Today’s newsletter is presented by Wild Fork.
Good morning, San Diego ☀️
Here’s what we have for you today:
- Dog pee, eww, kinda messy, but could it actually take down a streetlight? Evidently, given enough time.
- A Del Mar surfing yarn – and it coincides with the Surf Del Mar Festival.
- TOSD mea culpa – We missed Margie C.’s correct answer to Wednesday’s news quiz (D, or 505 ALPR cameras). So, a belated shoutout!
Jennifer Vigil
News editor
Top story
San Diegans welcome return of USS Abraham Lincoln as carrier’s weary crew comes home
We’ve heard a lot about the USS Abraham Lincoln and the aircraft carrier’s record time at sea over the last few months.
That’s why it was so good to see the crew finally return to San Diego Thursday, drawing in family from near and far. And many locals welcomed them too, with waves – of hands and flags and banners – to show their appreciation. Contributor Thomas Murphy was in Shelter Island to capture the scene as the USS Lincoln came into view.
Meanwhile, some of the numbers from the carrier’s long sojourn caught my eye. According to the Presidential Unit Citation presented to the crew by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the USS Lincoln Strike Group:
• Executed 3,693 combat missions.
• Launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
• Shot down 77 attack drones, and
• Sank 64 Iranian warships and destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles.
The figure, of course, that many people have focused on for weeks is 265 – that’s the number of days the USS Lincoln remained at sea without a port stop.
The Navy is mindful of the potential mental strain from the deployment. As reported by the U.S. Naval Institute, the brass brought in a cognitive behavioral specialist, a commander in the Navy Reserve, to conduct a seminar with sailors once the Lincoln was on its way back to San Diego.
That brings us to one more number – 64. That’s the number of fathers aboard the Lincoln who returned Thursday not just to joyful reunions, but to the most special of introductions, to babies born while they were away.
When it comes to the safety of our service members, it doesn’t really matter if you agree with the reasoning behind a military action. We value them and we value their effort, conducted in extreme conditions and often extreme danger. More than anything else, we were pleased to see that ship powering its way into the bay. It means this group of sailors is home.
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Stories you should know about
🖌️ Barrio Logan community gathers to remove racist graffiti from Chicano Park mural: Neighbors and residents woke up this week to find explicit graffiti scrawled across the 1973 mural. Volunteers and onlookers quickly arrived to remove it, despite sweltering temperatures.
🇫🇷 Take off to Paris – Air France to launch new nonstop to City of Light: Start saving up. The airline will begin offering three nonstop flights a week to Paris in the spring. Très bon!
🌧️ El Nino’s impact on aging California schools may be severe, experts warn: When the last El Niño hit, in 2023-24, almost 200 schools were forced to close. Said one observer, “You’ve got leaks and dry rot and all the things that a super wet winter is going to just exacerbate.”
🍁 San Diego Weekend Guide, Oct 9-11 – Cool things to do as city stops sizzling: Where to find an “enchanting pumpkin wonderland,” combine Oktoberfest and Y2K by the sea and indulge in fests celebrating art, wine and coffee, and surfing too (as mentioned above).
What else we’re reading
🌊 The weather continues to veer from one extreme to the next. Crazy heat and now Hurricane Rachel could leave its mark on San Diego. As it nears land this weekend, it will probably be at tropical storm strength, with rain, plus dangerous surf and rip currents. (Fox5/KUSI News)
🏡 When it comes to El Cajon’s Taylor Guitars, the company is willing to “almost get monastic” about sustainability when making its signature instruments. Why? Owner Bob Taylor explains on The Finest podcast. (KPBS)
🏠 The debate over height limits rose to a fever pitch in San Diego, and it’s at issue in Coronado too, but on a far milder scale. A measure on the Nov. 3 ballot addresses whether the community will allow buildings of up to 42 feet. (Union-Tribune)
Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.