Halloween, Oktoberfest Plans For 2020: Saturday Smiles

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Here are some of the stories that made us smile this week. —

'Nights Of Jack' Plans Halloween Drive-Thru For 2020 In SF Valley

• The annual, jack-o'-lantern extravaganza in Calabasas is revamping its format due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tickets on sale.

4 San Diego County ZIP Codes Among Most Expensive During Pandemic

• A study looking at home sales from March 13 to Sept. 7 identified four San Diego County ZIP codes among the 125 priciest.

Clean Beach Poster Contest Launches For LA County Beaches

• Kids in grades third through fifth grade can submit original artwork with environmental messages about keeping beaches clean.

The Wiltern To Serve As Voting Center For 2020 Election

• The use of the venue as a voting center stems from Live Nation's partnership with More Than a Vote.

LAUSD Schools To Serve As Vote Centers In Presidential Election

• Dozens of Los Angeles Unified School District campuses will serve as vote centers in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Howard Healthcare Academy Reopens For In-Person Classes

• Howard Healthcare Academy, the only school in San Diego strictly dedicated to dental programs, has reopened for in-person classes.

Venice Beach Needs Your Help Cleaning Up

• Join locals to help clean Venice Beach starting at the Venice Fishing Pier Saturday morning.

Grant Program Launched To Promote Clean Freight Vehicles

• Details on how to apply for the grants are expected to be announced soon.

SD Children's Discovery Museum Names New Executive Director

• Krishna Kabra has more than 20 years of experience in insights, innovation and marketing strategy in the corporate world.

County Looking Into Options For Distance Learning Program

• San Diego County will consider options for a child care/education program to help employees who have children with distance learning.

Hollywood Partnership Names VP Of Advocacy & Economic Development

• Davon Barbour will work to fill vacant storefronts and diversify the mix of businesses along Hollywood Boulevard.

Hollywood Partnership Adds New Hospitality Program

• The team joins the organization's cleaning and safety/security divisions which have been in place for decades.

San Diego County's Census Response Rate Up From 2010 Figures

• The county has seen a nearly 5% increase in its response to the 2020 Census above the 2010 response rate, according to state census data.

Baseball's 'Stealing Home' Is First Up: New Library Author Series

• "Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers & Lives Caught in Between" opens virtual #BeTheChange events coming up at Greater L.A. libraries.

Petco Park In San Diego To Serve As Neutral MLB Playoff Site

• Petco Park will play host to a pair of American League playoff series next month.

SDSU To Play 2021 Football Games In Carson

• The decision allows SDSU continue its work on the construction site adjacent to SDCCU Stadium.

Food and Restaurants

LA Pizzeria In Nation’s Top 101

• The Daily Meal’s 2020 list of the best pizza places in America did not leave out Los Angeles.

Matthew Kenney To Open SESTINA LA In Culver City

• This is the second location for SESTINA — a pasta and wine bar concept — opening this fall in Culver City.

Oktoberfests: Your 2020 Guide To Oom-Pah In California

• Don't resign yourself, just yet, to chicken-dancing alone in your living room. There are options for finding your annual German fix.

Sammy's Meatball Festival For Boys & Girls Club Goes Virtual

• The annual event still will raise funds for the Cathedral City organization - just in different format, with cooking videos & testamonials.

PVPUSD Offering Free Breakfast, Lunch Curbside Pickup For Kids

• Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District offers free breakfast and lunch for children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Health and Science

UCSD Researchers Identify Carb That Coronavirus Uses To Infect

• UC San Diego researchers have discovered a carbohydrate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to latch onto a cellular molecule in the lungs.

LA Clinics Receive Grants To Expand Health Care Access

• L.A. Care awarded nearly $4.3 million for physician recruitment in Los Angeles County.

UCSD Health Opens New Clinic In Carmel Valley Neighborhood

• Walk-ins will be accepted at the clinic, which will be open eight hours a day, seven days a week, to address common health needs.

UC San Diego To Roll Out Program For Coronavirus Exposure Alerts

• UCSD will be one of two UC campuses to pilot a smartphone technology that notifies users if they have had a high-risk COVID-19 exposure.

U.S. Surgeon General Visits Convention Center, Helix Laboratory

• Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams visited San Diego to tour local sites that have helped homeless and minority communities during the pandemic.