PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 24, NO. 8
FEB. 26, 2010
Council declines salary changes
THISWEEK ble a u l Va pons cou Page on 23 B FEELING SURE
By Wehtahnah Tucker
Those with little or no insurance can still have access to great health care in Encinitas B1
INSIDE
TWO SECTIONS, 52 PAGES
Business Directory . . . A27 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . A11 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B20 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . B22 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A10 Crossword Puzzle . . . . B22 Dining Guide . . . . . . . . B12 EyeWitness . . . . . . . . . . B4 Eye on the Coast . . . . . . A5 Frugal Living . . . . . . . . . B6 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . A11 Hot Off the Block . . . . . A17 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A26 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . . A17 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Outside Perspective . . . . A4 Pet of the Week . . . . . . A21 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . . B3 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . A10
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A BANNER YEAR The 2010 Arts Alive banners were unveiled Feb. 20 at the former Cabo Grill in Leucadia. More than 100 banners were displayed for the first time at the event. Each banner is painted with original artwork and hung along streetlights on Coast Highway 101. The banners will be auctioned off in May with many artists donating some of the proceeds to local organizations and charities. Above, Encinitas residents Dan Moriarty and Wil Jobson perform. Left, Encinitas resident Victoria Englund poses next to her banner of a seahorse titled “Hippocampus.” Photo by Daniel Knighton
Merger brings changes for Humane Society By Promise Yee
OCEANSIDE — The January merger of the Oceanside North County Humane Society and SPCA and the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA has elicited both kudos and questions. The merger renames the Oceanside facility the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA North Campus and allows the site that serves Oceanside and Vista to access specialized veterinarian treatment and extra space to house animals at the San Diego Gaines Street and Sherman Street campuses. READY FOR ADOPTION Barbie, a 3-year-old pitbull mix, is avail“Technically we have able for adoption. Photo by Promise Yee
more resources, staff and equipment,” Elkie Wills, communications coordinator for the North Campus, said. The San Diego Humane Society runs on a $14 million budget with 85 percent of the budget used for animal care, pet owner education, medical care, animal training, and pet and owner matchmaking, Laura Maloney, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and communication for the San Diego Humane Society, said. While the additional resources are welcome, the TURN TO HUMANE ON A21
ENCINITAS — City Council declined to give itself a raise Feb. 17 citing the poor economy. City Manager Phil Cotton proposed raising council monthly salaries by 10 percent, from $1,186 to $1,307, beginning after the upcoming November election. Councilwoman Teresa Barth suggested rejecting the plan in the interest of “setting a good example to staff and the citizens.” Her motion passed 32, with Mayor Dan Dalager and Deputy Mayor Maggie Houlihan opposed. The last pay adjustment for the part-time council positions was in 2008. The council also delayed voting on Councilman Jerome Stocks’ proposal to give Cotton an 11 percent raise, which would bring his compensation, including wages and deferred compensation, to $242,640. Stocks said that Cotton’s salary was “well below” that of other city managers in comparable municipalities. Houlihan and Councilman James Bond said the council should look at a salary survey of comparable positions before making any decisions. “As I understand it a lot of other cities are pulling in as well,” Houlihan said. “I want to be fair but I don’t want to take a position without taking it through the process.” Houlihan moved that the issue be tabled until a salary survey could be given to the council subcommittee. The report will come back to the council the first meeting in March. Cotton’s last raise was in May 2007, and council members often praise his leadership. Stocks said the raise would recognize Cotton’s performance with an increase comparable to the raises for unionized city employees. Two residents spoke out against the raises. Tony Krantz showed the council a graph TURN TO SALARY ON A19
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