
Donna Frye
Donna Frye owns a small business with her husband and has for over 30 years. She served as a member of the San Diego City Council from 2001 to 2010. She works on open government and public right to know issues and is a founding member of the non-profit organization, Californians Aware. She is the founder of Surfers Tired of Pollution which helped initiate uniform statewide water monitoring standards and helped reduce ocean pollution. She has a bachelor’s degree in business istration and received the Sunshine Award from the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists in 2011.
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The $300 million budget deficit and a proposed trash tax has some elected officials and of the public questioning whether a manager-council form of governance is better than the...

Opinion: With all the turmoil in our world, stop and enjoy the simple things in 2025
I was thinking about the coming new year and feeling overwhelmed by the bad stuff going on in the world. If only I had a magic wand to fix some...

How one careless shopper at the grocery store has inspired my hopes for the new year
Frye is a former San Diego council member who lives in Clairemont.“Today, I prefer my head to your clumsiness.”I started to write about all the good things I wish for...

I stepped up when sewage pollution was harming the city. It took years, but we fixed it.
Frye is a former San Diego council member who lives in Clairemont.“Most people are one tragedy away from becoming an activist.”I don’t know who said this, but preventing bad things...

American democracy is an imperfect experiment, but it may be the best solution we have
Frye, a former San Diego City Council member, lives in Clairemont.The ideals in the Declaration of Independence still ring true for me, but so do the grievances, especially the ones...

Twenty-five years after my father’s death, we’re still discovering new things about him
Frye, a former San Diego City Council member, lives in Clairemont.Father’s Day reminds me of a lot of things, but some of the most memorable are the surprises my father...

In 2023, let’s pay attention to the little miracles that happen everyday
Frye is a former San Diego City Council member. She lives in Clairemont.My wish for all people this coming year is that they are able to see and appreciate the...

A former San Diego councilmember’s advice for those who want to run for public office
Frye is a former San Diego City Council member. She lives in Clairemont.While much has changed since I last ran for office, there are some behaviors by candidates, their ers and...

Because of the pandemic, I now analyze life with a more critical eye
Frye, a former San Diego council member, lives in Clairemont.As we begin a new year, it seems unlikely that we will see an end, let alone a significant turning point,...

Some people, but not all people, are behaving badly as holiday season begins
Frye is a former San Diego City Council member who lives in Clairemont. On an early morning drive to the store to pick up groceries for Thanksgiving, I watched as some...

I still see my mom’s presence in her beautiful stitchery and the food we prepare using her recipes
Frye, a former San Diego councilmember, lives in Clairemont. “You may see her some night, silhouetted against the moon, and ask who taught her to fly. My mother she’ll say.”...

Here are some simple things you can do to reduce misinformation and political polarization
Frye is a former San Diego councilmember who lives in Clairemont.The political polarization facing our country today is not a new thing. People have been fighting about their differing points...

Wear a mask. Save someone’s life, maybe your own. It should have been so easy.
It was described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having “spikes that adorn the outer surface, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion.” It...

I am grateful for myriad blessings in my life, starting with my mother
Every Thanksgiving when I was in elementary school, we would be asked to write an essay about the things for which we were most thankful.In addition to the essay, we...

This pandemic gives us a chance to speak up about what we want in San Diego now and in the future
I don’t getting on the airplane to fly across the country with my family, but I do how ecstatic I was when I first stepped off the plane...