“Some members came up to me and they said, ‘I got so emotional just doing a yoga class and looking out in the courtyard,’” Walters said. “They would come here at least three to five times a week to do so. And it’s been so long since they’ve been able to do that.”
For the soiree, as with all current LJCC activities, proof of COVID-19 vaccination was required for entrance, with masks required inside the building and capacity limited.
Though the state lifted capacity limits and most mask mandates June 15, Walters said the center will maintain its restrictions “at the moment … just because of the demographic we serve” (adults and senior citizens).
While the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of screen time Zoom teleconferencing, more Netflix than anyone thought possible and FaceTime as a way to socialize it also seems to have brought out a lot of authors and other creatives in our own backyard.
Here’s a look at the local books, murals and more of the past year, as well as the inventive ways that arts institutions have continued to provide programming during the pandemic.
January
Polar Bear Plunge: An estimated 400 people participate in the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day at La Jolla Shores. Sponsored by the La Jolla Cove Swim Club, the plunge is a 30-year-old local tradition in which La Jollans and others rush into the cold ocean for play or swim.