This is an exciting time of year for so many in town. Our two daughters are home from finishing their second year of college, one at Boston University and one at Villanova. We get our two sons home over the next couple of weeks, but first we will be going to our son’s graduation this weekend from Penn with his Master’s degree. I wish all the families and students the best with their end-of-school-year activities, and especially the seniors as they move on to new chapters in their lives.
In addition to the work at the City Council meetings and on outside Boards representing Coronado, a great part of being Mayor is attending so many community events, and it has been jam-packed lately. It is always my honor to go, not because I think I am special, but rather because the office of Mayor of the City is special. It is an honor to represent the City in the community as often as possible.
The past two weeks have included Rotarians at Work Day, working on projects at the Fire Station, and the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of Pilates of Coronado on the bayside. It was a pleasure to be part of the Workshop for Warriors Gala on the Midway, alongside Coronadan Brian Cooper and his wife, Megan Keller. I had the unique opportunity to join Coronadan Bill Bartsch on a Pilot boat, where I learned about bringing in large vessels like the impressive Dole Banana Boat and how to guide big ships, such as cruise liners, out of the Bay. Additionally, I had the honor, as Mayor, of swearing in the new Board Members of the San Diego Working Waterfront Association and giving a presentation. I also participated in the Mayor’s panel at the South County Economic Development Council’s annual gathering.
A week ago, I was given the opportunity to visit the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, as a Distinguished Visitor, along with Councilmember Mark Fleming and Coronadan Mark O’Brien. The day started with a flight from North Island out to the Carrier on an Osprey aircraft, which has a unique tilt rotor design, transitioning from helicopter to plane while in flight.
Once we landed on the Carrier, we immediately went from safety briefing to gearing up and out on the flight deck to watch daytime take-offs and landings of F-18’s, F-35’s and E-2s. It was mesmerizing to watch the delicate ballet of planes being moved around, heat shields up, and planes being quickly catapulted off short runways on the ship.
We toured the entire ship, and I was constantly amazed at the hard work and complexity of the operation being run by 5000 Navy Sailors and Aviators on board, with the average age being 23 years old. It is not an easy life, and my respect and gratitude continues its never-ending growth for our military. We attended night flights, spent the night on the ship, and flew back ship-to-shore the next afternoon after an extremely busy morning on the ship. Thank you to the Commanding Officer, Captain Will “Fathead” Mathis, for his gracious hosting of this absolutely amazing experience.
It was a pleasure to attend and participate many other community events, including the Sacred Heart School Golf Tournament, judging at the Coronado Safe Harbor Chili cook off at the VFW, doing a Proclamation at the Opening Day of the fun and friendly Coronado Cays Yacht Club, and attending the Coronado wedding of my friends, Joe Cook and Jeanmarie Gallagher at Sacred Heart, with the reception at Feast and Fareway.
Motorcars on Main Street was another fantastic event. The community and visitors came out in large numbers, enjoying the day and admiring the impressive variety of high-quality cars. I was delighted to present the Mayor’s Award to a stunning 1960 Morgan convertible in dark green, owned by Coronado resident Chris Guild.
The community vibe was also very high this weekend with the Art and Wine Festival, presented in conjunction with the Coronado Schools Foundation and the Chamber of Commerce. It was really nice to see so many people out walking and enjoying the event.
I also enjoyed speaking and presenting Letters of Recognition to three Coronadans who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout: Connor Bear, Frank Hartge, and Trey Gregory. The ceremony on the Midway was meaningful, with beautiful Coronado shining in the background.
Thank you to everyone involved in volunteering and making all these events and activities so successful. It is so wonderful to see the community supporting so many great causes.
Finally, Council recently passed an ordinance banning the sale of 7-OH and related products in the City, as many cities from Oceanside to San Diego have done. I strongly recommend that you and the people you know consider researching the dangers of any unregulated products/supplements often referred to as “gas station/liquor store supplements” before trying them. Wishing everyone a great week.
VOL. 116, NO. 19 – May 13, 2026