Westfield UTC shortens free parking time
A new parking policy at Westfield University Town Center has reduced the mall’s free parking down from two hours to one.
Westfield UTC began charging for parking in 2018 after 41 years of letting customers park for free. At the time, Australia-based Westfield said the change was the result of people leaving cars there all day and not shopping.
The two-to-one-hour change was launched March 2. Explaining the change, Ryan Perry, senior general manager at Westfield UTC, said it was needed to free up parking for shoppers.
After the free hour, customers will be charged $2 each hour thereafter. The daily maximum is $15.
Still, there are ways for guests to have a cost-free extended visit. Customers will still get vouchers at the 24-Hour Fitness gym, Seasons 52 restaurant, and the UTC Ice Sports Center. They will also get a two-hour voucher at the upgraded AMC 14, which has areas to scan parking passes in the hallway upon exiting cinemas.
Alternatively, guests can take the Blue Line directly to the shopping center. The San Diego Trolley extension was completed in 2021 and riders can walk from the station down an escalator to the main mall.
2026 San Diego Writers Festival to feature three La Jollans
The seventh annual San Diego Writers Festival is set to return to the Coronado Public Library and surrounding venues later this month, and three of the many authors participating in the event are La Jollans.
Anthony and Christina Adams, who wrote “Chasing Shadows” under the pen name A.C. Adams will be featured in a panel, “Mystery Authors Writing Across Genres.” Zoe Ghahremani, meanwhile, will discuss her writing journey in a solo program, “Let Your Passion Light Your Future.”
Author and La Jolla resident Zoe Ghahremani gives a reading to children at Bird Rock Bookshop on Oct. 25 as part of the BirdStock Music Festival. (Jodi Bratch)
Both panels will take place Saturday, March 28 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Learn more at sandiegowritersfestival.com.
La Jolla based Jiu-Jitsu studio offering free self defense classes
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu La Jolla is hosting a series of free and open-to-the-public self-defense seminars this month focused on practical, real-world safety skills, according to organizers. Intended for those 13 years and older, the seminars introduce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu’s Women Empowered and Gracie Combatives programs, which teach leverage-based techniques designed to help individuals defend themselves regardless of size, strength or athletic ability.
The next seminar is at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 29 at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu La Jolla, 7598 Eads Ave. Learn more or reserve a spot at graciejiu-jitsulajolla.com.
SIO receives ‘historic’ $15 million grant
The La Jolla-based Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has received a $15 million grant from the Fund for Science and Technology.
These funds will expand observational capabilities into parts of the ocean where data has been historically sparse or nonexistent. The resulting insights are intended to help scientists understand how the ocean is changing and what those changes mean for the planet.
The grant, the largest of its kind since Scripps became part of UC San Diego in 1960, will advance research in three key areas: monitoring of environmental DNA and other biomolecules in marine ecosystems; augmenting the renowned Argo network of ocean observing robots; and enhancing the study of ocean conditions beneath Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the Doomsday Glacier.
“The ocean holds answers to some of the most pressing questions about our planet’s future, but only if we can observe it,” said Meenakshi Wadhwa, SIO director and vice chancellor for marine sciences at UC San Diego. “This historic grant will help ocean scientists bring new tools and approaches to parts of the ocean we’ve barely begun to explore.”
San Diego native Jennifer Moreno honored at Soledad ceremony
The Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial Association honored the namesake of the Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in La Jolla at a ceremony on Feb. 28, featuring representatives from multiple veterans and student groups.
Moreno, a native of Logan Heights, was killed in 2013 while serving in the Army’s Cultural Support Teams alongside the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Those in attendance included members of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, multiple Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, Moreno’s high school JROTC instructor and guest speaker Chief Warrant Officer Tim Hughey (Ret). Highlights at the ceremony included performances from Mariachi Aguila de Logan Memorial Educational Campus and the San Diego High School Army JROTC Color Guard.
“Standing here today, we see the true face of the American story,” said Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial Association executive director Neil O’Connell. “Jennifer Moreno’s legacy isn’t just a military record — it is the story of a San Diego neighbor whose courage reflects the very best of our nation.”
UCSD awarded $1 million for brain cancer research
The University of California San Diego has received a $1 million donation from the Anders Foundation to accelerate its brain cancer research and improve treatment options for patients facing some of the most challenging forms of the disease, UC San Diego Today reported March 4.
The gift was designated to further advance and highlight essential and high-level glioblastoma research at UC San Diego, in addition to inspiring others to follow suit and ultimately contribute to this critical and developing area of medical research.
The donation will also support research initiatives advancing precision medicine approaches including studies of treatment response, comprehensive molecular profiling to personalize therapy and the application of artificial intelligence to detect trends that can guide more effective care. Together, these efforts move the field toward more individualized, biology-driven treatments, offering renewed hope to patients and families facing brain cancer.
The $1 million gift — made through the foundation via Valerie Anders, and in partnership with Gayle and Carl Nuffer — was motivated by the family’s personal experience at UC San Diego Health.
Carl Nuffer was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive brain cancer, in September 2024. Just days later, he underwent surgery, followed by radiation and participation in a clinical trial. After a period of recovery, Nuffer experienced a recurrence and underwent a second surgery.
A portion of the Anders Family Brain Cancer Research Fund was designated to establish an endowment, which will remain in perpetuity to support brain cancer research. In addition, a part of the gift was also designated to be immediately expendable, with the goal of expediting innovative research within the Department of Neurological Surgery and strengthening the Neurological Surgery Patient Tissue Bank, an essential resource for advancing the understanding and treatment of brain tumors.
Scripps Research adds to board of directors
Scripps Research’s latest appointment to their board of directors was made official March 2, as they welcomed entrepreneur and medical technology leader Joe Kiani to the ranks.
Kiani is the founder and executive chair of Willow Laboratories and the former chair and CEO of Masimo. The former is focused on advancing noninvasive approaches to treating diabetes and managing metabolic health. The latter is a medical technology company developing noninvasive monitoring strategies.
Kiani’s board experience includes work with Rady’s Children’s Hospital, The Carter Center and University of California Irvine’s Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, according to a press release from Scripps Research.
The San Diego State University alumnus, the release states, “brings decades of experience in patient safety and public service.” Scripps Research’s board of directors help guide the institute in its mission to improve human health through scientific discovery.
— The San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Phillip Molnar contributed to this report.