Oceanside has two back-to-back community events lined up to celebrate America's 250th birthday. The day kicks off at 10:00 a.m. with the Oceanside Independence Parade, a local tradition going back to 1892, followed by the USA 250 Festival at the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The festival is free and open to the public, with live country music headlined by Craig Campbell, a Chili Cook-off, pinewood derby races, a Kids Grand Prix, a free Fun Zone, and lots of delicious food! Both events are a collaborative effort between MainStreet Oceanside and the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit the event page here! | |
Reveille!
Updates regarding military/Veterans affairs in Oceanside
| The Veterans Association of North County (VANC) is hosting their 8th Annual Car Show on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the VANC building (1617 Mission Ave). From gleaming classics to modern rides, this free event promises a day packed with extraordinary vehicles of all years, makes, and models! Plus live music, great food, and trophies awarded across multiple categories. I will be the presenter for this event, so come ready for a great time! Car owners can kick off the morning with a pancake breakfast at 8am before the show floor opens. Spots are limited to the first 110 registrants, so don't wait, early bird registration is just $30 through June 11th. Best of all, every dollar raised goes directly to supporting America's veterans, military members, and their families. For more information or to register, please visit the event page here. | |
Tenant Rights Workshop
On Saturday, June 20th from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, CSA San Diego County Fair Housing is hosting a free Manufactured Home Tenant Rights Workshop at the Mission Branch Library, located at 3861 Mission Ave. The workshop will cover Fair Housing, Tenant Rights, State Mobilehome Residency Law, and Oceanside's Rent Control regulations as they apply to manufactured homes. This is a useful resource for anyone living in a manufactured home community in Oceanside who wants a better understanding of their rights as a tenant.
If any residents would like to set up a meeting with me, please reach out to me at RWRobinson@OceansideCA.org or call (760) 435-3033. I would be happy to meet with you and your neighbors to answer any questions, discuss any issues, or listen to any concerns you have.
| |
Tupulaga Samoa Co-Ed Softball Tournament
The Tupulaga Samoa Co-Ed Softball Tournament, organized by Save Our Streets (SOS), takes place on Saturday, July 4th at Melba Bishop Park and serves as a community kickoff event leading into the 38th Annual Oceanside Samoan Cultural Celebration (OSCC) week. There is a prize for the first place team! Teams must be co-ed with a minimum of 4 women per team, and no more than 2 non-AAPI members per team. Team registration deadline is June 20th, or when slots are sold out. To register or for more information, contact Janet Siliga-Niu at sccsoftballtourney@gmail.com.
|
Getting Out in the Community in May
|
| I attended the 13th Annual North County Economic Summit, hosted by the San Diego North Economic Development Council at CSU San Marcos. This year's summit focused on North County's Life Science industry, with an emphasis on personalized medicine and the growing opportunities it is creating for local companies like Genentech and Argonaut Manufacturing. The event brought together business, civic, and community leaders from across the region to explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping North County's economy, with a keynote presentation from Naomi Young and the release of the 2026 North County Indicators report. It was a valuable opportunity to stay connected with the regional economic landscape and the industries driving growth in our community. | I had the privilege of attending this year's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Garden Reception on May 22nd. It was a meaningful evening honoring the 2026 scholarship recipients and their families, a reminder of the incredible young people in our community and the difference that collective investment in their futures can make. If you're looking for a worthwhile program to support, I encourage you to look into the MLK Scholarship Program. Donations go directly to students and are entirely privately funded. You can reach the MLK Scholarship Coordinator at (760) 435-5042 or mlkscholarship@oceansideca.org. | I attended the Cal Cities San Diego County Division meeting in May, hosted in partnership with Genentech down in San Diego. The event featured a panel discussion led by Congressman Scott Peters, alongside Dan Hagewiesche, Genentech Oceanside Vice President/General Manager, and Melanie Cohn, Biocom Senior Director of Government Affairs. The conversation centered on the past, present, and future of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology industries in San Diego County, a sector that has grown from its pioneering roots 50 years ago into one of the region's most significant economic and innovation drivers. It was a valuable opportunity to stay connected with the conversations shaping our future. | | I had a blast attending this year's Armed Forces Day Operation Appreciation, hosted by the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce at the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater. The event, which has been a community tradition since 2002, brought together local businesses, residents, and thousands of active-duty military members and their families from Camp Pendleton for a day of food, live music, and celebration. It was a meaningful reminder of the strong bond between the Oceanside community and the military families who call this area home. Thank you to the Chamber for hosting a great event! | |
The Oceanside Utilities Commission met in May. The Commission voted to recommend City Council adoption of the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and the 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan, both of which the City is required to submit to the State of California every five years. I had the opportunity to present Commissioner Darin Vey with a certificate of appreciation for his dedicated service of nearly eight years to the Water Utilities Commission. The next meeting is scheduled for July 21, 2026 at 3:30 PM. | I had the honor of attending the Veterans Association of North County's (VANC) Annual Memorial Day Ceremony in May at their building off Mission Avenue. The ceremony featured a keynote address by Major General Anthony Jackson, USMC Retired, former Commanding General of Marine Corps Installations West and former Director of California State Parks. I was also given the opportunity to present the Navy Ship Bell Remembrance Ceremony. It was a solemn and meaningful morning dedicated to honoring the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. Thank you to VANC for an incredible event. | | The North County Dispatch JPA Board of Directors met in May. The meeting included several notable highlights, including a staff performance recognition honoring Dispatcher Aidali Arias for a CPR save on December 21, 2025, as well as recognition of the agency's ACE Accreditation. On the action side, the Board reviewed and approved the MOU between NCDJPA and the NCDJPA Dispatchers Association, and also approved the FY 2026-2027 budget along with several accompanying resolutions covering pay schedules and staffing positions. The consent calendar included quarterly communications and budget reports, and a conflict of interest resolution. The next Regular Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for August 26, 2026. | |
|
We had two Council Meetings in May, these are some of the items we took action on:
- Staff recommended adoption of an ordinance adding Article V to Chapter 17 of the Oceanside Municipal Code relating to illegal fireworks abatement.
- Motion: Adopt ordinance: Weiss. Second: Robinson. Approved: 5-0.
- City Council adopted a resolution terminating the Local Emergency Declaration related to the navigation channel of the Oceanside Harbor. City Council. Approved 5-0.
- Staff recommended the City Council establish the Homeless Evaluation, Assistance & Response Team (HEART) as a City-coordinated, multidisciplinary outreach model to support housing-focused street outreach and coordinated engagement with individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Amended Motion: Add three in-house outreach workers to the HEART program: Figueroa. Second: Joyce. Failed: 2-3 (Sanchez, Robinson, Weiss - No).
- Motion: Approve establishment of the HEART program: Sanchez. Second: Weiss. Approved: 5-0.
- Staff recommended approval of a 230-unit mixed-use development at 801-815 Mission Avenue, including 23 affordable units and 5,240 sq ft of commercial space.
- Motion: Adopt resolution approving the development plan and density bonus application: Sanchez. Second: Robinson. Approved: 5-0.
Our next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday, June 17th at 5:00pm.
For summaries of all City Council meetings, please click here.
|
Robinson's Reads!
I was searching my audio library for another book to listen to and came across a story that I was first introduced to in fourth grade: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. Maybe some of you remember this story about a young man growing up in Boston during the pre-Revolutionary War period and the Boston Tea Party in 1773. With the approaching 250th anniversary of our Republic close at hand, I decided to listen to it one more time.
I don’t want to give the ending away, so I will just say that if you don’t recall or have not read this story before, the author uses historical accounts to bring the characters to life. As a little tease: Johnny starts as an apprentice silversmith, but an accident orchestrated by jealous coworkers forces him into a career change—one that brings him straight into the heart of the pending American Revolution.
After finishing the book (which is about a four-hour listen), I wondered how accurate Esther Forbes had been in her fictional accounts. Returning to my audio library, I found a lecture series by Adam Jortner called The Hidden History of the Boston Tea Party. While limited to this specific historical event, I found that both well-known history and the lesser-known facts uncovered by the author beautifully support the fictional world of Johnny Tremain.
Jortner delivers six lectures that he originally wrote for his college course. Fair warning: it will take several hours to hear all six, but if you are even the slightest history buff, you will learn things you never knew before. That’s exactly why it is titled the “Hidden History.”
Until next time, happy reading!
| | | | |
