Inland Edition, June 9, 2023

BIRD OF PLAY

San Diego County Fair, which opened Wednesday, is Nancy

North City & more: San Marcos leaders look back, ahead at State of Community

By Laura Place

SAN MARCOS — San Marcos city and school district leaders gave residents an overview of completed projects and ongoing efforts on May 24 during the annual State of the Community event.

Mayor Rebecca Jones and Superintendent Andy Johnsen took the stage at the Civic Center, speaking about the last year’s accomplishments and what’s in the works for the coming months.

Jones highlighted the city’s 60 years of history and the ongoing advancement of projects like the North City downtown area, the development of Kaiser Permanente’s San Marcos Medical Center set to open in August and the nearly-completed San Marcos Creek project.

Jones reminisced on the city’s genesis in 1963, when it had one stoplight, one grocery store and a popula-

Local officials urge more on homelessness

By Steve Puterski

tion of around 1,200. Now, with a population of nearly 100,000, several K-12 and higher education institutions and increased urban development, she said the city is continuing to reach its full potential.

“San Marcos is descending into a new era of its history, but we would be nothing without our past,” Jones said. “I have had the privilege and honor of watching our city come into its own and really come into what it was meant to be. I, for one, am excited to continue the grand journey we have ahead.”

The North City development near Cal State San Marcos is around 15% complete as of this year, with the opening of market-rate multifamily housing, student housing projects like North Commons that opened in September, the Mesa Rim Climbing Gym, Draft Republic Brewery, and medical and office spaces.

Project developer Sea Breeze Properties also broke ground this year on a 12-story building with over 450 market-rate residen-

Orange Glen HS skaters soar

Student Ag Farm gets update

New hoops coach at CSUSM

REGION

— Several local officials gathered recently to demand more solutions to better address the underlying causes of homelessness, such as drug addiction and mental illness, in San Diego County and statewide.

Supervisor Jim Desmond, Vista Mayor John Franklin, Oceanside Deputy Mayor Ryan Keim, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and Solutions for Change founder Chris Megison held a joint press conference on June 2 in San Diego criticizing the Housing First-only model as failing to adequately deal with the state’s growing unsheltered population.

According to Desmond, the state’s homeless population has exploded over the past seven years largely due to Housing First, a low-barrier program that provides permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Since 2019, homelessness in the Golden State has grown roughly 6% each year. As of 2022, 30% of all people in the United States experiencing homelessness resided in California, including half of all unsheltered people (115,491 in California; 233,832 in the US), according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

“Right now, it’s the only tool in the toolbox if you want state or federal dollars to come in and help for the homeless solutions,” Desmond said. “We need many other tools as well. While Housing First works for some, it’s not the panacea that everyone expects it to be. We need to humanely get people into help and programs.”

Only nonprofits and local governments using a Housing First model are eligible for state and federal grants. But groups like Solutions for Change that don’t utilize the same model are excluded from those monies and must rely on donations to fund their services and programs.

Megison said his nonTURN TO HOMELESSNESS ON 13

Among the entertainment options at this year’s

Riegler, Koalabi the cockatoo and the Camp Squawk-A-Lot Bird Show. The fair runs through July 4 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Story on Page 19

Photo by Laura Place

SAN MARCOS Mayor Rebecca Jones speaks at the State of the Community event on May 24 at the Civic Center.

Photo by Laura Place

Halim Filares, above, and his Orange Glen teammates won the title of best skate team in the county, taking top honors at the recent National Team Skateboard League finals. 11

Photo by Samantha Nelson

San Marcos Unified School District cut the ribbon at its renovated Agriculture Farm, where district students can care for livestock in upgraded barn facilities. 3

Oceanside native Nick Booker, most recently on the staff at UC San Diego, was named the new men’s basketball coach at Cal State San Marcos. 7

San Marcos Unified unveils renovated Ag Farm

By Laura Place

SAN MARCOS — The San Marcos Unified School District recently cut the ribbon for its renovated Agriculture Farm on Cassou Road, where students can care for livestock in new and improved barn facilities and advance in other agricultural programs.

District officials and students in the San Marcos High School chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA) celebrated the opening of the new barns on June 1. There are already several sheep, goats and pigs on-site, and they will be joined in the coming months by cows, turkeys, chickens and ducks.

“We are so proud that the San Marcos Unified School District Ag Farm project will increase awareness and understanding of agriculture among the students and educators in our district,” said district Superintendent Andy Johnsen. “With this farm in place, our mission to engage students and inspire their futures is achieved through hands-on instruction and education about the importance of agriculture in our daily lives.”

The old farm, which has been at the site since 2010, was in disrepair and posed safety hazards for both people and animals, students said. San Marcos High School senior Takizianna Gutierrez described how, in addition to caring for animals, she and other students spent much of their time

trying to fix the barn, which was held together “by zip ties and duct tape.”

In comparison, the new farm — designed by HED and constructed by Erickson-Hall — feels much safer and cleaner, with larger pens, new roofs and

sheltered turnaround arenas.

“This new facility is going to continue to open doors for our students,” Gutierrez said. “[It’s] going to allow us to take what we are learning in the classroom and apply it in the most hands-on way

possible.”

Crews demolished the old structure and replaced it with a large livestock barn, two small livestock barns and support facilities. These include bathing and grooming areas, exercise areas, a grazing area and trailer stor-

age.

Many San Marcos High School FFA students come to the farm to care for and train their animals five days a week for at least two hours after school. Their routine involves feeding, grooming, and generally spending time

with their animals.

Senior Matthew Del Carmen, who has focused on working with pigs during his four years in FFA, said the program inspired him to continue working with animals in the future, ideally at an exotic animal farm.

“Last year, I put in a lot of hours. It turned into more bonding, more of a one-on-one companionship. I’ve learned about training an animal, the psyche of the animal and feeding the animal,” he said. “Doing this has inspired me to go on and actually do that kind of work.”

Several students have also been preparing to show their pigs, sheep and goats at the San Diego County Fair.

Senior Aiyanna Aleman will show a lamb at the fair this summer, and she has previously raised two lambs and one steer.

“It taught me a lot about responsibility and time management. It was fun to have these experiences within my high school,” Aleman said.

For years, use of the barn has been limited to students at San Marcos High School, specifically those in FFA and the agriculture education program. However, district officials decided this past year to expand its use to all students in the district.

“We’re going to be able to give this opportunity to thousands of San Marcos students for years to come,” said Erin Garcia, the district’s assistant superintendent of business services.

A RIBBON CUTTING for San Marcos Unified School District’s updated Ag Farm was held June 1 at the property on Cassou Road. Clockwise from above, San Marcos High School junior Avery Strang, freshman Charlie Stone and junior Jaiden Slattum stand with goat Honey; Goats enjoy straw at San Marcos Unified School District’s new Agriculture Farm, and San Marcos High School senior Tinia Gutierrez feeds goats at the school district’s new Agriculture Farm. Photos by Laura Place

The CoasT News

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Preparing parks for summer

By A.J. van de Ven

Summer is fast ap-

proaching, and it’s time to start enjoying ourselves in our neighborhood parks and gardens. But our outdoor public spaces need to be prepared to deal with the influx of users that the warmer months bring. So what happens behind the scenes to make sure they’re in top shape for summer?

Yale Jeffery, Public Works Supervisor-Parks at the City of Vista, is someone who knows. He said the unusually heavy rainfall at the start of 2023 has meant things are a bit different this year.

“Thanks to that rain, we didn’t need to irrigate during those months,” Yale said.

“Now we’re coming out of that rainy season and we’re starting to turn all our controllers back on.

“We’re checking our irrigation systems, making sure that we don’t have any valves that are malfunctioning and that nothing is broken before we get into the midst of summer and can’t afford to have irrigation not running for a couple of days or a week.”

landscaped areas and removing any invasive plants that have started growing.

“We’re making sure that we don’t have areas of turf or play areas that are oversaturated,” Yale said. “We need to avoid the potential for muddy messes where someone could get injured.

“We’re also trimming our tree canopies. We want people to be able to enjoy their recreation times underneath the trees without running into a branch or getting a headache from one falling from above.

“We’re clearing away any branches that have fallen on walking trails or paths. We’re removing the fruit from palm trees before it falls to the sidewalks and cleaning up fruit and blossoms that have fallen where people need to walk.”

Stormwater crews have been clearing storm channels of invasive plants and anything washed down by the rains. That way, if any more heavy rainfall occurs later in the year, they won’t be blocked.

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At this time of year, the days are getting warmer, but the nights are still cool. So, Yale and his team have to make sure they have their irrigation runtimes calibrated correctly to avoid over-watering. They are weeding

Some visitors to Vista’s parks need to be handled with great care. “Sometimes in spring, as everything’s starting to bloom, we come across beehives or bee colonies that are migrating,” Yale said. “When that happens, we either close off the area to let them be, pardon the pun, or if it’s an actual hive, we

work with a company that comes out and helps relocate the bees so that they aren’t in the park and potentially injuring someone.” The summer months also bring large-scale community events to our public spaces, including Vista’s Strawberry Festival, and the picnics and festivities for July 4th. At Brengle Terrace Park, the Moonlight Amphitheatre season has started, so Yale’s team has been busy getting everything ready within the amphitheatre — cleaning, mowing, and trimming branches to ensure clean sight lines for audiences — and avoiding heavy irrigation in surrounding areas, so that the hundreds of visitors to the nightly shows are not trekking through churned up muddy fields.

“There are also Summer Day Camps and Sports Camps for kids,” Yale explained. “These take place mainly on artificial turf, and that needs to be inspected and repaired if required. The sites need to be safe and secure for the kids. All of this is a lot of work, but it’s so important for all of us to have these spaces ready for all to enjoy.”

A.J. van de Ven is CEO of Carlsbad-based smart irrigation company Calsense and a board member of the nonprofit EcoLife Conservation.

Letters to the Editor

Getting help at Brother Benno’s is not a crime

As a frequent volunteer at Brother Benno’s Center, I read with interest the statements in the San Diego Union-Tribune article, “Oceanside business owners ask for new restrictions on Brother Benno’s as problems with homeless increase.”

In particular, I noticed statements from San Diego real estate attorney Andrea Contreras and commercial real estate agents Jonathan Peacher and

Tyler Stemly on issues of homelessness and community safety.

What I missed, however, were the comments from the mayor of Oceanside and members of the Oceanside City Council.

Shall we challenge the mayor, Contreras, Peacher, Stemly and every tenant in the Oceanside Industrial Park complex to help serve breakfast to the homeless?

Accept the challenge my friends and go on the

You would never know it by watching the almost ubiquitous television commercials advertising State Farm Insurance to sports fans on a wide variety of telecasts.

But this company just fired the first shot in what might become a war against California home and apartment owners, one with eventual costs amounting to billions of dollars. Allstate Insurance one week later admitted it has already joined in.

The State Farm strike came on May 26, when it announced to little fanfare that it has stopped taking applications for new property and casualty insurance in this state because of extreme risks from wildfires.

Take note: The company did not stop writing new car insurance policies, thus ensuring continual growth in the total premium dollars it takes out of California.

Neither State Farm nor Allstate asked permission from Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, which appears to be required under the 1988 Proposition 103.

“They cannot legally just do this on their own,” said Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the Consumer Watchdog advocacy group and author of that proposition, the law that governs insurance rates in California. “Any refusal to write new policies will affect rates people pay, and the commissioner must approve anything affecting rates.”

Giving a hint that this is really a pressure tactic, State Farm did say it would work with the California Department of Insurance to eventually resume business as usual. Translation: State Farm wants Lara to OK the $700 million in property insurance price increases it currently seeks. Allstate has similar aims.

But Lara is constrained by Prop. 103, which limits what companies can charge. The measure has saved consumers well over $100 billion in premiums over its 35 years.

Insurance companies hate this, even with State Farm the largest operator in California, taking in about $7 billion in property insurance premiums here each year and controlling almost 9% of the market.

like Farmers, GEICO and Mercury follow State Farm and Allstate, it won’t be the first time this industry boycotted California when companies felt profits were in peril.

That also happened in the mid-1990s, when then-Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, a former Republican assemblyman, acquiesced as the industry black-listed California. The dispute then was over a rule requiring companies selling homeowner insurance also to offer earthquake coverage.

The companies refused, wounded by payouts after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, and stopped selling new property insurance. Some outfits (like the former 20th Century Insurance) canceled all property policies as they expired. Several firms recently resumed this practice in areas prone to wildfires.

Quackenbush, whose elections in 1994 and 1998 were financed largely by insurance companies, could have responded by shutting down ultra-profitable car insurance sales from any company refusing to sell property and quake insurance. His failure to act caused the Legislature in 1996 to create the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), now the state’s pre-eminent quake insurer. To the CEA’s immense good fortune, a lull in very large quakes since 1994 has allowed a buildup of many billions of dollars in reserves to pay claims if and when large new temblors occur.

But the reality was that Quackenbush caved to the companies. Later, he was forced to resign in an unrelated year-2000 scandal. Eventually, he became a sheriff’s deputy in Florida, where he served until 2016, but was again forced to resign, this time after posting alleged racially controversial comments on social media.

record at Brother Benno’s.

The center keeps a logbook, by the way, so we could easily verify attendance. I would like to hear their comments about the unacceptable number of large intimidating and dangerous drug-crazed people they encounter.

Last I checked, neither homelessness nor mental illness was a crime.

Lawrence Brian Oceanside

Several other companies also are pushing for insurance rate increases, all claiming risks from wildfires justify almost any price.

At the same time, Lara has said he wants companies to discount policies for property owners who mitigate wildfire risks via measures like fire resistant roofs and enclosed eaves. In a partial response, State Farm is boycotting the entire state, not merely wildfire-prone areas.

If other big operators

The shameful Quackenbush precedent should guide Lara as he decides how much to grant insurance companies in their current rate increase cases.

Rosenfield insists Lara must okay few or none of those premium increases.

“It’s excessive,” he said. “They don’t want to comply with Prop. 103. They’re pressuring Lara to go along with them despite the law. There can be no doubt this is a pressure tactic and Lara must not do their bidding.”

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.

Vista teens get ‘bite of reality’

By Staff

VISTA — High school seniors learned lessons on managing their money during a unique “bite of reality” at Guajome Park Academy on May 23.

Presented by the Sunrise Vista Kiwanis Club and North Island Credit Union, Bite of Reality uses a handson, app-based simulation that appeals to teens while giving them a taste of real-world financial realities.

The software provided a fictional family, occupation, salary, credit score, student loan debt, credit card debt and medical insurance payments.

The teens then walked around to various table-top stations staffed by Kiwanis club members to purchase housing, transportation, food, clothing and other needs for their fictional responsibilities.

Volunteers were told to deliberately upsell what was being offered so that

students were required to make decisions regarding the affordability of the product or service.

About 125 students at the charter school participated.

After the simulation, math teacher Betsy Kalkwarf said the students

SDNEDC holds 10th annual summit; recession predicted

By Steve Puterski

REGION — The San Diego North Economic Development Council hosted its 10th annual North County Economic Summit on May 16 at California State University, San Marcos.

The event, featuring keynote speaker Charles Dougherty of Wells Fargo, brought together 400 North County industry leaders, policymakers and experts to discuss national economic trends and projections.

Dougherty, VP and senior economist for corporate and investment banking, shared insights on the US economy and his forecasts for the coming months.

In discussing the potential challenges ahead, Dougherty emphasized, “We have some turbulence ahead of us, but if you’re going to go into a downturn, you want to go into it within a relative position of strength.”

Dougherty predicted a mild recession in the latter part of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. He further emphasized the challenges associated with achieving the Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate of 2% and the implications of a modest uptick in unemployment rates.

“Mr. Dougherty’s expertise and comprehensive

EUHSD board seeks member to fill out term

analysis provided invaluable insights into the potential economic challenges we may face,” said SDNEDC CEO Erik Bruvold. “His quote reminds us of the importance of being prepared and leveraging our strengths to navigate through turbulent times.”

Speaker Josh Williams, a prominent researcher at BW Research, highlighted the significance of North County’s size and economic importance. Williams said North County represents one-third of San Diego County’s population, is 40% of its economy and is more populous than eight states.

He outlined three core challenges for North County: transitioning to a decarbonized economy; building the infrastructure and housing the region requires; and ensuring that prosperity is widely shared throughout the region.

SDNEDC is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing economic prosperity in North County San Diego through marketing the region for inward investment, helping existing businesses expand and grow and connecting employers and educators to strengthen North County’s workforce pipeline.

Juvenile held in stabbing; victim stable

By Laura Place

SAN MARCOS — A male juvenile was detained in connection with a stabbing of another male juvenile May 31, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said.

The attack was reported at 8:15 p.m. in the 700 block of Center Street, in the WalMart parking lot at Nordahl Marketplace.

Sheriff’s deputies found the victim with stab wounds

were surprised they enjoyed it. She said one student told her Bite of Reality was “actually interesting and kind of fun.”

“This may not seem like a huge compliment, but from a high school senior this is big,” Kalkwarf said. “Overall, they were grateful

for the experience and they learned a lot. It made them realize life is expensive.”

The Sunrise Vista Kiwanis Club, which is celebrating its 50th year, plans to arrange additional Bite of Reality programs at other local high schools in the near future.

to his abdomen, then located the suspect at a nearby Sprinter station, officials said.

The victim was treated at Palomar Medical Center and is in stable condition, according to Lt. Matthew Carpenter. It is believed the two males knew each other.

The ages and names of the victim and suspected attacker will not be released, Carpenter said.

Located in San Marcos, C

Brokerage INC

By Samantha Nelson ESCONDIDO — The Escondido Union High School District

Board

of

Education is looking for residents interested in filling a vacant trustee seat until the 2024 election.

The Trustee Area 5 seat is vacant following board President Jon Petersen’s resignation from the board May 18. Petersen had served on the board for over 20 years.

The district did not say why Petersen resigned.

Because Petersen’s term doesn’t expire until 2026, a special election in November 2024 will elect a candidate to serve until the November 2026 election.

In the meantime, the board will fill the vacancy by appointing a resident of Area 5, which mostly covers the northwest corner of the district, from Hidden Meadows down to East Washington Avenue.

State law requires the board to make an ap -

pointment by July 17.

Those interested in the position can find an application on the district’s website at www. euhsd.org/ boardvacancy or by contacting the superintendent’s office at 760-2913237.

Applicants must be registered voters living in the district’s Area 5.

The board will interview qualified applicants during the open session of a special board meeting on July 6. It is anticipated the board will make its decision before the meeting ends.

The board filled another vacancy through appointment this year after Dane White left Trustee Area 4 vacant when he was elected as the city’s mayor.

The board chose Ryan Williams to serve the last two years of White’s term.

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What services and/or specialty products do you provide?

We provide superior transportation services Coast to Coast. We will move from a single pallet to your entire warehouse in all 48 states of the US and in-and-out of Mexico. We have the logistics expertise, utilize latest technology, and have expansive carrier networks and all give many advantages but the one we are the proudest of is our Team which provides you exceptional customer service day in and day out.

What sets you apart from others in your industry?

We are a company that is dedicated to providing high-quality and effective shipping solutions to its customers. With a focus on safety, cost-effectiveness, and customer satisfaction, the company is poised to continue

making a positive impact to its customers and in the industry for years to come.

What is your favorite business success story?

One of our customers had decided to move to a bigger facility and our company was requested to arrange 50% of the logistics. We were confident in our ability to handle our part of the project, but the customer wanted 2 companies to ensure success and was worried about the possibility of one of the transportation companies having an issue and causing the project to fall apart.

Unfortunately and fortunately, about a week before the move was scheduled to start, the customer informed us that they would most likely have to postpone the move due to the other logistics provider being unable to provide any support. This was going to be a significant delay and cost for them.

But we didn’t want to let them down. We asked the customer to trust us and prom-

ised to take over 100% of the logistics work while at the same time continue to service their regular loads. We were determined to make it happen and complete the move with minimal interruptions to their operations.

Our team worked tirelessly to ensure that everything was in order and the move went smoothly. Despite the challenges, we were able to successfully complete the move and the customer was impressed with our dedication and determination.

What motivated you to join The San Marcos Chamber?

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Remember, a satisfied customer is more likely to become a repeat customer and recommend your business to others. So, make it your top priority to provide value to your customers, and success will follow.

Business website: https://www.cclbrokerage.com

GUAJOME PARK ACADEMY students use an app to evaluate impacts of choices on their budgets during a Bite of Reality simulation on May 23. Photo courtesy of Mitzie Hall

EDGARDO AVILA AND JUAN PEREZ. Courtesy photo

PETERSEN

Who’s NEWS?

JOB SEARCH

seasons. The ideal candidate will have connections to the professional theatre community and artists in the San Diego region. To apply, submit a resume and cover letter telling them about your experience by July 9.

ceived a promotion to the rank of 1st lieutenant.

DEAN’S LIST

Harris of Carlsbad and Melody Vega of Oceanside.

berships.

GIRL SCOUTS

Neleh Coleman of Oceanside made the spring semester dean’s list at Angelo State University in Texas.

PRESIDENT’S LIST

Carlsbad Playreaders

seeks a new artistic director for a two-year tenure to helm its 2024 and 2025

NEW RANK

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

Kelly Girolamo of Encinitas who is assigned to the 27th Financial Management Support Unit of the National Guard re -

The following students made the spring semester president’s list at Utah Tech University: Kennedy Olsen of San Marcos, Mary

LAGOON LEADER

Diana Aaron has joined the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation as its new chief development officer. She will be responsible for fundraising and cultivating new mem-

Girl Scouts of San Diego is honoring more than 50 scouts from San Diego and Imperial counties on June 24 with the Gold Award, the highest achievement for scout seniors and ambassadors between ninth and 12th grades.

PROTECTING WORKERS

The California Senate

approved Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s (D-Encinitas) bill, SB 428, that provides employers with the ability to seek a temporary civil restraining order on behalf of an employee who is being harassed at work. Under current law, it is up to individual workers to seek such restraining orders. The city of Carlsbad is a sponsor of the bill after city employees were repeatedly harassed by members of the public.

Cool Zones open across the county

By City News Service REGION — With summer at hand, San Diego County last week opened its annual Cool Zones program, giving people free, safe, air-conditioned sanctuaries to escape extreme heat.

The program will run through Oct. 31. Sites include the county's 33 library branches, community centers and other locations. Find a complete list can at bit.ly/3OWfbdD.

People can also call 211 to find a location, or, if they cannot get to a Cool Zone, ask for help with free transportation.

Museum exhibit explores ‘art for the people’

By

Staff

OCEANSIDE — On the 90th anniversary of the Works Progress Administration, an unprecedented government project supporting artists during the Great Depression, the Oceanside Museum of Art is showcasing “Art for the People: WPA-Era Paintings from the Dijkstra Collection” from June 24 to Nov. 5. When social justice issues have taken center stage, “Art for the People” is a timely reminder of the role of the arts in society during times of economic turmoil.

This timely exhibition features works created during the years between the American stock market crash of 1929 and World War II, devoting special attention to the contribution of California artists, who too often have been omitted from the WPA story.

During this era, which led to and included the government sponsored WPA of the 1930s and 1940s, American artists created scenes which represented the state of the country, exploring the hardships of the era and producing art expressing fun-

JOIN THE VISTA SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT SENIOR VOLUNTEER

The Senior Volunteer Patrol of the Vista Sheriff’s Station performs home vacation security checks, assists with traffic control, enforces disabled parking regulations, patrols neighborhoods, schools, parks and shopping centers and visits homebound seniors who live alone for the community of Vista & portions of the county’s unincorporated areas. Volunteers must be at least age 50, be in good health, pass a background check, have auto insurance, a valid California driver’s license, and be a US citizen. Training includes a mandatory two-week academy plus training patrols. The minimum commitment is 6 hours per week & attendance at a monthly meeting. erested parties should contact Administrator Jim Baynes to arrange an information meeting.

(760) 940-4434 Jim Baynes

damental human concerns and basic democratic principles. Given the relevance of these themes to today’s social justice movement, the museum exhibit holds particular significance.

Known as “people’s art,” these works were intended to be accessible and meaningful to the general public. They feature imagery emanating from the period, including depictions of laborers, the poor and disenfranchised going about their activities in both urban and rural environments.

The exhibit features 46

paintings from the Eastern, Midwestern and Western regions of the country with a strong component of work by California artists.

Built by Bram Dijkstra, UC San Diego professor emeritus of American literature and culture, leading scholar of the period and author of the landmark book, “American Expressionism: Art and Social Change, 1920-1950,” the collection explores how the art of the period reflects the values of equality, dignity and justice for all, including the working class, encouraging

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There’s an ad on CNN’s website touting “Carlsbad’s most unique mailbox.” The photo shows a structure 3.5 feet high, 6 feet long shaped like a Glock handgun.

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Known as clickbait, such advertisements are mixed in among legitimate ads. It’s typically associated

with fake news and spam sites that only want traffic and ad revenue without giving value.

Ads portraying naughty scenes from television shows and “news” stories that don’t live up to their billing are common. And even when the story told is partially true, you’ll have to parse dozens of images to find the segment that lured you in.

Because anyone in digital marketing will tell you about the significance of headlines when driving

viewers to see art from this era in a more expansive and inclusive way.

“As children of the ’60s, we met at UC Berkeley back in the free speech movement days and have always been drawn to art that makes a difference,” Dijkstra said of himself and his wife, Sandra, who own the collection and are North County residents. “We are glad to share this work with our community, especially now, when awareness of social justice is needed more than ever.”

For more information, visit oma-online.org.

The county created the program two decades ago to give older adults, people with disabilities and those with health concerns that could be complicated by extreme heat a safe place during the hottest days of the year.

Additionally, the county, working with San Diego Gas & Electric, will provide free electric fans to older or disabled San Diegans living on limited incomes.

To be eligible, county residents must be 60 years old or older, or disabled, living on limited income, must not have access to an air-conditioned space at their home or apartment building and unable to travel to a Cool Zone site.

To request a fan, call 211 or visit coolzones.org.

yourself in the foot

clicks and building traffic.

And that’s their entire objective: Make readers click a hyperlink leading to worthless content. Tricking internet users through impressive headlines without giving useful and quality content, as the headline suggests.

All of which is why, regardless of what you end up seeing, the site you’re visiting is chock full of ads selling everything imaginable. As the Washington Post observed this month, “The main goal is to attract as many clicks as possible, then serve the readers ads worth just fractions of a cent on each visit.”

Along the way, you could easily download malware onto your computer or phone, enabling bad actors to hack your credit cards, track your keystrokes or

steal your identity.

That would be bad.

I’ve long advocated keeping your marketing at a high level. Sell quality products and services, charge a fair price and diligently protect your reputation.

Clickbait has a well-deserved bad reputation.

Meaning if you’re tempted to use it to attract attention to your own website, recognize going in that you’re tagging yourself upfront as a low-quality player.

And don’t feel bad if you ever fall for the lure of clickbait. Such headlines have tricked almost every internet user at some point.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Honest strategy. Honest marketing. www.marketbuilding.com

Don’t shoot

ask mr. marketing rob weinberg

HARRY STERNBERG’S oil painting “Coal Miner and Family” (1938) will be on display at the Oceanside Museum of Art from June 24 to Nov. 5. Courtesy photo

O’side native’s book tells grandparents’ love story

By Samantha Nelson OCEANSIDE —

CSUSM taps UCSD assistant as next head coach

By Staff

A n

Oceanside native has released the love story between his grandparents, who fell in love with each other and California after moving from the Midwest, in a newly released book.

Over the years, John W. Thill compiled a collection of love letters that his grandparents, Ray and Dora Wilcox, sent to each other through their courtship in the mid-1920s. Thill’s book, “A California Love Story,” recounts the love letters and blossoming love between the young couple.

Thill’s grandfather, Ray Wilcox, had moved to Wichita, Kansas, where he met the first love of his life, Dora. Then in September 1925, he met the second love of his life — Southern California — as he stepped off the train.

In the 1980s, Thill discovered a hatbox filled with his grandparents’ love letters and typed them up to preserve his family history while mourning the death of his grandfather.

“I realized there is historical value in these letters,” Thill said, who especially admired how his grandfather described the region. “(Ray) wrote beautifully and romantically. He saw the potential for this region and himself as a potential leader and business person.”

According to Thill, his grandfather was amazed at the remarkable sights surrounding him: the vast Pacific Ocean, the California beaches and the coastal mountain ranges. But, despite the natural beauty surrounding him, none of it was complete without his love, Dora.

Ray began convincing Dora to move to California with him through his letters. Finally, after nearly two years of writing to each other, she agreed to join him, and the two began the rest of their lives together in Oceanside.

Both Ray and Dora were highly involved in their community over the years. Ray managed a Safeway store before going into real estate, starting the Ray A. Wilcox Company in

1934 as the broker/owner.

Ray served as the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce president and as a member and clerk of the Oceanside-Carlsbad Board of Education. He also chaired the first Armed Services YMCA governing board, was appointed by the U.S. Navy to appraise Rancho Santa Margarita to become Camp Pendleton in 1942 and served as Oceanside’s mayor in the 1940s.

Ray also established and served as president of the Eternal Hills Memorial Park, founded and directed the Boys Club of Oceanside (now the Boys and Girls Club) and West Coast National Bank, and also served as a member and later president of the Tri-City Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees.

Thill’s grandmother, Dora, cheered her husband on throughout his life pursuits.

“She took a great leap of faith coming out here,” Thill said. “She was really wonderful – she gave him a ton of encouragement and inspiration.”

The couple raised two daughters in Oceanside, one of which was Roberta “Bobbie” Thill, John Thill’s mother.

Bobbie Thill was one of the founders of Heritage Park and the Oceanside Museum of Art. Like her father, Ray, Bobbie was recognized for her involvement in the community throughout her lifetime.

“(Ray) had a tremendous impact on my mom growing up,” John Thill said.

Born in 1961, John Thill attended Oceanside and El Camino high schools and studied business and speech communication at San Diego State University.

Thill went on to serve on the Hi-Noon Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Carlsbad for 24 years and worked as a partner in Carlsbad’s Personal Strengths Publishing company for 19 years.

“A California Love Story” is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and at the Oceanside Historical Society.

SAN

MARCOS

— The Cal State San Marcos men’s basketball team has a new leader as Nick Booker was named the Cougars’ third head coach in program history on June 5.

Booker, an Oceanside native, comes to CSUSM from UC San Diego where he was the Tritons’ assistant coach beginning in June 2020 and was the program’s interim head coach in March 2023.

“This is a surreal moment, and I am greatly humbled to be the next head coach at CSUSM,” Booker said.

In his three seasons at UCSD, Booker helped the Tritons transition from NCAA Division II to Division I and coordinated the recruiting efforts that led to back-to-back Freshmen of the Year. He was also a member of the Tritons' diversity council that strategized ways to continue to reinforce the core values of inclusion at UCSD.

Prior to UCSD, Booker was the associate head coach at Eastern Washington University from April 2017 through May 2020. Booker was responsible for leading player skill devel-

opment with emphasis on post players and on-court coaching with defensive emphasis. He also oversaw academic monitoring, recruiting, practice planning, in-season opponent scouting and summer camps.

In April 2016, Booker returned to his alma mater Davidson College as the director of basketball operations, and before that, he was at UC Irvine as the director of basketball oper-

ations from September 2010 to March 2011 before being elevated to assistant coach from April 2011 to March 2016.

Booker spent time at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo as an assistant coach and interim head coach from July 2007 through August 2010 after his first coaching gig as an assistant at Miramar Community College for the 2006-07 season.

The Davidson grad earned his bachelor’s degree in history in 2004. He was a member of the Wildcats team under former Davidson head coach Bob McKillop. He was a starter for the 2002 Southern Conference championship team that competed in the NCAA Tournament against Ohio State.

As a senior, Booker led Davidson in blocked shots and steals. In his time playing for the Wildcats, he was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and contributed to back-to-back regular-season conference championships in 2001 and 2002.

Cougars softball goes 1-2 at D-II World Series

The Cal State San Mar-

cos softball team, making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Finals, finished 1-2 at the touranament last month at Jim Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The University of North Georgia won the event with a two-game sweep of Grand Valley State (Mich.).

CSUSM, seeded eighth after winning the West Region championship, lost its tournament opener on May 25 to the University of Texas-Tyler, 5-1, to move into the elimination bracket.

Two days later, the Cougars (33-21) stayed alive with a 3-2 win over fourth-seeded Wilmington before bowing out of the double-elimination tournament with a 10-6 loss to second-seeded Central Oklahoma.

Against No. 24 Wilmington, CSUSM starter Savannah Coyle earned the win with a complete-game effort, striking out four and giving up only one earned run.

The win was head coach Stef Ewing’s 99th career win — all at CSUSM. It was the Cougars’ sixth win of the season over an NFCA Top 25 team.

Escondido High student wins $13K in Don Diego scholarships

By Staff DEL

MAR — Two Escondido students were among 21 from across the region who will head to college this fall with a combined $62,000 in Don Diego Scholarship Foundation scholarships.

The recipients with the largest scholarship awards included Taite Tephabock

(Escondido High), who ranked 11th in her graduating class of 442 students with a 4.18 GP.

Tephabock captured three scholarships for a total of $13,000, including a $5,000 Zable Foundation FFA scholarship, $3,000 Junior Livestock Auction scholarship and $5,000 Spanjian Family scholarship. Each year, Don Diego offers college scholarships to San Diego County students who have participat-

ed in the San Diego County Fair and/or other activities associated with the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The scholars will be honored at Don Diego’s Gala and Concert at 4:30 p.m. on July 1 during the San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

“I plan to complete my general education at Cal State San Marcos while interning at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, so I can get hands-on experience before transferring to Cal Poly San

Luis Obispo to earn a BS in animal science, followed by a masters in zoology at Moorpark,” Tephabock said.

“I want to put my passion for animals into active work to save endangered species and make the world a better place.”

Collin Cavataio of Escondido received the $2,000 Junior Livestock Auction scholarship and $1,000 Zable Foundation 4-H scholarship. He plans to study agricultural science at Texas A&M University.

tial units and 20,000 feet of ground-floor retail space along North City Drive, set to open in 2025.

“It is truly the best of urban living reimagined,” Jones said of North City.

The city opened two new parks earlier this year — Las Abejas Park on Woodhaven Road and South Lake Park at the retired South Lake Reservoir. In addition, the opening of Paseo de Arroyo Park, which will be accessible at Via Vera Cruz and Bent Avenue and feature walking trails in conjunction with the completion of the San Marcos Creek project later this year, will bring the city to a total of 41 full-sized and mini-parks.

Jones also touched briefly on the controversial mixed-use project proposed last year at the historic Restaurant Row site, where the land’s new owner plans to create a new community park, around 200 residential units from Lennar Homes and 10,000 square feet of new commercial space.

The project will bring the city back to the “roots of community living,” accord-

ing to Jones, who added that Fish House Vera Cruz would remain open at the site where several other businesses have since departed.

“With these new improvements, people will see what they have always known — [that] San Marcos is a destination,” Jones said.

In the public safety sphere, Jones highlighted the arrival of the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station’s new captain Kevin Ralph, who took the helm in April.

The San Marcos Unified School District completed major projects this last year, like the new Richland Elementary School opening in January and new playground equipment at Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary. In addition, two new kindergarten buildings are also in the works at Double Peak School.

Johnsen said the district continues to prioritize elevating student voices and allowing them to shape the district’s direction going forward.

“We constantly listen to our kids. Every time I get to interact with our students, I’m more excited for our future, I have more hope for our future,” he said.

Johnsen highlighted the launch of the district’s mental health program, a significant partnership with the city that includes $1.25 million in funding. The three-tier program consists of the on-campus campaign Let’s Face It Together, a crisis text line, access to the mental health resource navigation tool Care Solace, increased counselors, and forming three wellness units.

The district is also in the process of opening its new agriculture farm on Cassou Road. The two new livestock barns and renovated poultry barn holding cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, sheep, goats, turkeys, and llamas will offer unique opportunities for students in the veterinarian and

agriculture programs.

Other impressive programs in the district include the construction pathway, where students have built tiny homes for participants in the Wounded Warrior Project, and the education pathway, where the district’s high schoolers have been able to help out elementary schoolers in the classroom.

“What these “students are doing is way beyond what we all were doing. It’s very, It’s exciting,” said Johnsen.

Another highlight of the past year was the district filing its first positive budget certification in two years, following years of financial tumult during the COVID-19 pandemic and declining enrollment.

LOCAL AUTHOR John W. Thill’s first book, “A California Love Story,” is based on love letters sent between his grandparents nearly 100 years ago. Courtesy photo

NICK BOOKER, an Oceanside native, helped UC San Diego transition from Division II to Division I. Courtesy photo

TEPHABOCK

Vista twins earn high school diplomas 50 years later

By Samantha Nelson

REGION

— After dropping out of high school nearly 50 years ago, Vista residents and twin sisters Carol Baker and Carolyn Baker-Lowery finally received their high school diplomas together through MiraCosta College’s Adult High School program.

Raised in south central Los Angeles, the 64-yearold Baker twins were hardly ever apart.

“If one went somewhere, the other one went too,” Carol said.

Their mother owned a Winchell’s Donut House where they would help fold boxes when they were young before working the service counter on Friday and Saturday nights as they got older.

Over the years, the twins realized that things went sideways when they were separated starting in high school.

When Carolyn found out she was pregnant, she left home to live in a program with other pregnant teens. As it turned out, Carol was also pregnant around the same time as her slightly older twin. After their children were born within months of each other, the two ended up going to different high schools.

“Every time we were separated, something bad would happen,” Carolyn said.

Eventually after struggling through school and feeling misunderstood by their teachers, the two de-

cided to drop out and move into an apartment together.

The sisters would go on to live with each other on and off over the next few decades and currently live together in Vista, where they both first moved to in the mid-1980s.

Carolyn began working as an in-home childcare provider and preschool teacher while Carol became a social worker.

While excited about the new job opportunity, Carol struggled with comprehending various documents through her training, finding herself reading them over and over again just to understand.

Thankfully her boss was understanding and not only helped her but suggested that she get tested for a potential learning disability.

Carol eventually learned she had attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, both of which contributed to her schoolwork struggles as a child. Her twin Carolyn later found out that she was dyslexic, too.

Unfortunately for the sisters, there was little awareness about ADHD, dyslexia and other learning differences when they were children. They were often accused by their teachers as being lazy and assumed they weren’t smart. In reality, the twin sisters were struggling with real disorders that prevented them from learning in the same way as their

peers. Now equipped with a better understanding of her needs, Carol found a renewed passion for returning to school. She connected with Student Accessibility

Services at MiraCosta College, an office that supports students with various disabilities, and discovered that the college’s Adult High School program was the right fit for her.

When her health took a bad turn, Carol moved back in with her sister Carolyn, who began to notice her sister was staying on the computer nearly all day working on schoolwork. She would

even fall asleep at the computer.

“I thought, what in the world is wrong with her,” Carolyn said.

When Carolyn realized her sister was in pursuit of her high school diploma, she immediately jumped on board to do the same. After all, she couldn’t let her sister leave her behind.

Although the two still struggled, they had help from teachers and counselors every step of the way.

“They helped us the way we should have been helped all those years ago,” Carol said.

Not only did the faculty at MiraCosta help them to earn their diplomas, the twins helped encourage each other to keep going. If one of the sisters got a little farther ahead in school, she would wait for the other to catch up so that they could graduate together.

“I don’t think it could have happened without each other,” Carol said. “We challenge each other – we would ask each other how far we were going to make it, and that kept us going.”

The two finally donned their caps and gowns and walked together as high school graduates during the school’s commencement ceremony on May 25.

“We were on journey together, and the end was so rewarding,” Carolyn said. “From the womb to the tomb, we’ll always be together.”

RAIN, WIND, AND FIRE...

“The three menaces to any chimney, fireplace, or stove.”

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Family owned and operated and having been in business for over 30 years, Chimney Sweeps Inc. is a fully licensed and insured chimney contracting company (License # 976438) and they are certified with the National Fireplace Institute and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

For a limited time, readers of this paper will receive a special discount on our full chimney cleaning and safety inspection package with special attention to chimney water intrusion points in preparation for the rainy season.

CHIMNEY SWEEPS, INC SERVING SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOR OVER 30 YEARS

TWIN SISTERS Carol and Carolyn Baker recently completed coursework at MiraCosta College’s Adult High School program to earn their high school diplomas together. The Vista residents, who both were diagnosed with learning disabilities, dropped out of high school only to graduate a half-century later. Courtesy photo/MiraCosta College

Vista beats Carlsbad in Pure Project patio battle

other patrons helped brainstorm this brewery patio list, and the staff was pragmatic about where they might land with their picnic tables in the parking lot.

that the food operation and the beer brewing are separate businesses that came together for this location.

The seeding committee (me) wasn’t shy about forcing the North County Brewery Patio-Off judges (also me) to make a choice. Pure Project is known for its commitment to sustainability, unique ingredient choices, its approach to beer as an agricultural product, and its efforts to make beer “a force for good.”

Also, two of its five locations — Vista and Carlsbad — are in North County, and each feature very different but engaging patio spaces. But only one of them will move on to the 2nd round of the North County Brewery Patio-Off.

THE SCORES: As a reminder, breweries are scored on a 100-point scale with a max of 20 points per category.

Pure Project Vista

If you want to drink outside, you have a lot of options at PP-Vista.

There are picnic tables lined up in front of the entrance, which considering the limited parking area, is a bold choice. They have a few tables fenced off under a tree looking into the brewery, another right next to the entry, and that is all before we get to the original patio running alongside the brewery.

It is a solid patio with a combination of high-top tables and lounging couches near the back. There is a combination of sun and shade in the form of greenery and deep blue umbrellas.

The area is narrow, like a rail car-style apartment in New Orleans. A high wall separates the space from the cars racing by on Sycamore Avenue.

That is one of the few negatives. During rush hours, the traffic noise is a constant.

My wife and I retire to a couch with a colorful sampler of beers. The dog is fairly content to sniff at the potted plants — which need some water.

Someone at Pure Project Vista, please, please water those plants. It isn’t cool enough to turn on the heaters, and it is too early for the overhead string lights to provide atmosphere, but the beer is good.

There are a lot of unique offerings at Pure Project, and we feel encouraged to take a few swings outside our comfort zone.

The bartenders patiently talk us through the menu and check in on us periodically to see how we’re doing. They have a few snacks— packaged pretzels and popcorn, but we don’t see other food on-site.

They also host live mu-

sic on Saturdays, and if you want to get smarter while you drink, check out their “Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar” series.

Scorecard

Accommodation: 14

Atmosphere: 14

Offerings: 14

Service: 18

Wildcard: 16

Total: 76

Takeaway: You can’t go wrong with a visit unless you're hungry. The beer is good, and the brewery doesn’t only focus on one style. It will be easy for everyone in the group to find something they like. We had top-notch service.

Follow their Instagram @purebrewingvista for food truck updates and to check their hours.

Pure Project Carlsbad

At the entry, there are a lot of signs about decorum and bathroom usage. The Village is a little weird these days. There is also a note about allowing outside food in, which is awesome because there are a lot of great restaurants within a few blocks.

Cross the threshold into the tasting room, and are you indoors? Are you out? The answer is both. The original patio at PP-Carlsbad was built into the footprint of the space with a true open-air space. When all the doors open, it feels like the whole space is a patio. The tree with the flowering blossoms that smell incredible is a really nice touch.

During the pandemic, an extra deck parklet was added with a line of picnic tables under heaters.

That’s where I take my beers, one of which is a collab with Gravity Heights. It is one of the best beers I’ve had all year.

Sitting out on one of these picnic tables staring back in at the patrons lined up against the original patio rail, feels a little weird, so I turn around to face the Carlsbad train depot.

It’s exciting when the first Coaster train arrives

with a horn blast and a whoosh. I feel a little like the kid. Less so with the second, and I’m over it by the time the Amtrak blows through.

Luckily, a beertender swings around with a refill and a treat for my dog. The staff at both the Pure Projects in the NCBPO are very well educated and willing to share about beer.

Despite my desire never to wait in lines, I don't mind waiting here. They never rush a patron through their beer decision and are willing to work to find the right beer for you.

That’s a rare combo and one worth waiting for.

A note about dogs: Like the Vista location, the patio at Carlsbad is dog-friendly — which I love — because I have a dog and spend an inordinate amount of time looking at dog videos on Instagram.

At the Carlsbad Pure, some regular customers have dogs that are allowed to wander off-leash. It has made for stressful visits trying to order beer, find a seat, and also monitor a random dog with no owner around as it approaches my pup. That is a negative wildcard.

Scorecard

Accommodation: 15

Atmosphere: 15

Offerings: 15

Service: 15

Wildcard: 12

Total: 72

Takeaway: This is a great spot for a beer, but the stress of dealing with other people’s pets makes it stressful to hang out. Being able to bring in food from other Carlsbad restaurants is a huge plus, and their proximity makes it easier to do than at the Vista location.

The train is fun until it's not. Finally, if you have a question about beer, this is definitely the staff to ask. Follow @purecarlsbad for updates on events and beer releases.

ROUND 1 WINNER: Pure Project Vista

Next up are two of North County’s younger breweries face off in the North County Brewery Patio-Off bracket.

Charlie and Tommy Gordon opened up Blue Fire Brewing in September of 2021. Friends Blake, Brian, and Lars opened Craft Coast in 2020 just after the coronavirus really started flexing.

Blue Fire (Vista)

This entire brewery challenge exists because of my visit to Blue Fire Brewing. I plotted out the rough details over a White Sage IPA. It was a great beer, but unfortunately, not one of the final factors that would push a patio forward in this competition.

Service and atmosphere certainly are, and at Blue Fire, I experienced both. The

I hold that burst of inspiration leading to a summers-worth of content creation near and dear to my heart.

But..the real pleasure of visiting Blue Fire is indoors. The patio is simple — picnic tables lined up in the parking lot. There isn’t any shade to speak of, and when things get hot on the blacktop, they get hot at the tables.

There are board games inside you could bring out, but there is often a breeze whistling down South Santa Fe Avenue. Even the sunset is better from the rail seats that look out towards the hills.

Scorecard

Accommodation: 10

Atmosphere: 10

Offerings: 13

Service: 17

Wildcard: 12

Total: 62

Takeaway: The sunset is nice and the beer is good, but the patio isn’t the priority here.

Craft Coast (Oceanside)

I’ve never been to Craft Coast, mostly because it always seems busy. My tendencies lean towards avoiding humans, but that has been a mistake. I order an XPA. Pizza Port’s influence is evident in the beer and the design of the beer board.

I pair the beer with a veggie taco and some chips, salsa, and guac. They have a nice food menu available, and my understanding is

The patio is right on Mission Avenue downtown. It leads right into the indoor space with wide open doors. There is just a view of the ocean from our table that is occasionally interrupted by the train. They have a QR code on the table that can be used to order refills. I’m beginning to think this QR code menu thing isn’t just a fad. I have to admit, I’m beginning to miss table service. Good service can really elevate an experience.

The patio’s location on the street makes for excellent people-watching, and it is partially covered, so even a few sprinkles don’t impede on our lunch. Snake plants and succulents are tucked into the corners, and string lights overhead provide an atmosphere in the evenings.

Scorecard

Accommodation: 15

Atmosphere: 1

Offerings: 18

Service: 13

Wildcard: 14

Total: 75

Takeaway: Knowing tacos this good exist at a brewery and are available all the time has changed my lunch plans for the foreseeable future. Everything else is good. The people watching, partial oceanview, and even the slow moving train are entertaining. The service score gets dinged only because we never really interacted with anyone other than basic ‘I want…’ and ‘This is how I pay’ moments.

ROUND 1 WINNER: Craft Coast Beer + Tacos

PURE PROJECT patios in Vista and Carlsbad are both engaging outdoor drinking areas in North County San Diego. But only one could advance. Photo by Ryan Woldt

30

Orange Glen skateboard team is tops in the county

By Samantha

Nelson ESCONDIDO — The young but mighty Orange Glen skateboard team now holds the title of best skate team in San Diego County.

The team of 30-plus student skaters from Orange Glen High School recently earned first place at the 2nd annual National Team Skateboard League San Diego County competition at CA Training Facility in Vista, organized by the Alternative Youth Athletics Foundation.

The students competed against 15 other schools in three heats: open round, best-trick contest round and championship round. Orange Glen’s overall team score in the three rounds earned them countywide honors.

In last year’s competition, Orange Glen Skate Team finished fourth.

“They weren’t very happy with that result, so this year they worked really, really hard and got first place,” coach and team founder Carlos Felix said. “It was a comeback story for them.”

Felix, who teaches at both Orange Glen and Valley high schools in Escondido, started the skate team as a club a few years ago during the pandemic. His friend and fellow print and graphics teacher at Orange Glen, Aled Anaya, encouraged him to start the team. Anaya helps with the skate team.

Escondido was well represented in the competition with Orange Glen in first place and San Pasqual High

School’s skate team earning third place. Felix noted the victory over San Pasqual was especially sweet for Orange Glen considering the historic rivalry between the two high schools.

“Orange Glen almost never beats San Pasqual in anything, so now we have some bragging rights,” Felix said.

At the end of the day, the coach said, the friendly rivalry has encouraged students from both schools to improve their skills.

The new Washington Park Skate Spot has proved to be a huge benefit for skaters across the city, especially for the skate teams.

“With the skate spot here, it gave Escondido an advantage to come up,” Felix

said. Without the skate spot, many of the skaters who frequent it might be getting in trouble skating somewhere else around town. At the same time, without the skate team, some of the students wouldn’t be as involved in school as they are now.

“A lot of them would have gone in the wrong direction if it wasn’t for the team,” Felix said. “We’re keeping them out of trouble.”

Rising sophomore Natanael Lopez joined the team as a freshman. He has been skating for three years.

“It seemed like a good environment, good community and I was into skateboarding,” he said.

Felix said his students have gone from being misfits

Vista celebrates 12th annual Strawberry Festival

By Laura Place

to being recognized by both the school district and the City Council, which presented a skateboard signed by the mayor and each council member during the May 10 council meeting.

Orange Glen teacher Doug Paulson attributed the team’s success in part to the city’s investment in building the skate spot at Washington Park.

“We brought skaters out of the shadows and away from the businesses where they were being run off and legitimized these students,” Paulson said at the council meeting. “There were many students on our skate team who, if you look at their situations before, may not have graduated or taken Advanced Placement classes,

or received a Rotary Club scholarship. … We have not lost one member of our skate team to either our continuation school or to dropping out.”

When it comes to providing for the kids, Felix and his fellow print team, including Anaya, print equipment operator Carlos Tirado and lab assistant Eduardo Balderas, make sure things get done.

“This whole group works together to make everything happen for the kids and provide a good environment for them,” Felix said. Felix wants to see the city ramp up its skating opportunities by building more skateparks around town or adding to the Washington Park Skate Spot.

VISTA

— A berry good time was had by all on May 28 as the city of Vista kicked off the start of summer with the 12th annual Strawberry Festival.

The jam-packed day began bright and early with the Strawberry Run, featuring 5k, 1-mile and quarter-mile courses for kids and adults to jog or walk. From there, attendees went on to attend the festivities in the city’s Main Street historical area.

The sounds of various performers echoed through-

out the streets all day from the Vista Community Stage, Tri-City Medical Center Main Stage and Frazier Farms Flag Pavilion Stage, including youth acts like the Grapevine Elementary School choir and local groups like Jimmy’s Buffet. While attendees clad in strawberry-themed attire perused rows of vendors and enjoyed delectable treats like fresh berries from Frazier Farms, dozens participated in community-favorite contests taking place throughout the day.

Young girls vied for the title of Little Ms. Strawberry Shortcake in the afternoon, and folks of all ages attempted to eat pie face-first faster than their competitors. In the beer garden, adults participated in the frozen t-shirt and beer stein holding contests.

The Vista Chamber of Commerce, which oversees the festival, thanked attendees and event organizers for making this year’s event special.

“More than 100,000 attendees joined the Vista

Chamber of Commerce for the 2023 Vista Strawberry Festival,” said Chamber CEO Rachel Beld. “Thank you to our vendors, runners, performers, volunteers, contest participants and all the fun and friendly attendees for making the festival so sweet. Special thank you to Tri-City Medical Center, the City of Vista and our sponsors for supporting the 2023 event.”

Next year’s festival celebrates 13 years from 8 a.m. from 6 p.m. on May 26, 2024.

ORANGE GLEN HIGH SCHOOL Skate Team members Edgar Chamu, from left, Valentin Pulido and Nata Lopez practice at Washington Park Skate Spot in Escondido. The team of more than

skaters recently won the title of best skate team in San Diego County at the National Team Skateboard League county championships in Vista. Photos by Samantha Nelson

YOUNG VISITORS get their faces painted on May 28 at the 12th annual Vista Strawberry Festival. Photo by Laura Place

Las Cruces offers glimpse of the ‘real New Mexico’

hit the road

The line at the Aqua Frescas stand at the festival in Las Cruces is long, and the vendors must be making a killing. The thermometer registers only in the high 70s, but the New Mexico sun is intense, and the humidity is in the single digits.

My husband and I are inhaling a quart-size agua fresca – my personal concoction of heavily-iced pineapple, coconut, mango, orange and papaya juices. Not sure one will be enough, but in the meantime, there’s plenty else to hold our attention.

Several thousand people have turned out for the ¡mira! Las Cruces festival, a celebration that features mariachis and Folklorico dancers in the Plaza de Las Cruces bandshell, which sports a giant chile backdrop; vendors with artwork and area products (think tons of flavored pistachios and chile-infused everything); food trucks and wine and beer gardens; and chalk drawings on the sidewalks.

“I grew up here and these (photos on the posterboard) are all the things that represent my life in Las Cruces,” explains one teen artist, “That’s what I’m trying to show in my chalk drawing.”

The festival, a first-ofits-kind celebration for Las Cruces, promises to be an annual event to promote this city of 112,000 and the surrounding area known as

HOMELESSNESS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

profit lost $600,000 in grants in 2016, and the cumulative total loss of contributions is in the millions. Solutions for Change was eventually forced to give up five of its complexes, which have since transitioned to Housing First, costing millions to construct and fund.

Megison chided the program for mixing individuals in recovery and children with others actively abusing drugs or alcohol, which Solutions for Change graduates called a lose-lose proposition.

“We need more of our electeds on both sides of the aisle,” Megison said. “It’s time. In my 30 years, there have been 12 plans to end homelessness that have failed. This one (Housing First) scares me the most because this one has so much money and is fully addressed at the surface … and ignores the underlying causes.”

As reported by CalMatters, the state’s Interagency Council on Homelessness issued a report showing the state spent nearly $10 billion on homeless services between 2018 and 2021, helping more than 571,000

the Mesilla Valley.

“We’re embracing our city and region’s strengths by creating a brand with the surrounding southern New Mexico communities in mind,” says Visit Las Cruces Marketing Director Lorena Lozano. “It opens itself up to future collaborations in a region that often feels overlooked.”

Located between the Rio Grande River and Organ Mountains in what locals like to call “the real New Mexico,” Las Cruces “is the redheaded sister in New Mexico,” says Barbara Reasoner, a resident here since 2014. A yoga teacher and artist, she is working today at the booth for the Doña Ana Arts Council, for which she is the past president. “It’s the second-largest city in the state, but it’s so

far south that when people think of going to New Mexico, they think of Albuquerque and Santa Fe and Taos. Las Cruces is really the gem of the south.”

Reasoner also appreciates the city’s history and the expanding artist community.

“We’re right on the El Camino Trail, but what attracted me ultimately to Las Cruces is the quality of the artists in the area (who) are largely overlooked. One of the things we put in our business model is to make the city a destination for history and art.”

Las Cruces offers plenty to inspire artists and nature lovers.

“It’s a different kind of gorgeous,” Reasoner says. “The beauty is hard to describe. The mountains

change colors as the sun goes down and I watch the clouds cast different shadows on the mountains. It’s one of the most breathtaking times of day. It stops me dead in my tracks.”

Other attractions in and around Las Cruces:

• Las Cruces Museum of Art — Changing contemporary art exhibits and offering programs for visitors of all ages. Free.

• New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum — Teaches the fascinat-

ing 4,000-year history of agriculture in the southern New Mexico region through interactive exhibits, oral histories, demonstrations and artifacts.

• Spaceport America — Tour the world’s first commercial spaceport and site of future commercial space travel and learn about New Mexico’s influence on the space industry.

• Historic Mesilla — Picturesque square, French basilica, farmers’ market, historic adobes and home-

grown cuisine.

• Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park — Wildlife viewing, bird watching, hiking and self-guided or ranger-led nature trails. Accessible trails. One-and-a-half miles from Mesilla.

• White Sands National Park — A wonder of nature with mystical, shifting landscapes and unique ecosystem.

For more: visitlascruces.com/things-to-do/daytrips and visitlascruces. com.

HOORAY! Sip, Sip

Celebrate the craft—Wine, Beer, Spirit & Cocktails at the San Diego County Fair

THE TOAST OF THE COAST

Saturday, June 17

people. But despite the increased number of people receiving services, California’s unhoused and unsheltered population continues to grow.

Wells, who spent his professional career working on psychiatric evaluations in hospitals, said Housing First was initially conceived and deployed as a program for those homeless individuals with mental illness but has swelled into the only state-sponsored model.

“They have to deal with the demon of drug and alcohol abuse … and it’s the same with homelessness,” Wells said.

“This is a never-ending problem and until we have the political will to deal with

that, we are going to continue to keep wasting money … and watching people die.”

Keim, a former Oceanside police officer, said the state must add options to meet the specific needs of all homeless individuals, especially those with disabilities, and incorporate a variety of options, including drug court, treatment facilities, mandatory drug and alcohol testing, workforce training and educational opportunities.

“Our goal is not to send somebody to jail or keep them there,” Keim said. “Our goal is to get them the treatment and services they need, and we need to have that ability.”

This VIP Experience offers sampling of award-winning wines. features culinary delights, hosted by chefs and winemakers. Name another county fair where you’ll be served duck confit rilette with Adobe Hill rosé. That’s right, there isn’t one. And if fancy isn’t your thing, that’s A-OK with us...we’re just as happy to help you pair your favorite wine with corn dogs or cotton candy.

SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL

now with Distilled Spirits & Cocktails

Saturday, July 1

146 breweries and 1,064 brews from around the globe vie for the coveted Best of Show trophy from the San Diego Brewers’ Guild. And while San Diego’s beloved IPAs are plentiful, the SDIBF features a variety of stouts, sours, meads and ciders. Your ticket includes unlimited beer sampling and five cocktail tastes.

WATCHING THE Organ Mountains transform at sunset is one of the benefits of living in (and visiting) Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley in southern New Mexico. Advocates say this area of the state, rich in history, culture, art, outdoor experiences and unique scenery, is often overlooked by visitors. Courtesy photo

e’louise ondash

VISTA MAYOR John Franklin spoke at the June 2 press conference in San Diego. Photo by Steve Puterski

KITTEN RESCUE

Odd Files

COMPELLING EXPLANATION

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When Ocala, Florida, police officers questioned 37-year-old Daniel Robert Dinkins about a nearby burglary on May 13, he responded, “That may have been me.” Earlier, officers had been called to a home where someone had thrown a brick through a window where a baby was sleeping inside, then left a book on the front porch. Dinkins said he wanted to swim in the neighbors’ backyard pool and “wanted to share the book with them,” Ocala News reported. He also told police he was a “time traveler” and was trying to “save the baby from something way in the future when the child is much older.” Strangely, Dinkins said he wasn’t aware there was a baby sleeping inside. He faces a felony burglary charge.

[Ocala News, 5/21/2023]

GOVERNMENT IN ACTION

A central India food inspector, Rajesh Vishwas, lost more than his phone on May 21, NBC News reported. While snapping a vacation selfie at Kherkatta Dam, Vishwas dropped his phone into the water. According to him, his device contained sensitive governmental information, so he ordered the reservoir to be drained. Vishwas said he got permission from R.C. Dhivar, a local water resources official, but Dhivar argued that he’d given permission to drain only 3 or 4 feet of water. Instead, “They had emptied the water up to 10 feet.” It took three days to drain the 530,000 gallons of water, but in the end, it was all for naught: Vishwas’ phone was unusable. As was he: He was suspended from his job pending an investigation. [NBC News, 5/31/2023]

THAT RULE DOESN’T APPLY TO ME

An unnamed woman in Tacoma, Washington, was arrested and detained

in a negative pressure room at the Pierce County jail on June 1 after refusing for more than a year to get treatment for tuberculosis, KOMO-TV reported. A judge issued 17 orders for her to be involuntarily detained before police caught up with her. “We believe she was trying to avoid being captured,” said Sgt. Darren Moss. Officers surveilled her while she was still at home and observed her riding a city bus to a casino. “The health department had asked her to just do it on her own ... now she’s going to have to do it in our facility, unfortunately,” Moss said. He said TB was once common in the jail, hence the negative pressure rooms, which “isolate the air within the room so it doesn’t infect the rest of the rooms within the facility.” [KOMO, 6/1/2023]

RUDE New York attorney Anthony Orlich is probably tearing his hair out in the wake of an incident in late May, the New York Post reported. Orlich allegedly snatched the wig off the head of Brooklyn singer Lizzy Ashleigh while walking along a city street at night; Ashleigh captured the aftermath on her cellphone and posted a video to TikTok, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views. In the video, Ashleigh yells at Orlich: “Sir! For what reason did you take my wig off? What makes you think that that’s OK?” Orlich refused to apologize, even with his friends encouraging him to. Ashleigh has said she plans to take legal action, but Orlich is already in trouble: His firm, Leader Berkon Colao & Silverstein LLP, has fired him, according to a LinkedIn post. [NY Post, 5/31/2023]

CHEESY Delaney Irving, 19, of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, said of her May 28 victory in a cheese-rolling contest in Gloucester, England: “It feels great!” That’s in spite of the fact that she woke up in the medical tent after taking a fall and hit-

ting her head, The Guardian reported. “I remember running, then bumping my head ... I still don’t really believe it,” she said. The contest involves rolling a 7-pound wheel of cheese down the almost-vertical Coopers Hill, and Irving wasn’t the only contestant who lost their footing. [The Guardian, 5/29/2023]

LUCKY!

A piglet got a second chance at life on May 25, according to KVVU-TV. As Lars Gradel, Rebecca Zajac and her son, Colton, drove along the interstate that day near Las Vegas, they witnessed a baby pig as it was thrown from a truck. “We saw a pig fly out the side of the truck, and he tumbled about 10, 15 times down the side of the freeway,” Gradel said. They stopped to rescue the pig, who didn’t seem to be hurt. “Lucky,” as he was named, was given a new home at the All Friends Animal Sanctuary, where he’ll eventually meet fellow porcine Mister Picklesworth. “Now Lucky’s going to be wallowing in mud and rooting around in the ground and ... eating watermelon and popsicles in the summer,” said sanctuary founder Tara Pike. [KVVU, 5/30/2023]

FIXER-UPPERS

— Looking for a bargain home in Burbank, Oklahoma? “Bargain,” as in: more than 17,000 square feet for only $60,000. United Press International reported on May 30 that the former Burbank High School is on the market and listed as a single-family home. The building, constructed in 1924, features five “bedrooms,” four bathrooms and an indoor basketball court, along with an auditorium. The school closed in 1968, and conditions are pretty rough inside. “There is plenty of opportunity to make this property your own,” the listing promises. [UPI, 5/30/2023]

— Meanwhile, in Fort Meade, Maryland, high school seniors listed their school building on Zillow as

a graduation prank, United Press International reported. They described the 12,000-square-foot school as a “half-working jail”: “All 15 bathrooms come with sewage issues ... (and) trash-scented air freshener and water issues!” The listing was removed several hours after appearing, said Bob Mosier, spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. [UPI, 5/26/2023]

BRIGHT IDEA

Coffee Smile, a cafe chain in Russia, knows how to milk social media. Owner Maxim Kobelev put up posters in his stores in May that announced plans to start offering human breast milk in their lattes and cappuccinos. Oddity Central reported that Kobelev claimed to have contracted with lactating mothers whose milk is tested for safety. “The child eats just a little,” one supplier said in a promotional video, “so I thought, why not earn extra money? I even made coffee with my breast milk for my husband; he liked it.” Turns out, it’s all an attention-seeking hoax. “There were many of my friends who wanted to try this coffee,” Kobelev said. “For them, I prepared a drink with a mixture of goat and almond milk. The taste is very similar — I know this because, as the father of two children, I also tasted the real thing.” [Oddity Central, 5/26/2023]

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME

At Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, riders of the Silver Bullet roller coaster were rudely interrupted in their fun on May 26 when one passenger “indicated they wanted to get off the attraction,” Fox News reported. The unnamed guest signaled their need to bail right after leaving the station. Operators stopped the ride, and all guests had to be evacuated, the park said, “following standard exit procedure.” The roller coaster resumed operation about 30 minutes later. [Fox News, 5/30/2023]

An 8-week-old kitten in Escondido was rescued last month from the frame of a truck. San Diego Humane Society Law Enforcement received a call from the truck’s driver, who heard meowing while at a stop sign and found a black-and-white kitten with her jaw stuck tightly in a hole on the truck’s frame. The SDHS veterinary team arrived and sedated the kitten before working with Q-tips to dislodge her head. After she was freed, she was taken to the Humane Society’s Escondido campus, where she received pain medication, fluids, antibiotics, warming and a meal. She is reportedly doing well. Courtesy photos/San Diego Humane Society

The great sports autograph hunt continues

Carlsbad

By Noah Perkins CARLSBAD

— At age nine, Carlsbad resident Tim Gallagher found his life’s purpose. The exact date is long forgotten, but what Gallagher does remember is it happened sometime in 1967 at a Cincinnati Reds game with his father.

Arriving at Crosley Field earlier than usual, the bleachers had yet to fill. As the Gallaghers roamed the stands, something incredible happened: they got close enough to a Red to practically taste the chewing tobacco.

It wasn’t 19-year-old budding star catcher Johnny Bench or future hit king Pete Rose who changed the trajectory of Gallagher’s life. No, it was aging journeyman pitcher Ted Abernathy, known for his submarine delivery.

“We were down by the dugout and there was Ted Abernathy just kind of standing there, talking to someone from the press,” Gallagher said. “My dad had gotten a game program and said, ‘You should go down and have Ted Abernathy sign your program.’ That’s the first autograph I remember getting.”

Abernathy’s signature captured Gallagher’s imagination and in the 55 years since, still hasn’t let go of it.

“The magic of the encounter and the adrenaline rush; it was an immediate obsession,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher, now 65 and living in Carlsbad, has amassed a collection of autographs over the course of his life that at its peak was in the ballpark of 25,000 signatures, ranging from pro athletes on the fringe of their sport to the biggest names to ever pick up a ball.

“[It feels like] I just spent a moment with [Hall of Fame pitcher] Tom Seaver, that’s like meeting the President or better, and he was nice, and he signed my stuff,” Gallagher said. “Then also getting mail. Heck, even getting a letter from a friend is nice. Imagine opening the mail, and there is a signed card from Bob Love or Joe Torre or Johnny Unitas.”

His parents remained supportive, albeit for a time, and thought it was a passing phase.

“They thought I’d move on to comic books or skateboarding,” Gallagher said. “As my parents supply of envelopes and stamps and index cards disappeared, they realized this was a serious pursuit.”

Every signature has a story.

Like that time, he went after legendary college basketball coach and television broadcaster Al McGuire’s signature.

“He was an eccentric character,” Gallagher said. “At the 1995 Final Four, Al was a guest on a radio show,

and we went to see him. As we are leaving, Al’s personal assistant, an eccentric lady, comes up to us and says, ‘You boys are so prepared you must be really big fans of Al’s, I have something special for you guys.’

“She comes back out with a couple of signed toy Oscar Meyer wiener mobiles. We are heading out the door, and she comes up to us and says, ‘I’m so sorry, but I just learned Al promised those to someone else.’ We handed them back, and in return she gave us some signed 7Up red dots with legs.”

Or the time Herm Gilliam, an NBA guard from the 1970s, sent him a letter on U.S. Army letterhead.

“(Gilliam) was in the army – in those days, players might have to leave the team for a bit to fulfill some military service,” Gallagher said. “In the letter he wrote me, he was at bootcamp, going through basic training and was looking forward to getting back with his team. Stuff like that is a moment in time.”

According to Gallagher, the perfect signature is rare, but Johnny Bench came close.

“Every once in a while, the ink would flow just right, and the guy would sign on the sweet spot,” Gallagher said. “[It was a] 1971 Topps Johnny Bench [card], the ballpoint pen just took perfectly, and it was signed in the players’ parking lot under Riverfront Stadium. In the pre-Sharpie days, it was really hit-and-miss what kind of signature you would get.”

Not everyone was re-

ceptive to Gallagher, though. Gallagher singled out Oscar Robertson, Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

“I’ve been shrugged off, cursed out and snarled at,” he said. “Out by the team bus in Dallas, I had a cool photo

of Alonzo Mourning from GQ Magazine, I approached him politely and basically, he said, ‘Get the [expletive] away from me.’”

In 2015, Gallagher sold off the bulk of his non-basketball collection, something in the range of 6,000

signatures.

After downsizing, Gallagher, a longtime North County resident who spent many years living in Encinitas, still has roughly 18,000 signed items.

“The first time that [making money off of sig-

natures] crossed my mind was when Roberto Clemente passed away,” Gallagher said. “I thought, ‘Wow, nobody is going to be getting anymore Roberto Clemente autographs’ — that was the revelation of value.”

These days his interest in signatures is mostly with basketball players.

“I joke if Tom Cruise was sitting next to me on a flight I wouldn’t be interested in his autograph, but if a guy was a backup point guard on the Pacers in the 1990s, I’d be all over him,” Gallagher said.

After years of working in corporate sales, Gallagher was able to pivot professionally and make his passion his career.

In September, he was hired as a consignment director for Robert Edward Auctions – one of the largest specialty auction houses with a focus on sports memorabilia.

“I was able to align my passion with my profession; it’s hard to top that,” Gallagher said. “I had success at all the other corporate jobs over the years, but it wasn’t as fun as this.”

Though he now works in the sale of memorabilia, Gallagher remains a collector at heart.

After thousands of moments with athletes over five decades and change, Gallagher isn’t done looking for the perfect signatures for his collection.

He named Jack Molinas, Maurice Stokes and Wayne Estes – deceased figures from the early days of the NBA – as the signatures he is currently in search of.

“I still enjoy that in person encounter,” he said. “To me part of it is the chase.”

TIM GALLAGHER, a longtime Encinitas resident now living in Carlsbad, has collected thousands of autographs from sports biggest stars, from LeBron James and Michael Jordan, above, to Johnny Bench and Tom Seaver. After more than 50 years, Gallagher is still on the lookout for the perfect autograph for his collection.

Photo by Jordan P. Ingram

William Richard Deagle, M.D.

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SALOME’S STARS #12345_20230605

FOR RELEASE JUNE 5, 2023

EDITORS: These horoscopes are for use the week of JUNE 12, 2023

1. MOVIES: Which actor voiced the character of Darth Vader in the rst three “Star Wars” movies released?

2. TELEVISION: Which was the rst TV show to react to the 9/11 attack on the United States?

3. LITERATURE: Who is the youngest person to win the Nobel Prize for literature?

4. HISTORY: Which city did Anne Frank and her family live in hiding before they were discovered?

5. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the tallest breed of dog?

6. FOOD & DRINK: What is considered the national dish of Spain?

7. GEOGRAPHY: Which is the only city that also is the smallest country in the world?

8. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which holiday is considered the Jewish New Year?

9. ANATOMY: What are the bones in the ngers called?

10. ASTRONOMY: How many primary phases of the moon exist?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You

Ewes and Rams will find your ideas cheered by a mostly receptive flock. Those few dissenters could well be turned around by your charm and powers of persuasion.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s time for the bold and beautiful Bovine to shake off the dust of the past and shape up new ideas for the future. This could surprise some folks, but they’ll soon adjust.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)

Those nagging new doubts about an upcoming decision should alert you to step back (at least temporarily) so you can reassess its potential impact from a new perspective.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) That unpleasant situation you hoped would go away by itself needs immediate attention before it affects an upcoming decision. Expect your supporters to rally around your cause.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) You’re moving up and away from that recent setback. But remain cautious about finances. An exercise in thrift today helps cushion a possible end-of-themonth money squeeze.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You’re still dealing with overtones of pessimism that cause you to doubt your ability to make some needed changes. But the negative pressures will ease up by week’s end.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) There could be some fallout from the way you handled a recent family problem. But those who know that you were in the right won’t hesitate to step in on your behalf.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Financial strains ease by week’s end. Meanwhile, focus on cultivating that new relationship if you hope to have it blossom into something more meaningful.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Health matters once again dominate the week. Be careful not to ignore recurrences of an old problem. An almost-forgotten commitment resurfaces.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) The emergence of an unusual selfish streak could dismay those close to you. Defy it — don’t justify it — so you can become your gracious self again.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Reassess your decision to stay with the status quo. It might seem like the sensible thing to do right now, but changes around you could make that choice a risky one.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Move decisively, but cautiously, when dealing with a delicate personal matter. The fewer mistakes you make now, the less likely it is that the problem will recur later on.

BORN THIS WEEK: You can find beauty where many cannot, and you enjoy sharing your discoveries with others.

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

TRIVIA TEST ANSWERS

1. James Earl Jones. 2. “The West Wing.” 3. Rudyard Kipling. 4. Amsterdam.

5. Great Dane. 6. Paella. 7. Vatican City. 8. Rosh Hashanah. 9. Phalanges. 10. Four.

EVENTS CALENDAR

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

June 9

PATO BANTON & MORE

Pato Banton is a reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. Ginger Roots and the Protectors is Southern California's newest reggae star band. $25, 9 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

ATOMIC GROOVE

Atomic Groove has been San Diego’s premier Variety Dance Band for all occasions since 1995, serving the special event industry for private parties, weddings, galas, company functions and more. $10, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Jun. 9 at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

SAN DIEGO BLOOD DRIVE

Anyone 17 and older who weighs at least 114 pounds and is in good health may be eligible to donate. A good meal and plenty of fluids are recommended prior to donation. Appointments honored first. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jun. 9 at Bob Baker Subaru, 5500 Paseo del Norte, Carlsbad.

ENCORE'S 1980S MIXTAPE

Go Back to the 80s in two fun and vibrant live performances. $25, 7:30 p.m. at Canyon Crest Academy, 5951 E Village Center Loop Rd, San Diego.

AUTHOR TALK W/ LISA SEE New York Times best selling author Lisa See will discuss her new book, “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women.” 2:30 p.m. at Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Ln, Carlsbad.

SCOTT SILVEN

Scott Silven, an illusionist and mentalist, creates stylish, smart, and uniquely immersive performances. $55, 6 p.m. at Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave, La Jolla.

ANNUAL LUAU PARTY

Kona Kai Resort & Spa is hosting its third-annual summer Luau to celebrate the spirit of Aloha from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. on June 9. Kona Kai Resort & Spa , 1551 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego.

JIMBO'S GARDEN Enjoy a special garden workshop on shaker cup smoothies in the Trudy Bronner Discovery Garden with Jimbo’s Naturally Escondido. 11 to 11:30 a.m. Jun. 9 at San Diego Children's Discovery Museum, 320 N Broadway, Escondido.

LOYAL VS. REPUBLIC

The San Diego Loyal club will take on Sacramento Republic FC at 7 p.m. on June 9 at Torero Stadium.

The team will be wearing a new alternate “8-Bit” uniform. Tickets on sale now. 7 p.m. at Torero Stadium, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego.

KEVIN HART

Emmy- and Grammy-nominated actor and comedian Kevin Hart takes the stage during the Toyota Summer Concert Series. The show is a “phone-free” experience. $73, 7:30 p.m. at San Diego County Fair,

ENDOMETRIOSIS SEMINAR

Endometriosis, Infertility, and Pain is a free community seminar from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on June 9 at UC San Diego MET: Medical Education and Telemedicine Building, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla.

June 10

KIDS IN THE GARDEN

Kids will learn how to create recycled art using egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, soda bottles, meat trays and cereal boxes. $5, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Jun. 10 at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens, 1270 Vale Terrace Dr, Vista.

BEACH & OCEAN SAFETY

Batiquitos Lagoon will be hosting the “Beach and Ocean Safety” presentation by local author Mike Martino, who will share beach and surf safety essentials along with local lifeguard history. 10 a.m. at Batiquitos Nature Center, 7380 Gabbiano Ln, Carlsbad.

TAINTED LOVE

A Tainted Love performance is like reliving the '80s in a way you have never before. $28, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

AGAVE FEST

On Friday, June 10 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa welcomes guests to its second-annual Agave Fest with Mexican spirits and authentic Baja-inspired cuisine!. $150, 4 to 7 p.m. Jun. 10 at Estancia Resort and Spa, 9797 Keeneland Row, La Jolla.

SPRING FLING GALA

Helen Woodward Animal Center’s 35th annual Spring Fling Gala will take guests on a glorious journey with this year's theme, “Under the Tuscan Sun.” $300, 6 p.m. at Fairbanks Village Plaza, 16236 San Dieguito Rd, Rancho Santa Fe.

Summer concerts are back with the Killer Dueling Pianos on the Lakehouse lawn. $45, 5:30 p.m. at Lakehouse Hotel & Resort, 1105 La Bonita Dr, San Marcos.

LATINO FESTIVAL

The annual Latino Book & Family Festival showcases the richness of Latino culture and the power of literacy. Over 125 exhibitors, 30 authors, keynote speakers, live entertainment, food and more. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 10 at MiraCosta College, 1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside.

NERD COMEDY NIGHT

Come out to Nerd Comedy Night every Saturday at 8pm in Carlsbad. $15-$20, 8 to 9:15 p.m. June 10 at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

SUMMER SERENADE

Join San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum for an exciting family jamboree filled with live performances, food trucks, crafts, and beer and wine for adults. $10-$15, 5 to 7:30 p.m. June 10 at San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, 320 N Broadway, Escondido.

FILIPINO CULTURAL FEST

The Filipino-American Cultural Organization (FACO) and the Oceanside Public Library will be hosting the 22nd Annual Filipino Cultural Celebration. 12 to 6 p.m. June 10 at Oceanside Civic Center Library, 330 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside.

MOONLIGHT CINEMA

Immerse yourself in the enchantment of cinema under the stars at One Paseo’s Moonlight Cinema Series every Saturday night in June - starting June 3 and ending June 24. Free, 6 to 9 p.m. June 10 at One Paseo, 3725 Paseo Pl, San Diego.

‘ELEANOR’ PREMIERE

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents West Coast premiere of “Eleanor.” $65, 8 p.m. at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Solana Beach.

CATHOLIC WIDOWS

Join us for the wine tasting and the music at the beautiful vineyards and winery in Ramona. $18, 2 p.m. at Sunrise Vineyards and Winery, 16620 Highland Valley Rd, Ramona.

June 11

JAZZ EVENSONG

Jazz in the heart of the Village, free and open to the public. Free, 4 to 5:30 p.m. June 11 at St. Michael’s-bythe-Sea Episcopal Church, 2775 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad.

PONCHO SANCHEZ

For more than three decades, conguero Poncho Sanchez has stirred up a fi-

ery stew of straight-ahead jazz, gritty soul music and infectious melodies and rhythms from a variety of Latin American sounds. $40, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

PUBLIC FARM TOUR

Want to visit the Coastal Roots Farm? Here’s how! Come visit the chickens and see how we grow our organic produce for the community. $18, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Jun. 11 at Coastal Roots Farm, 441 Saxony Rd, Encinitas.

SOUL SUNDAY SESSIONS

Immerse in the soulful vibes of Grand Social’s Sunday music sessions showcasing the best of Soul, R&B, and Motown. Brisa Lauren, a gifted soul singer and songwriter who fronts the award-winning band, T. 4 to 10 p.m. Jun. 11 at Fairmont Grand Lobby, 5300 Grand del Mar Ct, San Diego.

LA ADICTIVA

The 17-member ensemble band from Sinaloa is celebrating more than 30 years in music and will help close out opening weekend at the fair. $25, 7:30 p.m. at San Diego County Fair, 2236 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar.

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL

The San Diego French Film Festival June 11-13, 2023 celebrates francophonie, culture, and gastronomy. $26.50-$185, 4:30 to 9 p.m. June 11 at The LOT, 7611 Fay Ave, San Diego.

June 12

SHAWN COLVIN

Shawn Colvin stopped the industry in its tracks with her arresting 1989 debut, “Steady On.” The following spring, Colvin took home the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. $50, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

SHORT STORY WRITING

Join local author Pete Peterson in a four-class series where participants will learn practical tips on how to create memorable short stories that will appeal to editors and readers alike. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 12 at Escondido Public Library, 239 S Kalmia St, Escondido.

SUMMER READING

The summer reading challenge invites children, teens and adults to read this summer. All age groups can also experience a variety of different happenings at the library. 12 a.m. at Escondido Public Library, 239 S Kalmia St, Escondido.

DARE TO DOT: POINTLISM

Create a masterpiece using a variety of colors and round shapes in this month’s studio. Join Robin Douglas for this all-day immersion

2236 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar.

PONCHO SANCHEZ, 71, a Grammy Award-winning master conguero, Latin jazz band leader and salsa singer, performs June 11 at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. Courtesy photo

PERFORMERS on stilts with Animal Cracker Conspiracy will wander the San Diego County Fair, running through July 4.

‘Get Out There’: County Fair opens

By Laura Place DEL MAR — Grab

your gear and get ready to explore — the 2023 San Diego County Fair is open!

The largest county fair in the nation opened June 7 and runs through July 4 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds with the theme “Get Out There!” a celebration of the region’s parks and the great outdoors.

Along with fair classics like the carnival, performances by celebrated musicians and comedians, and various expos and festivals, the 22-day event hosts a slew of outdoor- and camping-themed activities and foods.

One of the largest features is an exhibition hall run by county Parks and Recreation, where visitors can explore interactive displays, shows featuring the region’s wildlife and information about the county’s diverse parks.

All kinds of delicious food also await attendees, from deep-fried treats like Cheetos potstickers and Oreos by Chicken Charlie’s, to s’mores pies by In Your Face Pies. In addition to more traditional carnival fare, Wicked Kitchen will offer plant-based options like vegan meatball bao and vegan ice cream bars.

Families can also enjoy all kinds of free daily enter-

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starting with art slides for inspiration, snacks and art making. $70, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 12 at Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside.

June 13

MONETTE MARINO-KEITA

Monette Marino is a world percussionis and spent the majority of the last 20 years studying under master drummer Mamady Keita from Guinea. $12, 7:30 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

EL CAMINO QUILT GUILD

Candy Grisham will share her journey with the Dresden block into the modern quilt world, art quilts and publishing. $10, 9:30 a.m. at El Corazon

New Disney cartoon set in Oceanside

By Samantha Nelson OCEANSIDE —

A new Disney-animated series set in Oceanside and featuring visual elements throughout North County San Diego will premiere in June.

“Hailey’s On It!” follows Hailey Banks, voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, a cautious but resourceful teenager on a mission to complete every item on her long list of challenging tasks to save the world.

Series creators Nick Stanton and Devin Bunje modeled the setting based on Oceanside and North County views after visiting San Diego County several times on family trips.

tainment — pig racing, the Camp Squawk-A-Lot Bird Show featuring Nancy Reigler and her talented parrots and The Flying Royals’ trapeze act, to name a few.

At 7:30 p.m. on select nights at the Grandstand stage, visitors can see performers like Kevin Hart, Switchfoot and Nelly.

All tickets are available online at sdfair.com. Prices range, depending on the day, from $15 to $20 for adults and $12 to $17 for those over the age of 62 and under the age of 12. Admission is free for youth ages 5 and younger all days and for those ages 6 to 12 on Fridays only.

Grandstand tickets include general fair admission.

Visitors can access $20 general parking at the Fairgrounds or get there via a free shuttle from the Solana Beach Train Station, the Del Mar Horsepark ($10 parking) or Torrey Pines High School (free parking.)

North County Transit District offers Fair Tripper tickets, which include both fair admission and a round trip to the Solana Beach station via the Coaster, Sprinter, Breeze bus or MTS trolley or bus.

Tickets are available the day of on the PRONTO app and at station ticket machines.

Senior Center, 3302 Senior Center Dr, Oceanside.

June 14

TOM SANDOVAL

Tom Sandoval has been a staple cast member of Vanderpump Rules since the show's first season. Now, he owns TomTom Restaurant & Bar in Hollywood and also leads a cover band. $25, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

WELLNESS EXPO

Your invited to a wellness expo every Wednesday from 10 - 1 p.m. You can get your blood pressure checked, review caregiver resources, attend a fall prevention workshop and more. Free, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 14 at Family Health Centers of San Diego, 2201 Mission Ave, Oceanside.

Both were raised in colder climates, Bunje in snowy Northern California and Stanton in rural Minnesota. This influenced them to create a world opposite for Hailey that is warmer, idyllic and worth saving.

“I grew up watching shows like ‘Saved by the Bell’ and sort of always had this beautiful vision of Southern California,” Stanton said.

Bunje and Stanton met at the University of Southern California film school, where they first got their foot in the door working on animated series. Eventually, they worked on live-action shows like “Zeke and Luther” and “Prince of Peoria” before returning to their animation roots with “Hailey’s On It!”

“We spent a lot of time

down there when creating this show,” Bunje said. “We came up with this ideal version of North County that has all sorts of elements from there – we have episodes with fish tacos, fes-

Marketplace News

tivals, plant life of the area and Solana Beach’s cliffs as the backdrop. We really liked the area and leaned into its beauty.”

Viewers will also catch other familiar sights like the

Oceanside Pier and hear references to Camp Pendleton.

“One of the characters is into street art murals like the ones in Oceanside,” Stanton said. “Our design team used a lot of different elements like the city’s natural shape, local plant life and other small nods to the town.”

The first two episodes will be available on Disney Plus on June 9. After that, the first season will include 30 episodes altogether.

“It’s our love letter to San Diego County,” Stanton said. “People there will get a kick out of watching the show and finding all the little Easter eggs in there.”

Marketplace News is paid sponsored content

Eligible households not signed up for ACP

Whether they’re a family with school age children, a college student, or an older adult on a fixed income, households of all ages are encouraged to apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) if their annual income is 200% or less of the federal government’s poverty guideline. That’s a household income of about $60,000 a year for a family of four, or about $29,000 a year for a household of one.

Two-thirds of eligible San Diego County households still haven’t applied for the ACP, a federal program that provides up to $30 a month (up to $75 for Tribal lands) for a qualifying household’s internet bill – leaving dollars on the table every month and even access to free internet service through providers like Cox Communications.

The ACP is helping to bridge the digital divide by making it easier for lower income individuals and families to connect to the internet and stay connected. In 2022, Cox announced it was partnering with the White House to raise awareness of the ACP and help eligible households sign up.

Households can qualify if they participate in a federal government or Tribal program such as: Medicaid, free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program (SNAP), federal public housing (such as Section 8, Multi-family units, and Public Housing Authorities), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Pell Grant recipient for current academic year, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Pension & Survivors Benefits, and Tribal Programs (and proof of living on Tribal lands).

HOW IT WORKS

The ACP provides up to $30 a month ($75 for households on Tribal lands), that’s applied to a qualifying household’s monthly internet bill. Eligible households can also receive a one-time $100 subsidy to purchase a laptop, computer or tablet (Cox is

one of the providers participating in this option for its customers).

Free internet access: Customers who qualify for the ACP likely also qualify for other Cox affordable internet options such as ConnectAssist ($30 a month) or Connect2Compete ($9.95 a month for K-12 families). By applying their ACP credit to their ConnectAssist or Connect2Compete service, home internet for these households may be free or available at a significantly reduced cost.

THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL EQUITY

To better understand the impacts of bridging the digital divide, Cox conducted a digital equity survey in October 2022 with customers enrolled in the ACP and/

or Connect2Compete. Key findings included:

• About half of them have home internet for the first time

• 70% credit home internet for finding a new or better job

• Half said they got a promotion or a pay increase

• 90% said they are now doing homework at home

• Half said they are now able to apply to college and apply for financial aid

• Half said they have gotten certified in a specific skill or trade

• One-third reported being a first-generation college graduate as a result of home internet.

Nine out of 10 ACP and Connect2Compete customers say Cox internet allows their children to access educational resources, do homework and participate in remote learning, and it better enables the adult(s) in the household to communicate with the child’s teacher.

“I was unable to afford internet service prior to this opportunity,” said a Cox customer using Connect2Compete internet service. “My daughter couldn’t to do her homework at home, and I was unable to take her to the public library.”

To learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program and Cox’s ConnectAssist and Connect2Compete options, visit cox.com/digitalequity.

THE NEW Disney-animated series “Hailey’s On It!” features the voice talents of Auli’i Cravalho as Hailey Banks, a resourceful teenager determined to change the world. Courtesy photos

‘HAILEY’S ON IT!’ creators Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton.

Photo by Laura Place

COX COMMUNICATIONS is helping low-income households apply for up to $30 a month via the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. Courtesy photo