Today’s newsletter is presented by AddressSD.
Good morning, San Diego ☀️
Here’s what we have for you today:
- Summer events downtown, from East Village to Little Italy.
- The US plays Bosnia and Herzegovina tomorrow in the World Cup.
- And shoutout to reader Joyce Boone, who correctly guessed yesterday’s “Step back in time” question. Don’t forget to scroll to the end of the newsletter to see if you were right too.
Tessa Balc
Audience engagement producer
Top story
San Diego debates drones vs. fireworks
Your dog’s least favorite day is right around the corner. You got it: the Fourth of July.
The routine way to celebrate our nation’s birth has been by launching explosives into the air, but imagine a quieter world. One where a similar display glows across the night sky, but doesn’t shock birds to death with a terrifying boom.
That could be a reality one day, thanks to drone shows. Recently SeaWorld made the switch from their regularly scheduled fireworks display to a trial run of its nightly drone show, and La Jolla is heading into its fourth Fourth of July drone show.
But despite the likelihood of a more regulated nervous system for our furry friends, not everyone is ready to let go of our proclivity for pyrotechnics.
Contributor Dave Schwab spoke with two folks on opposite sides of the spectrum — the founder of Drone Studios and the founder of the Port of San Diego’s Big Bay Boom — to hear their thoughts on the future of Fourth of July shows.
And in the spirit of the United States’ 250th birthday: Our news neighbors over at inewsource are following Amy Cooke’s fight to keep flying the United States’ flag in her front yard.
The San Marcos resident is at odds with her HOA over a policy it adopted in 2024 to ban residential flags or face fines. Legal experts weighed in on the matter and told inewsource that despite the dictates of homeowners associations, federal law protects the right to display the United States’ flag.
Tomorrow — four days before the Fourth of July — she’ll present her case before the HOA’s management.
Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.
Stories you should know about
🚦 Three months after Cesar Chavez revelations, a local street named after him has been changed: The Barrio Logan thoroughfare named in his honor now has signage declaring it Chicano Park Boulevard.
🍝 Sono in North Park uses recipes that often stay in Italy: Our favorite foodie, Frank Sabatini Jr., dines at another restaurant from the family that operates Roman Wolves, Flora and RustiCucina.
🏳️🌈 Aro/Ace San Diego provides visibility for often overlooked ‘A’ in LGBTQIA: The support group turned vibrant community will be marching, for the fifth time, in San Diego’s Pride Parade.
🚲 Trial date set for driver accused of killing 6-year-old boy in Pacific Beach and fleeing the scene: The woman who allegedly ran over a young boy riding his bicycle in Pacific Beach will stand trial for vehicular manslaughter.
⚾️ Patchwork of openers and fill-ins isn’t enough to bridge gaps in Padres injury-riddled starting rotation: After this weekend’s match-ups against the Dodgers at Petco Park, the Friars fell further behind their rival in the National League West.
💊 Opinion: Big Pharma hits Asian-American communities hard, but a new bill can help
What else we’re reading
⛽️ California’s gas tax will increase by 2.2 cents tomorrow, bringing the total state tax to 63.4 cents per gallon. (NBC 7)
🔑 Law enforcement is warning surfers to not leave their car keys and wallets behind after a series of thefts at Pacific Beach and La Jolla beaches. The Regional Auto Theft Task Force said the thefts are being committed by people often disguised as fishermen. (Union-Tribune)
Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.
Step back in time…
The local landmark in this picture is Mt. Helix. Did you guess correct? Want to read more, check out this article.
