

Ashley Mackin Solomon
Ashley Mackin-Solomon is a reporter for the La Jolla Light, covering everything from community planning, sports, science, the arts, personalities and more. She has been with La Jolla Light since 2012. Prior to that, she was the editor of San Diego Uptown News; an intern with a New York-based publishing company, contributing to parenting magazines; and a reporter for the Eureka Reporter newspaper. She earned her journalism degree from Humboldt State University, now Cal Poly Humboldt. Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoors, yoga, cooking and stand-up comedy.
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Surfrider Foundation advocates 'moving infrastructure and property [developments] off the coast' to reduce seawall use, which it says interrupts natural erosion processes and the flow of sand that forms the...

‘ion for learning’: Bishop’s School top grad shares secrets to her success
Muping Wang, winner of the Harvard Cup for highest cumulative GPA, says she wanted to challenge herself while pursuing her love of science

Balance is key for La Jolla Country Day School top graduate Ayla Desai
Being able to explore her interests while taking challenging classes culminated in the Trustees’ Award for highest cumulative grade point average

La Jolla Cove working group creates five-point public access plan to present to San Diego
The proposal to address human/sea lion interactions includes improved signage, a script for tour buses, a marked viewing area and deterrents both for people and pinnipeds

La Jolla News Nuggets: Countdown menu, research grants, dance prize, Conrad residencies, more
News and events in brief

La Jolla tide pool enthusiasts help kick off statewide public science project
The month-long Snapshot Cal Coast initiative invites volunteers to take photos of tide pool species and them to an app to help scientists keep track

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Car crashes into bench and tree; police blotter
Crime and public safety

Lawsuit questions police body camera footage in fatal Bird Rock shooting
The grandmother of Dejon Heard accuses the San Diego Police Department of altering the footage, along with negligence, wrongful death, excessive force and more

Police break up large group of youths after fights break out on La Jolla beach
Police say 400-500 people showed up at Marine Street Beach for a ‘Fight Club’ type of event during which one person was seriously injured. A large amount of trash also...

A growing interest: Students in to create mini orchard at La Jolla Elementary
A volunteer project led by parent and master gardener Jennifer Giaconi plants 26 fruit trees on a campus hillside

La Jolla Garden Club puts a spring in the step of award recipients
Three community college students studying horticulture receive scholarships, and the Friends of Coast Walk Trail gets a grant

La Jolla’s Fourth of July show to feature 500 drones, but organizers seek donations
The number of drones is more than doubling, but future shows may be in jeopardy without more community funding, organizers say

Three La Jolla properties get historic designation
San Diego Historical Resources Board approves recognition for houses in The Village, La Jolla Heights and Muirlands

La Jolla News Nuggets: Sea lion birth, volunteer award, new house and ADU, medical news, more
News and events in brief

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Police blotter
Crime and public safety

La Jolla church expansion gets San Diego hearing officer’s approval
The project would add 2,270 square feet to Sea Change Church at 627 Genter St. Some neighbors have objected.

Motorcycle crash in La Jolla inspires a new direction for local artist
Taylor Dunfee, who attended school in La Jolla, is using his recovery time from serious injuries to create whimsical and fun drawings 'tapping into my childhood and my whole life'

Resubmitted restricted access plan for Scripps Coastal Reserve gets new hearing deadline
UC San Diego's permit application is considered complete and is slated for a California Coastal Commission hearing by Nov. 12, though it could be delayed again

La Jolla Farms ‘watchtower’ project raises eyebrows
A proposal that would build a two-story detached ADU brings concerns from neighbors and DPR Committee about height and privacy

La Jolla High mural honoring pandemic class of 2020 to be removed
The school says the mural is deteriorating and has been defaced, but students and parents from that class call the decision to remove it 'incredibly disappointing'

La Jolla News Nuggets: Memorial Day, home expansion, Parks & Beaches, Salk study, more
News and events in brief

Konnichiwa: La Jolla Rotarians welcome visitors from sister club in Japan
The international gathering at the La Valencia Hotel features exchanges of stories, flags and more

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Bird Rock attack, blotter
Crime and public safety

More La Jolla trees may be lost as a result of San Diego sidewalk requests
Resident near Torrey Pines Road contends a new sidewalk isn't needed and would require cutting down trees that are 75 to 100 years old. Other La Jolla property owners have...

‘An amazing roller coaster’: Muirlands teacher retiring after 26 years
Mark Heinze, who also is a local surf instructor, has been a city and county Teacher of the Year and a finalist for state Teacher of the Year

Nearing 80, volunteer trash collector Fred Nock keeps on plucking
People in Your Neighborhood

La Valencia Hotel to welcome summer with new spa
The two-story facility will offer facials, body treatments, massages and an 'aroma journey' to hotel guests and the general public

Next hurdle for La Jolla cityhood effort may be legal action by San Diego
The City Council votes to authorize the city attorney's office to proceed with litigation over the Local Agency Formation Commission's handling of petition signatures

Athlete of the Week: Serious injury doesn’t keep La Jolla swimmer out of the pool
Will Quesnell returned from a fractured vertebra and broken hip to be one of the best swimmers in CIF's San Diego Section

La Jolla planners project to fix failed Country Club-area slope
The work would repair severe erosion damage next to a pool between Caminito Bassano East and Hillside Drive

Species of the Month: Meet the sea hare, one of La Jolla’s most ‘puzzling’ creatures
Types of large sea slugs called the California sea hare and black sea hare can be found off the coast and in tide pools

Athlete of the Week: Leo Thieler helps La Jolla High to boys tennis title
'I love the competitive nature of it,' says the junior, who has been playing tennis since he was 3

La Jolla News Nuggets: Church hearing, Soledad memorial, adaptive golf
News and events in brief

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Immigration arrests, blotter
Crime and public safety

La Jolla cityhood effort moving forward despite San Diego objection
LAFCO says it followed the right procedures in reviewing and validating petition signatures and that it will have a consultant prepare a comprehensive fiscal analysis

Native or wild? Coast Walk Trail plantings spark landscape debate
Longtime of the La Jolla trail and the volunteer group that maintains it disagree on what's best for the ecosystems there

La Jolla Cove access group readying presentation for San Diego and the public
The group discusses ideas including acoustic wave technology to deter sea lions, a viewing platform for people to watch them, increased ranger presence, fines and more

La Jolla High School valedictorians share secrets to their academic success
David Abell and Sidarth Erat both picked classes they found interesting and challenging while allowing themselves interests outside the classroom

La Jolla News Nuggets: Church anniversary, Concours top car, coastal cleanup, Windansea path, more
News and events in brief

LAFCO calls San Diego claims in objection to La Jolla cityhood signatures ‘inaccurate’
The agency is facing criticism from the city over its role in declaring that cityhood advocates had gathered enough valid petition signatures to continue the effort

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Police blotter
Crime and public safety

For Bishop’s baseball player Clyde Kates, being fearless on the field is the name of the game
La Jolla Athlete of the Week

La Jolla High lacrosse program looks to future as it loses 14 seniors
Varsity coach Adam Morawski says losing them 'is going to be tough' but he's optimistic JV players are ready to move up

What Next? For La Jolla performance group, a lot of stories from women over 40
Collective of writers and actors creates short theater pieces to present onstage and looks to expand its scope

La Jolla planners show additional for Village streetscape project
Backers estimate the project is $200,000 short of what it needs to start but say they're optimistic the money will be raised

San Diego lodges objection to La Jolla cityhood signatures
The city contends LAFCO overstepped in the process of ing signatures on a pro-cityhood petition and disputes many of the signatures that ultimately were deemed valid.

La Jolla cityhood effort collects enough valid signatures to move forward
The next step is the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission's study of the proposal, a process expected to take six to nine months

San Diego to halt summer coastal construction moratorium to help get projects completed
La Jolla leaders express concerns about impacts on traffic, businesses and tourism, though some also see good in the change

UCSD withdraws, then resubmits, application to continue Scripps Coastal Reserve closure
The withdrawal was at California Coastal Commission staff’s request to allow for a ‘comprehensive discussion' of the application's consistency with the California Coastal Act

La Jolla News Nuggets: Broken handrail, rehabilitated bird, beach volleyball, medical news, more
News and events in brief

Part of Torrey Pines Road curb gets red paint to deter angled parking
The city of San Diego already had planned to paint the curb in the 2500 block of Torrey Pines as part of a crosswalk upgrade but moved up its schedule

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Police blotter
Crime and public safety

Spring greening: La Jolla Secret Garden Tour returns May 17 with new spaces
Organizers say most of the gardens have never been on the tour before, and those that have haven’t been for years

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library’s signature fundraiser to celebrate the ’40s
'The Talk of the Town' on May 10 also will honor former executive director Erika Torri

Shores opposes six-home Cielo Mar plan; next stop: S.D. Planning Commission
The proposal would consolidate three parcels on La Jolla Shores Drive and subdivide them into six for construction of a large house on each

Bird Rock Elementary student wins Coastwise Spelling Bee for third time in a row
Levi Pancer spells 'hydrangea' for his winning word in the fourth- and fifth-grade division, while Torrey Pines Elementary's Hayoon Bae takes the second- and third-grade title

Murals of La Jolla welcomes 50th addition, ‘Prototypes for Billboards at A-Z West’
The milestone artwork by Andrea Zittel is installed at 7569 Girard Ave.

Armed man surrenders to police after standoff in La Jolla
Crisis negotiators and a SWAT team were involved in the incident on Via Casa Alta near La Jolla Scenic Drive South. Several schools in La Jolla went on temporary lockdown.

Rising tide? La Jolla High sailing team looks to increase participation
The Vikings are down to five student sailors and are trying to boost their numbers

La Jolla News Nuggets: 10-Mile Relay, George’s at the Cove, Bike Anywhere Day, home project, more
News and events in brief

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Fatal crash ID, police blotter
Crime and public safety

Las Patronas unveils ‘magical and elegant’ decor for 2025 Jewel Ball
The 79th annual fundraiser, themed 'Back En Pointe,' will be held Aug. 2 at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club

Two La Jolla projects slowed by federal funding cuts
Both the Village streetscape project and a plan for a decorative crossing on Fay Avenue won't get funding that had been earmarked for those efforts

Bird Rock resident writes memoir about gay history and media
Garrett Glaser details his 30 years as a TV news correspondent and delves into what life has been like for gay people dating to the 1960s

New LJA President Lisa Kriedeman cites ‘importance of community consensus on projects’
The local architect assumes leadership of the La Jolla Community Planning Association with the perspective of having been on both sides of the review process

Meals and memories: The Marine Room’s new executive chef looks to bring in ‘the next wave’
Ananda Bareño, who is in charge of all the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club's culinary operations, eyes Middle Eastern influences and more sustainable practices, while keeping a focus on...

Sidewalk situation: Backers of two La Jolla home projects push back on San Diego request
The city is calling for a sidewalk, curb and gutter to be built as part of both projects — to the chagrin of the architects

Video platform for people with memory issues wins Bishop’s School Social Innovation Competition
The annual contest challenges students to develop innovative solutions to societal problems


La Jolla crime and public safety news: Distracted driving, police blotter
Crime and public safety

La Jollans help establish House of Vietnam at S.D.’s Balboa Park
There is not yet a cottage for the House of Vietnam, so in the meantime, it is represented in a display case at the House of Nations

La Jolla’s Salk Institute celebrates 70th anniversary of polio vaccine
On April 12, 1955, the vaccine developed by Jonas Salk and his colleagues was officially declared 'safe, effective and potent'

Documentary about La Jolla native is picked up by national streaming service
Nick Broms is the subject of a 2022 film that this month premiered on Tubi for free viewing

La Jolla merchants board casts off criticism of director and gives her a positive review
Village Merchants Association Executive Director Jodi Rudick also is approved for a raise weeks after the board decided not investigate allegations of various misconduct

La Jolla permit reviewers ADU project, but plan for 8,266-square-foot house will return
The DPR Committee meets virtually after being given the go-ahead by the La Jolla Community Planning Association

La Jolla News Nuggets: Chef award finalist, Kids Artwalk, author award, more
News and events in brief

‘A potential hazard’: Parking behavior on Torrey Pines Road raises alarm
Cars are being parked diagonally at a spot immediately in front of the La Jolla Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — sometimes with the back end partially blocking the bike lane...

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Police blotter
Crime and public safety

La Jolla planners elect architect Lisa Kriedeman as new president
Lisa Kriedeman will take over from outgoing president Harry Bubbins, who said 'there are so many capable trustees' who could be president

Cove Access group progressing toward education-based, shared-use solution
The La Jolla Cove Access working group agreed during a recent meeting to combine its leading options for reducing or eliminating interactions with people and sea lions at The Cove...

La Jolla native Ian Ward reflects on short-lived ‘American Idol’ experience
Ward received a "golden ticket" thanks to an audition that impressed Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood, and led to an unexpected duet with Luke Bryan

Cityhood advocates collect 1,500 signatures in recent campaign
After a “Herculean” few weeks of petition gathering, the Association for the City of La Jolla successfully gathered enough signatures to re-submit its application to have La Jolla detach from...

La Jollan Courtney Coyle to step down from historical review board
Coyle's appointment to the San Diego County Historic Site Board marks the end of her nine year tenure on the historical review board

‘Chasing Shadows’: La Jollans’ debut novel delves into family mystery
The story by Anthony and Christina Adams is inspired by a shocking turn of events in Christina's life

La Jolla students among young artists showcased at San Diego Museum of Art
The museum presents its Young Art 2025 exhibition, 'Nurture and Nature,' starting April 5

‘A huge safety issue’: La Jollans want answers on crumbling Camino de la Costa stairs
A feasibility study for repairing the staircase that leads to the ocean is expected this month, but some area residents are growing restless

La Jolla News Nuggets: Volunteer brothers, surf team, mosquito-borne viruses, Alzheimer’s , more
News and events in brief

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Signs and police at bike path; blotter
Crime and public safety

La Jolla High baseball team to play in John Baumgarten Classic at Petco Park
'Super pumped' Vikings will play April 19 in the Padres' major-league stadium, La Jolla's first appearance in the event since 2019

‘Messengers of Hope’: Three La Jolla women are honored by Salvation Army
Judith Brucker gets the Peggy Matthews Legacy Award from the women’s auxiliary while Julie Dubick is named a Woman of Dedication and Brucker and Pattie Wellborn are honorary fundraiser chairs

Tourist injured when handrail breaks in La Jolla
The rail, next to a stairway on Prospect Street, broke from its base and gave way, causing the man to fall

Two La Jolla properties are designated historic by San Diego board
The Elsa and George Feher/Frederick Liebhardt/Joseph Yamada House in The Shores and the Helen Copley/Henry Hester House No. 2 in The Village are tied to important local figures

La Jolla Historical Society worries about possible loss of federal grants
The Historical Society has been using grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which faces dismantling, to help catalog and digitize its historical collection

‘Significantly larger’ La Jolla Shores home development gets hearing officer’s approval
A plan to replace a 1,900-square-foot house with a 6,600-square-foot house with an ADU at 7356 Rue Michael drew opposition from neighbors

La Jolla students reach World Finals in problem-solving challenge
A seven-member team of 11-year-olds from The Children's School wins the Odyssey of the Mind state tournament and advances to Michigan for the global competition

La Jolla scientists aid in repatriation of World War II fliers’ remains
Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography helped find and identify crew on a B-24 bomber shot down in 1944 in Papua New Guinea

Emergency bluff repair expected soon in Bird Rock
A proposal would extend an erodible concrete seawall on a coastal bluff at Calumet Avenue that the applicant says might be nearing failure

La Jolla board seeks ideas and more money for Scripps Park grass replacement
Parks & Beaches group will explore ways to keep new grass alive, as well as other planting options, plus additional funding for the targeted sites

La Jolla News Nuggets: Natural reserve events, cityhood signatures, Villa Musica camp, more
News and events in brief

La Jolla crime and public safety news: Police blotter
Crime and public safety