San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

You are here: Home / Archives for John P. Anderson

Statehood for Puerto Rico? 3.7 Million American Citizens Vote for Democracy – Will They Be Heard?

by

The most significant result of the 2012 election may not be the re-election of President Obama, nor any of the other highly publicized races decided on November 6, 2012. If pursued to conclusion, the vote of the residents of Puerto Rico to pursue statehood will likely have the largest impact on the United States.

A two-part ballot question first asked voters if they favor the current status of Puerto Rico as a territory of the United States. Second, voters were asked what type of status they preferred: full statehood, independence, or “sovereign free association”, a semi-autonomous status.   [Read more…]

San Diego for Free: America’s National Parks – Free Admission to Our Greatest Natural Treasures

by

A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free! We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.

America’s National Parks – Free Admission to Our Greatest Natural Treasures

Here is their Website.

Best For: Hikers, bikers, bird watchers, wanderers, weekend warriors

The United States is fortunate to have many areas across the nation protected from development and preserved and enhanced by the National Park Service. Throughout the year there are a few select days when admission to all of the 398 national parks is waived. This upcoming weekend, Veterans Day weekend, is one such free admission period. Also, of the 398 national parks, 264 of them are free everyday.
  [Read more…]

San Diego for Free: Free Brewing Tour at Ballast Point Brewing

by

A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free! We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits
Website: http://www.ballastpoint.com
Address & Neighborhood: 10051 Old Grove Road, San Diego, CA 92131; Scripps Ranch

Best For: Beer drinkers, politicians, gregarious types, kind souls
Free tour times: Daily at 12:00pm, 2pm, 5pm

San Diego is home to many breweries and it seems like a new one opens nearly every week. Per the local beer-centric magazine WestCoaster, there are currently 60 operating brew houses in San Diego County and an additional 27 in planning or development. With San Diego Beer Week beginning tomorrow, 11/2, and running through 11/11 I thought a free activity related to San Diego’s suds scene would be appropriate. There are also an incredible amount of events going on during Beer Week – check the website for more information.

Touring a brewery is an opportunity to learn about the brewing process and about the history of the brewery and the styles of beer they produce. Although the brewing process portion of tours can get repetitive if you’ve been on a couple before I find it interesting to experience the personality of a brewery that comes through on a tour, and the opportunity to try some their wares at the conclusion.   [Read more…]

San Diego For Free: Balboa Park Trails – Beauty and Exercise in the Heart of San Diego

by

A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free! We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.

Website: See here.
Neighborhood: Balboa Park
Best For: Runners, walkers, hikers, bicyclists, nature lovers
Hours: All day, every day, always free

In, through, and around Balboa Park are a multitude of trails and pathways for biking, running, and walking. The trails offer a wide range of sights and levels of difficulty and are a great way to feel out of the city without having to travel.

There are officially 65 miles of trails in the park, which are outlined in this detailed pdf map. If you haven’t been on the Balboa Park trails before I recommend taking a look at the map before you head out since some of the trails and turns are not clearly marked. You probably won’t get lost if you don’t have your entire route memorized but you may end up going further than you intended.   [Read more…]

San Diego For Free: Amazing Campus Art at The Stuart Collection at UCSD

by

A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free! We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.

The Stuart Collection at UCSD

Website: http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/
Neighborhood & Address: La Jolla; 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA 92093
Best For: All ages, modern art fans
Hours: All day, every day, always free

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) sits on 1,200 acres above the Pacific Ocean about 10 miles north of downtown San Diego in the neighborhood of La Jolla. UCSD is the highest ranked university in San Diego, ranked #38 among national universities in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings.

  [Read more…]

SD For Free – The Timken Museum of Art

by

Just to the east of the Plaza de Panama parking lot in Balboa Park is a squat white marble building that contrasts with the Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings that dominate much of the architecture in this part of the park. This building is the Timken Museum of Art, opened in 1965. Although many of the museums in Balboa Park are free on certain days through the Residents Free Tuesday program, the Timken is always free to all visitors.
The free admission aspect of the Timken Museum makes it a nice place to enjoy without feeling the need to justify paying admission by staying for an entire day. A visit to reflect on a piece or two during a visit to Balboa Park is a relaxing way to spend an hour. Of course, a longer visit can be nice too and there are docent-guided tours available each day to give an overview of the collection on display and answer questions. Tour details can be found here.   [Read more…]

SD For Free An Old Favorite – The Public Library

by

A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free!  We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.

Website: http://www.sandiego.gov/public–library/

Best For: Readers, thinkers, learners, children

I love to read and my earliest memories of books are from reading at bedtime with my parents and trips to the library for reading hour.  Many years later, and many states away, I am on the other side of these memories and trying to foster a love of reading in my daughter.  We often visit the library to find new books, meet other children, and read together.   [Read more…]

Mexico by the Numbers

by

Some interesting facts about our largely misunderstood neighbor.

Mexico is a diverse nation with complexities that most Americans have trouble fathoming. It is a country that is stuck with the stigma of having a third world economy with a poor education system, among other problems. The truth is that it is a far more advanced country economically and culturally than most people know.   [Read more…]

San Diego for Free: Coronado Central Beach – America’s Best Beach

by

San Diego has many beautiful beaches where you can enjoy the sound of waves while sunbathing, the thrill of catching waves while surfing, or take children for fun in the sun. Only one beach in San Diego can lay claim to the title of America’s Best Beach for 2012, however, and that is the Coronado Central Beach.

Compiled annually since 1991, the Dr. Beach Top 10 list is curated by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, Professor of Coastal Research at Florida International University. Dr. Leatherman uses a set of 50 criteria to evaluate beaches all over the nation and 2012 is the first year that a California beach has taken the top spot on his list.   [Read more…]

Ruocco Park – San Diego’s Newest Park, Right on the Waterfront

by

An official ceremony at 10 a.m on Thursday, Sept. 20, featured San Diego officials cutting the ribbon to welcome the public to Ruocco Park. Located at the intersection of West Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway, the park covers 3.3 acres and offers views of the San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and downtown San Diego.

Ruocco Park was funded jointly by the Port of San Diego, the San Diego Foundation, and the downtown Hyatt. The Port contributed $3.3 million and the Hyatt contributed $.5 million. The San Diego Foundation contributed $3.5 million, $1 million of which is reserved for funding future maintenance. The funds from the San Diego Foundation allowed for the installation of public art and upgrades to the park that would not have been possible with the Port and Hyatt funding alone. Ruocco Park is the 18th public park located on Port land and brings the total amount of land dedicated to parks to 153 acres.

(Photo gallery inside)   [Read more…]

San Diego For Free – Canyon Hikes, Exploring the Peaks and Valleys of San Diego County

by

A weekly column dedicated to sharing the best sights and activities in San Diego at the best price – free! We have a great city and you don’t need to break the bank to experience it.

San Diego has an amazing breadth of natural features: coast, mountains, deserts, oceans, lakes, rivers, and much more. If you’re looking for a good way to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the natural side of San Diego County check out the Canyoneer Hikes from the San Diego Natural History Museum.
  [Read more…]

Craft Beer Debates – Local Issues Discussed over Good Beers

by

Craft Beer Debates is a “fun, non-intimidating way to introduce people to local craft beer and local issues in an interactive “house of commons” style format”. The first debate was held Wednesday, September 12 at Slater’s 50/50 in Liberty Station. I’m a huge fan of craft beer, especially craft beer from San Diego breweries, and had seen the debate series mentioned on Twitter numerous times leading up to the event. I decided to go and crossed my fingers that I could finagle a seat despite having failed to sign up in advance.

Thanks to the gracious gatekeeper at the door, I was able to snag a seat in the room, which ended up being nearly at capacity with an estimated 50 people in attendance. The debate panel was comprised of two proponents of a new stadium with some sort of public financing and two opponents to that idea.   [Read more…]

©2010-2017 SanDiegoFreePress.org

Code is Poetry