Community members line a sidewalk in Mission Hills, passing books from old shelves to a brand new branch library!
A very exciting and historic event took place this morning in Mission Hills! Hundreds of people lined the West Washington Street sidewalk to pass books from the old, now closed Mission Hills Branch Library to the beautiful, larger, brand new Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Harley & Bessie Knox Library!
The final 200 books from the old branch library were transferred along the sidewalk, hand-to-hand, by volunteer participants. Some were dressed as favorite book characters. All eyes glanced at the passing titles, and many smiles resulted!
Once every book had been transported to its new home, a Grand Opening ceremony was held in front of the new Mission Hills-Hillcrest Branch Library. When the speeches were complete, community members streamed into the new building!
The very last book to be passed was The Hobbit. It was selected in a poll to make the fantastic journey.
And onward into the future we go!
“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!”
–Bilbo Baggins
Volunteers for the Book Pass gather in front of the new Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Harley & Bessie Knox Library.Those who will participate in the historic Book Pass, wearing yellow scarves, fan out along seven blocks of West Washington Street in Mission Hills.Members of the Book Brigade are getting ready on Block 3.Someone reads while waiting for the Book Pass to begin.Look! It’s Balboa Park’s Ranger Kim Duclo, with his cool new children’s book!This person’s favorite book is Peter Benchley’s Jaws!I spotted Cruella de Vil, Maleficent and Captain Hook!Here comes Professor Trelawney!Near the brand new Mission Hills-Hillcrest Branch Library, the Book Pass is almost ready to begin.Volunteers are lined up by the old branch library, awaiting the first book!Cameras ready!A fun moment in history is about to begin…The final 200 books in the now closed branch library will be passed from hand to hand to the brand new Mission Hills-Hillcrest Library.Here they are on a book cart!Empty shelves are all that’s left in the old Mission Hills Branch Library.And here comes the very first book in the Book Pass!Doing the wave! Too much excitement!Library books are transported by the hands of those who love to read to their new home.The books head east through Mission Hills.Here they come!People pause to look at titles as the books are passed along. Most of the books are classic works of World Literature.Very quickly the cart is almost half emptied!The smiling Bike Brigade showed up to transport a few books!There it is! The final book of the Book Pass is waiting at the bottom of this stack. The Hobbit! (It happens to be one of my favorites!)The final 25 books represent the 25 most checked-out books in the history of the old, now closed Mission Hills Branch Library. I noticed several were by Dr. Seuss.Finally, it’s J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novel The Hobbit.It seems Bilbo Baggins has embarked on another journey. The Hobbit makes it’s way to the brand new Mission Hills-Hillcrest Branch Library.Friends and neighbors are excited to be a part of history in San Diego.A happy kid hurries across an intersection with The Hobbit!Everyone holds up The Hobbit as many photographs are taken.One of many wonderful Book Pass memories for hundreds of participants.A huge crowd accompanies The Hobbit across another intersection as the Book Pass approaches the new branch library.The beautiful new Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Harley & Bessie Knox Library is now in sight!San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer poses with some kids for a photo.The Hobbit is approaching its new library home!A favorite book held high for all to see!One last book and the historic Book Pass transfer will be complete.Many have gathered for the Grand Opening ceremony at the new Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Harley & Bessie Knox Branch Library.The Hobbit has reached its new home.Speeches begin. The Mayor of San Diego addresses a large crowd. The beautiful new library, which was built in the Craftsman architectural style, is finally ready to open.People eagerly head into the brand new Mission Hills-Hillcrest Branch Library!On we go!
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I make it a priority to visit and talk with people.
How do you share you care?
People have written down inspiring answers. Their words can be read in several windows of downtown’s Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
What would you write?
Having compassion and giving time and effort.Acknowledgement – every one deserves to feel seen and heard and cared for and respected.I teach Middle School.Seeing all people as human beings just trying to get through in the world.By sharing your time and helping a homeless person or child.Teach, help people grow themselves.Spreading joy and color as far as I can reach.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Donations are being gathered for homeless youth this Christmas at the SDSU Downtown Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
If you’d like to help homeless youth in San Diego this Christmas, donations of helpful items are being accepted by the SDSU Downtown Gallery, and the downtown location of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. School supplies, youth clothing and hygiene items would be very helpful.
Donations are welcome at both museums through December 20, 2018.
You can also join compassionate teens and big-hearted members of the community as care bags for homeless youth are hand assembled on December 20th from 5:00 – 7:30 pm.
Enlarge the above flyer for easy reading by clicking my photo. Feel free to share the flyer on social media.
You can also learn more details at the MCASD website by clicking here!
A lush linear park on Cortez Hill, called Tweet Street, has become more and more beautiful with the help of community volunteers!
People who live in downtown San Diego up on the top of Cortez Hill are lucky. We live next to a wonderful refuge: a garden-like linear park called Tweet Street, which runs along several blocks of Date Street and a couple blocks of Tenth Avenue.
Since my last blog post concerning Tweet Street Park, many improvements have been made. And it’s even more beautiful.
Much of the credit goes to the Friends of Tweet Street Park, a group of community volunteers who work to maintain and improve this neighborhood gem. I often see members of the organization out landscaping, raking, pruning, planting flowers, watering, removing litter, and enjoying San Diego’s sunshine as an added bonus.
Thank you.
If you live on Cortez Hill or simply love San Diego, you might want to check out the Friends of Tweet Street Park page on Facebook by clicking here.
You might also want to visit their brand new Go Fund Me page by clicking here. Your tax deductible donation goes toward buying plants, mulch, decorative bark, gardening tools and other necessary items.
I’d like to share some of that new beauty that I enjoy on many of my walks. Here are a few photos which I took today…
A small section of Tweet Street Park near Eighth Avenue and Date Street which has been improved recently.The hard work of the Friends of Tweet Street Park make this neighborhood garden a more inviting place!A bit of beauty planted with human hands.Here’s another improved area along Tenth Avenue, near Cedar Street. This was finished just this weekend!A generous heart and a little bit of muscle make the world a better place for all.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
These guys with The Miracle League of San Diego help make dreams come true for special needs kids who love baseball!
I met some inspirational people today.
During my visit to the 22nd Annual Lemon Festival in Chula Vista, as I walked down Third Avenue past dozens of booths, my eye was caught by a banner with the words Miracle League. When I asked what that meant, four friendly guys explained how their organization, called The Miracle League of San Diego, provides special needs kids around San Diego County with the opportunity to play baseball!
How cool is this?
Special needs players, with the assistance of volunteer buddies, play on special rubberized baseball fields at Engel Family Field in Del Mar and at Bell Middle School. The unique playing fields accommodate wheelchairs, walkers and the sight-impaired. Players and buddies are matched for an entire Spring or Fall season, and every player scores in fun two inning games that end in a tie. Players are ages five and up. Buddies are kind, patient community volunteers!
According to The Miracle League of San Diego website, announcers are provided with index cards about each player so they have ample material to highlight every at bat. Special needs kids become baseball superstars!
Do you know a special needs kid who’d love to play baseball? Would you like to be a volunteer buddy? Do you want to learn more?
The USO is collecting food at Grocery Outlet Bargain Markets around San Diego. Buy a five dollar bag of food for those who are hungry, receive a five dollar coupon from the store!
Before I post more photos of Comic-Con, let me alert my local readers to a great opportunity to help others. I just discovered an easy and essentially free way to help fight hunger in San Diego!
Walking back home from Comic-Con, I realized I needed groceries, so I swung by the downtown Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. As I stepped inside, I was greeted by two friendly volunteers from the USO. They’re working to fight hunger in San Diego!
I learned that during the month of July, shoppers who purchase a $5 bag of food from their table to help feed the hungry receive a $5 coupon from the store!
Kudos to the USO and their efforts. Kudos to Grocery Outlet Bargain Market for their generosity!
I also learned the USO collects food twice a month from a mobile food pantry in partnership with Feeding San Diego. Check out the USO San Diego Facebook page for times and locations!
USO San Diego collects food twice a month in partnership with Feeding San Diego. Check the USO Facebook page for their Mobile Food Pantry locations!
Visitor to San Diego Comic-Con takes a photo with The Nyght, patrol leader of the Xtreme Justice League, a group of real superheroes in San Diego.
Today I was walking around outside San Diego Comic-Con when I met a real-life superhero. His name is The Nyght. He’s a member of the Xtreme Justice League.
The Xtreme Justice League began in San Diego, but now has superheroes operating around the country. Their primary mission is to help local communities stay safe.
These volunteer superheroes, wearing outlandish protective garb, are highly trained for what they do. They conduct safety patrols in rough neighborhoods and offer a variety of public safety services. They report dangerous activity that they observe to law enforcement. They strive to provide positive role models for at-risk youth. They oppose vigilantism–they believe in compassion, nonviolence, volunteerism and heroism.
They also work to help the homeless.
Tomorrow–Saturday July 21, 2018–members of Xtreme Justice League from all around the country will converge in Balboa Park’s Pepper Grove to help San Diego’s homeless. Their event is from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm. If you’d like to help them out, they accept donations of items such as individual tissue packs, socks, sunglasses, water bottles, sunscreen and sleeping bags.
You can learn more about who the Xtreme Justice League is, and what they do by visiting their website here!
The Xtreme Justice League works to increase community safety. They encourage residents to become involved in helping the homeless and reducing crime. Be your own hero!The Nyght tells me a little about the Xtreme Justice League, and how they and their members from around the country will help the homeless this Saturday in Balboa Park.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Donate online today to help seriously ill kids and their families!
Would you like to do something positive today? Would you like to help others who find themselves in an unspeakably difficult situation?
Please consider making an online donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities San Diego. Their mission is to help families that have a child receiving critical treatment at a San Diego hospital.
These kids have a very serious, often life-threatening disease or condition. And parents need to be at the bedside of sick children. Ronald McDonald House provides a place nearby where these families can stay.
Today was Ronald McDonald House Charities San Diego’s 9th annual Red Shoe Day. I took these photos during my morning walk to work!
If you weren’t able to slip a few dollars into a red shoe, and you find it in your heart to help, please visit the online donation page here.
Thank you!
If you support Ronald McDonald House, you’ll smile just like these generous people!Your gift will sponsor a meal, provide supplies for a student, or help a family stay near a hospital where their child is receiving medical treatment.More good people on the streets of San Diego!Even if 2018 Red Shoe Day is over, you can still donate online today!
These cool guys with the San Diego Humane Society are looking for lots of animal loving volunteers! That might be you!
Do you live in San Diego? Do you love dogs, cats and other animals? The San Diego Humane Society needs your help!
I learned from two friendly guys in Balboa Park that the San Diego Humane Society needs lots and lots of new animal loving volunteers at their San Diego, Oceanside and Escondido campuses. Last week, an agreement with the City of San Diego has the humane society taking over the city’s animal control services. That’s an enormous job! That means literally thousands of more lost pets and “unwanted” critters to care for!
There are many volunteer opportunities. You can foster. You can walk dogs. You can love kittens. Yes, even cleaner-uppers are needed. The humane society already has over 5000 volunteers, but that’s not enough!
They really need your help! For more information, check out the San Diego Humane Society website here!
People enjoying the annual Bird Festival at Marina Village have walked to the San Diego River Estuary where many aquatic birds congregate.
Today during my walk I encountered of group of enthusiastic birders at the San Diego River Estuary. These folks were all participating in the San Diego Audubon Society’s annual Bird Festival, which takes place this weekend at the nearby Marina Village Conference Center.
Later during my walk I visited the Bird Festival’s registration room, where anyone can purchase dozens of different birdwatching and reference books, plus other gifts. A friendly lady informed me that the San Diego Audubon Society has about three thousand members! During the Bird Festival and throughout the year, members can go on all sorts of field trips around San Diego County, and take every sort of bird-related class imaginable.
Members and volunteers are also involved in working to restore critical bird habitat in Mission Bay! I blogged about that a couple years ago here!
Do you make your home in San Diego? Do you love birds? Then you probably should join the Audubon Society! Here the local chapter’s website, where you can also learn more about the very cool Bird Festival, which continues through tomorrow!
The San Diego Audubon Society offers many birdwatching opportunities. The organization also has a vital conservation program.If I joined the Audubon Society, maybe I’d learn what sort of behavior these birds are displaying!Poster at the Bird Festival shows how the San Diego Audubon Society is helping to restore the nesting habitat of the endangered California Least Tern in Mission Bay.I believe this little guy on the bank of the San Diego River is a snowy egret.Members of the San Diego Audubon Society enjoy a perfect sunny day and identify lots of birds!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 