🌱 600 Units Affordable Housing To Open + Sidewalk Vending Ordinance

Good morning, everyone! It's me, Bettyann Pernice, your host of the San Diego Patch newsletter. Sip that coffee/tea, munch on that croissant, and read on to find out what's happening in our community today:

• The good news is: 600 units affordable housing will open in San Diego.
• San Diego's Sidewalk Vending Ordinance goes into effect — vendors not happy!
• Loving mother earth — hundreds of volunteers nurture San Diego's wetlands.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny.⛅High: 62, Low: 42.

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Here are four of the top stories in San Diego today:

1. When completed, more than 600 apartments will house families with special needs who would otherwise be out on the street. Residents will include those with mental illness, physical or developmental disabilities, and families, as well as veterans and the elderly. These units will be scattered throughout San Diego County. (Fox 5 San Diego)
2. In San Diego beach communities, rangers will be enforcing the Sidewalk Vending Ordinance passed by the City Council in May 2022 in compliance with SB946. Sidewalk vendors have been urged to apply for permits costing $38 annually, or face fines up to $1,000 for noncompliance. Food vendors must also obtain the San Diego County Health Permit and Food Handler Card. Find out rules and requirements. (10 News)
3. Hundreds of people came to Mission Bay to show their love for Mother Earth during the annual Love Your Wetlands Day. Volunteers wearing rubber boots, and carrying buckets, worked together to clean up the Kendall-Frost Marsh to help maintain this precious resource which is home to hundreds of plants and animals. Marsh is an important part of the wetland habitat that sequesters carbon and cleans the water. Mission Bay once had 4,000 acres of marshland, but today only 40 acres remain. (NBC San Diego)
4. Missing your morning eggs? Many have had to cut back due to the high cost of eggs as a result of Avian flu. However, some San Diegans has found a new strategy: building chicken coops for up to 5 chickens on their property. Want to become an urban farmer? You can learn the facts about raising chickens, the cost, the benefits, and more from the city’s urban farming guidelines. (FOX 5 San Diego)

Today in San Diego:

• Android: Get Started with Your Android Phone — OASIS San Diego. (10 a.m.)
• FREE Tax Preparation with AARP — Allied Gardens/Benjamin Branch Library. (11:30 a.m.)
• Baby Storytime — Logan Heights Branch Library. (Noon)
• Mindful Meditation — Scripps Miramar Ranch Library Center. (1 p.m.)
• DO YOUR HOMEWORK @ THE LIBRARY — North Park Branch Library. (3 p.m.)
• Books'n'Snacks! (3rd & 4th Grade) — Logan Heights Branch Library. (3:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

World of Orchids: "San Diego Botanic Garden’s annual spring orchid showcase is returning in March! World of Orchids will once again decorate our state-of-the-art, 8,000 square foot, glass-enclosed facility: the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory. Visit our website to see the variety of classes, vendors and special member access updated throughout the month!" (San Diego Botanic Garden via Facebook)

• Love tiny things? "Have a love for tiny things? Did you know that we've got a library of miniature books upstairs in the Hervey Rare Book? It's on display in the 9th floor, come take a look!" (San Diego Central Library via Facebook)
• Into dance? "Experience the art of dance through the San Diego Civic Dance Art's Collage 2023 ensemble performance. This year's show entitled, "Dance Matters" will feature dance styles such as tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary and modern." (City of San Diego via Facebook)
• What is R.S.V.P.? "The Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol assists area stations in providing an increased level of crime prevention programs within specific geographic boundaries by providing additional resources to Department; perform vacation house checks, You Are Not Alone checks, etc.; promote community awareness and acceptance of RSVP program. Find out more: (R.S.V.P.)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Bettyann Pernice

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming San Diego Patch newsletter? Contact me at sandiego@patch.com