DEAN’S LIST
The following students made the fall dean’s list at their respective institutions: Catherine Gizzo of Del Mar, Sienna Balardeta of Encinitas and Gracie Hass of Rancho Santa Fe at the College of William & Mary in Virginia; Charlotte Cliff of Carlsbad, Lana Davis of Del Mar, Analisa Saffiote of Escondido and J.D. Class of San Marcos at George Fox University in Oregon; Caroline Carnes of San Marcos at Fairfield University in Connecticut; and John Gulino of Escondido and Cameron Fikes of San Marcos at the University of North Dakota.
MUSIC GRANT
Prebys Foundation, as part of its Healing Through Arts and Nature initiative, gave Villa Musica a $77,000 renewal grant. Villa Musica, based near the UC San Diego campus, plans to use the funds to expand its Musical Biographies program. “In partnership with the UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, this program was designed to bring together people with all forms of dementia, their care-givers, and family in a unique multi-sensorial experience that centers around music and memory,” said Dr. Fiona Chatwin, executive and artistic director of Villa Musica. “Participants work with Villa Musica teaching artists, care partners, and extended family members to identify music that inspires memory; memory of an important occasion, an event, an era, and then design and decorate a personal memory book that brings their musical choices to life.”
TRAIN CAMP
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park opened applications on Feb. 17 for its summer camps in June, July and August. Public registration opens March 2. The summer camps include building either a mock railroad or a working layout, including the construction of a miniature town filled with trees, people and buildings.
HEALTH CENTER EXPANSION
TrueCare, a nonprofit community health center, added on to its San Marcos campus. The health center grew from 1,800 square feet to more than 4,300. The expansion included four additional exam rooms, a community room and a larger lobby to accommodate seniors and their caregivers. TrueCare has health centers in San Diego and Riverside counties and treats nearly 70,000 patients each year.
CHILDREN’S BOOK
Carrie Dawn, a retired preschool teacher of 35 years, will read her new book, “Tales From Wiggleberry” at local libraries throughout March in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Dawn will read her story at the Carmel Valley Library on March 3 at 4 p.m.; the Rancho Santa Fe Library on March 18 at 10:30 a.m.; and the Coronado Public Library on March 28 as part of the San Diego Writers Festival. “It’s more important than ever before to give young children a wide array of engaging books and show them how fun reading can be,” Dawn said. “Reading is a fun, magical way to transport us to different worlds and use our imaginations.”
CUDDLE THERAPY
In partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego, the Helen Woodward Animal Center celebrated Valentine’s Day with Pet Encounter Therapy (PET). Throughout the week, the animal center’s pets provided soft nuzzles and a special heart-shaped flower in an effort to give joy and healing to young patients battling serious, often life-threatening conditions, and their families. “There is so much work that goes into fighting a serious illness, for both the child and its family,” said Robin Cohen, Helen Woodward Animal Center’s PET manager. “Bringing a few moments of downtime, laughter, healing and peace to these individuals is something that therapy animals do so well.”
SUPPORTING VETERANS
San Marcos-based Wounded Warrior Homes held a fundraising event on Feb. 4 at Pacific Social in San Diego to further support its Women Veterans Center. The center provides a safe environment tailored to the needs of women veterans, including offering short-term housing and trauma-informed mental health support. Over 500 veterans and families are registered through the food pantry, and WWH provided beds to female veterans on 240 nights between September and December 2025, according to a spokesperson.
