PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92025 PERMIT NO. 94
The Coast News
INLAND EDITION
.com
VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO
VOL. 4, N0. 7
APRIL 6, 2018
City joins Trump’s lawsuit Escondido becomes the latest to oppose Calif. sanctuary laws By Steve Puterski
permit its sale,” Pieper said. “Individual consumption is generally legal anywhere in the state, but its sale and commercial cultivation are not.” Pieper said there does seem to be some confusion about the legality of marijuana in Vista. He said the sale of marijuana in Vista has always been illegal and it still is. “The only reason there is ‘confusion’ on the matter is because illegal storefront mari-
Local officials are pushing back against the state of California. The Escondido City Council voted 4-1 on Wednesday to support a federal government lawsuit which takes aim at California’s sanctuary state protections. Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, along with Councilman John Masson, introduced the resolution during the April 4 City Council meeting. “I was elected mayor to uphold the constitution and keep our community safe,” Abed said. “Public safety is and always will be our top priority. Since 2010, we’ve removed over 2,000 illegal criminals from our community. Crime has been reduced by 33 percent and Escondido, today, is as safe as it was in 1980.” The council said the city was not joining the controversial litigation as an active participant and plans to file two amicus briefs before the April 6 deadline. The U.S. Department of Justice filed the civil suit on March 6 naming the state, Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra as defendants. At the core of the debate is California’s Senate Bill 54, which solidifies the state’s position as a sanctuary state. The bill was introduced by Senate leader Kevin de León on opening day of the 2017 legislative session and signed in to law by the governor in October. The bill is currently being challenged by President Donald Trump’s administration on constitutional grounds. For his part, Masson affirmed that the issue was a matter of public safety and fighting back against overreach from Sacramento, adding that local police are prohibited from assisting and dealing with illegal criminals in the city and its relationship with
TURN TO MARIJUANA ON 5
TURN TO SANCTUARY ON 3
When Malcolm and Kathryn Gray bought Twin Oaks Valley Winery in San Marcos five years ago, they had no experience at wine-making or running a winery. So far in 2018, they have won a silver medal at the San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge and have opened a tasting room. Photo by Shana Thompson
Novice San Marcos winemakers tasting success as they grow By Patty McCormac
SAN MARCOS — If there were no documentation to prove it, it would hard to believe that a couple of empty nesters from the Silicon Valley with no previous wine-making experience won a silver medal for their very first batch of wine at their first ever competition. But there it is. Winemaker Malcolm Gray stands holding a bottle of the winning Sunset Red, and the certificate from the San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge 2018. “We were shocked,” his wife Kathryn said. “Delighted but shocked.” They had bought the Twin Oaks Valley Winery in San Marcos only five years earlier. They
had no experience at wine-making or running a winery at all. Sure, they liked wine and belonged to a few wine clubs, but that was the extent of their experience. They had been looking for a business for when they retired, Malcolm as an electrical engineer and Kathryn a business manager. They explored the possibility of a sandwich shop or bed and breakfast, but nothing captured their imagination until the opportunity to buy a winery presented itself. They first questioned their own sanity and then jumped right in. TURN TO WINEMAKERS ON 12
The winery offers 10 red wines, 5 blends and 2 white wines under two labels, Twin Oaks Winery and San Marcos Winery. Photo by Shana Thompson
City attorney addresses recreational marijuana confusion By Christina Macone-Greene
VISTA — Though the sale of marijuana for recreational use became legal in the state of California beginning in the new year, some cities are not allowing dispensaries or commercial growing. For some consumers, these regulations mean that they are not able to buy the product legally where they live. The topic has caused a wave of confusion for some Californians. The recreational sale of cannabis is legal in the state — but not every city is allowing it.
Darold Pieper, city attorney and city prosecutor for the city of Vista, wanted to clear up the matter for Vistans. Pieper said that Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana, expressly provides that cities and counties may regulate and completely ban marijuana businesses. So, what does that mean to Vista residents? Pieper said that some cities, such as San Diego, have decided to regulate and permit the sale of marijuana. “Most other cities, including Vista, do not
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