La Jolla Savings Pass touted as a success following September launch
Just over a month since the La Jolla Savings Pass launched, La Jolla Village Merchants Association executive director Jodi Rudick says the program is “off the charts successful.”
The Savings Pass offers a centralized location for discounts and deals at La Jolla businesses, ranging from 10% off admission to local museums to 50% off select retail stores. The application is administered by the La Jolla Village Merchants Association and facilitated through Vibemap, a phone app that allows users to search for activities by neighborhoods or categories.
The pass was launched on Sept. 4 and since then, Rudick said 559 users have signed up.
The pass is available for free download through online app stores. Learn more lajollabythesea.com/la-jolla-savings-pass
La Jollans invited to contribute to Dia de los Muertos ofrenda
In honor of Dia de los Muertos on Nov. 1, a La Jolla resident is turning her Windansea storefront into a traditional ofrenda, or altar to deceased loved ones, and inviting La Jollans to contribute to it.
Marian Toscano is the co-founder and cultural design curator of Vortice Artesana & Design, a gallery and interior design studio at 504 Nautilus St. in La Jolla.
She is encouraging La Jollans to place photos of their lost loved ones on a display that also includes fragrant marigolds, colorful tissue paper banners, also known as papel picado, and decorated sugar skulls, or calaveras.
“Dia de los Muertos has taken on a profound meaning since losing my son, Raenn,” Toscano said in a press release. “It’s a day when grief and love exists, side by side, and a beautiful reminder that although I can no longer hold Raenn in my arms, his presence remains forever in my heart. This Dia de los Muertos altar is my gift of hope to La Jolla. It’s a sacred space where the community is invited to gather together to celebrate the wonderful legacy of life, love and light that our departed loved ones left behind.”
Photos can be dropped off 12-6 p.m. Monday and Friday until a community celebration on Sunday, Nov. 1, where visitors can see the finalized ofrenda, make their way through the gallery and enjoy food including Mexican hot chocolate, pan de muerto (a spin on pan dulce, or sweet bread) and other sweets.
Holocaust Living Memory Workshop series to return to UCSD
UC San Diego’s Holocaust Living History Workshop is back for its 18th season this month with a lineup of talks exploring memory, survival, resistance and identity.
The annual series is presented by the UCSD Library and Jewish Studies Program and aims to preserve the stories of Holocaust victims and survivors, deepen people’s understanding of them and reflect on the effects of antisemitism, persecution and intolerance.
This year’s slate takes place on select Thursdays from October to April.
Each free program is open to the public at the university’s Geisel Library. All events except for the virtual Oct. 22 lecture require advanced registration.
The schedule is as follows:
• Oct. 22: “Anne Frank: Her World and Ours,” featuring author Ruth Franklin (This event is virtual-only and can be accessed at youtube.com/UCSanDiegoLibrary)
• Nov. 19: “Holocaust Memory and its Discontents: The Case of Germany,” featuring Michael Rothberg, a professor and 1939 Society Samuel Goetz Chair in Holocaust Studies at UCLA
• Jan. 21: “Understanding Love and Eros in the Holocaust: A German-Jewish Gay Romance in Prague,” featuring Anna Hájková, the co-director for the Centre for Global Jewish Studies in the United Kingdom
• Feb. 25: “Hiding in World War Two Budapest and Jewish Life in Hungary after 1945,” featuring Holocaust survivor Maria Coleman
• April 15: “The Lost Legacy of Warsaw Ghetto Fighters,” featuring Jan Gross, professor of history emeritus at Princeton University
Learn more: library.ucsd.edu
UC San Diego’s Preuss School recognized for voter registration numbers
The Preuss School at UC San Diego was recently recognized for its efforts to register young voters as part of the Dr. Shirley N. Weber Voter Registration Challenge.
Last month, the office of the San Diego City Clerk partnered with the Office of Child and Youth Success to host a two-week challenge for local high schools as part of the city’s ongoing effort to promote civic engagement among local youth.
During the challenge, staff shared resources and promotional materials to encourage students to register to vote. In addition to registering students 18 and older to vote, schools also encouraged eligible 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister so they automatically become registered voters when they turn 18 years of age.
Throughout the challenge, 16 high schools participated to engage students ages 16-18. The winning schools for the highest number of student participation are:
• San Diego High School
• The Preuss School UC San Diego
• Southwest High School
“It is inspiring to see the excitement for civic engagement from our local San Diego high school students,” said City Clerk Diana Fuentes. “Their enthusiasm for civic participation reflects a new generation ready to make their voices heard and shape the future of their communities.”
Scripps Health lands No. 1 spot in Best Workplaces in Healthcare list
Scripps Health, including its Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, recently landed the No. 1 spot on the Fortune 100 Best Workplaces in Health Care list for 2026 in the large employer category. It is the only local health system to be included on the list.
San Diego, CA – September 16: The Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla campus is seen on September 16, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Placements for the Best Workplaces in Health Care list are based off of survey responses from over 222,000 employees. A press release from Scripps Health further explains: “Honorees were selected based on their ability to offer positive outcomes for employees regardless of job role, work status, or other demographic factor(s).”
The large employers category is made up of companies who have 1,000 or more employees.
The survey found that 93% of Scripps employees said it was a great place to work. The national average is 57%. Scripps Health also ranked highly for adequate staffing, fair pay and equipping staff with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs.
UCSD study reveals how pancreatic cancer evolves to evade treatment
A new analysis of nearly half a million cells from dozens of pancreatic tumors, led by researchers at the La Jolla-based UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and New York University, reveals how pancreatic cancer cells continuously reshape their genetic makeup over time, enabling them to evade treatment.
The study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, focused on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (also known as PDAC), a difficult-to-treat pancreatic cancer known to kill more than 85 percent of people within five years of diagnosis.
“Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive human malignancies, with a dismal survival rate and very few resources and tools to combat it,” said Diane Simeone, MD, director of Moores Cancer Center and co-senior author of the study. “Our work shows that within a single tumor, different clones are evolving in parallel, taking on different identities and interacting with the immune and stromal landscape in distinct ways. That heterogeneity is why the disease is so hard to treat, because every tumor is unique.”
The new study analyzed genetic activity in 443,451 single cells taken from 62 tumors in 59 people with PDAC, revealing a diverse set of clones, or clusters of tumor cells that have a similar genetic makeup. These clones showed striking differences in behavior, with some evolving to resist therapy and others acquiring the ability to spread rapidly. The findings suggest that ongoing reshaping of the cancer cells’ DNA fuels both treatment resistance and metastasis.
The study also identified specific genetic changes that emerge during tumor evolution, including increased activity of the MYC gene — a well-established driver of pancreatic cancer — in aggressive basal tumor cell populations.
Further experiments showed that blocking MYC activity reverted the cells to the less aggressive classical form and exposed them to more immune cells, potentially making them more vulnerable to immune attack.
In addition to offering new insights into PDAC and suggesting possibilities for treatment, the research also builds on UC San Diego’s established leadership in pancreatic cancer research and care.
Alpha Project clears brush from Bike Path
Working in conjunction with the city of San Diego, the Alpha Project recently cleared dead and dying brush from the Palomar Street overpass that was considered a fire hazard on the La Jolla Bike Path.
Community volunteer Debbie Adams reported that the brush had accumulated over several years.
The mission of the Alpha Project is to empower individuals, families, and communities by providing work, recovery and support services to people who are motivated to change their lives and achieve self-sufficiency.