Inland Edition, December 22, 2023 by Coast News Group

The Coast News

VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO

VOL. 10, N0. 26

Dec. 22, 2023

Restaurant Row redo approved

Students ask Morasco for apology Official’s citizenship query viewed as ‘hostile’

Council overcomes planners’ concerns

By Samantha Nelson

ESCONDIDO — Local high school students are asking an Escondido City Council member to apologize after he allegedly questioned their citizenship status when they didn’t recite the Pledge of Allegiance following a council meeting last month. According to a group of students who attend different high schools in the city, the incident occurred after the Nov. 15 council meeting as they packed up to leave the council chambers. MORASCO S en ior at Del Lago Academy Angela Calderon Pio claimed that Councilmember Mike Morasco approached her and her fellow students, who were all people of color, and allegedly inquired as to their citizenship. “(Morasco) came up to us and asked if we were citizens without any context – a group of students who are POC that historically have had their citizenship doubted. So right off the bat, we felt it was hostile and we felt disrespected,” Calderon Pio told The Coast News. After the initial shock TURN TO APOLOGY ON 15

RELATED: Escondido City Council votes raises for members, mayor. 15

By Laura Place

BRIDGE REOPENING: San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, right, embraces Pia Harris-Ebert, the city’s first

female City Council member and namesake of the new Via Vera Cruz bridge, during a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 15. The bridge was scheduled to reopen this week. Story on 9. Photo by Laura Place

Votes reflect Vista council rift By Laura Place

VISTA — Divisions on the Vista City Council were on full display last week, as Katie Melendez was reappointed as the city’s representative on the San Diego Association of Governments board and named deputy mayor. Melendez, in her first term representing District 3 and planning a reelection bid next year, was first appointed to the SANDAG board in February after the council amended the municipal code to allow any

council member, not just the mayor, to propose representatives for local boards and commissions. At the Dec. 12 meeting, Melendez asked the council to unanimously MELENDEZ support her reappointment, noting that relationships with SANDAG have improved in her time on the board and that she is actively working with

staff to improve the city’s chances of securing grants. “I am very honored to serve the community on SANDAG,” Melendez said. “It would be an honor if I could have unanimous support for this appointment.” She was reappointed to the SANDAG board in a 4-1 vote, with the opposition of Mayor John Franklin, who argued that he should be the one serving as the city’s representative. Franklin, in his first TURN TO RIFT ON 18

Courtesty photo

Dutch Bros opening two Vista stores One of the new locations, on South Melrose Avenue, is slated to open early next year. 5

Opens Dec. 14th coastal Christmas Holiday Light Spectacular Del Mar Fairgrounds

Grab your tickets TODAY!

CoastalChristmasDelMar.com

SAN MARCOS — A mixeduse project planned for the historic Old California Restaurant Row site is moving forward with unanimous approval from the San Marcos City Council, just one month after a rough start with the Planning Commission. First introduced last fall and designed by Lennar Homes, the project includes plans for 202 housing units, over 10,000 square feet of commercial space, and a 1.5-acre park with a skate park and pickleball courts at the site along West San Marcos Boulevard. The once-thriving dining and entertainment hub, established by the Eubanks family in the 1970s, has seen a steady decline, with the pandemic killing many businesses and several leases not renewed, leaving the site all but empty. The land was sold to San Marcos Restaurant Row LLC in 2020. Mayor Rebecca Jones admitted during the council’s Dec. 12 meeting that she was initially concerned about the project erasing the legacy of the beloved site, but that seeing Lennar engage the community in the planning process and commit to preserving elements of the Row’s original design alleviated her fears. “If someone tried to come and pretend Restaurant Row never happened, that would change our community. The fact that you listened but also responded was really important to our community. Kudos for that,” Jones said. TURN TO RESTAURANT ROW ON 15

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

U AS R FA K A LL BO SA U V T IN G S

Dec. 22, 2023

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

Art installation brightens CSUSM Innovation Hub By Laura Place

SAN MARCOS — Students completing prototypes at the Innovation Hub at Cal State San Marcos can now do so against the backdrop of a colorful new mural and interactive art installation, made possible via a collaboration between campus community members. The mural, completed at the start of the fall semester, depicts a coastal live oak tree representative of the San Marcos region. The design includes bright colors and lighting elements depicting the four seasons that stand out against the industrial design of the Innovation Hub. Next to the mural is an interactive installation that uses a suction tube to transfer a ball through the five stages of the innovation process — problem-defining, ideation, design and prototyping, testing, and implementing. The two works were created collaboratively by art, media and design professor Lucy HG Solomon, Bulgarian street artist and muralist Tim Topalov, who painted the mural, and CSUSM alumnus and campus maker space leader Kodie Gerritsen, who was behind the physics of the vacuum-powered wall. “If people interact with the vacuum-powered idea pipeline and consider the majesty of the colorful oak tree, hopefully they will think this place is not just for traditional innovations; it’s

TIM TOPALOV, a street artist from Bulgaria whose mother worked as a researcher at CSUSM, collaborated on a mural for the university’s Innovation Hub alongside Lucy HG Solomon and Kodie Gerritsen. Courtesy photo/CSUSM

about stretching the brain and imagination to consider new ways to engage with the world,” HG Solomon said. Students Aidelen Montoya, Evie Reese, Emma Reheis and Melissa Lugtu were also involved in the hands-

on development of the mural. University officials said the tree mural represents how innovation and nature come together and the connection between all academic disciplines.

“The Innovation Hub is pretty industrial with hard lines, and we wanted something to kind of soften it and bring in more colors, making it gentler. Plus, I just love how the tree branches off into the circuitry and con-

nects nature and technology,” said Scott Gross, associate vice president of industry partnerships and head of the Innovation Hub. Topalov was connected to the university through his mother, Rosalina Christova,

a longtime university fellow and director of the California Primary Algae Laboratory. The Innovation Hub offers prototyping, design and 3D printing services for students.

Energy Bill Breakdown from the Clean Energy Alliance Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) aims to help customers understand their energy bill. As a customer of CEA, you will continue to receive one bill from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) which will include CEA’s energy generation charges. Your bill will appear the same as before, but with a few key differences. Scan the QR code to access a bill explainer video by CEA. This video provides a detailed breakdown of the charges appearing on your monthly bills, guiding you on locating each line item and explaining their significance. As a reminder, Clean Energy Alliance charges are a replacement of SDG&E’s generation charges – not a duplicate charge.

For additional assistance, contact Customer Service by phone at (833) 232-3110 or email AskCEA@TheCleanEnergyAlliance.org

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

The CoasT News

Opinion & Editorial

760.436.9737 OWNER/CEO Jim Kydd PUBLISHER Chris Kydd MANAGING EDITOR Jordan P. Ingram

ACCOUNTING Becky Roland COMMUNITY NEWS EDITOR Samantha Nelson ADVERTISING SALES Sue 0tto Sandy Elliott LEGAL ADVERTISING Becky Roland CONTACT THE EDITOR jordan@coastnewsgroup.com CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS calendar@coastnewsgroup.com

CLASSIFIED ADS classifieds@coastnewsgroup.com LEGALS legals@coastnewsgroup.com DISTRIBUTION distribution@coastnewsgroup.com

WRITERS/COLUMNISTS Samantha Nelson

Oceanside, Escondido samantha@coastnewsgroup.com

Laura Place

Del Mar, Solana Beach, San Marcos laura@coastnewsgroup.com

Abigail Sourwine

Encinitas, Carlsbad abigail@coastnewsgroup.com

Chris Ahrens (Waterspot)

waterspot@coastnewsgroup.com

David Boylan (Lick the Plate) david@artichoke-creative.com

E’Louise Ondash (Hit the Road)

elouise@coastnewsgroup.com

Jano Nightingale (Jano’s Garden)

janosgarden@gmail.com

Jay Paris (Sports Talk) jparis8@aol.com

Scott Chambers (Cartoonist) scott@coastnewsgroup.com

Frank Mangio & Rico Cassoni (Taste of Wine & Food) info@tasteofwineandfood.com

INTERNS

Fiona Fox Ryan The Coast News is a legally adjudicated newspaper published weekly on Fridays by The Coast News Group. The Coast News is qualified to publish notices required by law to be published in a newspaper of general circulation (Case No. 677114). Op-Ed submissions: To submit letters and commentaries, please send all materials to editor@coastnewsgroup.com. Letters should be 250 to 300 words and commentaries limited to no more than 600 words. Please use “Letters” or “Commentary” in the subject line. All submissions should be relevant and respectful. To submit items for calendars, press releases and community news, please send all materials to community@coastnewsgroup.com or calendar@coastnewsgroup.com. Copy is needed at least 10 days prior to date of publication. Stories should be no more than 300 words. To submit story ideas, please send request and information to stories@coastnewsgroup.com.

Try sustainable travel

By AJ van de Ven

t the end of the year, with the holiday season in full swing, many of us will be traveling to see friends and family. But what are the best ways to minimize our environmental impact while we do so? We know that transportation and tourism can be one of the biggest non-industrial contributors to our carbon footprint, totaling around 8% of global emissions. So if we want to make a genuine difference ourselves, this is a good place to start. The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy says the benefits of sustainable transportation include: • Cost savings on fuel and vehicles • Reduced carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, resulting in less air pollution • Job creation from increased demand for vehicle and battery manufacturing and fuel production • Improved accessibility to reliable, affordable transportation options for all Americans • Enhanced energy security and independence, with less reliance on foreign sources. What does that mean in practical terms? Here are a few things you can take into consideration when planning your travel this year.

efficient mode of transportation, in terms of environmental impact. So if your destination isn’t too distant, consider traveling by train. That way, you can enjoy the scenery while lowering your emissions. If you do need to drive, see if using an electric, hybrid or smaller model car is possible. And if there’s no choice but to fly, it’s worth researching to see if you have a choice between airlines. Opt for the one with the lowest carbon footprint or the best carbon offset policy.

commodations other than the spare rooms of family and friends, try to stay in places that use renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies where possible. Another simple option is just to choose to stay in accommodations that are no bigger than you need; that way you waste less energy on electricity, heating and cooling.

Take reusable items

This is a simple one: When you’re packing for your trip, avoid single-use plastics and packaging for snacks, drinks, toiletries Calculate/offset and anything else you need It can be tricky to work to bring. out the greenest travel opThe less waste you leave tion, particularly if you need behind, the better. to fly. Thankfully, there are a number of carbon foot- Good examples print calculators available This year, even Santa on the web. These consider Claus is going green. the average carbon emisHe’s reducing the sions of various travel types amount of plastic he uses in and allow you to plan a trip packaging, and we’ve heard with the lowest impact. reports that he is developThey all do these calcu- ing an electric, rechargeable lations slightly differently sleigh for use when his reinthough, so it’s worth check- deer get too tired. ing out a couple of them to Until then, he’s experiget a better overall picture. menting with enteric methAnother complementa- ane inhibitors, which are ry option is to consider off- feed additives that prevent setting your travel carbon the formation of methane footprint. in the gut, to reduce the Once you’ve calculat- amount of greenhouse gases ed your carbon footprint, the reindeer tend to expel search “carbon offsetting” into the atmosphere. and donate the equivalent of Good work, Santa! your footprint to a scheme that aims to reduce the imA.J. van de Ven pact of your travel by an is president of Carlsequivalent amount. bad-based Calsense and Take the train a board member of As a general rule, Green lodging the nonprofit EcoLife planes and cars are the least If you need to use acConservation.

Letter to the Editor

Is Scripps Health too big to care? Subscriptions: 1 year/$75; 6 mos./$50; 3 mos./$30 Send check or money order to: The Coast News, P.O. Box 232550, Encinitas, CA 92023-2550.

Views expressed in Opinion & Editorial do not reflect the views of The Coast News

Housing ‘shortage’ persists amid boom

P.O. Box 232550 Encinitas, CA 92023-2550 531 Encinitas Blvd #204/205

COMMUNITY NEWS community@coastnewsgroup.com

Dec. 22, 2023

I am a Scripps Health patient and will soon be a Scripps orphan. Next year, Scripps will no longer be taking HMOs (health maintenance organization), only PPOs (preferred provider organizations). For individuals, this will

be $200 a month, $500 a couple. As a Social Security recipient, I cannot afford that. I have all my specialists at Scripps Coastal, including my cardiologist after I was diagnosed with heart failure. Now, I will have no cardiol-

ogist. This is very traumatic and depressing for me. I would like to hear someone from Scripps recite the Hippocratic oath. Edward Kosman Oceanside

alifornia’s top officials and the bureaucrats who back them up persist in telling us there’s a massive housing shortage in this state, amounting to something between 1.8 million and 3 million units (over five years, they’ve used varying figures within that range). This means the state — with 14.6 million existing units as of mid-2022 — is about 10% short. If this shortage is real and not merely a figment of the imagination of officials at the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), there should be few vacancy signs on the new apartment and condominium buildings that have proliferated around the state since 2021. But there are many. It’s hard to find a 2015-or-later vintage market-rate building without huge signs advertising vacancies. Now comes a study that begins to show why: Even in the midst of the building boom, not enough units are going up to satisfy the shortage, while prices and rents remain too high for most of those who would like to move to new quarters, even for many so-called affordable units. With rents around $2,700 per month for a two-bedroom apartment in the state’s largest cities, that’s easy to understand. And that doesn’t even include the state’s 170,000-odd homeless, who can barely afford any rent at all, thus resorting to tents where publicly owned shelter is not available A look at some of the state’s highest-demand housing areas provides details of what’s going on. That study comes from the RentCafe website, which reveals that construction in California’s densest ZIP codes does not match new development in other places like Dallas and Washington, DC. The 92101 zip running along the coastline of San Diego Bay features fabulous views, outstanding restaurants and 5,345 housing units built between 2017 and 2022, the latest building boom era figures available. That was a 46% increase in available units. That large percentage of increase figured to bring some price relief, but did not: Median apartment rent there is $3,048 per month, or more than $36,000 per year. How many Californians can afford that? What’s more, the increase in 92101 housing ranked as only the eighth fastest growing ZIP in America, but No. 1 in California. ZIPs in Dallas and

california focus

tom elias

DC far outstripped this one, with ZIP 20020, near the White House, adding 10,098 units in the same time, or an increase of 73%. Even with the big new supply, rents there still average about $3,000 per month, little different from those on San Diego’s bay shore. These figures go a long way toward making obsolete the old rule that a greater supply will bring lower rents. New supplies also have not reduced rents in San Francisco’s 94103, California’s second fastest growing ZIP code in new housing with 4,379 new units and a 66% housing supply increase since 2017. The ZIP includes the Civic Center. Apartment rents still average about $3,300, even though prices have dropped about 7% over the last year in the overall San Francisco Bay Area. It all suggests there’s a new differential in housing between urban, suburban and rural. Rents of $1,000 or less are not very difficult to find in the lowest density ZIP codes among California’s 1,763 postal areas. But in the densest areas, places with high land prices and most likely to attract builders seeking high returns on their investment, prices are staying up while supply rises. This suggests a determination among developers who own the new buildings to keep prices up even when demand is low to avoid rent controls that could keep prices and profits low for decades if owners allowed rents to drop now. It also suggests that housing shortage figures bandied about by HCD and its patron politicians may be vastly inflated products of their imagination. One thing for sure: Density advocates in the California Legislature, led by Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and rubber-stamping Gov. Gavin Newsom, remain convinced high supplies equal lower rents even when reality says that’s incorrect. Perhaps the state should instead emphasize single-family housing and less dense areas where history shows Californians actually want to live. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

Fireworks probe leads to arrest

TERI gets $50K for arts center By Staff

By City News Service

VISTA — A 34-yearold man was arrested at his Vista home on suspicion of child cruelty, possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a controlled substance while armed and cocaine possession, authorities said Dec. 13. At around 5 a.m. Tuesday, deputies from the Vista sheriff’s station served a search warrant at a home in the 700 block of North Citrus Avenue, according to Sgt. Adam Milligan of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Gillermo Vargas, 34, was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and a bail enhancement was requested and granted, the sergeant said. Vargas was being held on $500,000 bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 14. The search warrant was the result of an investigation into reports of explosions and illegal fireworks being set off in the area of North Citrus Avenue, the sergeant said. The Vista station had received numerous complaints the past several months about illegal activity taking place at the address, he said. Law enforcement officers detained 19 people at the home and seized more than three pounds of cocaine, a firearm, ammunition, cash and a mortar tube used in setting off fireworks, Milligan added.

Safety event yields nearly 300 firearms

VISTA — A total of 293 unwanted firearms were turned in by the public during a gun safety event Dec. 10 at the North County Regional Center, along with 13 cable locks and 13 gun lock boxes that were given to secure firearms at home, authorities said. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, in association with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the Oceanside Police Department, offered $100 and $200 gift cards for a wide range of firearms and ghost guns. Those who successfully turned in firearms had the opportunity to also choose a New Vision Church mini-cruiser skateboard as an incentive. Firearms had to be in working order, be unloaded and placed in the trunk of a vehicle. After being collected, all weapons were processed. According to the Sheriff’s Department, any firearms found to have been involved in a crime were referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency. For guns that were found to be stolen, the original owners would be contacted. All other remaining weapons were scheduled to be destroyed.

A RENDERING shows a Dutch Bros and a Wendy’s restaurant at the corner of South Melrose Drive and Faraday Avenue in Vista, next to Hyatt Place. Courtesy image

Dutch Bros adding 2 Vista locations By Laura Place

VISTA — Dutch Bros Coffee is continuing its expansion in North County with two planned locations in Vista, one of which is scheduled to open in early 2024. The popular Oregon-based drive-thru coffee company made its San Diego County debut with an Oceanside location in 2022 and opened another in Escondido along East Valley Parkway earlier this year. Vista’s first Dutch Bros, approved by the Planning Commission last spring, will be located in a small development on a previously vacant piece of land at 2665 S. Melrose Drive, a 1.4-acre site at the corner of South Melrose Drive and Faraday Avenue next to the Hyatt Place Vista-Carlsbad. Dutch Bros spokesper-

OREGON-BASED coffee chain Dutch Bros continues to grow its presence in North County. Courtesy photo

son Madison Fahey said the company is excited about continuing to grow in Vista. “Vista is an incredibly welcoming community and has many surrounding areas where we see multiple Dutch Bros being a fit,” Fahey said. On Dec. 5, the Plan-

ning Commission approved a permit for another Dutch Bros at 1025 E. Bobier Drive, a former Bank of America location. Dutch Bros has garnered a loyal fanbase with its wide variety of iced and hot coffee drinks, teas, lemonades, energy drinks, and

freezes, which often leads to long drive-thru lines. To help manage traffic and speed things up, the company uses runners who take customers’ orders at their cars in line and also utilizes a bypass lane, Steve Shaw of Armet Davis Newlove Architects told the Vista Planning Commission. “Part of the growing pains of Dutch Bros Coffee have been issues with the queuing and the cars, especially in the first six months to a year of opening,” Shaw said. “So they don’t do the speaker posts; they have runners and do a bypass lane, so if somebody up front has a large order, people behind can be given their drinks and pull out into the bypass lane. It’s just made managing traffic a lot better.”

SAN MARCOS — Local nonprofit TERI Campus of Life, whose mission is to change the way the world sees, helps and empowers individuals with special needs, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Prebys Foundation. The funding is part of the Prebys Foundation’s $30.6 million in grants to advance the arts, support youth success, improve health outcomes and reduce disparities in medical research across San Diego County. The grants targeted four program areas: visual and performing arts, youth success, health care and medical research. Among the 147 grants, approximately half of the organizations received an investment from the foundation for the first time. TERI’S grant will aid in the expansion of adaptive programming in the new Walter J and Betty C Zable Foundation Performing Arts and Fine Arts Center at the TERI Campus of Life. According to the organization, the center will provide an inclusive resource that integrates the special needs community with the local North County community. TERI previously received a $100,000 grant for the performing arts center from the David C. Copley Foundation over the summer.

Local solar experts forecast industry job losses By Samantha Nelson

REGION — Changes to the state’s net metering program have caused steep losses for the state’s solar industry, according to a report from the California Solar and Storage Association. After surveying California solar and storage companies, the solar industry lobbying group estimated that approximately 17,000 jobs have or will be lost by the end of this year due to the recent net metering changes. This massive loss of employment represents 22% of all solar jobs in the state, with more expected soon. The layoffs follow the California Public Utilities Commission’s decision last year to revise the state’s net metering policy in California. Under net metering, homes with solar are paid for the extra energy they generate and send into the energy grid. With the latest revisions, referred to as NEM 3.0, new rooftop solar customers are no longer credited at the retail electricity rate when they generate extra energy. Instead, they are paid at the “actual avoided cost.” That figure is lower during daylight hours but higher during evening hours as the sun sets and solar pro-

duction drops off. According to the California Solar and Storage Association, the changes cut the value of solar energy credits by 75% to encourage customers to purchase solar battery storage instead of feeding excess energy back into the grid. “CPUC commissioners claimed their decision was about ‘launching the solar and storage industry into the future.’ Instead, they caused the nation’s largest-ever loss of clean energy jobs, pushed once thriving businesses out of the state or into bankruptcy, and derailed California’s fastest and most accessible path to a clean energy future. All as California holds itself out there as a world leader in the fight against climate change,” said CALSSA Executive Director Bernadette Del Chiaro. According to CALSSA, the net metering program reduced the costs of going solar and made California a solar leader. Since NEM 3.0 was enacted in April, the solar industry has experienced business closures and “depression-level layoffs” as new residential solar becomes less advantageous for potential customers. “Under the old net metering policy, we used to

SINCE NEM 3.0 went into effect in April, the solar industry has experienced business closures and “depression-level layoffs.” Stock image

nearly zero out someone’s electric bill,” said Kent Harle, chief executive officer of Oceanside-based Stellar Solar. While the credits have reduced over time, Harle said the most recent changes have drastically reduced customer payback rates. “We’ve got the highest energy rates in the country and they’re giving us basically nothing,” Harle said. “There’s no reason for these changes.”

Since the change went into effect, Harle said he has laid off a third of his company’s workforce. While the current state of California solar looks grim, Harle believes the industry will eventually bounce back, with more and more homes going off the grid entirely as battery storage technology is forced to expand faster. For now, new solar is only an option for the rich, Harle said.

“It’s only accessible to the uber-wealthy,” he said. “Solar will work for a home that generates a couple thousand dollars’ worth of electricity each month, but it doesn’t make sense for a home with a $300 to $400 per month electric bill like it used to.” While job loss was expected following CPUC’s decision, Susan Sullivan, a solar pro realtor with Solarguru Energy, LLC, is looking on the sunny side as more battery systems come online. “To me, solar with battery is a true, complete solar system,” Sullivan said. “Even before 3.0, I was advising solar with battery solutions.” According to Sullivan, the changes precipitate a “great and much-needed awareness and change.” She said the market is losing saturation as smaller companies either leave the state or close their doors, which opens things up for the “seasoned veterans of solar.” Hearings began on Dec. 13 after environmental groups appealed the net metering changes, claiming the CPUC failed to consider the full benefits of rooftop solar. The lawsuit seeks to overturn NEM 3.0 and have the CPUC create a new solar billing policy.

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

North County teen writes self-help book

he said. He turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like overeating, which caused weight gain. Fidelman spiraled into depression as his friendships fell apart due to trust issues stemming from the divorce. Rock bottom came when he was skipping between hotels with his father. “I felt like such a loser

that I couldn't seem to accomplish anything,” he said. A talk with his dad lit a fire under Fidelman. “He told me basically that no one else was going to get me out of this situation but myself,” Fidelman said. This realization spurred him to commit to diet and exercise. Through discipline and focus, Fidelman lost 60 pounds in five months. He also rebuilt friendships using advice from successful people he interviewed. Their stories of overcoming adversity inspired Fidelman to help others facing similar struggles. “Talking to successful people helped me identify things I could work on, like discipline and focusing on passions instead of what other people think,” Fidelman said. To research the book, Fidelman conducted over 20 interviews with accom-

plished individuals from various fields. “Hearing their diverse stories, I noticed common themes about mentors, perseverance and developing people skills,” he said. Writing the book took nearly a year of Fidelman’s free time. “My dad was really supportive and helped me refine the material,” Fidelman said. “Having that support system made a big difference.” Colton’s father, Mark Fidelman, is the author of “Socialized! How the Most Successful Businesses Harness the Power of Social.” Fidelman’s school hosted a book signing on Dec. 7, where Fidelman offered 50 free, signed copies. He hopes his book will help teens like him find their inner strength. “If I could get out of a tough situation, anyone can with the right mindset,” he said.

Marshall Toomey, artist of “The Shop,” followed by first place winner Dennis Carrie’s “Red Shirt,” second place winner George Papciak’s “North Strand View,” and third place winner Christina Rosenthal’s “From the Hand Unasked.”

newest Panda Cares Center of Hope at the Boys & Girls Club of Vista. The center is a newly renovated space within the club designed to deliver fun, education and critical social-emotional development to local children.

Duncan Wallace of Carlsbad along with fellow esports teammates on the “Valorant” Blue team from Kettering University in Michigan earned the National Association of Collegiate Esports Divisional Championships. The "Valorant" Blue team defeated North Central University in Minnesota and Texas A&M International University.

NEW BOARD

vacancy following Trustee Bill Fischer’s resignation effective Jan. 2. Fischer represents Area No. 7, which covers central Oceanside. Interested applicants must be registered to vote and live in the same district. Submit a letter of interest, resume and application packet to Julie Bollerud, executive assistant to the superintendent/president, at 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056, or via email at jbollerud@miracosta.edu.

By Abigail Sourwine

CARLSBAD — A senior at the Army and Navy Academy has used his hardships to reflect on what type of advice teenagers need to hear and compiled it into a self-help book for adolescents. At 17, Colton Fidelman of Carlsbad published his first book, “The Teenage Guide to Success,” which was released in November through Simon & Schuster’s Archway Publishing. The book aims to help other teens struggling with issues like low self-esteem, a lack of motivation and negative influences. Fidelman drew from his own experiences, overcoming a difficult family situation and depression, to help him feel more in control of his life. Fidelman’s parents’ divorce left him feeling lost and insecure. “I couldn't talk to my dad for a while, and it was a really unstable time,”

Who’s

NEWS?

Business news and special achievements for North San Diego County. Send information via email to community@ coastnewsgroup.com. FACULTY HONORS

Andy Yu of Encinitas earned faculty honors for the Summer 2023 semester at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The distinction is awarded to undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 academic average. ART WINNERS

The need for local journalism has never been more important than it is today. Misinformation, biased reporting and fake news impact your ability to make informed decisions. The Coast News needs your help to continue honest community-based reporting you can trust. You can also show support by shopping from ads in this newspaper and when you do, “say you saw it in the Coast News.”

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The winners of Oceanside Museum of Art’s recent 2023/2024 Artist Alliance Biennial Exhibition include grand prize winner

COLTON FIDELMAN’S book draws on experience to help teens. Photo by Abigail Sourwine

ESPORTS WINNERS

The MiraCosta College Board of Trustees recently selected Trustee Rick Cassar – who represents Area No. 2 including Solana Beach, Cardiff and Rancho Santa Fe – as the new board president. Trustee Raye Clendening, representing Area No. 6 including north Oceanside, became the new vice president.

BREASTFEEDING FRIENDLY

TrueCare is the only Federally Qualified Health Center in California awarded the Breastfeeding Friendly Health Center designation by the CaliforHOPE CENTER BOARD RESIGNATION nia Department of Public The Boys & Girls Clubs The MiraCosta Col- Health, California Breastof America and Panda Ex- lege Board of Trustees is feeding Coalition and Calipress teamed up to open the seeking to fill an upcoming fornia WIC Association.

Happy holidays with printer’s ink Home-kitchen program made

all me old-fashioned, but I still like getting the daily newspaper delivered to my door. Every morning at 6 a.m., the L.A. Times arrives, waiting to be devoured. The UT appears on Sundays, The Coast News on Fridays, and my family gets its newsprint fix. This past Sunday, my carrier included a holiday card. As a gentle reminder to send her a tip, she added a self-addressed return envelope. Her work hours are unquestionably grueling, and being based in Escondido, she travels 60 miles roundtrip daily to deliver my paper. Gas prices being what they are, it’s arguably a losing proposition. Like restaurant wait staff, this woman counts on tips to make a living. Given my chronic desire for diversified news sources not involving a screen, there’s a pretty compelling argument to reward her more than her employers do. Recently I heard someone say, “You’re the cus-

ask mr. marketing rob weinberg tomer; she should send you a gift.” I reject this cheesy excuse to stiff her and am sending a check today. Any sales effort always has the same marketing challenges: • Reach the proper audience • Have a solid message • Provide a compelling call to action • Make it easy for someone to give you their money Meaning that, looking at this holiday card through a marketing filter, the solicitation makes perfect sense. After all, everyone on her list is a customer, meaning they’re 100% qualified. Making her point without being annoying, she simplifies the process. Plus her timing is right, as this particular effort only

works when people are feeling magnanimous during the holiday season. The nice thing about direct mail is that it’s easy to target a specific audience profile, most likely to respond to your message. And if you have a house list like this woman does, you significantly increase your odds of getting a positive response. You’re undoubtedly already hip deep in planning your 2024 marketing, and direct mail should be part of it. Given its ability to target the right people way better than most digital marketing does, the opportunity to use dimensional mailings (i.e., sending goodies by mail), and the reality that you’ll probably have the mailbox to yourself, you’d be foolish to not utilize this media to grow your bottom line. Because as Ms. Contreras has demonstrated, direct marketing can be very effective. With that said, I wish you a happy holidays from everyone at www.marketbuilding.com.

permanent By City News Service

REGION — The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Dec. 6 to approve an ordinance that will permanently allow micro-enterprise home kitchen operations in the county. The state Department of Public Health defines a micro-enterprise home kitchen (MEHKO) as a food facility operated by residents in a private home, “where food is stored, handled and prepared, and may be served to consumers.” According to the county, cottage food operations are low-risk food products not requiring refrigeration — such as bread, pie or dried food — that are made in home kitchens and sold to consumers. In January 2022, the board approved a twoyear pilot program for MEHKOs, a program set to end Feb. 25.

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

SANDAG interim CEO OK’d

Young Marines visit Hawaii for remembrance By Staff

VISTA — The North San Diego Young Marines unit was one of 28 Young Marines units throughout the United States that traveled to Hawaii in early December to participate in the remembrance ceremonies for the 82nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hundreds of Young Marines, a national youth organization for boys and girls from 8 years old to high school graduation age, performed a number of community service activities while in Oahu, Hawaii. While there, they met and escorted several World War II Veterans at various remembrance events across the island. Based in Vista, the North San Diego Young Marines participated in community service work on the Mālama Pu'uloa Community Project at Kapapapuhi Point Park, a wreath laying ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific “The Punchbowl” in memory of the men and women interred at the site, the Klipper Ceremony at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and the leading the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu. “Because of the pandemic the last couple of years, we didn’t have the usual Young Marines participation in all of the remembrance events, so it is doubly meaningful that so many Young Marines are again present here this year,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. Leading the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on Dec. 7 was a huge honor for the Young Marines, who performed as a color guard and carried the banners of the 12 capital ships that were attacked. They also assisted with many of the floats in the parade. The parade’s objective is to honor the heroes and survivors of Pearl Harbor and World War II, to pay tribute to veterans, active-duty military members and military families, to celebrate freedom and to remember the heinous events of Dec. 7, 1941.

By City News Service

THE ASPIRE PROJECT was a mixed-use residential project on a municipal parking lot across from City Hall in downtown Escondido that resulted in a lawsuit between the developer and city. Courtesy rendering/Touchstone

Esco lot again up for development By Samantha Nelson

ESCONDIDO — A downtown, city-owned parking lot is once again available for new residential development proposals after the city recently settled a lawsuit with the developer of a previously denied project at the site. The settlement follows several years of litigation between the city and Touchstone MF Fund I, LLC, who first began discussions with the city in 2016 regarding a potential development known as the “Aspire” project in Lot 1, a municipal parking lot located across the street from City Hall at 137 Valley Pkwy. In September 2018, the City Council approved a purchase and sale agreement plus joint escrow instructions for Touchstone to purchase the city-owned parking lot, which became effective a few months later. At the time, the purchase price for the property was $1.59 million. Touchstone later proposed a six-story, 131-unit mixed-use apartment build-

ing, which a majority of the City Council denied in 2019. Soon after, the city and Touchstone disputed the developer’s ability to file applications for new projects.

Touchstone will assign KB Escondido LLC as the property’s new developer, and they must file a project application within 90 days. In 2020, Touchstone filed a lawsuit against the city, and the city countersued, each alleging the other had violated their contracted agreements. The developer also claimed the city had violated state housing laws, including the State Density Bonus Law and

Housing Crisis Act. Both parties have been in litigation ever since, stalling any potential new development at the parking lot. By a 4-1 vote, the council approved the settlement, which enabled Touchstone to work with another developer to submit a project application to develop the site. The settlement also increased the property’s purchase price to $1.82 million. City Attorney Michael McGuinness said the settlement does not obligate the Escondido Planning Commission or City Council to approve future projects. “To be clear, nothing in either document requires that the council approve any particular project, and we’re not going to consider any project or economic benefits as part of this item,” McGuinness said at the Dec. 13 council meeting. “This settlement is to allow another development application to be processed by another developer.” Touchstone will assign KB Escondido LLC as the new developer of the prop-

Woman killed as crash ends Esco police pursuit By City News Service

ESCONDIDO — A passenger in a pickup truck was killed and another woman was injured when the driver, a lance corporal from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, crashed while being pursued by Escondido police after shoplifting from a sporting goods store, authorities said Tuesday. The driver, identified as 21-year-old John Eugene Brand, was arrested and jailed on suspicion of multiple charges, the Escondido Police Department said.

At about 10:28 p.m. Monday, officers responded to Dick’s Sporting Goods on Auto Park Way after reports of a man and two women stealing merchandise. As officers arrived, the suspects entered a pickup truck and fled the scene, authorities said. Officers pursued the truck east through Escondido onto Washington Avenue, where the driver tried to make a highspeed turn onto Fig Street but lost control and collided with a retaining wall. The two female passen-

gers were ejected, and the driver ran away. Both women were taken to a hospital, police said, where one was pronounced dead. The second woman underwent surgery and was expected to survive. She told investigating officers that she asked the driver to pull over several times, but he refused to let her out of the vehicle, police said. The names of the two women were withheld pending notification to their families.

Brand was arrested after officers allegedly found him hiding a block from the crash scene. He was taken to the Vista Detention Facility and booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, kidnapping, evading police, hit and run resulting in death or injury, burglary and conspiracy. The pickup truck Brand was driving belongs to the U.S. Marine Corps, officials said. Stolen articles of clothing were recovered from the truck, police said.

erty, which must apply within 90 days. The developer could submit more than one application during that time, McGuinness noted. “We want to move things along and see what (the project) looks like,” he said. Councilmember Consuelo Martinez voted against the settlement conditions because she felt the updated purchase price of the parking lot wasn’t enough. “We could get a higher value for this property,” she said. A representative of Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, located on Grand Avenue adjacent to the parking lot, said taking away parking Lot 1 would lead to the restaurant’s demise due to the lack of other parking in the area.

REGION — The San Diego Association of Governments’ board of directors unanimously approved the appointment of SANDAG’s Deputy CEO, Coleen Clementson, to lead the regional agency as the interim CEO on Dec. 8. Clementson will begin serving as interim CEO in January 2024. The CLEMENTSON current CEO, Hasan Ikhrata, has led SANDAG since 2018, and his last day is Dec. 29. As deputy CEO, Clementson’s work involves overseeing community engagement, an $800 million capital improvement program and the implementation of the Regional Plan, according to the agency. Clementson is an alum of UC San Diego and regularly lectures and mentors fellow Tritons. Recently, UCSD awarded her their most prestigious award, Outstanding Alumna. SANDAG CEO Hasan Ikhrata submitted his notice to the board of directors in July. Ikhrata, who took over as head of the regional transportation planning agency in 2018, often found himself in political controversy, most prominently when he discussed a fee for miles driven — a road usage charge. This put him in the crosshairs of leaders from North County and rural East County. Last year, Ikhrata came under fire after the Office of the Independent Performance Auditor released several internal reports that found SANDAG staff spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on purchases deemed “improper” and “questionable,” and $290 million in questionable agency contracts.

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

PEDESTRIANS can now enjoy the walking path alongside the new Via Vera Cruz bridge in San Marcos, pictured Dec. 15 as crews put on the final touches before opening the bridge to vehicles. At right, an aerial view of the new bridge on Dec. 15. Photo by Laura Place/Photo courtesy City of San Marcos

San Marcos completes Via Vera Cruz bridge By Laura Place

SAN MARCOS — The San Marcos Creek Project reached a major milestone with the completion of the Via Vera Cruz bridge, which it plans to reopen by the end of the week, restoring the cross-creek connection from San Marcos Boulevard to Discovery Street for the first time since summer 2021. The new Pia Harris-Ebert Bridge, named in honor of the city’s first female councilwoman, is one of the final components of the $114 million project, adding new infrastructure to reduce flooding, improving traffic flow, and revitalizing and preserving the

creek habitat. The 214-acre project area has been under various phases of construction since early 2020, following three decades of planning and design. The bridge’s reopening is expected to bring relief to motorists, many of whom were forced to take alternate routes across the creek for the past two years. Construction of the bridge was originally planned to wrap up in the summer but faced major delays due to decreased labor availability, heavy rains last winter, and the need for utility undergrounding work by San Diego Gas and Electric, the city said. Officials thanked res-

idents for their patience during a dedication ceremony for the bridge on Dec. 15, ahead of its reopening. “It is mind-boggling how it happened and how it all came together today,” said Mayor Rebecca Jones. “Each one of you has had tremendous patience, and that is something we want to celebrate today. We know it’s been a long journey getting through the short-term pain of construction.” This is the second and final bridge to be completed in the creek project, following the opening of the new Bent Avenue bridge last summer. It was named for the city’s first mayor, Lionel “Doc” Burton.

Compared to the old bridge built in 1942, the Pia Harris-Ebert Bridge is around eight feet higher and features four lanes instead of the previous two, bike lanes, sidewalks and safety railings to improve accessibility for bikes and pedestrians. Harris-Ebert was elected to the City Council in 1982 and would hold a spot on the dais for 24 years until she stepped down in 2006. The longtime civil servant said on Dec. 15 that she was “overwhelmed and so blessed” to be the bridge’s namesake. “I am very, very honored and am just so happy. For it to finally come to fru-

ition is amazing. The bridge is going to give a lot,” the 84-year-old said. Jones, the first woman to serve as mayor of San Marcos, called Harris-Ebert a personal inspiration. “She led the way for women to lead in the city,” Jones said. “She set a great example of listening to and responding to residents. Thank you so much for setting the stage for all of us.” Paving on Via Vera Cruz and Discovery Street was completed in late November and early December, City Manager Michelle Bender said at the city council’s Dec. 12 meeting. The striping of both roads and the installation of bridge expansion

joints were expected to take place last week. “These expansion joints are the last components on the driving surface on Via Vera Cruz that need to be installed,” Bender told the council. “The expansion joints are there to help the bridge expand and contract and keep it structurally safe.” The final steps in the creek project include the completion of Paseo del Arroyo Park, expected to open in 2024. The park will be accessible on the east end of the Via Vera Cruz bridge and lead down to a 1.2-mile loop trail, providing recreational opportunities and views of the creek.

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

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Visit Escondido Family Health Center, our newest clinic in North County!

SAILBOATS MOORED at Oceanside Harbor. The city will increase slip rates to help pay for repairs and upgrades to the marina’s aging infrastructure. Stock photo

O’side raises slip rates By Samantha Nelson

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OCEANSIDE — Monthly slip rental rates at Oceanside Harbor are expected to increase between $3 and $7 per foot next month to help pay for maintenance and repairs to the marina's aging infrastructure. On Dec. 6, the City Council unanimously approved increasing monthly slip rates to generate $6.3 million for upgrades at the 60-year-old harbor, which has been a source of discussion over the past several years. In 2021, the Harbor District board of directors hired Richard Brady & Associates to review and assess the physical conditions of docks, gangways, gates, rap-rap, waterside infrastructure and other assets necessary to its operations. The harbor needs approximately 15 years to raise enough funds to replace or rebuild its infrastructure. According to the Brady & Associates report, the cost of the 15-year harbor maintenance plan is estimated at $21.3 million. With an additional 30% contingency buffer, the total cost is expected to be approximately $28 million. Under current revenue levels, the harbor is short roughly $14 million. City staff worked with an ad hoc

committee consisting of four members of the Harbor and Beaches Advisory Committee to create a financial plan to fill the funding gap. The city voted in favor of raising the harbor’s 26foot slip rentals from $16 to $18.95, 34-footers from $17.50 to $18.95, 43-footers from $17.50 to $20.50 and 51-footers from $17.50 to $24.50 per foot per month. The new harbor slip rental rates will not be due until mid-January. The slip rental rate increases also account for a 6.5% Consumer Price Index adjustment that would also have gone into effect in January 2024, according to Public Works Director Hamid Bahadori. In addition to the slip rate increases, the harbor will also begin metering water and electricity at each slip, which will generate about $4.9 million, Bahadori said. The city is also implementing an $840,000 cap on the harbor’s annual lease paid to the city. Each year, the harbor pays the city 10% of its gross annual revenue or a minimum of $250,000, whichever is higher. Last year, the harbor paid the city $844,927. The difference between the annual rent per the terms of the lease agreement and the $840,000 cap

will go toward the maintenance plan and will be in place for 15 years only or until $2.4 million is collected, whichever occurs first. The approved funding plan was a compromise between city staff and HBAC members, who were not particularly thrilled with the increases. “Today we’re here because this is the best and final deal,” said Les George, an HBAC and ad hoc committee member. “There’s going to be a lot of voters here that are not really happy with us; I’m not happy with us either, but this is the best we could do.” Mayor Esther Sanchez acknowledged that the decision was a tough one to make for both HBAC members and staff alike. Councilmember Peter Weiss noted that these increases will likely not be the only ones that will come before the harbor in the future. “If HBAC thinks this is the end of future increases, it’s not,” Weiss said. “There are significant capital expenditures coming up and no money being set aside for it.” The project funding does not include resources for needed repairs on the fishing pier, Bahadori noted. Staff is currently pursuing grant funding to pay for those costs.

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

Photo culling unearths a few gems worth recalling hit the road e’louise ondash

y laptop’s hard drive has finally reached critical mass, mostly because of the thousands of photos that live there. Yes, I know. I could buy some space in the cloud (I did for my cellphone), but that would just foster the bad habit of stockpiling pictures I don’t need. So, I began de-cluttering this week, and the process is laborious at best, painful at worst — mostly because I’m not willing to delete an entire folder without looking at nearly everything in it. It’s shocking how many bad photos I’ve kept. About a year ago, I began editing photos on my camera as I went along in hopes of avoiding exactly the time-consuming task I’m doing right now, but I should’ve started the early-editing 20 years ago. Live and learn. While digital photography and the phone camera are two of the best inventions ever, like all inventions, they have their flip sides. Technology makes it easy to share photos, and we can take a bazillion and

SCULPTOR RICARDO BRECEDA is best known for the extensive metal sculptures in and around Borrego Springs. Many of the works of art depict the prehistoric animals that once lived in the desert. Breceda’s Aguanga gallery, left, has hundreds of sculptures of all sizes and prices. At right, the shop fronts and yards of private homes of Madrid, New Mexico, one of the stops along the 50-mile Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway (Highway 14), are as interesting as the interiors of the stores and galleries. Madrid boasts that it is the “best-preserved ghost town in the country.” Photos by E’Louise Ondash/Jerry Ondash

pay nothing (some of us can remember the high price tag of printing those Kodak moments). But pictures accumulate, often because of multiple, nearly identical shots. Fail to edit and now you’re searching endlessly for just the one. One positive to photo de-cluttering: revisiting little-known gems I never wrote about — like the North Carolina studio of ceramicist Joseph Sand, about 20 miles south of Greensboro. Cousin David Norman, a pottery artist and ardent Sand fan, led a caravan of cousins to the artist’s rural compound, which boasts the country’s largest kiln. On the outside, the giant

oven resembles an earthen submarine emerging from the ground. On the inside, the domed kiln is lined with bricks, and three times a year, it fires more than 1,200 ceramic pieces at once. Sand was absent because of an unexpected family trip, but apprentice Wesley Smith and Sand’s mother acted as welcoming hosts and guides. They spent a couple of hours showing the property, gallery, kiln, and Sand’s mother’s home, which the artist built and which displays much of his artwork. Smith educated our mostly ignorant group on creating the exquisite Sand ceramics that grace the

property everywhere. To cap off the perfect day, cousin Bill Norman let me ride with him on his Honda VTX 1800 (motorcycle) for the 40-mile trip back to Winston-Salem. It was a thrill, but I had to pry my fingers from his belt loops when it was over. (That photo is on my husband’s phone.) Other gems that have not appeared in my columns: • New Mexico’s Turquoise Trail (Highway 14) and the tiny village of Madrid (pronounced MADrid), population 300. A historic coal-mining town and “the best-preserved ghost town in the country,” Madrid has morphed into an enclave of artists, writers

and jewelry-makers. Find their wares in the galleries, shops, funky front yards that line the main road. • Albuquerque’s Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, or Balloon Museum for short. Named after two New Mexico balloonists who were among the first crews to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a balloon, the museum takes visitors into the world, culture and history of ballooning. It’s a fitting tribute in the city that hosts the annual International Balloon Fiesta and is considered the ballooning capital of the world. • Aguanga, a blip on Highway 79 on the way to

Palm Desert, where sculptor Ricardo Breceda has set up shop. Hundreds of the artist’s metal sculptures — from small to the absurdly large — sit outside where visitors can peruse to their heart’s content. Wide variety of sizes, subjects and prices. Breceda is best known for the enormous metal sculptures of prehistoric animals that reside in and around Borrego Springs. I hope that you and your loved ones can look back to 2023 as a year well lived and forward to 2024 with the promise of discovery. For more photos and conversation about travel, visit www.facebook.com/ elouise.ondash.

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

A GULFSTREAM 650 business jet waits on the tarmac at McClellan-Palomar Aiport in Carlsbad. Thousands of pilots from across California and the U.S. could fly into McClellan-Palomar each day. The city of Carlsbad is planning to send noise abatement advisory letters to encourage pilots from operating aircraft during voluntary quiet hours. Photo by Ryan Grothe

Carlsbad to warn noisy pilots of quiet hours By Abigail Sourwine

CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council is seeking more information and flight data before helping address local concerns over noisy aircraft operating out of McClellan-Palomar Airport. The council voted to delay approval of a resolution that would expand upon the county’s Voluntary Noise Abatement Program by allowing the mayor to send quarterly batches of advisory notices reminding pilots about the negative impacts of taking off and landing at the county-owned airport during nighttime quiet hours. The county currently sends noise abatement advisory letters to pilots in violation of the voluntary quiet hours, but the council is looking at other factors that can cause disruptions in neighborhoods. Mayor Keith Blackburn, who has been working on airport noise issues for 15 years, pushed to have

A PLANE prepares to land at McClellan-Palomar Airport. Residents have long complained of noisy aircraft engines revving up to gain altitude. File photo/The Coast News

the city letters also address pilot deviations from recommended flight paths and altitudes. “The biggest concern I’m hearing is that the pilots are not following the (Voluntary Noise Abatement Program) and they’re turning kind of quickly, accelerating and gaining altitude over residential areas,” Blackburn said. “Probably the biggest complaint I hear is those little engines making so much noise as they

are trying to gain altitude. I see it all the time and I agree with them.” Jason Haber, the city’s intergovernmental affairs director, said staff would work to determine if information on deviations could be obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration and included in future letters. “We don't have certainty that we’re able to obtain that information at this point,” Haber said, noting

that multiple agencies make obtaining information related to flight patterns and altitudes more complicated. The city estimated the cost of sending approximately 900 noise abatement advisory letters each year at approximately $750. The letters will be sent in addition to the county’s noise abatement advisory notices and will also encourage compliance. Aside from locally based pilots, approximately 62,606 California resident pilots and thousands more across the country could fly at McClellan-Palomar on any given day, according to the city. Over the years, the county, which owns and operates the regional airport in Carlsbad, has implemented several programs and tools to help reduce the negative impact of planes flying near and over local neighborhoods consisting of homes, schools and churches. These programs include

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creating voluntary nighttime quiet hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. for arrivals and departures, arrival and departure patterns and suggested altitudes, identification of residential areas for pilot awareness, techniques and procedures for quieter aircraft operation, a fulltime Noise Officer to work with pilots and address community complaints and inquiries, education and outreach for pilots and flight schools on noise abatement procedures, and monitoring and analyzing noise data. The county has also installed two additional noise monitoring locations to cover all four sides of the airport. Under federal law, neither the city nor the county may levy fines against pilots in conjunction with the voluntary program. The Federal Aviation Administration also requires the voluntary noise abatement program to remain voluntary, according to the staff report. Public speakers at the

meeting, including Hope Nelson, president of the local group Citizens for a Friendly Airport, thanked the council for its efforts. “Thank you for listening to the community, which for many, many years has had to live with early morning and late-night flights outside the (quiet hours),” Nelson said. “If you can get pilots to comply with noise abatement; if a letter from our mayor makes a difference and it helps, then yay. I just want you to know your effort is really appreciated.” Don Petro, a resident near the airport, said compliance with the entire voluntary noise abatement program was needed. “It is airplanes going over our schools, going over our homes, creating health and safety issues,” Petro said. The council directed staff to return within 60 days with an expanded plan that could help address community concerns about aircraft noise.

Vista Hall of Fame nominations open By Staff

VISTA — Nominations are now open for the Vista Hall of Fame’s 2024 selections, sponsored by the Vista Historical Society. The hall celebrates Vista’s history by highlighting individual accomplishments in support of Vista. A minimum of two members will be elected to the hall of fame each year, at least one from the regular division and one from the early residents division. The regular division nominee can be living or dead and must meet the first three criteria listed below. The early residents division nominee must also meet the first three criteria and must also meet the fourth criteria, which states the nominee must have been dead for 20 years or more. The criteria for election are as follows: 1. Each nominee must have lived in Vista at least 20 years. 2. Each nominee must have made significant con-

tributions to the betterment of the community. The accomplishments must be verified to the society’s satisfaction. 3. Married couples who both meet the criteria may be nominated together as one nominee. 4. The early resident nominee must have died in 2004 or prior to that year. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 16, 2024. Those selected will be honored during a ceremony at the Vista Historical Society’s annual meeting on May 18 at the Shadowridge Country Club. Their photographs will be placed in the museum alongside those elected in former years. Nominations can be made by calling the museum telephone number, 760630-0444, by mail at P.O. Box 1032, Vista, CA 920851032, or by email at vistahistorical@gmail.com. Details of the nominee’s service, a photo and other supportive information must be included for consideration.

In loving memory of

Alan Patterson June 6, 1950 December 1, 2023

THREE MOUNTAIN LION cubs who were recently rescued now call the San Diego Zoo Safari Park home. Photo courtesy of Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Mountain lion cubs find new home at Safari Park By City News Service

ESCONDIDO — Three recently rescued orphaned mountain lion cubs were treated at the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, where they will now make their home. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife found the 6-week-old cubs separately over the course of a week. Because the young lions were orphaned at an early age, they cannot be safely reintroduced into their native habitat, according to the Wildlife Alliance. Fish and Wildlife designated the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as a safe haven for the rescued cubs.

“Mountain lions are a keystone species right here in our own backyard,” said Lisa Peterson, executive director of the Safari Park. “It’s been a privilege to nurse these youngsters back to full health, and we now have the honor of caring for them long-term. A search party assembled to find the cubs by using data from the GPS collar of the mother, designated F307 by the UC Davis mountain lion research team, to determine the search area. On the first day of the search, team members from UC Davis found the first cub hiding in a hole, and the second was wedged tightly between two rocks, a statement from the Wildlife Alliance read. Three days later, they found the third cub

crouching in the chaparral. The search continued for several more days and remote trail cameras found no evidence of other cubs, the Wildlife Alliance said. All three cubs were within 250 feet of each other. Due to their young age, they likely would not have survived more than one week on their own. The trio were reunited at the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center and nursed back to full health, according to the Wildlife Alliance. Mountain lions’ habitat ranges from Canada to the tip of South America. They are extremely versatile and adaptable, surviving in a range of habitats, including high mountains, deserts, coastal areas and even cities.

Protecting heart of endangered gorilla By Staff

ESCONDIDO — Since 2017, a team of medical experts specializing in human and wildlife treatment have gathered at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to monitor the health of Winston, a critically endangered silverback gorilla. Today, at age 51, Winston is considered one of the world’s oldest male gorillas in managed care. Winston has been popular among guests and team members alike since he came to the Safari Park in 1984. As the troop leader within the gorilla forest habitat, he has fathered nine offspring and adopted two unrelated male gorillas – a behavior seldom seen in silverbacks. Winston’s wildlife care team has worked extensively to build and maintain his trust, and to deliver medical care throughout his lifetime. As he aged, Winston predictably began to show signs of decline, but in 2017, his unusual lethargy and reduced appetite prompted concern. His team decided to perform a series of diagnostic tests to identify the cause. “Winston has always been an amazingly strong , but older great apes – particularly male gorillas – are susceptible to heart disease, a primary cause of mortali-

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

WINSTON, 51, is the silverback gorilla patriarch at the Safari Park. Courtesy photo/Ken Bohn/SD Zoo Wildlife Alliance

ty,” said Matt Kinney, senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Given Winston’s symptoms that year, we opted for an echocardiogram. The checkup was very limited, but it allowed us to address immediate clinical concerns and establish a baseline for Winston’s cardiac care.” Although the overall results were promising, they still showed heart function irregularities. The findings were shared with the Great Ape Heart Project, a cardiac health initiative for great apes in human care, and monitoring of Winston’s condition continued. Fast forward to January 2021 and Winston’s heart health once again became

a central concern – and a prominent media story. Winston and his troop were diagnosed with COVID-19, making them the first known great apes in the world to contract the virus. Given his age, cardiac history and the nature of the virus, a comprehensive medical team including cardiologists, anesthesiologists, veterinary specialists and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance health and care professionals was formed to evaluate the senior ape. A series of extensive tests over the span of six months led to diagnoses of heart, dental and kidney diseases, and other conditions. The team implemented a comprehensive treatment plan, including cardiac medications, supplements and a heart monitor implant. Winston also underwent monoclonal antibody therapy, a synthetic defense against COVID-19, which was crucial to his recovery. Since then, the Safari Park’s wildlife health and care teams, alongside Centers for Disease Control staff, have been monitoring Winston and his troop for potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on gorillas. For more about Winston, visit stories.sandiegozoo.org/2023/09/19/heartto-heart/.

Alan Roy Patterson, a long-time resident of Oceanside, passed away on December 1, 2023, at Palomar Hospital in Escondido. He was 73 years old. Alan was born and raised near Detroit in St Clair Shores, Michigan. He graduated from South Lake High School and earned a nursing degree from Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. In 1985, he married Millie (Mildred Kathleen Ham) in Detroit. Millie’s parents lived in Fallbrook, and they relo-

Share the story of your loved ones life... because every life has a story. Anna Meyers Oceanside December 11, 2023 Conception (Chony) Huizar Solana Beach November 28, 2023 Kevin Edward Thompson Carlsbad December 4, 2023 Cheryal Ann Schoos Escondido November 29, 2023 Juan Santiago Oquendo Fallbrook November 21, 2023 Zenaida Legaspi Agahan Escondido December 9, 2023

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” — Irish proverb

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cated to Oceanside to be near her large family. He and Millie were married for 32 years and had two daughters, Alison and Noelle. He worked as a registered nurse specializing in mental health care as a psychiatric nurse. He was employed for 20 years at Mesa Vista Hospital, ten years as a supervisor, as part of Sharp Healthcare in San Diego before retiring in 2015. Alan was an avid fisherman and often embarked on multi-day deep-water fishing excursions with his buddies. He always shared his huge fillets of Tuna, Dorado, and Yellowtail with friends and neighbors. He and Millie regularly volunteered at the weekly outreach dinner, Meals with a Message, at Oceanside First Presbyterian Church. On one occasion, he provided enough barbecued tuna to feed the entire roomful of grateful attendees. He delighted his young daughters when he taught them how to

fish for Squid and to catch slippery Grunion on Oceanside City Beach. Alan was a good friend and a giving person to all who knew him. He always had time for someone in need and a joke ready to lighten your mood. If you wanted to talk about classic rock trivia, he knew it all and had a great vinyl collection. Even the family cat was named Bob Dylan. He will be sadly missed by all. Alan had always wanted his ashes to be spread in the sea off Oceanside, near the city and ocean he loved, and his wishes will be honored. He is survived by his daughter Alison Rose Rushing, her husband Darryl Lee Rushing, granddaughter Sakura, age three, and grandson Lee Roy Rushing II, age three months; daughter Noelle Kathleen Patterson and her husband Leo Qiu; ex-wife, Millie (Mildred Kathleen Ham) Patterson and sister, Susan Patterson.

OUR TRIBUTE TO CHRISTMAS As is our annual tradition, we invite you, our neighbors and friends, to visit our life-sized nativity scenes on display at 1315 S. Santa Fe Avenue in Vista and at 435 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos.

Our entire staff takes great pleasure in setting up these displays and is gratified to know that our nativity scenes are enjoyed by multiple generations in our community. Our life-sized nativity scenes will be on display from December 20 to January 2. To celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, we hope you will bring the entire family to enjoy our 59th annual nativity display.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! ALLEN BROTHERS MORTUARY, INC. VISTA CHAPEL

FD-1120 1315 S. Santa Fe Ave. Vista, CA 92083

760-726-2555

SAN MARCOS CHAPEL

FD-1378 435 N. Twin Oaks Valley Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069

760-744-4522

www.allenbrothersmortuary.com

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

Battery storage facility to replace Escondido ice rink By Samantha Nelson

ESCONDIDO — The former Ice-Plex building will be replaced with a 50-megawatt lithium-ion battery storage facility following the Escondido City Council’s recent approval. The City Council, during a Dec. 6 meeting, unanimously approved a major plot plan permit for the construction of the battery storage project at 555 N. Tulip Street, along with its adopted mitigation plan and a zoning amendment to change the property from “planned development industrial” to “general industrial use.” The Escondido Planning Commission previously approved the project in a 5-11 vote in October, with one commissioner absent. Referred to as the Goal Line Reliability Project by applicant and owner Onward Energy, the lithium-ion battery energy storage facility planned for the 6.5-acre site will be capable of delivering up to 50 megawatts of energy storage with an 8-hour capacity. The stored energy will be discharged into the grid when the energy is needed via a substation already in place onsite. According to its developer, the battery storage facility will be constructed within the existing ice rink, which closed in July 2020,

Odd Files Creme de la Weird

The Kyiv Post reported on Dec. 13 that Russia’s security service, the FSB, has released its 2024 propaganda fundraising calendar, and it’s a doozy! The front cover features “art” of an improbably ripped Vladimir Putin giving his best sultry stare while leaning on a big, black compensator vehicle. Meanwhile, the apocalyptic November image depicts an FSB special forces soldier standing before the U.S. Capitol while drones and helicopters attack it. Is this a popular holiday gift in Russia? Who knows. The bigger question: Why does the FSB need to fundraise? [Kyiv Post, 12/13/2023]

Weird Science

— Gatorland in Orlando, Florida, can boast a fascinating new resident: a leucistic white alligator, born on Dec. 7, CNN reported. The female gator is believed to be one of only eight in the world and the only one born in human care. She was hatched along with a normal-colored brother of the same size (about 19 inches long). “Leucistic alligators are the rarest genetic variation in the American alligator,” the park said. They have bright blue eyes, as opposed to albino gators, which have pink eyes. The public is invited to vote on a name on the park’s social media sites. [CNN, 12/7/2023] — Scientists at Northwestern University in Chicago have created teeny-tiny VR headsets for laboratory

THE FORMER Ice-Plex building and parking lot at 555 N. Tulip Street in Escondido will be replaced by a lithium-ion battery storage facility. Photo by Samantha Nelson

and its parking facilities. The adjacent 50-megawatt natural gas power plant, also owned by Onward Energy, will remain. The company plans to use portions of the existing Ice-Plex building for office space at the future battery storage facility. According to RinkAtlas.

com, Ice-Plex was the only skating facility in San Diego County with two full-size ice sheets and one of only a few facilities in North America with a pair of Olympic-sized sheets. Commissioners identified two main concerns with the project, namely rezoning and the applicant not speci-

fying a battery unit during the project’s entitlement process. Senior Planner Ivan Flores explained that although the “planned development industrial” zoning designation may have existed in 1992 when the ice rink and natural gas plant were approved, the zoning desig-

mice, Sky News reported on Dec. 8, so that they can experience the freedom they will never have. The Miniature Rodent Stereo Illumination VR has two lenses and two screens to give the little dudes a realistic 3D picture of ... aerial threats, like an owl coming in for a meal. The goggles help the mice “engage with the environment in a more natural way,” said lead scientist Daniel Dombeck. [Sky News, 12/8/2023]

socks and taped into his boxer shorts; security officers became suspicious about the large bulge below the man’s waistband. They believe he purchased them at a market in the city. The animals were taken to the Wildlife Conservation Office; the smuggler was arrested. “We will catch anyone who tries to take animals on planes,” a Thai customs department spokesperson said. [Metro News, 12/8/2023]

proceeds, expected to be as much as $20,000, to the Portland Rescue Mission, which operates the shelter. Bidding continues through Dec. 18. [UPI, 12/13/2023]

Crime Report

Cops in Genoa, Italy, were stumped by a drug-trafficking case in their city, BNN reported on Dec. 1 — that is, until they noticed a large number of bald and beardless men visiting a local barbershop. Investigators initiated surveillance and searched the shop, where they found 100 grams of cocaine, precision scales and packaging materials. They also found hashish at the barber’s home and evidence of ongoing communication with inmates in a Genoa prison. The 55-year-old barber is awaiting sentencing at the Marassi prison. [BNN, 12/1/2023]

In Louisville, Kentucky, a bronze statue of President Abraham Lincoln has been seated on a rock, overlooking the Ohio River, since 2009, the Louisville Courier Journal reported. But Lincoln’s top hat, which rested at his side on the rock, disappeared sometime at the beginning of December. The sculptor, Ed Hamilton, suspects the hat was stolen: “It was anchored down into that monolith rock,” he said. “I don’t know what they could have used, maybe some more manpower or some crowbars. Bring the hat back, because you can’t wear it,” he warned potential thieves. Police and park officials are investigating. [Louisville Courier Journal, 12/10/2023]

Bright Idea

An unnamed 22-yearold man from Taiwan was detained on Dec. 5 at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok after he was found to be transporting two Asian smallclawed otters and a prairie dog, Metro News reported. The man had the animals stuffed into three separate

Suspicions Confirmed

Awesome!

The Burnside Shelter in Portland, Oregon, hit the jackpot earlier in the year when workers discovered a pair of gold sneakers at the bottom of a donation bin, United Press International reported. Turns out, the Air Jordan 3 kicks were commissioned by Spike Lee for him to wear at the 2019 Academy Awards — and they’re valued at more than $10,000, according to Sotheby’s. The auction house will donate 100% of the

nation no longer exists under the city’s zoning code or general plan. “This is essentially a cleanup of the Escondido zoning map and is consistent with the general plan land use designation,” Flores told the City Council. In response to the entitlement process concern,

below the threshold for felony theft. The DA wasn’t having it: “Just because an item is on sale doesn’t mean it’s free to steal,” said John Kellner. “Retailers in our community are fed up with Wait, What? theft, and my office will Sergey Vladimirovich actively prosecute these ofOchigava was arraigned on fenders.” [Denver Gazette, Dec. 5 in Los Angeles feder- 12/12/2023] al court after a bizarrely uninterrupted trip from Den- Least Competent mark to L.A., the Associated Criminal Press reported. The Russian — On Dec. 9, as first flew in November without a responders were assisting ticket, passport, visa or seat a person “experiencing an assignment. Flight crew altered mental state” in members told investigators Columbia County, Florithat he wandered around da, Stanley Williams, 35, the plane and switched hopped into the waiting seats while talking with ambulance and drove away, other passengers. When ClickOrlando reported. But U.S. Customs and Border officers didn’t have to chase Patrol searched his belong- him down — Williams drove ings, they found “Russian to the sheriff’s office operidentification cards and an ations center and stopped Israeli identification card,” near the main entrance, court documents outlined. where he was arrested and Ochigava gave a variety taken to a hospital for exof explanations, includ- amination. Williams faces ing that he hadn’t slept in grand theft and evading three days and wasn’t sure law enforcement charges. how he got through securi- [ClickOrlando, 12/12/2023] ty in Copenhagen. A trial is scheduled for Dec. 26. [AP, — Leonard Thuo 12/13/2023] Mwithiga, 52, a Kenyan executive, followed his wife Compelling of 22 years to the United Explanation States, hoping to convince Michael Green, 50, and her to return home to him, Byron Bolden, 37, were sen- Oddity Central reporttenced in December in Colo- ed. But when she refused, rado’s 18th Judicial District Mwithiga allegedly decidfor felony theft after they ed she must die. During an shoplifted about $2,100 Uber ride, Mwithiga told worth of items from a Kohl’s the driver he was “very, store, The Denver Gazette very mad” and needed a hitreported. In Colorado, theft man. The Uber driver got under $2,000 is a misde- in touch with Connecticut meanor, which is why their State Police, who enlisted defense counsel creatively him as an informant. Beargued that the store was tween September and Dehaving a sale, and the men cember, the two engaged had coupons, which brought in multiple conversations the value of the items down about the plot, all of which

staff said the applicant had provided an analysis of potential battery manufacturers to design, construct and operate under California fire code standards and noted that the city’s fire department required the project to choose a manufacturer that complies with the National Fire Protection Association. The applicant must also obtain a hazardous material business plan from the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, which also requires review from the city fire department, before issuing a building permit. “The project has been conditioned to ensure no impacts on public health, safety, and welfare will occur,” the staff report states. The project is 900 feet away from the closest residential area and situated next to the city’s flood control channel. According to Flores, the closest battery unit will be about 35 feet from the front property line; however, 12foot walls will screen the 10-foot-high units so that they are not visible from the public right-of-way. The city did not receive any public comments on the project as of the Dec. 6 meeting, and no one attended the three public outreach meetings over the summer, Flores said. were shared with authorities. Mwithiga wanted his wife “injected with something to make her very sick, ‘like a cancer,’ ” and he wanted her to die a slow death. Finally, on Dec. 4, the informant introduced Mwithiga to a “hitman,” i.e., undercover cop, who was paid an advance on the job. Mwithiga asked that she be killed while he was away in Kenya, so he would have an alibi. Instead, he was arrested and held on $5 million bond. [Oddity Central, 12/13/2023]

Saw That Coming

Kathryn Tunison Smith, 67, of Midvale, Utah, already had five outstanding arrest warrants against her, two involving her neighbors, when she sealed her own fate, ABC4-TV reported. On Dec. 12, she was arrested after a TikTok video came to light depicting Smith making racist and crass comments to a neighbor. In one interaction, Smith came onto the neighbor’s property and “began ripping up (the neighbor’s) garden and continued ... until the neighbor chased her away with a stick,” the charges allege. Mayor Marcus Stevenson posted on X, “I’m hopeful that this is a positive step for the healing of the targeted family, the affected neighborhood, Ms. Smith and our entire community.” She was booked and released on her own recognizance, so ... [ABC4, 12/13/2023] Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal. com.

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

Esco council OKs salary bumps for members, mayor By Samantha Nelson

ESCONDIDO — A split City Council approved a 7.5% salary raise for council members and a 6% raise for the mayor earlier this month, changes that will take effect a year from now. The council approved the increases by a 3-2 vote on Dec. 6, directing staff to return with a draft to officially adopt the ordinance on Dec. 13. Currently, council members are paid $2,088.43 per month, and the mayor is paid $5,895.09 per month. The mayor receives the same council base pay plus an additional $3,806.66 per month. Every other December during odd-numbered years, the City Council is obligated by law to consider compensation raises for council members and the mayor. Any approved raises go into effect the following

THE RAISES approved by the City Council take effect in 2024, after the November election. File photo

year after the next election. The council has voted against implementing any increases since the current rate was last approved in 2017, which took effect in December 2018. Councilmember Mike Morasco suggested a 1.25% increase per calendar year

since the last salary adjustment six years ago, adding to the overall 7.5% salary increase for council members. Mayor Dane White suggested a 1% increase for the mayor’s seat. City Attorney Mike McGuinness said the council could have gone as high as

30%, or 5% for each calendar year since the last adjustment. While contemplating a salary increase, McGuinness cautioned council members to consider the amount of time needed to perform their council and mayoral duties, the nature of work performed, the impact that inflation has over time and their need to attract a broad demographic of candidates as council members in the future. “It will be six years without any increase, and if the council chooses to waive an increase again, at some point in time, a future City Council will need to address the matter, and the divide will only be getting bigger between the 2018 salary numbers and those in the future,” McGuinness said. McGuinness also said city employees receive a 1.42% to 3.55% average

yearly salary increase. Morasco noted his 1.25% suggestion is below that average. “We can keep kicking this can down the road but eventually some city council has to address it and make the adaptation, otherwise it becomes so skewed and could become impossible to correct,” he said. Morasco said he wouldn’t benefit from the increase as he doesn’t plan to run for reelection in 2024. “It’s the only thing that’s fair to make available people of any socioeconomic strata here in the city so they too can run for city council and be participants,” Morasco said. Recently appointed Deputy Mayor Christian Garcia agreed with Morasco, saying he would make more as a teacher without the extra duties. Garcia is a high school math and social

studies teacher at Futures Academy. “If we stay where we are now, we wouldn’t be able to bring in people who are working-class… we would only have people who are independently wealthy or retired,” Christian Garcia said. Councilmember Joe Garcia said he was struggling with the decision to increase the council’s salary as the city continues to grapple with its structural budget deficit. “I understand the issue that will eventually happen after years of no increase, but we’re really struggling with our budget,” Joe Garcia said. In the end, Joe Garcia and Councilmember Consuelo Martinez voted against the salary increase, saying he would voluntarily decline it when it takes effect next year.

SAN MARCOS City Councilmember Mike Sannella, left, speaks in favor of the proposed 202-unit mixed-use project at the Restaurant Row site during the council’s Dec. 12 meeting. Right, Sierra Nevada, 11, urges the council to approve the project, which the council did in a unanimous vote. Center, a rendering shows the view from San Marcos Boulevard of the project, with an updated design featuring more wood and brick. Photos by Laura Place/Rendering courtesy Lennar Homes

RESTAURANT ROW

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

“I think that this will end up being something really good for our city.” Council members’ approval went against the Planning Commission’s recommendation in early November, which advised the council not to approve the project. At the time, the commission indicated a litany of concerns about inadequate parking on site and the project’s potential violations of private agreements with neighboring businesses. Specifically, owners of neighboring restaurants Cocina Del Charro and Fish House Vera Cruz said the project as planned would

APOLOGY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

of the question, the students told Morasco they were born and raised in Escondido. According to Calderon Pio, Morasco then asked why they didn’t say the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the meeting, stating that it was disrespectful to active-duty military and veterans. Calderon Pio, along

infringe upon easements granted to them via private agreements with the Eubanks family in the 1980s and 1990s. Lennar Division President Ryan Green told the council that in the month since the commission hearing, they added 17 parking spaces onsite for a total of 518 and that they reached an agreement with Cocina del Charro about their parking. Discussions with Fish House owners about its easement are ongoing. “The Planning Commission vote was a shock to us,” Green said. “But we didn’t rest on our laurels, and we heard what they asked of us.” John Butler, co-owner

of Fish House, said he has yet to come to a solution with Lennar. Butler claimed that the planned site of the park will eliminate 36 parking spaces granted to Fish House that are not permitted for general public use. “Approval of the project as designed, and specifically the location of the park, is, in our view, a taking of property without fair compensation,” Butler said. City staff and attorneys for the project said no documentation has been produced identifying the exact location of the 36 parking spaces and that the project would still allow the joint sharing of parking spaces between the project site, the Sears/movie theater property to the west and the east-

ern portion of Restaurant Row housing Fish House, Cocina Del Charro and Buffalo Wild Wings. Councilmember Sharon Jenkins said she would have liked to see Lennar engage the neighboring businesses earlier in the process. “I wish you had worked as hard before the Planning Commission happened as you did after… because I think that would have taken a lot of angst away from any people,” Jenkins said Apart from Butler and his attorney, the remaining 15 public speakers made comments in support of the project at the meeting. Resident Becky Garrett said the city desperately needs the pickleball courts the project will provide, and 11-year-

old Sierra Nevada said she would look forward to visiting the park. “I love to play outside and roller skate and skateboard,” Nevada said. “I think you should vote yes.” All housing units will be market rate, and the developer will pay an in-lieu fee to the city rather than providing affordable housing onsite. Councilmember Maria Nuñez said she was disappointed by the lack of affordable units but otherwise supported the project. While the new Restaurant Row project plans to have eateries in the commercial space, they will be around 1,000 to 3,000 square feet, much smaller than the traditional sitdown restaurants that have

been at the site. Green said Lennar still has to choose tenants for the space, stating that “we want local, we want organic, we want eccentric.” However, they have promised a spot to Ascend Coffee Roasters (formerly Old California Coffee Company), which currently operates at the southwestern edge of Restaurant Row. Council members said they hope the project will also lead to further positive development along West San Marcos Boulevard, including at the neighboring lot housing the movie theater. “It’s going to be a starting point for sprinkling some life along the boulevard,” Councilmember Mike Sannella said.

with fellow Del Lago senior Michelle Cortez, San Pasqual High School junior Derek Lam and another high school student, had chosen not to recite the pledge earlier that evening. “Derek and I stood up because we didn’t want to stick out like sore thumbs, but we didn’t say the pledge because our country has not reflected our beliefs,” Calderon Pio said. The students were seat-

ed toward the back of the room and said they weren’t disruptive throughout the meeting. For some of the students, who are seeking to become more civically engaged in the community and city government, it was the first time they had ever gone to a council meeting. After the incident, some don’t want to return. “It made me not want to go back,” Lam said.

Still, Lam and the others returned to council chambers on Dec. 6 to ask for an apology from Morasco and for the rest of the council to hold him accountable. “How can an elected official act in this manner, especially to a group of kids who also happen to be all people of color? Well, to answer your question, Morasco, yes, I am a U.S. citizen and I’m proud to be born and raised by refugee parents

who fled during the Vietnam War to seek a better life for future generations,” Lam told Morasco and the rest of City Council on Dec. 6. “My parents have always taught me to speak up for myself and I’m doing exactly that.” In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that public school students cannot be forced to salute or pledge al-

legiance to the U.S. flag. “What Councilmember Morasco did was highly inappropriate and was a way to intimidate young adults,” Cortez said. “That should not be taken lightly, as young adults are the future of Escondido.” Morasco did not publicly apologize to the students at the Dec. 6 meeting, but asked to meet afterward to clear up the “misunderstanding.”

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T he C oast News - I nland E dition

628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803 CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-708-7311 EXT. 257 TRIVIA TEST #12345_20231218 FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 18, 2023 By Fifi Rodriguez

FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE,

628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803 CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-708-7311 EXT. 257

TRIVIA TEST #12345_20231218 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803 FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 18, 2023 By Fifi Rodriguez CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-708-7311 EXT. 257

TRIVIA TEST #12345_20231218 FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 18, 2023 By Fifi Rodriguez

1. FOOD & DRINK: What is ciabatta?

2. TELEVISION: What is the name 1. FOOD & DRINK: is ciabatof the 1980s cop drama What series starring actor William Shatner? ta? 3. HISTORY: In which year did the Gulf oil spill occur? 2. TELEVISION: What is thethename 4. LITERATURE: Who wrote classic holiday novella “The Cricket of the 1980s cop drama series starring on the Hearth”? 5. INVENTIONS: Who invented actor William penicillin?Shatner? 6. GEOGRAPHY: Monaco is bor3. HISTORY: which year did the dered on threeIn sides by which European country? Gulf oil 7.spill U.S. occur? STATES: Which state’s nickname is “The Land of Enchantment”? 4. LITERATURE: the 8. MOVIES: What isWho the namewrote of the chief in the movie “Jaws”? classic police holiday novella “The Cricket 9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What does the J.D. stand for in a law on the Hearth”? degree? 10. MUSIC: Which singer had a 5. INVENTIONS: Who invented breakout hit with “I Kissed a Girl”? Answers penicillin? 1. An Italian bread. 2. “T.J. Hooker.” 6. GEOGRAPHY: Monaco is bor3. 2010. Charlessides Dickens. dered on4. three by which Europe5. Alexander Fleming. 6. France. an country? 7. New Mexico. Martin Brody.Which state’s nick7. U.S.8. STATES: 9. Juris Doctor. 10. KatyLand Perry. of Enchantment”? name is “The 8. MOVIES: What is the name of the police chief in the movie “Jaws”? 9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What does the J.D. stand for in a law degree? 10. MUSIC: Which singer had a breakout hit with “I Kissed a Girl”? Answers 1. An Italian bread. 2. “T.J. Hooker.” 3. 2010. 4. Charles Dickens. 5. Alexander Fleming. 6. France. 7. New Mexico. 8. Martin Brody. 9. Juris Doctor. 10. Katy Perry. © 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

1. FOOD & DRINK: What is ciabatta? 2. TELEVISION: What is the name of the 1980s cop drama series starring actor William Shatner? 3. HISTORY: In which year did the Gulf oil spill occur? 4. LITERATURE: Who wrote the classic holiday novella “The Cricket on the Hearth”? 5. INVENTIONS: Who invented penicillin? 6. GEOGRAPHY: Monaco is bordered on three sides by which European country? 7. U.S. STATES: Which state’s nickname is “The Land of Enchantment”? 8. MOVIES: What is the name of the police chief in the movie “Jaws”? 9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What does the J.D. stand for in a law degree? 10. MUSIC: Which singer had a breakout hit with “I Kissed a Girl”? Answers 1. An Italian bread. 2. “T.J. Hooker.” 3. 2010. 4. Charles Dickens. 5. Alexander Fleming. 6. France. 7. New Mexico. 8. Martin Brody. 9. Juris Doctor. 10. Katy Perry. © 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE,

Dec. 22, 2023

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

Dec. 22, 2023

STUDENTS FROM Escondido and San Pasqual high schools made wooden toy cars for TK and kindergarten students at Lincoln Elementary, presenting 200 cars to TK and kindergarten students on Dec. 8. Below, Lincoln Elementary students race their toys. Courtesy photos/Escondido Union High School District

Teens make wood cars for ES students By Staff

ESCONDIDO — Students from Escondido and San Pasqual High Schools recently made more than 200 wooden toy cars for Lincoln Elementary youngest learners. Lincoln Elementary TK and kindergarten students received their early Christmas presents after high school students arrived wearing Santa hats and

RIFT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

year as mayor, said he is better suited to represent the city since he was elected at large, and claimed he would do a better job advocating for North County infrastructure funding, particularly for projects along State Route 78 and Interstate 15. The city also needs someone who isn’t afraid to butt heads with other SANDAG members and executives, Franklin said. “I think that if I were serving there, there would be a significantly different posture from our city in terms of where dollars are invested,” Franklin said. “SANDAG’s a mess, and we need somebody down there who routinely holds the SANDAG executives and, frankly, the majority of the board of directors accountable, so that agency serves the best interests of taxpayers.” Councilmember Joe Green also verbally supported Franklin and said the change of the city code earlier this year regarding appointments was a “polit-

ical” move by the Democrat majority of Melendez and council members Corrina Contreras and Dan O’Donnell. “I feel like it was more political posturing because once Councilmember O’Donnell was elected and had the majority of the board, we changed the code and did what we did,” Green said. O’Donnell defended Melendez, noting that she was one of 15 SANDAG board members to strike down the controversial road usage tax in September. “A year ago, the largest concern we had was that we were going to appoint somebody who wants to tax us for every mile we drive on the road, and I didn’t believe that was true at the time, and I believe Councilmember Melendez showed that was true by voting against the road user charge,” O’Donnell said. Council members traded jabs throughout the discussion, with Melendez and Contreras criticizing Franklin for being chronically absent from

SANDAG Transportation Committee meetings earlier this year, where he was a representative for the North County Inland region, resulting in his removal from the committee. Franklin pushed back, noting he was always present to cast votes at the SANDAG board when he was the primary representative before Melendez’s appointment. He added that non-attendance is rampant at the non-binding transportation committee, where agendas for this year show that six meetings have been canceled and at least two of the 12 regions have gone unrepresented at meetings. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do — you’re trying to paint me as somehow I’ve not done my job, but the reality is that every time there was a board of directors meeting, I was there to advocate and to cast my vote,” Franklin said. He also noted his perfect city council meeting attendance record to The Coast News, stating that he has never missed a meet-

FENTANYL

bearing their handcrafted gifts – wooden toy cars – on Dec. 8. San Pasqual CTE Woodshop Instructor Brandon Tarrac, who came up with the idea for his students to make toys last year, invited Escondido High School to join in on the gift giving project. “It’s amazing how such a simple toy can bring so much joy to so many,” Tar-

rac said. Along with the wooden toys, the older students brought bubbles, chalk and games to play with their younger peers. That day, students could be heard challenging each other to races with their new toys across the playground. “It’s so great that the high school students did this amazing project. It seems

VISTA MAYOR John Franklin speaks to the City Council last January about how the body appoints its SANDAG representative, an issue that resurfaced at its Dec. 12 meeting. File photo

ing in his nine years as an last chance to hold the role elected city official. as he won’t be running for re-election to the District 2 seat next year. Deputy mayor “I’d like to throw out appointment there that I have been on Melendez also netted the council for seven years; an appointment as the 2024 I do love this city like my deputy mayor, a one-year little sister, and the year term she will take over from I was deputy mayor was Contreras. Franklin and COVID year, so I didn’t get Green were opposed in the to do anything,” Green said. 3-2 vote. “I just want to serve my city Green nominated him- until the end of the year.” self, noting that this is his Franklin made a mo-

they are enjoying it just as much as the children,” said Lincoln Kindergarten Teacher Jill Randall-Loyo. “We are very grateful for the gifts.” Tarrac looks forward to continuing his new holiday tradition with students each year and hopes that one of the children who received his students’ handmade gifts will become a student of his own someday. tion to appoint Green, but no other council members seconded it. Contreras and O’Donnell praised Green for his commitment to the city but said they wanted to support Melendez due to her body of work during her term. “While I support you wholeheartedly and believe that you are such an incredible cheerleader and advocate for our city, and I will just always express my love and admiration for you, I am going to support Councilmember Melendez as deputy mayor,” Contreras said. Two speakers made public comments in favor of appointing Melendez; one spoke in support of Green. Melendez thanked the council for the appointment and stated her respect for Franklin and their debates. “I understand there are divisions among our council, and if there’s anything I can do in this next year to bring more unity, to bring more consensus building, to bring more community engagement, to facilitate shorter meetings and quicker business, then I will actively work on that,” she said.

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Dec. 22, 2023

T he C oast News - I nland E dition

EVENTS CALENDAR

Know something that’s going on? To post an event, visit us online at calendar.thecoastnews.com

DEC. 22

9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Jan. 1 at tas Community Center. BeBahia Resort Hotel, 998 W ginner classes 6:30 to 7:30 Mission Bay Dr, San Diego. p.m., and intermediate 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Encinitas ComNEW YEAR'S EVE COMEDY munity Center, 1140 OakRing in the New Year crest Park Dr, Encinitas. with a laugh at this alcohol-free comedy show featuring Chris Martin and Joe sib. $25-$45, 7-8:30 ADRIENNE NIMS Take a musical journey p.m. Dec. 31 at Oceanside Theatre Company , 217 N with lush sensual harmonies, mystical melodies and Coast Hwy, Oceanside. global rhythms. 9:45-11:30 a.m. Jan. 3 at Carlsbad SeNYE WITH DIVINE LIGHT Join us in fellowship as nior Center, 799 Pine Ave, we celebrate the arrival of Carlsbad.

‘AMAHL & NIGHT VISITORS’

Step into the enchanting world of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” a one-act Christmas opera penned by the renowned Gian Carlo Menotti. $25, 7 p.m. Dec. 22 and 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 23 at Star Repertory Theatre, 329 E Valley Pkwy, Escondido.

JAN. 3

THE NUTCRACKER

The full length ballet classic performed by the City Ballet of San Diego. $53-$89, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23 at California Center for the Arts, 340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido.

JAN. 4

JAN. 1

DEC. 23

ART ON THE GREEN

Local artists show their art weekly and year-round unless it’s raining. Photography, glass art, jewelry, and more original art for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 23 at Carlsbad Inn outdoor art venue, 3075 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad.

KIDS ENJOY bouncing and climbing in Frosty’s Fun Zone at the Coastal Christmas Holiday Light Spectacular in Del Mar. The event runs through Dec. 26 and Dec. 29-30. Courtesy photo

DEC. 24

DONAVON FRANKENREITER

Hiking through Torrey Pines on the holidays? Join us in the fun with activities for the whole family. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 24 at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, 12600 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla.

with the band Goodnight, Texas recently while out on the road, comparing them to a modern day version of The Band. $35, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

DEC. 25

We love to get together to share our love for food, drink and company. Why not join us, Catholic Widows and Widowers of North County, for lunch. 11:30 a.m. at Carlsbad Brewing Co., 6133 Innovation Way, TAINTED LOVE Carlsbad. Based out of San Francisco, Tainted Love headlines coast to coast at major clubs, ballrooms, and rock TRANSFER, MINIATURIZED venues. Audiences of every Belly Up, Casbah and generation celebrate this 91x present Transfer, min- 80s themed band. $30, 8 iaturized and Sun Bender. p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S CedAges 21 and up, $18, 9 p.m. ros Ave, Solana Beach. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach. NERD COMEDY NIGHT Come out to Nerd ComCOASTAL CHRISTMAS edy Night every Saturday at Coastal Christmas 8pm in Carlsbad. $15-$20, Holiday Light Spectacular 8 to 9:15 p.m. Dec. 30 at makes its way to the Del New Village Arts Theatre, Mar Fairgrounds. $14.95- 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

ments. $180-$210, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 27-29 and Jan. 2-5 at San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, 320 N Broadway, Escondido.

DEC. 28

Donavon Frankenreiter

TORREY PINES FESTIVITIES made an instant connection

JINGLE FAMILY CRUISES

Jingle all the way aboard a festive sightseeing cruise on Mission Bay. $45, 2:30 p.m. at Bahia Resort Hotel, 998 W Mission Bay Dr, San Diego. ‘SIMPLY BARBRA’

Looking for something to do on Dec. 25? $52-$65, 6 p.m. at Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center: David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Dr, La Jolla.

DEC. 26

BUFFET'S BIRTHDAY BASH

Parrot Heads & Pirates alike will flock to hear all the hits from San Diego’s celebration of Jimmy Buffett. Expect a lot of dancing, singing and the occasional sipping of adult beverages. $20, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

CATHOLIC WIDOWS

DEC. 31

$19.95. Open from from 4-9 p.m. on weekends and select dates between Dec. GLOW BIG Get ready to Glow Big14-30. at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2236 Jimmy Du- BIG at SD Moms Noon Year Celebration on Dec. 31 from rante Blvd, Del Mar. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We’re taking the fun to a whole new FUN ANIMAL FRIDAY Join us onsite for Fun level at noon with two balAnimal Friday with EcoVi- loon drops. AleSmith Brewvarium Friday December ing Company, 9900 Ale29 from 10-11:30 a.m. Dec. smith Ct, San Diego. 29 at San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, 320 N MONTE CARLO NYE CRUISE Hop aboard a casiBroadway, Escondido. no-themed voyage to celebrate New Year's Eve. $75, ROCK THE SPECTRUM Supporting TERI’s work to the change lives of individuals with special needs. $25-$50, 6-9 p.m. Dec. 29 at TERI Campus of Lif , 555 Deer Springs Rd, San Marcos.

DEC. 30

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JAN. 5

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Give the Gift of Music!

DEC. 29

DEC. 27

Ginger Roots and the Protectors, Southern California's newest and brightest stars are ready to set the music world on fire. $17, 9 p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

the New Year 2024!. $25, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 31 at Spiritual Arts Institute, 527 En'ATAAXUM POMKWAAN cinitas Blvd, Encinitas. Join us for our brand new Stories of Us!. 10 to 11 a.m. Jan. 4 at San Diego Children's Discovery Muse30 MILES IN 30 DAYS The Soroptimist Inter- um, 320 N Broadway, Esnational of Vista and North condido. County Inland is holding its “30 Miles in 30 Days” virtual fitness challenge SUMMATION fundraiser. The organizaAn art exhibition juried tion is asking for $1 per mile by David Fobes. 4-6 p.m. pledges. Participants can Jan. 5 at Escondido Arts register online at https:// Partnership, 100 E Grand bit.ly/3Ppocfd or text the Ave, Escondido. code “3030WALK” to 44321. For information see soroptimistvista.org or call VISTA GARDEN CLUB Master Gardener Kath760-683-9427. ryn Blankenship will discuss tropical fruit trees at the Vista Garden Club JanBALLET CLASS uary meeting. 1:45 p.m. at Teen and adult ballet Jim Porter Recreation Cenclasses for ages 15 and up ter, 1200 Vale Terrace Dr, begin Jan. 2 at the Encini- Vista.

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Dec. 22, 2023

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