Pacific Beach Briefs for April 2020

Update on scheduled Pacific Beach events

• Town Council General Meeting (March 18) — CANCELED

• Discover PB Casino Night & Awards Dinner (March 19) — POSTPONED

• Exotics Expo at Turquoise Animal Hospital (March 21) — POSTPONED

• Dine Out @ Lanna Thai Cuisine (March 31) — CANCELED

• MBHS Mambo Orchestra Fundraiser (April 16) — POSTPONED

• Bikes, Boards & Brews Festival (April 18) — TBD

• Taste of North PB (April 21) —TBD

• Creek to Bay Cleanup at Rose Creek (April 25) — TBD

• Annual Graffiti Clean Up Day (May 9) — POSTPONED

Discover PB is tracking viable eatery options

Discover PB is tracking changes to Pacific Beach businesses’ hours and operations. Find out which of your favorite spots are offering curbside pickup, drive-thru and virtual options with the list posted at pacificbeach.org/covid-19-business-info

Note, this list is continually changing, and Discover PB recommends you confirm details on the businesses’ websites or social media channels directly. To make changes or additions to this list, e-mail Becca at becca@pacificbeach.org with the details.

United Way launches worker emergency assistance initiative

United Way of San Diego County has created an emergency Worker Assistance Initiative for low-wage workers who need immediate support for utilities and rent/mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 crisis. The initiative is part of the greater San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund launched March 16. To apply for assistance, visit uwsd.org/covid19

United Way will leverage $1 million made available by SDG&E in their existing Neighbor-to-Neighbor program to help pay energy bills for workers in need.

The organization also has $250,000 in seed capital from SDG&E and the San Diego Foundation (with plans to raise another $750,000-plus) to help low-wage workers.

Community members, foundations and companies can also make donations at uwsd.org/donate/covid19

To volunteer or donate relief items to organizations in need of support, go to volunteer.uwsd.org/covid19

To learn about additional capital being deployed to nonprofit organizations working with communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, visit sdfoundation.org/covid19

Humane Society, Project Wildlife open during COVID-19

The San Diego Humane Society (SDHC) remains open during the coronavirus crisis for adoptions, relinquishments, vaccine services and fostering — but by appointment only. Community spay/neuter services are temporarily suspended, according to a SDHC press release: “to decrease non-essential services to the public so we can concentrate our resources on emergency care and our shelter animals.”

Call (619) 299-7012 or drive up to any of its campuses and make an appointment from your vehicle.

Project Wildlife also remains open. Those who find hurt or abandoned wildlife during the pandemic are asked to bring the animal to the Bahde Wildlife Center at 5433 Gaines St. Additionally, officers are still responding to emergency calls such as law-enforcement assistance, injured or sick stray animals, cruelty and neglect complaints, bite complaints, and dangerous and aggressive dog complaints.

Read more at sdhumane.org

Oasis launches online classes for seniors

San Diego Oasis is halting their in-person programs and taking some of their classes online via Zoom video conferencing. Class topics include language studies, book clubs, religion and spiritual studies, there’s a grief support group, an Android 101 class, and a retirement workshop.

Classes offered range from free to low-cost and are available to adults age 50 and over. Pre-register at sandiegooasis.org or call (619) 881-6262.

Curbside library pickup established

All County of San Diego libraries are now employing curbside pickup to help county residents practice social-distancing. Patrons may use the library’s online catalog or call their branch libraries, place orders for the books they’re seeking, and then pick them up at the library’s curbside weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. once the material is ready. Learn more at sdcl.org

San Diego YMCA hosts childcare hotline

With schools across the County closed, and Gov. Newsom suggesting they probably won’t reopen before summer break, YMCA Childcare Resource Service (CRS) is offering families options with open childcare centers and family childcare homes that are licensed and inspected.

“We are hearing from many childcare providers that they are still open,” said CRS spokesperson Laurie Han. “Many providers want to continue serving the families they know and love, and are eager to serve additional families while implementing recommended practices for prevention of transmission. This includes small groups, cleaning and sanitation.”

San Diego County families looking for care can discuss their childcare needs with an advisor, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at (800) 481-2151 or ymcasd.org/childcarereferrals

Take a virtual art museum tour

The San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park has a mobile app — available on the iPhone app store — offering virtual tours (from the lower rotunda to the galleries and the building’s façade), and allowing visitors to listen to audio clips while looking at various works from exhibitions. Currently, all museum events and programs through at least March 31 (and likely longer) have been canceled or postponed. Learn more about San Diego Museum of Art at sdmart.org

Contest set to give kids something to do

The Essbee Learning Center is sponsoring its first Spring Fiction Writing Contest. Authors ages 6-14 are invited to enter. The story must be fiction and either typed, printed or written in cursive. There is no word or page limit, and illustrations are welcome but not mandatory.

Entrants must include their name, age, school, teacher’s name and teacher’s e-mail with their story. (Contest organizers will send the teacher an e-mail sharing how hard the student worked over spring break.)

The winner for each grade level will receive a free book from Warwick’s in La Jolla. Entries should be scanned or attached in an e-mail to essbeelearning@gmail.com by April 15. Winners will be notified May 1.

Curb your dog’s enthusiasm right now

The U.S. Postal Service is asking pet owners to distance their dogs from carriers during the coronavirus lockdown.

“With more children at home during school closures, incidents of dog attacks on postal carriers have a tendency to increase,” read a USPS press release. “Children rush to the door when they see a mail carrier and the household dog usually follows right behind, leaving the carrier vulnerable to a dog attack.”

Pet owners are asked to wait for the carrier to leave the area before opening the door to get their mail or package.

Eggies likely to open early April in PB

Eggies grab-and-go breakfast experience is opening a new location in Pacific Beach, at 4465 Mission Blvd. Part of Rise & Shine Hospitality Group’s breakfast concept, Eggies will operate out of converted shipping containers adjacent to Breakfast Republic restaurants.

The menu will include egg-centric sandwiches, including their Breakfast BLT, made with eggs, Gouda and Muenster cheese, “eggcellent” sauce, bacon jam, heirloom tomato and arugula, served on a Brioche bun. They will also offer up breakfast selections housed in Mason jars, such as their French Toast Bake, made with sweet custard, berries, whipped mascarpone and brown sugar crumble with a brioche base.

— Compiled by PB staff from local reports.

• Have a Pacific Beach news tip or story idea? E-mail PB Monthly with the details (and include a related photo if possible) to editor@lajollalight.com