not the LOSSAN corridor. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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THE SCHOOL YEAR MAY BE HALFWAY OVER … BUT THERE IS STILL TIME TO SIGN UP CHILDREN FOR NO-COST PRESCHOOL IN THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
REPORTER JACOB AERE SAYS THE HALF-DAY CLASSES ARE FOR THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS WHOSE FAMILIES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
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PRESCHOOL 1 (ja) :54
Preschool students at Porter Elementary School begin their day listening to a book read aloud by their teacher…
*nat pop*
San Diego Unified says it has space for over 250 more children in classes like this one. Preschool runs through May. Santos Gonzalez is the district's director of early learning.
“So we have preschool programs for three and four year old children and we have them at 27 school sites across our district.”
She says there is space in both of the district’s no-cost preschool programs. One has income requirements.
District officials say there are more openings in preschool classes because of the expansion of transitional kindergarten, also known as T-K…
The preschool classes run for three hours at a time, with mornings and afternoons both offered. People interested can register online through the district website. JA KPBS News.
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TAKE A WALK THROUGH BALBOA PARK, AND YOU’LL FIND DOZENS OF HISTORIC COTTAGES … CELEBRATING CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD … AND NOW THE HOUSE OF SOMALIA IS JOINING THEM.
IT’S THE FIRST AFRICAN COUNTRY TO BE REPRESENTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COTTAGES .
MIDDAY EDITION HOST JADE HINDMON SAT DOWN WITH RAHMO ABDI [RAH-MO AB-DEE], THE CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF SOMALIA.
SOMALIA 1 (midday) (4:14)
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[00:00]
This is the first African country to be represented by the International Cottages at Balboa Park. What do you think about that? Like I said, this is historical milestone.
[01:33]
The House of Africa, I mean Somali being the first African country to be represented and fully devoted in and also a proud moment. We'll be the first African country but won't be the last. So this moment create a path other African countries to follow and ensure the African culture have places to in those spaces. Exactly. You got to light the path.
[02:00]
Over the past year, the Somali community has been subject to racist remarks and profiling by the Trump administration. How is all of this affecting your work? Even while this administration is attacking our community and saying all the sort of lie Our community is standing strong.
[05:44]
We just met with Mayor Todd Gloria, our council member Sean Ilo at Pana this weekend to continue to build ties and make sure that our local leaders understand who we are and what our needs are.
Yeah. Well, tell me, and why are spaces of cultural celebration like the House of Somalia so important in normal times, but especially during this time in history?
[06:12]
Uh This space This cultural spaces are very important. One for our Somali Americans kids who are born here, especially my kids. I grew up here. Yes, I know a little bit about my culture when I came here, but especially for those who were born here, they know who they are, their blood is, they belong here, and they also have that ties to their culture, right?
[06:38]
So, they they allow people to feel seen without even explanation and people proud of who we are without apologizing we are, right? This space is preserve history, strength, our identity, and help people feel rooted especially in places that once felt unfamiliar. So for again for my kids, for my future grandkids, they know where who they are by just connecting to these cultural spaces.
[07:07]
How has the community reacted to the opening of the house of Somalia?
[07:12]
So, when we when the first find out the first find out that oh we're going to be having House of Somalia in Balboa Park like they were very excited like the elders were like oh this is like a history this is a milestone that our community you never achieved so not only for Somali or Somali Americans is for even broader community for us to share our culture beyond what they see on TV like saying all Somalians are proud and Somalians are this and that.
[07:43]
I want them to sit down with us break a bread like, you know, break a bread with us and eat together and learn about our culture. And this will literally teach everyone who does not know who we are as a Somali community instead of just getting all those um uh um like, you know, fake stories from Yeah, misinformation, disinformation, stereotype, all of it. Yeah.
[08:12]
Yeah, misinformation stereotypes from others, but come and sit down with us, break a braid with us, and learn about our culture, be with us, and then to celebrate who we are. And also for again for Somali Americans, our kids, our generation have some ties to these cultural places.
Yeah. Well, I mean, hey, congratulations again on the opening. But before I let you go, any big events or celebrations you're looking forward to through the House of Somalia?
[08:41]
Yes, we are definitely will be celebrating July, which is Somali Independence Day that we've been celebrating in the past. And also, please get involved. Come. We host every third Sunday of the month in Nation of Hall Hall of Nation in Balboa Park where we teach about our culture, our stories, and come and learn about Somalians. It's wonderful.
TAG: THAT WAS RAHMO ABDI [RAH-MO AB-DEE] SPEAKING WITH MIDDAY EDITION HOST JADE HINDMON. YOU CAN FIND THE FULL CONVERSATION ON THE KPBS MIDDAY EDITION PODCAST..
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and subscribing; by doing so you are supporting public media and I really want to thank you for that. Have a great day!
