What we know from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s San Diego visit

KPBS On Demand is supported by Walter Anderson Nursery, family owned and operated since 1928, providing San Diego with gardening expertise and independent service for four generations. For more information, visit walteranderson.com. Good morning, I'm Lawrence K. Jackson. It's Thursday, August 13th. What's new about Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s approach to homelessness and addiction? More on that next but first, the headlines. A cooling trend is expected to continue throughout the county into the weekend. Daytime highs are expected to land as much as 10 degrees below normal for this time of year. Highs along the coast will be in the upper 70s to low 80s, and our inland areas highs in the 80s are expected, while in the mountain areas, highs will be in the upper 70s. There's a marginal chance of pop-up showers in our mountains and desert areas. Marvel Studios and their advertising partner are now on the hook for $160,000. That's how much their fine is for covering up downtown's gas lamp quarter archway with an Avengers doomsday promotion. The city told CBS 8 that they repeatedly told contractors not to install anything on the sign, but still installation continued. The Union Tribune helped to provide some added context around this issue. The UT says since the 1970s, the city has had a gripe with outdoor advertising, which is why you don't see billboards near the San Diego Convention Center. Instead, advertisers opt to wrap hotels or other buildings and get fined for it. This year, the city issued more than $48,000 in fines for the wraps. Billy Hatch from Carlsbad is now a Guinness World Record holder. The Union Tribune says back in 1957, Billy bought a brand new black convertible Corvette. He took his then-girlfriend, now wife, for a ride in it on their first date. Now, the UT says, an application has been approved by Guinness World Records for the longest ownership of a vehicle from New. And yesterday, a birthday party for the car was held in the parking lot of the shops at Carlsbad. Congrats to Billy, his wife, and his Corvette. From KPVS, you're listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

One of the things I love about the YMCA is that it's built around community. It's where children discover new passions, adults focus on their health, and neighbors come together through programs that make everyone feel welcome. Whether you're looking for fitness, swimming, camps, child care, or family activities, there's something for everyone. More connection, more opportunity, more why. To learn more, visit YMCASD.org. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. was at the San Diego Rescue Mission and National City yesterday, unveiling a new federal approach to homelessness and addiction. The administration calls it treatment first. Health reporter Heidi DeMarco says the county currently has limited treatment capacity. And nobody is in charge of the attic all the way through. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. says the current addiction treatment system is fragmented. People move from law enforcement to detox, rehab, and housing. He says a new federal toolkit is meant to change that. Treatment first brings behavioral health, housing, public safety, employment. Faith-based organizations, families and communities together around a common goal. Homelessness advocate Joanne Stanley says the problem with the playbook is a lack of long-term treatment options. 30 days does not heal anyone. 12 months, 18 months, residential. That's what people really need. San Diego County has added detox beds in recent years, but detox is only one step in recovery. The question is what happens next, especially for someone who needs a longer-term treatment but can't find a bed. Here in San Diego, advocates say the challenge may be whether there are enough resources to put that roadmap into practice. Heidi DeMarco, KPBS News. San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln left for deployment almost nine months ago with no word on when they'll return home. Sailor's families are frustrated and sailors have reportedly attempted to jump overboard. Military reporter Andrew Dyer says the Navy should expect morale to be low after keeping the ship at sea for months. At an in-person town hall with the acting Navy secretary in Coronado last week, Navy families reportedly voiced frustration about the length of Lincoln's deployment. The ship's been deployed since November and hasn't had a port call. The ship has been conducting operations against Iran. It recently set a record for consecutive days spent at sea. According to the Navy Times, at least two Lincoln sailors have tried to jump overboard during the deployment. Other reports say ship living conditions and the quality of food has deteriorated. If what the media reports is true, I'm not at all surprised that morale is very low. Attorney Don King spent 24 years in the Navy as a judge advocate general and a military judge, time that included aircraft carrier deployments. King says under the best conditions, carrier deployments are difficult. Everybody on the ship is working long hours.

you know, especially if you're in the Middle East, the heat, especially if you're on the flight deck. I mean, it's incredibly taxing. A Navy official tells KPBS the service hasn't seen an increase in suicidal ideation or attempts on the Lincoln during its deployment. The Navy won't say when the ship will turn around for home. Andrew Dyer, KPBS News. New beds for unhoused women and children will become available next week in downtown San Diego. Pennerfellow Emmy Burris reports the homeless women's shelter program, Rachel's Promise, will see a 160 bed expansion. Single women will start moving into the shelter next week, and women with children will move in next month. The new private and semi-private bed options bring the total number of available beds at Rachel's Promise to 210. In addition to a bed, people who stay here will get meals, clothes, laundry, and shower access, and support services like housing-related case management. The shelter program is operated by Catholic Charities. Their CEO is Vino Peronore. We believe that you give them the fish. The fish is the bed. If fish is the food that you're going to provide, right? Then you're going to tease them to fish because at what point of time, they have to become self-sufficient and sustainable. The operations and administrative costs of the shelter program are funded by the city of San Diego. This money was allocated in the most recent city budget. Here's San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. And as we tighten our belt to meet our legal obligations to balance our budget, we still are providing more resources to make sure that we can continue to grow our capacity and get more people off the streets and on their way to permanent housing. Perrinor says there's no time limit for how long a person can stay at the shelter. Emmy Burrus, KPBS News.

The city of San Diego says bathrooms in Mission Bay will reopen on Friday. Reporter Katie Anastis says the mayor's office and two city council members have found a way to fund them. The city closed 13 of the 28 bathrooms in Mission Bay Park in July. Now, city leaders have found a way to reopen them, at least through the end of the year. Council members Jennifer Campbell and Joe Lakava will each use $50,000 to maintain the bathrooms through December. Mission Bay Park is in both of their districts. Lakava says he has $100,000 in community funds to spend this year. The issue of the closed restrooms really rose to the top, and so I am dedicating half of that money that I'm allocated towards reopening these public restaurants along Mission Bay. Mayor Todd Gloria says other funding for the bathrooms will come from the city's general fund. City leaders will consider whether they can keep the bathrooms open through June when they review the mid-year budget. Katie Annastas, KBBS News. If you're interested in San Diego history, the Marston House is worth a visit. In part one of our August museum a month, reporter John Carroll explores the home and the legacy of the family that lived there.

George Marston had already lived in San Diego for 35 years before he built his family's iconic home in 1905, adjacent to what was then known as City Park. It would become Balboa Park five years later. Marston and his wife Anna spent the rest of their lives in the 8,500 square foot home. They died in the 1940s. Their daughter, Mary, lived there until she died in 1987 at the age of 107. She gave the house to the city of San Diego. Soho, the Save Our Heritage Organization, took over management of the property in 2009. Hi there. Welcome to the Marston House. Thank you. Robin Lakin is the site manager, curator, and historian. She's a walking encyclopedia on the house, and the Marston family, especially its patriarch, George. And he's a father of Babel Park, the father of Presidio Park. He's provided San Diego with about a half a million acres of parkland. Anzabird of the Tori Point State Reserve is why we don't have private beaches in San Diego. The home is situated on a five-and-a-half-acre plot surrounded by lawns and gardens. It was built in the arts and craft style by famed architect Sterling Hebert and Irving Gill. It's chalk full of Marston family history, reflective of San Diego's modern history. Just off the entrance is the Holmes Library. The room has its original linen burlap wall covering, which was very popular treatment in arts and crafts and craftsman-style homes. Long-time San Diego's department stores, but it's here in the library where we start to learn about Marston's philanthropic gifts to this city. George Marston was the founder of the San Diego Public Library, so it's apropos. He has a nice library of his own. Across the hall, the music room. The Marston's were all accomplished pianists. A poster hanging on the wall prompts Lakin to tell us about the 1915 Panama, California Exposition. This is one of the promotional posters. This is an original from the time. Then on to the living room and more fascinating history. A circular wooden table anchors the middle of this space. People seated at this table were... Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor, Teddy and his wife, Mrs. Grover T. Cleveland, along with our notable locals, Spreckles, scripts, sessions. We walk on to a room at the end of the large downstairs hallway. This is the dining room. The spacious room is bright and airy with a stickly dining room set. Next to that, the butler's pantry, where staff plated up food and washed dishes. This is the kitchen. Lakin says Mary Marston upgraded the kitchen in the 1930s, but it didn't change much after that. They only...

upgrade the refrigerators. Our walk-around of the downstairs area complete, we approach the grand staircase. But before climbing up, Lakin tells us about Marston founding Pomona College in 1887, one of the first institutions of higher learning in Southern California, and more about what was important to George Marston. Green spaces for everyone, for emotional and physical health, and educational resources. Everyone deserves educational resources. That's one of his reasons for founding the San Diego Public Library. At the southeast corner of the second floor, we find George and Anna's bedroom, complete with an east-facing balcony. And George, as a very early bird, every day, could sit out here and watch the sunrise. He missed an opportunity for nothing. He used every minute of every day of his life. There's a charge to tour the house, but the grounds are open to the public. The Marston's eldest daughter, Mary, took care of her parents until they died. The walls in her bedroom are filled with pictures and text, telling of Marston's legacy, all reflected in what is now the motto of San Diego County. The noblest motive is the public good. He founded the San Diego Public Library, the Humane Society, the YMCA, the SPCA. Oh, God, he founded the Humane Society? The San Diego Historical Society. Next, a trip out to Warner Springs for a look at another property managed by Soho, the Warner Carrillo Ranch House, an Adobe structure that holds a unique place in the history of eastern San Diego County. John Carroll, KPBS News. We'll have that feature on the Warner Carrillo Ranch House next week on the pod. Students in Vista returned to school on Wednesday, but for one group of kids, this is no ordinary start. Their campus was completely rebuilt with state-of-the-art facilities. North County reporter Alexander Wend tells us what the new campus has to offer. The Bobia Elementary campus was torn down two years ago after voters approved a bond measure giving the green light for a $100 million rebuild. Principal Melanie Paliotti says that was sorely needed. The old Bobier was over 60 years old and in definite need of repair and improvements. So what does the new school have that the old one didn't? Paliati says, a lot. We're pretty sustainable. Most all of our power will be generated right here from our solar panels. It's just very modern. Our HVAC systems, our playgrounds, everything is very innovative and modernized and safe for all students. Money for the rebuild came from Measure LL, a $247 million bond passed in 2018. Alexander Wynn, KPPS News.

That's it for the podcast today. Today's pod was edited by Brooke Ruth and hosted and produced by me, Lawrence K. Jackson. As always, you can find more San Diego News online at KPBS.org. Thanks for listening and have a great day. KPBS On Demand is supported by Walter Anderson Nursery, family owned and operated since 1928, providing San Diego with gardening expertise and independent service for four generations. For more information, visit walteranderson.com.