Thanksgiving Holiday
To minimize the spread of COVID-19 and ensure families stay safe during the 2020 Thanksgiving holiday, the County of San Diego has provided guidance about celebrating safely here.  City of Escondido facilities will be closed on November 26 and 27, with emergency services always available. The Weekly Activity Report will resume on December 3. Happy Thanksgiving, Escondido!

Mountain View Park Fitness Court Now Open!
On November 18, City leadership unveiled Escondido's new outdoor Fitness Court located in Mountain View Park. The court is now open and is a great spot for a socially distanced workout!

This project is part of the National Fitness Campaign that aims to help cities build and fund healthy infrastructure. This court is part of a larger network of courts that will be installed throughout the region, including four more in Escondido.

The fitness court is a seven-station system that has an accompanying free mobile app to help guide your workouts! There will also be free workout classes held at the court guided by our Fitness Court Ambassadors. More information about the court and ambassador program can be found here: https://recreation.escondido.org/fitness-court-1.aspx

Escondido Businesses Stick Together
On Saturday, November 14 local artists and creators utilized unused outdoor space along Grand Avenue for a Second Saturday Art Walk. This socially distanced event followed all County guidance and was a success; restaurant patios were busy, local art was displayed along Grand Avenue, and retail businesses saw an uptick in sales. Check out the 10News coverage of the day here.

Church of RB “Serve Day”
Last Saturday, November 14, members of The Church of Rancho Bernardo gathered at Kit Carson Park and Grape Day Park for their annual “Serve Day.”  The Church of Rancho Bernardo is a faith-based organization committed to being good neighbors in North County and wanted to volunteer for park improvements in Escondido.  Over 200 socially-distanced and “masked-up” members gathered at Kit Carson Park and painted signage, removed trash and replaced mulch in planter boxes to stop erosion.  Another group of 65 members worked concurrently at Grape Day Park and planted roses, mulched planter boxes and placed flowers in areas near and around City Hall.  We are incredibly thankful for their efforts!

Volunteer Hub Wins Golden Watchdog Award
The San Diego County Taxpayers Association has awarded Escondido their Metro Golden Watchdog Award for our use of technology with the Volunteer Hub. Since the launch of the Volunteer Hub in 2019 the City has received over 7,500 visits to the site, and overall their volunteer efforts have resulted in taxpayer savings of over $800,000. More information about the award can be found here. Great job team!

Small Business Saturday – November 28
Supporting our local small businesses is more important than ever this year. The City of Escondido, Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Business Association have partnered this year to support our small businesses. Let’s “Shop local, support local” every day and especially on Small Business Saturday, November 28.
Merchants and consumers can learn more about Shop Small, Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting www.ShopSmall.com.

Escondido Eats
Great news! Escondido Eats will be continuing through the holidays with “Escondido Eats, 25 Days to Go!” Promotions will run from December 1-25 to encourage curbside pickup and to-go of gifts and food leading up to the holidays! Stay tuned for more information.

San Diego County Moves into Purple Tier
The County of San Diego is now moving into the most restrictive COVID19 Purple Tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

What does this mean for City of Escondido facilities and programs?

• All playgrounds and parks will remain open with current modifications.
• City Hall will remain open.
• The Escondido Library will stay open at 25% capacity.
• The East Valley Community Center will close all indoor activities.

The graphic below outlines the new changes associated with the purple tier. These changes go into effect at 12 a.m. on Saturday, November 14.

Please continue to support each other safely and keep our most vulnerable community members healthy and safe. Cover your face, practice social distancing, and check on your neighbors. Escondido has come together as a community during this pandemic, let' s not lose sight of our hometown pride. For more information visit: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/coronavirus.html

Winterize Outdoor Dining and Retail Spaces
Safety first this winter season!  Find safety tips for winterizing your outdoor dining and retail spaces, as well as Fire Department regulations and more information here.  We are happy to provide feedback on your outdoor winter plan for your business.

Outdoor Business Operations and Temporary Business Fencing
The City recognizes the impact of COVID-19 restrictions limiting indoor operations and is here to help.  The City’s Business Recovery Strategy encourages outdoor dining and retail operations, and has made improvements to streamline that process. More information can be found here.

If you are moving some of your business operations outdoors and looking for temporary event fencing, submit a fencing request with your business information, contact information, and the length of fencing you need to business@escondido.org.  Fencing will be made available for businesses to pick up at the City’s Public Works yard, while supplies last.  Quantities limited.  More information is available here.

Manufacturing Survey
Are you involved in the manufacturing industry in the North County? If so, the City's partner agency Innovate78 wants to hear from you! Innovate78 is conducting a survey to get a comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing industry along the 78 Corridor. Take the survey at: https://bit.ly/35ei9mv

Art Walk on Grand Avenue
MAGEC is excited to bring you the first 2nd Saturday Art Walk on Grand Avenue. Take an afternoon stroll on Grand Avenue, visit the downtown art galleries and discover pop up artists along the way. This is a great time to start your holiday shopping and support local artists and businesses.

And experience Escondido dining with an Escondido Eats Special offered as part of the Fill your Heart Fill your Plate program. Find out more information here.

Veterans Day – November 11
City facilities will be closed on Wednesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Thank you to all of our veterans both near and far. We are thankful for your service.

Escondido Eats
The Escondido Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Association are hosting Escondido Eats “Fill Your Plate, Fill Your Heart”, which is 20 days of restaurant deals and specials.  
“Fill Your Plate, Fill Your Heart” runs from November 2 through Sunday, November 22. For more  details visit www.EscondidoEats.com.
Would your restaurant want to participate in this event? Click here to sign up: http://bit.ly/EE_RestaurantSignUp

New Playground at Dixon Lake
There is a new playground at Dixon Lake! The design of the new structure was voted on by the public over the course of several months. Visitors to the park were given a ticket and voted on one of 4 options. The winning design features a boat and ties in perfectly with the lake in the background.
The playground was paid for by generous grants and donations from Escondido Charitable Foundation, Kiwanis International, Hidden Valley Kiwanis, a Neighborhood Redevelopment Program grant, along with donations from other local clubs. 

New Recycling Bags  
As part of the City’s campaign to encourage residents of multifamily housing to recycle and properly dispose of hazardous waste, the Recycling Division and Graphics Department designed new reusable tote bags. In addition to being covered in relevant information in both English and Spanish, the bags provide a vehicle for apartment/trailer/condo residents to carry their recyclables to the community recycling bin. The handle on the bottom gives the dumper a way to prevent the entire bag from going into the dumpster, along with its contents. The production of these bags was sponsored in part by funds from the Regional Solid Waste Authority (RSWA) and were produced by a local business, MI California in Escondido.

Celebrating Halloween Safely
Halloween is this weekend, and it will have to look a little different this year. The County of San Diego has shared information about how to celebrate safely with your family. Check it out here. 

Voting Information
The 2020 Presidential General Election is next week on November 3.  In light of COVID-19, voters are encouraged to vote from home using their mail ballot. But those who want to vote in person can vote early at their assigned polling place from Saturday, October 31 through Monday, November 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Polls will also be open on Election Day, November 3. For more information, and to find your polling place click visit:https://www.escondido.org/election2020.aspx

Grand Avenue Art Barriers
The "Beautify Escondido" Mural project along the Grand Avenue barriers is moving along! Check out some of the artwork below, and thank you to everyone making this project possible to create a warm welcome for Escondido's outdoor dining.

Mountain View Park Survey
We need your feedback! The City has two potential project ideas for a section of Mountain View Park, let us know which you prefer by taking the survey here.

Police Athletic League Youth Football Camp
Escondido PAL will be hosting a free co-ed football camp for children aged 7-13 on November 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This event will help children understand the importance of exercise and they will learn easy football drills. No skills are required and all levels are invited to attend. More information and required waivers can be found at www.escondidopal.org. All County of San Diego COVID guidelines and precautions will be in place. No spectators will be allowed for this event.

• Where: Ryan Park - 390 Hidden Trails Road Escondido, CA 92027

Grant Applications:

• The Community Services Department and the Environmental Programs Division have applied for a grant through the San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. If awarded, this grant will provide $25,000 to fund the purchase and installation of approximately seven water bottle filling stations at some of our busiest parks and facilities throughout the City. Partnered with the stations will be educational signage that will encourage environmentally friendly practices, and contain messaging about safe and reliable tap water. These filling stations will benefit the thousands of community members that visit our parks, play in our sports leagues, and utilize our facilities every day.