Today’s newsletter is presented by Best of Uptown/Downtown.

Good morning, San Diego ☀️

Here’s what we have for you today:

Tessa Balc

Audience engagement producer

Top story

Beyond the pitch, San Diego FC is fighting to reclaim community spaces

Soccer balls to kick around. Bounce houses to jump in. A petting zoo to explore. Saturday brought an unusual sight to Willie Henderson Park.

For years, the park has been known as a place taken over by gang activity and drug deals.

One woman told our Alejandro Maciel that she and her nine-year-old son rarely come to the park to play, especially not after dark. They live in an apartment, so that means her son really doesn’t have a consistent outdoor space to play.

But on Saturday he had that space to play.

This is part of the ‘why’ behind San Diego FC’s Community Block Party. The club creates a safe space for neighbors to get to know one another while surrounded by activities. Some of these are purely for fun, like face painting, and others work to improve community health, like drug prevention resources.

SDFC has not only invested in this specific park through this event, but also their Parks & Pitches program. A few months ago, the dilapidated basketball courts were resurfaced with vibrant colors. During the block party, kids played soccer on the court.

For the communities of 92113 — typically under-resourced and overlooked compared to other San Diego neighborhoods — it’s a welcome change. One that residents hope will continue.

READ MORE →

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Stories you should know about

🚧 Hillcrest businesses on Fifth Ave. wait for parking to resume as construction project draws down: The green fences are finally down, and some businesses report has already improved access to their stores. But the last few months of construction took a toll.

🚋 A Chula Vista community wants MTS to close them off from crime — and they’re willing to pay: The Holiday Gardens HOA is willing to fund the construction of a perimeter wall modification and pedestrian gate to divert the H Street trolley station’s foot traffic away from Colorado Avenue.

🚎 SANDAG: Fixing La Mesa Boulevard trolley traffic would cost half a billion: The proposed solutions to traffic backups at Spring Street and La Mesa Boulevard include elevating trolley tracks or moving them underground. These options would cost three to four times the city’s annual budget.

🏈 New league and opponents on Point Loma football schedule: The Pointer’s move back to the Western League allows the team to compete against a pair of private school who are immune to public school rules and to actively recruit players.

☎️ Opinion: Why do machines answer when you call police for help in East County?

What else we’re reading

🦎 San Diego Deputy District Attorney Michael McCann was named 2025 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year for his work on a two-year investigation into an exotic animal trafficking ring that exchanged species like Gila monsters and palm pit vipers for weapons and drugs. (Union-Tribune)

⚓️ The Navy decommissioned the USS Fort Worth at a ceremony last week, after it was found to have reliability issues. The ship was at less than half of its expected service life, but the Navy said it was more cost efficient to decommission it than to repair it. (KPBS)

Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.

Step back in time…

This is the Old Mission Dam, also known as the Old Padre Dam, located along Father Junipero Serra Trail in Mission Trails Regional Park. This photo, taken in 1937, was captured while the dam was in a dry state. Did you guess correct? Want to read more, check out this article.