Coronado Times

CHS interns: America250 Project presentations
2025-12-17 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join the Coronado Historical Association and the Coronado Public Library for special presentations by the fall 2025 Coronado High School interns. In celebration of America’s upcoming 250th Anniversary, the interns will share their projects, which feature interviews with members of the Coronado High School Class of 1976.
This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Tween Dungeons and Dragons Club
2025-12-19 15:30 - 17:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Tween Dungeons and Dragons Club is for students aged 8-13. Beginners are welcome and Dungeon Masters are provided by The Goblin Guild.
Registration is required as we have a very limited number of seats. Walk-ins may not be accommodated.
This program is made possible by the Friends of Coronado Library.

Poetry for the People
2026-01-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
This year’s course will feature poems by state poets laureate. The responsibility of a State Poet Laureate is essentially the same as the U.S Poets Laureate, “…to make public appearances at poetry readings or literary events and to promote awareness of poetry.” 46 states and the District of Columbia have a State Poet Laureate, most appointed for a one or two-year term.
Those participating in Poetry For The People XXlll will read selections from these State Poet Laureates and, most importantly, are encouraged to bring to the discussions their own insights, observations and perceptions. Class members’ contributions are a vital part of the class experience.

Chuck Kamar received his bachelor’s from Boston State and his master’s from Boston University. He taught for 34 years in the Newton Public Schools, the last 20 of which were at Newton North High School. In 1998 he won the Paul E. Elicker Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Register to receive reminder emails for this series. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

Wine & Lecture: Coronado's Owners Before the Beach Company - SOLD OUT
2026-01-15 17:30 - 19:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Registration has closed as the event is full.
The Coronado Historical Association invites you to the first lecture in the 2026 Spring Wine & Lecture Series, Coronado’s Owners Before the Beach Company: A Cast of Characters. Join us as Christian Esquevin helps us discover Coronado’s history before Babcock and Story. Coronado’s long history is witnessed on land titles, bearing names like a 19th-century novel, which stretch back to the Mexican land grants and the days of whaling ships in Coronado. A review of those names discovers important persons in the history of California and the country.
Join us on Thursday, January 15, at 5:30 pm for a wine & cheese reception followed by the lecture from 6 to 7 pm.
Tickets are available
Register Now

Member – $15 each
Non-Member – $20 each

Important Registration Information: Capacity is limited, and reservations are required. Please be aware that tickets for the wine & lecture events are non-refundable, as proceeds support our educational mission.
If you have any questions, please email info@coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.

About the Speaker
Christian Esquevin was born in Marseille, France. He grew up in Los Angeles and attended California State University, Los Angeles, with a B.A. in Anthropology, followed by a Masters in Library Science from the University of Southern California. He served 30 years as Director of the Coronado Public Library from 1988 to 2018, where he oversaw the major expansion and remodel of the library building, including the restoration and addition of the Ramos Martinez “La Avenida” murals.
Esquevin received the “Jewel in Our Crown Award” from the Coronado Historical Association in 2008 and the “Coronado Citizen of the Year Award” from the Coronado Private Bank in 2016. He is currently president of the Coronado Roundtable and also serves on CHA’s Acquisitions Committee.
Esquevin is the author of Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label, published by the Monacelli Press, New York, 2008. His recent book is Designing Hollywood: Studio Wardrobe in the Golden Age, published by the University Press of Kentucky, 2023.
He is married to Sydney Stanley and lives in Coronado.

Island Icon Induction Ceremony
2026-01-16 17:00 - 18:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Historical Association is thrilled to invite you to attend the Island Icon Induction Ceremony, where we will be honoring the 2024/2025 icons who participated in this crucial initiative for capturing local history. We hope you can join us!
2024 Inductees
Sherry Martin
Marco Palumbo
Gus & Emma Thompson
Bill Hiscock
Susan Keith
Emily & Joe Talbert
Doug St. Denis
2025 Inductees
Beverly Bass
Tippy Thibodeau
Ron Mandelbaum
Susie Vetter
Bill Lemei
Norma Nicolls
Liza Butler
George Lanman

Rose pruning workshop
2026-01-17 09:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Image by Arturs Budkevics from Pixabay
Learn how to prune roses on at the Harlow Rose Garden in front of the Library. Please bring sharp bypass pruners and gloves to participate in this hands-on workshop. This event is also an opportunity to get information about fertilizing roses, as well as dealing with pests and fungal diseases. This free event commences at 9 am and is open to the public and led by Consulting Rosarian and Master Gardener, Rita Perwich, Master Gardeners Maria Mata and Carvill Veech, and Consulting Rosarian Natalie Stout.
The Master Gardener Tool Committee will be on-site starting at 8:30 am to provide free cleaning and sharpening of one pair of pruners or loppers for each attendee of the workshop. Tools must be in good working condition to be cleaned and sharpened.

Chanoyu Japanese Tea Ceremony
2026-02-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Choose Healthy, 171 C Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Experience a moment of tranquility and tradition at a Japanese tea ceremony (Chado) presented by Sokei, Morita, certified and experienced tea master. She has been practicing Chado for 18 years with the intention of bringing piece of mind, which is a universal human desire. Join us for a formal tea preparation where we will honor the principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. ​
Event includes:

Demonstration

Matcha and sweets

Lecture: History of tea, The spirit and philosophy of chanoyu, Seasonality, concept of hospitality

Number of guests: 5 (maximum)

Price: $75 per person

Wine & Lecture: Ellen Browning Scripps
2026-02-19 17:30 - 19:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Historical Association invites you to join us for this month’s installment of the popular Wine & Lecture Series on Thursday, February 19. Enjoy a captivating evening with a fascinating look into the life and legacy of Ellen Browning Scripps (1836–1932) — the celebrated philanthropist who appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1926 after giving away the equivalent of $100 million to institutions such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Scripps Memorial Hospital, and Scripps College.
This engaging lecture will explore Scripps’s remarkable career as a journalist, her lifelong dedication to social advocacy, and the pivotal role she played in shaping modern philanthropy. We will also highlight the broader legacy of women in philanthropy — a powerful tradition of leadership that continues today.
Join us for a wine & cheese reception at 5:30 pm, followed by the lecture from 6 to 7 pm.
Tickets are available now on our website.

Member: $15.00
Non-Member: $20.00

Important Registration Information: Reservations are required. Please be aware that tickets for the wine & lecture events are nonrefundable, as proceeds support our educational mission.
If you have any questions, please email info@coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.
Purchase the book through the University of Nebraska Press by clicking the image below:

About the Speaker
Molly McClain (PhD, Yale) is a professor of history at the University of San Diego. Her academic honors include USD’s distinguished University Professorship and the Davies Award for Faculty Achievement. A ninth-generation San Diegan, she is the author of four books and numerous articles, including Ellen Browning Scripps: New Money and American Philanthropy (2017). An editor of The Journal of San Diego History for over a decade, she encouraged writers to explore the region’s fascinating and understudied past. McClain has worked on a variety of public history projects, including the successful designation of the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. She is a former board member of the La Jolla Historical Society.

Small Changes, Big Impact: Electrification That Fits Your Home
2026-02-26 10:00 - 11:30 | John D. Spreckels Center Activity Room, 1019 7th St., Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join Emerald Keepers for a free talk at the Coronado Spreckels Center’s Activity Room (1019 7th St.). Kathy Nicholson of the San Diego Building Electrification Coalition (SDBEC) will provide information and advice on electrifying your home to reduce energy and gas consumption. The talk will be followed by a Q&A.
Subjects include:

Why electrification matters (health, safety, efficiency)

Common myths (cost, reliability, complexity)

Opportunities to update your home including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops and heat pump dryers

Which updates have the biggest impact

Click here to register.

Wine & Lecture: Rooted in History
2026-03-19 17:30 - 19:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Historical Association invites you to join us for this month’s installment of the popular Wine & Lecture Series on Thursday, March 19. Rooted in History: The Coronado Flower Show’s Century of Blooms will dive into the vibrant history of the Flower Show, a community tradition spanning over 100 years. Join our panel of organizers as they share personal stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and the show‘s evolution from a village event to a cherished community centerpiece.
Join us for a wine & cheese reception at 5:30 pm, followed by the panel discussion from 6 to 7 pm.
Tickets are available now on our website.

Member: $15.00
Non-Member: $20.00

Important Registration Information: Capacity is limited and reservations are required. No walk-ins will be admitted.
If you have any questions, please email info@coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.
Harold Taylor Slide 116. Coronado Historical Association.

Wine & Lecture: San Diego's South Bay Railroads
2026-04-16 17:30 - 19:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Historical Association invites you to join us for this month’s installment of the popular Wine & Lecture Series on Thursday, April 16, about San Diego’s South Bay Railroads! Enjoy an engaging evening with Bruce Semelsberger, archivist at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, as we explore how the opening of the California Southern Railroad in 1885 transformed San Diego and sparked the Great Southern California Land Boom of the 1880s. Discover how San Diego’s would-be rail barons set their sights on Coronado and the South Bay — and find out what happened next in this fascinating chapter of local history.
Join us on Thursday, April 16, at 5:30 pm for a wine & cheese reception followed by the lecture from 6 to 7 pm.
Tickets are available now on our website.

Member: $15.00 each
Non-Member: $20.00 each

Important Registration Information: Reservations are required. Please be aware that tickets for the wine & lecture events are nonrefundable, as proceeds support our educational mission. If you have any questions, please email info@coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.

About the Speaker
Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1947, Bruce Semelsberger received his education in Cuyahoga Falls and briefly pursued electrical engineering at the University of Akron before joining the U.S. Navy, serving in electronics from 1966 to 1970. Afterward, he built a long career in San Diego’s electronic component industry until retiring in 2016.
His lifelong fascination with railroads began with a few old maps and led him to join the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in 1984. What started as a volunteer cataloging project became a decades-long commitment as Research Director, Librarian, and Archivist. Bruce has lectured widely, taught railroad history at Cuyamaca College, and helped restore trains, tracks, and facilities.
Today, he continues collecting material for a book on San Diego’s early railroad history while hiking, researching, and preserving the region’s rail heritage for future generations.
