Because there’s so much to do North of the fence…. but not much North of the I-54.
By Barbara Zaragoza / South Bay Compass
This week, many activities feature awareness of our environment, including at Olivewood Gardens, Wild Willow Farm, Suzie’s Farm and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Chula Vista has been in the news lately, with reporters taking a closer look at the massive development going on. Sometimes believed to be divided between the poor West and the rich East, the city council is trying to attract developers to the West. They’re also trying to create a “smart” Bayfront full of never-before-seen technology.
Upcoming Events
It’s still Tijuana Action Month where volunteers come together for cleanups at the U.S.-Mexico border. Activities run through the end of October, so check it out.
The famed Walmart heir turned her beautiful Victorian home in National City into Olivewood Gardens and they’ll host an Open House on Saturday, September 19th from 10am-1pm as well as a Composting Workshop from 9am-noon. Get on their newsletter. It’s worth it.
If you just can’t get enough fun at an urban farm, Wild Willow Farm & Education Center is holding their Open House/Potluck on the same day, Saturday, September 19th. If you can’t make both events, then head over to Wild Willow the very next weekend for their Run & Chili Brewfest.
Mark your calendars in advance for Suzie’s Farm Pumpkin Palooza on Saturday, October 17th from 10am-3pm.
Mexico is starting to enforce new rules at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for U.S. citizens. To bring border crossers up to speed, the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce is hosting a seminar called “New Enforcement Regulations for Foreigners Entering Mexico” on Friday, September 25th from 8:30am-10am at SWC, Higher Educations Center, Otay Mesa (8100 Gigantic Street, Room 4500). Non members are $45 per person.
The Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista may close if the city is unable to afford taking over the facility. Community meetings on the issue will take place on Thursday, September 24th in Council Chambers and on Monday, September 28th at the Olympic Training Center. For much more, check out Susan Luzzaro’s article.
Top South Bay News Stories
Chula Vista:
The Chula Vista City council wants to attract developers to the older West side of the city. Good luck with that when you’ve vast stretches of open land in the East. Remember when the East was for dirt bikers and dune buggies? Those were the days and the Los Angeles Times recalls them in this article about how Eastlake was developed in the 1980s.
Chula Vista’s Bayfront development is gearing to have smart, digital-friendly infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the local activist group in Chula Vista, called Crossroads II, made this statement about the continued development and construction taking place in eastern Chula Vista: “By any standard, Chula Vista has become vastly overbalanced in favor of “residential” at the expense of “industrial” and “commercial.” One result of this is that some 80,000 Chula Vistans have to leave Chula Vista every morning to travel to their place of work elsewhere. In addition, while the sales taxes earned by National City is $193 per resident, and $183 in San Diego, it is only $120 per resident in Chula Vista.”
Imperial Beach, San Ysidro & National City
When it rains, don’t go to the beach. That includes Imperial Beach where sewage run off from Tijuana can lead to increased bacteria in the water. Although, if you happen to think it’s any different further North, you’d be wrong.
Protestors stood outside Imperial Beach’s Save-A-Lot this week. Customers complained that the store regularly sells spoiled food, including bad chicken, rotten tomatoes and spoiled salsa mixed in with fresh salsa.
San Ysidro teachers got a 6% pay raise after successful talks between the teacher’s union and the district. The announcement comes after an overhaul of employees, the resignation of a board trustee and a new Superintendent.
The Union-Tribune also reports that a majority of students throughout South County school districts — with one notable exception — scored well below county and state averages on the new standardized tests.
Otay Mesa & Recycled Water Rate Hike
The Otay Mesa Chamber Board says it unanimously opposed the City’s proposed recycled water rate hike. They explain: “The proposed hike would increase potable water rates for Otay Mesa and according to the Otay Water District (OWD), the unitary rate proposed by the City would translate to $1.2 million of inequitable annual costs to OWD’s recycled and potable water customers.
OWD is a customer of the City’s South Bay Recycled Water Reclamation Plant and buys 99 percent of the water produced there. OWD owns the distribution system in the South Bay and pays 100 percent of its system’s distribution costs. The City has virtually no distribution system in the South Bay. The City owns and operates the North Recycled System, which includes the North City’s distribution system.
