🌱 Safe Villages + ​Calling All Bicyclists + SD Pilot Saves Lives

Hey, neighbors! Bettyann Pernice here with the weekend San Diego Daily.

First, your weekend weather:

• Saturday: Mostly sunny. High: 70, Low: 44.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and nice. High: 72, Low: 50.
• Monday: Sunny and nice. High: 74, Low: 50.

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Here are the top stories today in San Diego:

1. A monthly census of the downtown homeless population found that more than 1,400 people sleeping on the streets. In addition, there are more than 422 tent encampments in the seven downtown neighborhoods. For this reason, the Downtown San Diego Partnership is calling for “safe villages,” transitional communities that offer social services and living accommodations. To learn more: Click into parenthesis, then click the link. (10News)
2. Did you know that there are more than 400 miles of dedicated bicycle paths in San Diego County? Local leaders are tracking the number of cyclists that use the paths over time. “It turns out thousands and thousands of people bike,” said Sharon Humphries, SANDAG’s director of Engineering & Construction. “We’re getting 2,000 riders a day. So, that’s 2,000 people that are not in their car.” To learn more: Click into parenthesis, then click the link. (NBC San Diego)
3. He believes that it was his calling. In 2000, Mark Palm created Samaritan Aviation in order to provide emergency medical evacuations, medical supply deliveries, medical outreaches, and disaster relief to people living in remote villages in Papua New Guinea. "We kept hearing stories about mothers in labor trying to get to the hospital, dying along the way, or babies that were sick trying to get to that one hospital dying," said Palm. He and his wife were so committed to helping that they moved their family to the island. Without his planes, villagers would have to travel days by canoe to get to the only hospital. To learn more: Click into parenthesis, then click the link. (CBS News 8)

This weekend in San Diego:

Saturday, Feb. 5

• Camp Congress for Girls San Diego 2022 — Girls in Politics Initiative. (9:00 AM)
• Stitch in Public Day — Rancho Peñasquitos Library. (10:00 AM)
• San Diego Tết Festival — Mira Mesa Community Park. (11 a.m.)
• Paws to Read — Mira Mesa Branch Library. (11 a.m.)
• RootsMagic User Group — San Diego Genealogical Society. (1 p.m.)
• Nighttime Nature Walk — County of San Diego Dept. of Parks and Recreation. (5:15 p.m.)

Sunday, Feb. 6

• San Diego Tết Festival — Mira Mesa Community Park. (11 a.m.)
• San Diego Legion Set to Play Utah Warriors for Major League Rugby Season Opener — San Diego Legion. (2 p.m.)

Monday, Feb. 7

• One Lucky Couple for Valentine's Day — Hosted by Rancho San Diego Towne Center. (All Day)
• Parkinson's Support Group — San Rafael Parish Hall. (10 a.m.)
• Baby Storytime — Riford/La Jolla Branch Library. (Noon)
• Southwest Key Job Fair — Logan Heights Branch Library. (1 p.m.)
• DO YOUR HOMEWORK @ THE LIBRARY — San Carlos Branch Library. (3 p.m.)
• Maker Mondays — Malcolm X Library and Performing Arts Center. (3 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Visit San Diego: "Downtown views from the heights of Point Loma." (Facebook)
• San Diego Humane Society: "We have an exciting opportunity to unlock a $10,000 challenge gift from our friends Tori and Eric Zwisler when 300 friends (like you!) sign up to become Constant Companion monthly donors at sdhumane.org/sustainer. By committing to a monthly gift of $20 — about 67 cents a day — you can make an incredible difference for pets and wildlife year-round" (Facebook)
• San Diego Humane Society: "The University of San Diego will be at the Grape Street Dog Park at Balboa Park this Sunday, Feb. 6, to collect stories for their oral history project about the role of pets in our lives during the pandemic." (Facebook)
• City of San Diego: "Did you know that saving water is not only crucial in our current drought, but also helps reduce ocean pollution? Join Think Blue San Diego and I Love A Clean San Diego this Tuesday to learn about where our water comes from and where it goes." (Facebook)
• North San Diego Business Chamber: "Thank you to NOVA Home Loans for their generous donation to Operation Connect. With this, we will be able to further help transitioning veterans in San Diego. Know a transitioning service member? Invite them to attend the free Operation Connect Workshop on April 1." (Facebook)

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Featured businesses:

• CBD Philman .com — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• San Diego Tết Festival. (Feb. 5)
• San Diego Tết Festival. (Feb. 6)
• Winter Chamber Heat Participants Concert. (Feb. 6)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar. (Feb. 7)
• 5 Ways to Manage Your Debt Online. (Feb. 10)
• Valentines | Still Ill Tribute To The Smiths & Morrissey + SM Familia Reggae Quartet + Beta 7 Ska. (Feb. 12)
• BIG GAME WEEKEND EXPERIENCE: East Meets West. (Feb. 12)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar. (Feb. 14)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar. (Feb. 15)
• New Balance Store In Encinitas Village Opens Feb. 10. (Feb. 17)
• 41st Annual CARSplus Convention: Networking for Success and Best Practices. (Feb. 25)
• The Cheez Whiz Ultimate 80’s Cover Band. (Feb. 25)
• Add your event

Housing:

• Coachella rental, 3Br/2Ba condo in prestigious Palm Valley CC. (Details)
• Add your listing

Loving the San Diego Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business showcased in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at sandiego@patch.com

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. I'll catch up with you next week with another update!

— Bettyann Pernice