Inland Edition, November 25, 2022

NIGHT LIGHTS

Maienschein wins close 76th race

By Laura Place

REGION —

Incumbent

Assemblymember Brian Maienschein will represent California’s new 76th Dis trict after a week of ballot counting, with opponent Kristie Bruce-Lane official ly conceding the race last Friday, Nov 18.

Republican Bruce-Lane led Maienschein in the days following the Nov. 8 elec tion, but the Democrat slow ly pulled ahead and leads with 51.6% of the vote — about 4,800 votes — after the most recent update by the San Diego County Reg istrar of Voters, which esti mates about 11,000 ballots countywide remain to be counted.

This will be Maien schein’s sixth and final term in the state Assembly, un der the state’s 12-year term limit for those elected to the state legislature in or after 2012. This will also be his first year representing the 76th, rather than 77th, dis trict following last year’s redistricting process.

“Thank you to the vot ers of the 76th district for electing me. I’m deeply hon ored by the trust placed in me and look forward to get ting to work,” Maienschein said.

In her statement con ceding last Friday, BruceLane stated that a victory no longer seemed possible. She also thanked her supporters

and wished Maienschein the best in his upcoming term.

“While the results show there was broad and strong support, it has become clear that I will not be able to win this seat in the State As sembly this election cycle,” Bruce-Lane said. “I look for ward to continuing to dedi cate my time and energy to help us move forward and continue to create not only a healthy San Diego region but a thriving California for the people.”

Redrawn district lines moved much of what was the former 77th district into the 76th, including the more Republican-leaning areas of Escondido and San Marcos.

The strengthened con servative constituency may be what contributed to Maienschein’s smaller mar gin victory; in 2020, when he defeated June Cutter by about 22,000 votes.

Updated election re sults for San Diego County are available at sdvote.com and for statewide races at electionresults.sos.ca.gov.

PANTHER PICKS PILOTS

Escondido votes out McNamara

White elected mayor; sales tax bump losing

ESCONDIDO — Voters in Escondido have elected a new mayor and are poised to strike down a ¾-cent sales tax mea sure aimed at improving public safety and city services.

As of the most recent up date, on Nov. 18, mayoral chal lenger Dane White has captured 51.62% of the vote against in cumbent Mayor Paul McNamara with 48.38%, a lead of over 1,100 votes.

“This year’s election results clearly show that Escondido residents agree the status quo is not working in our community and it is time for a new generation of leadership,” White said in an official victory announcement.

McNamara was first elected as mayor in 2018.

Things aren’t looking good for the city’s proposed ¾-cent sales tax measure, which would be used to improve and main tain public safety and other city services.

While the vote has teetered back and forth, 50.63% of vot ers oppose the tax, a difference of 460 votes. This trend con tradicts a survey of voters per formed over the summer that projected 62%-68% of voters would favor the tax.

White, the new mayor, has been an elected member of the Escondido High School Board of Education since 2016. He is a fifth generation Escondido resident who attended Escondi do High School and Escondido Charter. He owns WhiteWerks Flooring LLC and is the sonin-law to Councilmember Mike Morasco.

Incumbent Councilmem ber Consuelo Martinez (Dis trict 1) won reelection by an overwhelming majority against Mike Johnson-Palomares.

“I am honored to contin

Let the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas brighten your holiday season. On selected dates now through Jan. 1, SDBG’s Lightscape exhibit offers a mile-long seasonal light display that winds through the garden’s 37 acres and features a million lights. Some of the lights dance in sync with music. Story on 12. Courtesy photo

BRIAN MAIENSCHEIN will rep resent the newly drawn 76th Assembly District, which in cludes Escondido and San Marcos. Courtesy photo

Cyprian Hyde, a 6-foot-10 senior center at Vista High School, signed a letter of intent this month to play Di vision I basketball at the University of Portland. Above, Hyde in action for a club team. Story on 18 Courtesy photo

By Samantha Nelson

warns of scams

By City News Service

REGION — San Diego Gas & Electric is reminded customers to be vigilant looking out for scammers threatening service dis connections if payments are not made immediately.

According to SDG&E, the ruse most often in cludes a caller posing as a utility collections employ ee.

Victims are told their account is delinquent and that a technician will ar rive within the hour to shut off their electricity if they do not pay the past due amount immediately.

Victims are asked to pay with non-traceable Bit coin, payment apps such as Zelle, Green Dot debit cards or other non-tradi tional forms of payment that SDG&E does not use.

Top targets of utili ty impersonators include limited-English speak ers, the elderly and small businesses — particularly restaurants.

Last month, Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic De velopment Corporation, received calls from a SDG&E impersonator who indicated his gas and elec tric service was about to be shut off due to non-pay ment.

The number that ap peared on his caller ID was falsely presented as SDG&E’s customer ser vice number.

According to the utili ty, earlier this year, a local business incurred a signif icant financial loss when the impersonator kept telling the business that its electronic payment did not go through.

The fraudster capital ized on the confusion, and the business made three payments before realizing the scam.

SDG&E said in a statement it will never call to demand immediate payments be made over the phone with the threat of immediate service dis connection.

camera for Elfin Forest photo contest

By Staff REGION — Olivenhain

Municipal Water District invites amateur photogra phers of all ages to Elfin Forest Recreational Re serve for its annual ama teur photography contest that runs through April 23, 2023.

“This is the first year that we’ve held the contest over the fall and winter months, and we hope that it will inspire visitors to view and photograph the reserve in a new way,” said OMWD Board President Larry Watt.

Entries must feature the reserve as their sub ject or be taken within the reserve from any designat ed trail. The deadline to submit photos is 11 p.m. on April 23, 2023.

Visit olivenhain.com/ photo for official contest rules and to upload a maxi mum of four contest entries. There is no entry fee.

Winning photos will be selected from five catego ries — scenic view, water

scenery, plants, animals and youth (photographers age 15 and under).

An online vote will decide a People’s Choice Award winner.

Winners are eligible for prizes donated by local businesses such as pass es to the San Diego Zoo, a 24-by36-inch canvas print from PC Photo and Imag ing, outdoor equipment from REI, and a $100 cash prize from the Escondido Creek Conservancy.

In addition, winning images will be displayed at the Elfin Forest Interpre tive Center Honoring Susan J. Varty from June through December 2023.

OMWD’s Board of Di rectors will honor contest winners at its June 21, 2023, board meeting.

The 784-acre reserve is celebrating 30 years of operation in 2022, and the contest prompts partici pants to capture its natu ral beauty in creative and unique ways.

The 11 miles of hik

ing, mountain biking, and equestrian trails provide opportunities to photo graph Escondido Creek, na tive plant communities, the Pacific Ocean, Channel and Coronado Islands, and La guna and San Bernardino mountain ranges.

ECF seeks grant proposals

By Staff

ESCONDIDO — The Escondido Community Foundation (ECF) has an nounced a call for Letters of Intent for its 17th annu al grant cycle.

ECF invites nonprofit organizations and agen cies to submit proposals for programs that will help engage students in sixth to 12th grade, with a special focus on middle schoolers.

Eligible nonprofit or ganizations serving Escon dido may submit proposals of $15,000 to $40,000.

ECF is hosting a volun tary informational work

shop at 4 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Raymond Center for Community Philanthropy, 900 Canterbury, Ste. 300, to answer questions about the grant process.

To attend, RSVP to Lesley Hughes at lhughes@sdfoundation.org by Nov. 29.

The LOI is the first in a two-step process. LOI submissions must be sub mitted no later than 5 p.m. Jan. 23, 2023.

LOI guidelines includ ing directions on how to register and apply can be accessed at escondidocom munityfoundation.org.

‘SERENITY,’ by Peter Montgomery, Best in Show winner of the most recent Elfin Forest Rec reational Reserve photo contest. The new contest runs through April 23, 2023. Courtesy photo

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do not reflect the views of The

Price gouging: What about cars?

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Battling hate in San Diego

By Summer Stephan

This month, San Di ego County is par ticipating in the statewide United Against Hate Week cam paign, an anti-hate aware ness effort to call for local civic action to stop the hate and biases that pose a dan gerous threat to the safety and civility of neighbor hoods, towns and cities.

Unfortunately, hate crimes have increased across our nation, state and region. By learning about hate crimes and how to stand against them and report them, we can make everyone safer.

For those who don’t already know, prosecuting and preventing hate crimes is a priority for me as Dis trict Attorney.

In recent years, we’ve tripled the number of hate crime prosecutions, send ing an unwavering message that hate crimes will not be tolerated.

Last year alone, we prosecuted 30 hate crimes cases, up from 21 in 2020.

We recognize the dis tinctive fear and stress suffered by victims of hate crimes, including the po tential for reprisal, esca lation of violence, and the far-reaching negative con sequences that hate crimes have on our community.

A hate incident is an act, which is bias-motivat ed, but does not rise to the level of a hate crime.

For example, if some one uses a racial slur against another it probably isn’t a hate crime, rather a hate incident.

It’s important to un derstand the difference be tween an act that is under standably upsetting, and an act motivated by hate or bias that is a crime.

A hate crime is against an individual or property that is substantially moti vated by bias against the victim’s:

• Race/ethnicity/na tionality

• Religion

• Sexual orientation

• Gender

• Disability

• Victim’s association with any above group

In 2020, I set up an on line reporting form and ho tline on our public website where anyone can report a suspected hate crime they witnessed in San Diego County.

The tool was part ly in response to reports of hate-related incidents aimed at the Asian commu nity across the nation in the wake of the COVID-19 pan demic. The online report ing tool, email and phone number are available for reporting of any type of sus pected hate crime.

physical injuries or damag es to property, even if po lice already did so.

• If the crime is vandal ism, let the police see and photograph the damage before you clean and/or re pair.

• If possible, get wit nesses’ names, addresses and telephone numbers.

• Write down as many facts about the incident as you can remember.

• Seek a therapist to assist with the emotional aspects of the attack.

• Learn the names of the police officers and prosecutors working on the case and keep in touch with them.

• Get copies of police

Walk into a car dealership of virtually any brand and you will find price markups unheard of in almost any past era.

At Toyota, a new Pri us Prime plug-in mod el, carrying a manufac turer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) in the low $30,000s, often sports an asking price these days about $10,000 higher, a markup of about 33%.

It is not alone. Nation ally, markups more than 20% over MSRP are com mon.

One high average markup percentage be longs to the non-luxury Jeep Wrangler, generally priced about $8,500 above MSRP, closely followed by the Porsche Macan at $14,200 over MSRP. Both represent dealer markups of about 25%.

In most cases, barring special sales that reduce the markup a bit, this means hugely higher deal er profits.

This is pure price gouging, based on the ageold law of supply and de mand.

“As demand contin ues to exceed supply for popular vehicles, dealers are adding market adjust ments generally ranging from $2,000 (for low-end gasoline-powered models) to $10,000,” reports the iseecars.com automotive research firm, whose fall survey included 1.9 mil lion new car listings.

“Markups are highest for cars that hold their value best after they leave the dealerships.”

Translation: hybrids or electric vehicles.

california focus

tom elias

shortages that often cause buyers to wait months be fore their car or truck of choice arrives.

Overall, new car sales in California were down 16% in the first nine months of this year.

But even as state legis lators get set for a special session on gasoline price gouging by oil refiners, there’s not much they can do to prevent the unprece dented car price hikes.

This is trickling down to used cars, too. The is eecars.com study showed huge price increases from last year to this among many used car models, the leader being the Nissan Leaf electric car, which saw an average price in crease of $6,501, or 48%, between June 2021 and June 2022.

The same for Chevro let Camaros, whose usedcar price rose 45% in one year, or $11,200. And the popular Dodge Ram 1500 rose 42% used, or about $12,000.

The reason for all this: New ones are hard to find.

The best deals, those with the smallest increas es, included late-model Subaru Crosstreks, which increased $3,300, or 15%, in a year and the Mazda CX-3, up $3,100 or 18%.

We know that people of ten don’t report hate crimes because of fear or shame, and we wanted to provide a direct avenue to encourage victims or witnesses to hate crimes to report.

People can and should continue to report hate crimes to their local police departments and Sheriff’s Department.

This additional report ing mechanism will act as a safety net and help ensure reports are reviewed and shared by law enforcement.

If you have been a vic tim of hate crime, here are tips on what to do:

• If you are seriously in jured, call 911 or get to the hospital immediately.

• Whether or not you are injured, report the crime.

• To help yourself, it is important to do at least some of the following:

• See a doctor to treat and document even minor physical injuries.

• Take pictures of any

reports and check them for accuracy.

• Attend necessary court hearings, whether you are subpoenaed, in cluding arraignment, bail review and sentencing.

• If possible, make a statement in court to the judge about threats, direct or indirect, and possible fears.

The public can find the DA’s online reporting form by searching for hate crimes at www.SanDiegoDA.com. The Hate Crimes email ad dress is hatecrimes@sdcda. org and the phone number is 619-515-8805.

As your District At torney, I’m committed to increasing communication and accessibility between the DA’s Office and the pub lic.

I hope these consumer and public safety tips have been helpful.

Summer Stephan is the District Attorney for San Diego County.

In California’s big gest market area of Los Angeles, some of the highest markups belong to the Genesis GV70 lux ury sport utility vehicle, generally priced slightly more than 25% over its MSRP.

The same Genesis model also tops markups in San Diego, where deal ers commonly ask 27% above MSRP. In the San Francisco Bay area, the biggest markups belong to the Ford Maverick pick up, at 36% ($8,600) over MSRP. Both the Genesis and Maverick models of fer hybrid engines as op tions.

The Maverick also tops all the markup aver ages around the nation, especially in the Phila delphia and Jacksonville areas.

The high-tech fourdoor Maverick, intro duced in the 2022 model year, is especially popular as a hybrid, its success partly driven by today’s high gasoline prices.

Most dealers don’t deny taking advantage of low new-car inventories caused by supply chain

Dealers say their markups are a way to maintain profits while overall auto sales are down.

“They have respond ed to market conditions by pricing cars above MSRP and making a higher prof it on specific models to help offset restricted new car production,” analyst Karl Brauer told a report er. “In this market, con sumers are willing to pay well above sticker price.”

Which means the best bottom line strategy for car buyers seeking both new and used models may be to wait.

Current gasoline car owners can still find plen ty of service stations for fuel. Cars built up to 15 years ago are more dura ble than previous versions, so waiting until conditions improve might pay off, even with gasoline at near record prices.

There’s no likelihood of a windfall profit tax on car dealers, even if one is imposed on oil companies. That leaves any penalties for price gouging car deal ers strictly up to individu al consumers.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.

Zoe Morris • Ava DeAngelis

In recent years, we’ve tripled the number of hate crime prosecutions, sending an unwavering message that hate crimes will not be tolerated.

Rep. Levin wins re-election; Blakespear captures state Senate seat

By Stephen Wyer

REGION — A pair of closely watched state and federal races in North County have been called in favor of Democrats after addi tional election results were made available last week.

Rep. Mike Levin, the Demo cratic incumbent in California’s 49th Congressional District, de clared victory over Republican challenger Brian Maryott. Levin will return to a Republican-con trolled House of Representatives in the 118th Congress.

With most ballots counted, Levin leads with 52.6% of ballots cast, about 15,000 votes, to 47.4% for Maryott, per data reported on the California Secretary of State’s website.

“With the vast majority of votes tabulated and the race called in our favor, it is with great honor and humility that I will return to serve California’s 49th District in the United States House of Rep resentatives again,” Levin said in a statement released on Nov. 16. “Serving this beautiful District and its talented residents has been a remarkable opportunity. I am so proud of the work we have done to make healthcare more afford able, to pass historic legislation to rein in global climate change, to improve the quality of life for our veterans, to increase Ameri ca’s international competitiveness in semiconductors, and to rebuild our nation’s badly neglected infra structure. There is much more to be done, and I look forward to the challenge.

“I also want to thank Brian Maryott. A thriving democracy requires competition for citizens’ votes, and to those who voted for Mr. Maryott, I want to reassure you that my door is always open.

I welcome opportunities to work together because the best legisla tion is always that with the broad est input.”

Maryott, who ran for the 49th district seat unsuccessfully in both 2018 and 2020, conceded the race in a statement to The Coast

News on Nov. 17.

“Last night, we had one of the last remaining updates from both Orange and San Diego Counties. With the results as they now stand, and relatively few ballots yet to be counted, it is apparent that we will fall short of winning this race for Congress,” Maryott said. “Months ago, we crafted the simple mes sage: People Before Politics. I knew, our whole team knew, that it wasn’t flashy. Hell, it isn’t even catchy. In fact, it’s even a little

dull. But for me, it says it all.

“We are leading with politics in this country, and every day it’s getting worse. And for me, that concern was ever present as we worked 18-hour days and pushed towards the goal of winning this seat and trying to make some small difference. People must come first, and the obligation to deliver them tangible results should be paramount. Let’s hope some of the fresh new leaders in Congress will help.”

Meanwhile, in California’s 38th Senate District, Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear won her campaign against Republican Matt Gunderson. Blakespear will replace Republican State Sen. Pat Bates, who had held the seat since 2014 and could not run for reelec tion due to term limits.

With close to 100% of ballots having been counted, Blakespear led Gunderson by over 16,000 votes (52.2% to 47.8%), according to the Secretary of State’s website.

Like the 49th congressional district, the 38th stretches from North County San Diego to south Orange County and includes Vis ta.

“I am tremendously grateful to the people of California’s 38th State Senate District for electing me as their next Senator,” Blake spear said in a statement. “From Pacific Beach to Mission Viejo, the people of this district chose to defend a woman’s right to choose, protect our environment, sup port small business owners and the working class, strengthen our gun laws, and ensure a clean, re liable water supply. They chose a message of hope — a message that we can accomplish anything and make life better if we come togeth er and try.”

Gunderson conceded this race in a statement but criticized Blakespear for running what he characterized as a dirty and mali cious campaign in the race.

“It has been just past a week

San Marcos Chamber

Meet Chamber Member Brian Rott President & CEO of Cart Mart in San Marcos

This is the first in an ongoing series featuring San Marcos businesses and Cham ber of a Commerce members.

Martinez elected first female sheriff in county

By Laura Place

REGION — Under sheriff Kelly Martinez has emerged victorious in the San Diego County Sheriff’s race against opponent John Hemmerling after her lead exceeded the number of votes remaining to be count ed.

As of Nov. 16, Martinez led Hemmerling by just un der 140,000 votes with an estimated 80,000 ballots left to count. She will serve a six-year term as the county’s first female sheriff.

“I consider the oppor tunity to serve as your next Sheriff to be a privilege. I am exceptionally proud of the deputies and staff who contribute to our depart ment. I look forward to serv ing everyone for the next six years,” Martinez said.

Hemmerling conceded

that his campaign no longer has a path to victory, but shared his appreciation for those who supported him and stated his hopes for the department going forward.

“I congratulate Kel ly Martinez and wish her strength in the important work ahead to change the culture in the Sheriff’s De partment,” Hemmerling said in a campaign message.

“While we all sought a dif ferent outcome, I am hope ful that she will commit to addressing violent crime, re building morale among the deputies and staff, stopping the senseless deaths in our jails, and restoring the pub lic trust.”

In the wake of her victo ry, Martinez announced the members of her leadership

Cart Mart is a nation wide dealer of golf cars, utility and low speed vehi cles that have been in busi ness since 1959 and have called San Marcos homes since 1971. They offer a full array of services such as rentals, parts, accessories, and repairs.

Cart Mart has been a long-time member of the San Marcos Chamber. We took some time to talk with President & CEO Brian Rott.

What sets you apart from others in your industry?

“As the oldest dealer in the industry, nobody has been doing this longer than Cart Mart. For starters, our history sets us apart. Next is our reputation for do ing things right. We treat customers like family, and

since we offer all major brands under one roof, we give our customers mem orable experiences that keep them coming back.”

What question are you asked most frequently by clients / prospective buyers?

“We get asked all the time: “How do I make a golf car street legal?”. The answer is, you cant! Only low speed vehicles (LSV’s) are able to be legally driv en on public roads up to 35 MPH. A modified golf car is NOT an LSV so be care ful not to fall into that trap. Golf cars don’t do well on roads, but LSV’s do.”

What is your favorite business success story?

“We have had a lot of great success stories in our 63 years in business. The fact that we have been able to open up 7 new loca tions over the past 5 years is something we are very

proud of. Starting with one location in San Marcos, we now manage 7 throughout California, Georgia, Tennes see, and the Carolinas. We are proud that we have such a great team that helps us get that done.”

What motivated you to join The San Marcos Chamber?

We remain members

of the SMCC because we support local business and want to be a resource to oth ers in the community. It’s important to support the local businesses and we are trying to do our part in the community.

As someone doing busi ness in San Marcos, what are you looking forward to accomplishing with the Chamber?

“We look to be a re source to others in our busi ness community and to find ways to keep business local ly.”

What’s your best piece of business advice?

“Treat others like you want to be treated (the Golden Rule). Take care of your employees and they will take care of your cus tomers. And, Make it hap pen!”

BRIAN ROTT has been a longtime member of the San Mar cos Chamber. Courtesy photo

REP. MIKE LEVIN and his wife, Chrissy, greet supporters on election night, Nov. 8, at the Hilton Del Mar. The incumbent Democrat’s lead steadily grew as votes were counted and he declared victory last week over Re publican challenger Brian Maryott. Photo by Laura Place

KELLY MARTINEZ will serve a six-year term as the first female sheriff of San Diego County. Martinez is currently second in command as undersheriff. Courtesy photo

Deck the halls — and floor

There is a mighty storm across the school library of holiday paper, ici cle strings of various styles, small fluffy balls, colored paper, scissors and other assorted bits from a stu dent-created Winter Won derland.

It is ridiculous, hilari ous, delightful and a work in progress. What the lunch crowd lacked in precision, they made up for in enthu siasm.

The problem I have in wrangling kids is that I foolishly have expectations that are more Pinterest quality than real-children quality. I have adjusted those expectations and now we are all having fun.

I started saving boxes in September with visions of creating a holiday vil lage myself. Again with the unrealistic expectations. I soon realized I had neither the energy nor the time to accomplish that this year.

Then I got the bright idea that my usual lunch time library visitors could each pick a box and do the creative work themselves.

It took a couple of days

SHERIFF

CONTINUED FROM 5

team this week.

Assistant Sheriff Rich Williams will serve as un dersheriff — the depart ment’s second in command — and Commander Brian Nevins has been appointed as the new Assistant Sher iff for the Human Resource and Court Services Bureau.

Williams has served with the Sheriff’s Depart ment for three decades, starting out in the depart ment’s various detention facilities and serving his first patrol at the San Mar cos Sheriff’s Station.

He was promoted to Commander in 2021, where

ELECTION

CONTINUED FROM 5

since Election Day, and my opponent and I remain separated by a very narrow 3.8% margin. Over 330,000 ballots have been counted in Senate District 38, and there are still thousands of ballots yet to be counted, but unfortunately, it has become clear that we do not have a path forward in this race,” Gunderson said.

“This is an especially disappointing result, given that my opponent’s cam paign was based on lies and personal attacks, not dif

small talk

jean gillette

to deliver all the boxes up to school. Then I indulged myself and went to the $1 store to gather up lots of sparkly garlands and oth er stuff I thought the kids would like to use.

The next day I present ed the idea to a receptive audience. Maybe a little too receptive. That first day was like a piranha attack. I hadn’t made it clear that this activity did not need to be and should not be done in one day, so some chaos ensued.

When the kids faded off to class, I was surround ed by a zillion scraps of paper, tinsel bits, tape and glue drips. Realizing I had not policed the situation properly, I laid no blame and cleaned it up.

The next day, and days hence, however, I started each session with some

he oversaw facilities and food services in the Deten tion Services Bureau, and then to Assistant Sheriff earlier this year.

Nevins joined the de partment in 1995, working in jails, training recruits and as a patrol officer in Encinitas and Lemon Grove and eventually su pervising undercover units and staff at courthouses and internal affairs.

His most recent role was overseeing Law En forcement Services Bureau Patrol Operations.

Current Sheriff Antho ny Ray will step down from his interim position by Jan uary, after being appointed in April on the heels of Bill

ferences of political opin ion. Her campaign was the poster child of everything people complain about in politics today — devoid of substantive issue, conversa tion and entirely based on negative advertising and misleading information. I hope our community is bet ter served in the future.”

Blakespear’s victory ends a contentious cam paign between the two candidates, who leveled numerous accusations at one another throughout the race.

Gunderson blamed Blakespear for her purport

serious instruction about cleanup. I even tried to stop things just before the bell to give them time to clean up.

It was only mildly suc cessful, but we tried. I was kind of tickled that they so hated to stop work on their box buildings.

After a week, most of the boxes look rather like festive houses, stores, a clock tower, a toy store, a li brary and more, but several are still under construction and will be finished some time in December.

I’m fine with that, al though I do look forward to an end of daily tinsel pick up. Or maybe I’ll just leave it where it falls and call it Christmas/Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa décor.

I am particularly grate ful to our school custodians, who have shown early holi day spirit with their nightly vacuuming. There will defi nitely be something special in their stocking.

Jean Gillette is a freelance writer who can’t resist a bit of sparkle. Contact her at jean@coast newsgroup.com.

Gore’s retirement.

As for the issues fac ing the department, high inmate death rates in the county jail — 18 in 2021 and 19 so far in 2022 — prompted an investigation by the state auditor result ing in a scathing report identifying several areas for improvement.

Martinez has said she has embraced its findings and has worked to imple ment all of the suggestions in the audit after several incidents made headlines in recent years.

“Deputies … aren’t always equipped to handle some of those situations. We need more health pro fessionals,” Martinez said.

ed involvement in various scandals during her time as the chair of SANDAG, criticized her for censoring critics online, and general ly panned her track record as mayor of Encinitas.

Blakespear accused Gunderson of being behold en to far-right segments of the Republican party, tak ing money from extremist organizations, and mislead ing voters about his posi tion on the abortion issue, an accusation that Gunder son, who ran as a pro-choice Republican, vehemently denied throughout his cam paign.

Escondido raises trash, recycling rates

By Samantha Nelson ESCONDIDO — Res

idents and businesses can expect an increase to their trash and recycling rates after the first of the year.

Escondido City Coun cil approved rate increases for services provided by Escondido Disposal, Inc. (EDI) at the Nov. 16 council meeting.

As per the city’s agree ment with EDI, rate increas es are based on consumer price index (CPI) changes and can be requested annu ally. Because the index for urban consumers increased by approximately 8.15% between the first half of 2021 and the first half of 2022, EDI has requested a rate change to match that increase.

Residential customers can expect to pay an addi tional $2.21 per month, in creasing the overall total from $26.45 to $28.66.

This increase places Escondido in the middle range compared to other North County cities. Those that have higher residen tial monthly rates include San Marcos ($29.15) and Encinitas ($28.86). Cities with lower rates include Poway ($28.43), Carlsbad ($28.02) and Solana Beach ($26.99).

Commercial customers can expect a $10.16 total increase, bumping their monthly rates from $118.13 to $128.29.

As part of that rate increase, an additional 40 cents will be collected from each customer in franchise fees that are paid by EDI to the city. These revenues go directly into the city’s gen

eral fund.

“Combined revenue from franchise fees, AB 939 fees and household hazard ous waste fees will add up to about $4 million annual ly,” said Lori Calvert, recy cling program coordinator.

Besides regular trash collecting, Calvert said EDI also provides customers with two free dump cou pons, two weeks of Christ mas tree recycling, waste and recycling containers at city events, bulk col lections, electronic waste disposal, continued public outreach and education including support for the city’s food waste reduc tion program at three local schools, and operation of an anaerobic digestion facility to process organic waste.

“I would just like to re mind folks that we are very lucky to have EDI in our community,” Deputy Mayor Tina Inscoe said.

Councilmembers shared their support for EDI while noting that the 8.15% rate increase is un fortunate but necessary given current CPI numbers and the city’s agreement with the waste and recy cling disposal company.

“It’s unfortunate about what the current CPI is but it’s part of our agreement and I have 100% faith in this entity with what they do and how they do it,” Councilmember Mike Mo rasco said. “They’re always looking out for the best in terests of the city of Escon dido as well as the citizens.”

Customers will be no tified through the mail about their impending rate changes.

Elizabeth Hospice seeks volunteers

By Staff

ue to serve the city that I love for another term,” Martinez said in a Face book post.

Councilmember Joe Garcia pulled ahead of opponent Jeff Griffith by about 270 votes in the race for the District 2 seat. Garcia, who originally rep resented District 3, was moved into District 2 after redistricting.

If Garcia wins, the

council’s District 3 seat will be empty, leaving the option to either fill it by a special election or a coun cil-appointed member.

The official swear ing-in ceremony for City Council is on Dec. 14.

In other results, voters overwhelmingly favored imposing term limits for City Council members and reducing the city treasur er’s compensation.

As for Escondido Union High School board of education, Bob Weller

won an overwhelming ma jority of votes to represent Area 1 against opponent Mickey E. Jackson. Trust ee Jon Petersen also won against opponent Kathryn McCarthy for Area 5.

In the Escondido Union School Board, incumbent Trustee Joan Gardner won her reelection against Eliz abeth Shulok in the Area 2 race. Trustee Georgine Tomasi lost her reelection against former board mem ber Zesty Harper for the Area 4 seat.

ESCONDIDO — The Elizabeth Hospice invites individuals interested in helping adults and chil dren facing the challenges associated with a life-limit ing illness and those griev ing the death of a loved one to a free volunteer orienta tion session conducted via Zoom videoconferencing.

Hospice volunteers are an important part of the care team at The Eliz abeth Hospice and have an opportunity to make a real difference.

Attendees will learn about a wide variety of vir tual and in-person oppor tunities throughout San

Diego County, including serving as a patient com panion, providing caregiv er respite, performing aro matherapy, sewing Cuddle Bears, officiating at vet eran pinning ceremonies, and much more. Informa tion will be provided on both the application and training process.

Prospective volun teers can choose from the following sessions: Dec. 1, 3 to 4 p.m.; Dec. 9, 11 a.m. to noon; Dec. 14, 3 to 4 p.m.

To ensure a place at the volunteer orientation session, contact the Volun teer Department at (800) 797-2050 or send an email to volunteer@ehospice.org.

City may tweak tax on new projects

By Samantha Nelson ESCONDIDO

— The city is considering chang ing an already established special tax on homes in new developments to direct its funds to more specific ser vices like public safety.

The City Council gave staff direction to review the city’s Community Facilities District (CFD), a special tax the council approved in 2020 to even out costs to pro vide general municipal ser vices to new developments.

The tax was established following a fiscal analy sis on new developments to address projected city budget shortfalls. Without the tax, the analysis found, providing services to new residential developments, including police, public works, community services and general services, would exceed the anticipated rev enue the city would receive from those developments.

Maximum tax rates between $536 and $783 on each dwelling unit were es tablished as part of the CFD and could increase based on inflation. Currently, there are 437 developed lots lo cated in the CFD that will generate approximately $295,000 in revenue, with an additional 182 lots that have been annexed into the CFD but not yet developed as of March 1.

A total of 23 projects have been annexed into the CFD totaling 769 homes, which could potentially gen erate $500,000.

Escondido is not the only city to have a CFD in the region. It is, however, one of the only cities being sued by the Building Indus try Association of San Diego (BIA) for its CFD. Because of this, the council wants to review how the special tax formula has been applied to potentially bring relief to those being taxed and sway the BIA from suing the city.

“Five hundred thou sand dollars a year is not a solution for the city,” said Lori Pfeiler, CEO of the BIA of San Diego, at the Nov. 16 council meeting.

Pfeiler asked that the council consider rescinding the CFD tax altogether.

“The CFD is a hin drance to home ownership and affordability by estab lishing a tax on new home owners,” Pfeiler said.

But the City Council generally feels that the city does need a CFD tax, although council members could tweak that tax to make it more efficient for both the city and residents.

Some ways the city could change its CFD is by lowering the tax rates that are currently at the maxi mum level. “We may have a problem with our formula,” Councilmember Mike Mo rasco said.

Another option is to cre ate several CFDs that have specific intentions rather than just general services like the city’s current tax.

RESIDENTIAL customers of Escondido Disposal, Inc. (EDI) can expect to pay an additional $2.21 per month starting next year. Photo courtesy of Taylor R.

Hot spot of young white sharks draws experts

By Laura Place

DEL MAR — Early Friday morning, graduate student researchers Patrick Rex and Lauren Faulkner donned Neoprene wetsuits and 30-pound scuba tanks, heading out from the Del Mar Lifeguard Headquar ters and into the ocean wa ter to gather data on their research subjects.

Rex and Faulkner, part of a team of graduate stu dents with the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, are studying the relatively new local ag gregation of juvenile white sharks, which first appeared in Del Mar in 2019 and has moved slightly south toward Torrey Pines State Beach in recent months.

Under the leadership of Shark Lab director Dr. Chris Lowe, the team has tagged just over 200 ani mals in the aggregation, including around 65 just in the past year, on bi-weekly trips down to Del Mar.

This past weekend, Rex and Faulkner dived down to retrieve electronic receiv ers, which log each instance that a tagged shark swims nearby, download the data on a lifeboat, and then dive back down to return the re ceiver to its spot.

“They’re giant ears listening to see if sharks are around,” Rex said, describing the receivers. “What we’ve found is that the sharks are very close to shore — within 100 yards is where they spend 50% to 75% of their time during the day.”

The juveniles, those under 9 or 10 feet in length, are believed to be drawn to the area’s warm, shallow waters, which provide safe ty from large predators, and end up staying because of the food sources, said Lowe.

However, sharks usu ally don’t stay in this re gion for long, and the lab is working to determine what makes this area a hot spot.

“If they're gonna spend a ton of time there, they have to be eating,” Lowe said. "We know they’re eating stingrays, and those rocky reefs have quite a few fish associated with them. I think that’s the reason why they stay, and the rea sons they go there, to begin with, are for warm water and safety."

Who’s

NEWS?

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

RISING STARS

Oceanside Chamber of Commerce’s Rising Stars for November, honored Nov. 15, included Vaeh Dunn from Surfside Education al Academy, Julia Metzger from Oceanside High School, Joseph Molano from El Camino High School and Noe Hernandez from Coast al Academy High School.

The program, in its sec ond year, aims to champion students who have over

Of course, these warm waters are also enjoyed by many swimmers, surf ers and paddle-boarders throughout the year. Drone footage captured by the lab has determined that each day at the beaches of Del Mar and Torrey Pines State Park, at least one swimmer or surfer is enjoying the wa ter in close proximity to a young white shark.

Playing tag

Tagging the sharks themselves is a process that takes under a minute to do, depending on the shark’s temperament. A member of the Shark Lab team will lo cate a shark using a drone, while others approach the shark in a lifeboat and in sert the tracker tag just below its dorsal fin using a long metal pole.

Faulkner said the pro cess is briefly uncomfort able for the shark but does not cause lasting harm. It’s not unlike the pain of an ear piercing, especially since their bodies are pri marily cartilaginous.

“The tags, I like to think of as a little earring,” Faulkner said.

The tags then “ping” off the signal of the doz ens of Bluetooth receivers placed both inshore and off shore, allowing researchers to see how often specific sharks — with names in the database like “WS-22-44” identifyingthe 44th shark tagged in 2022 — are in the area.

Some sharks have

come significant challenges in their lives, but have man aged to keep, or get back on track with their education.

SOLO STAR

McDaniel College stu dent AnnMarie Walker, of Oceanside, performed in the Student Solo Recital on Nov. 11. The recital fea tured a selection of vocal and instrumental soloists performing a wide variety of music spanning from classical to contemporary.

JOIN THE GARDEN San Diego Botanic Garden is launching a Cy ber Week sale for basic memberships November 23 through Nov. 28. Local San Diegans can incorporate a new routine into the year

“pinged” over 100 times, indicating that they spend a lot of time swimming back and forth along Del Mar’s beaches. Others have only been detected a handful of times, which could mean they are not spending much time in the area.

According to Lowe, the aggregation does not com prise a fixed number of the same sharks but includes sharks frequently coming and going. At this point, Lowe expects this aggrega tion to remain in the area through the winter.

Sharks in the news

While these sharks mostly lie under the radar on a daily basis, they have made headlines in San Diego County in recent weeks. In late October, an 8-foot-long shark killed by fishing equipment washed ashore in Torrey Pines, and a swimmer in Del Mar suf fered a nonfatal bite, be lieved to be from a juvenile great white, just days later on Nov. 4.

The Shark Lab has been involved in respond ing to both incidents. Work ing closely with the Califor nia Department of Fish and Wildlife, the lab is testing

ahead with 15% off online basic levels when choosing the “New Member Cyber 15” for new members. Visit sdbg.org/membership.

LIGHT THE WAY

Rady Children’s Hos pital-San Diego is hosting Light the Way, its annual fundraising campaign that supports San Diego kids spending their holidays at the hospital. Find all the details on Rady Children’s holiday events and giving options, including year-end giving, at radyfoundation. org.

The Rady Children’s Ice Rink, is in the Central Promenade at Arts District Liberty Station, running through Jan. 8. Dec. 14 will be a Light the Way parade

DNA from the bite wound to determine whether it was a white shark and, if so, what size.

The individual, Lyn Jutronich, was around 200 yards from shore near 17th Street when she saw a shark clamp onto her thigh, shake her once, and then release her and swim away, she de scribed to KGTV.

Jutronich was able to make it back to shore with her swim partner and re ceive treatment at a hospi tal.

Lowe hypothesizes that this may have been an “investigatory bite” by a juvenile white shark, which could have mistaken Jutronich for a sea lion.

He does not think it likely that the shark was acting out of aggression due to having its space invaded since they have seen hu mans and sharks coexisting close by in the waters for years.

“That leads me to think a shark made a mistake, and we don’t see that too often,” Lowe said. “Obvi ously, these things are dis concerting, and we never want to see anybody hurt by a wild animal, but our data shows that people and

on Rady Children’s main campus. City of San Diego lifeguards, firefighters, and law enforcement person nel, parade their vehicles around the hospital while patients and their families shine flashlights from their hospital room windows.

NEW CEO FOR WRC

The Women’s Resource Center, a domestic violence and sexual assault nonprof it organization in North San Diego County, announced Stephanie Miller, LMFT as the organization’s new CEO. Miller joins WRC from The Delores Project in Denver, Colorado.

NEW HOMES

The California De partment of Housing and

sharks are interacting daily in these areas — literally every single day, and some times dozens of times a day. When you think about the fact that this is the first bite with this aggregation … that’s pretty remarkable.”

Shark education

Rex noted that the bite earlier this month was the first in Southern California since 2018.

Despite the rarity of these events, many peo ple believe that sharks are a constant danger, some thing the lab tries to dispel through education efforts.

Over the summer, the lab held “Shark Shacks” at local beaches throughout Southern California, in cluding several throughout San Diego County, where the public could learn about these marine animals.

Over time, Rex said, they have seen community members become more re ceptive to the aggregation and appreciate them as they do other types of local wildlife.

“What we do in the lab is a lot of outreach … we try to bring education to the beaches,” said Rex. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding too, and it’s been interesting seeing the changes in the community.”

More significant than the threat of sharks to hu mans, Rex said, is the dan ger of humans to the local sharks due to targeted fishing practices. Since the aggregation has appeared, several sharks have been discovered trailing large hooks and long fishing lines, which can eventually kill them.

“Within one week of us finding that aggrega tion, 40% [of the sharks] had signs of fishing injury,” Lowe said.

Currently, it is diffi cult to hold fishermen using this equipment accountable since they can claim they were not deliberately tar geting white sharks.

However, a new state law is set to take effect at the beginning of 2023, which will prohibit anglers from using shark bait, lures or chum to attract white sharks or use them within one nautical mile of a shore line where white sharks are known to be present.

Community Development awarded the city of Vista $1,334,911 million in funds from the Permanent Local Housing Allocation pro gram.

The PLHA program provides financial assis tance and allocates 70 per cent of the ongoing revenue deposited in the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund directly to local govern ments.

WILDLIFE HELP

At its Nov. 15 quarterly meeting, the Wildlife Con servation Board approved approximately $24.46 mil lion in grants to help re store and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California.

A $4.72 million grant

NCTD gets $240K to study transit center

By City News Service

ESCONDIDO — The North County Transit Dis trict has received $240,000 from the Federal Transit Administration to advance projects to develop the Es condido Transit Center, it was announced Monday.

The funding from the FTA’s pilot program for Transit-Oriented De velopment Planning will go toward studying the feasibility of exchanging parcels of land with the city of Escondido near the transit center to enhance the amount of developable land at the site.

“This study is a criti cal aspect to maximize the benefits of transit-oriented development in Escondi do,” NCTD Executive Di rector Matthew O. Tucker said. “Strategic redevelop ment of land near NCTD’s stations is an opportunity to create vibrant places that improve mobility, generate organic rider ship and bring community benefits such as increased housing, new commercial and retail opportunities, and the creation of worldclass public spaces.”

The Escondido Tran sit Center is separated from downtown Escondido by parcels of land largely comprised of industrial buildings. According to NCTD, through the ex change of land near the transit center, the transit agency could connect tran sit with downtown Escon dido and increase housing and amenities at the site.

The study also is intended to identify im provements to better con nect NCTD’s Breeze buses and Sprinter hybrid rail to increase accessibility and pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

The total study will cost $300,000, so the re maining $60,000 not cov ered by federal grants will be paid for in partnership between NCTD and the city of Escondido.

The study will hap pen concurrently with a request for proposals to redevelop the transit cen ter, which was advertised in October.

went to the Resource Con servation District of the Santa Monica Mountains for a project to develop the planning, designs and environmental review for a wildlife overpass across Interstate 5 in the Newhall Pass Region near San ta Clarita in Los Angeles County.

TOP RESEARCHERS

Scripps Health an nounced that 13 of its re search scientists were named this year to Clar ivate’s Highly Cited Re searchers list, which fea tures researchers in fields spanning biology and bio chemistry, chemistry, im munology, microbiology, pharmacology and toxicol ogy.

GRADUATE STUDENTS Patrick Rex and Lauren Faulkner, both of CSU Long Beach’s Shark Lab, depart from Powerhouse Park and Beach on Friday in Del Mar for a diving expedition to gather data about local white shark activity from underwa ter receivers. Photo by Laura Place

A JUVENILE great white shark is seen swimming in Del Mar in 2020. A local aggregation of these marine animals first appeared in the area in 2019.

Photo by Jedd Wasson

Fairgrounds’ new music venue set to open in February

By Laura Place

DEL MAR — A brandnew concert venue at the Del Mar Fairgrounds that has been years in the mak ing will open for an inaugu ral concert by Ziggy Marley in February, officials an nounced last week.

Construction was re cently completed on the 1,900-seat theater, dubbed The Sound, inside the Surf side Center on the east side of the Fairgrounds.

Live music and enter tainment company Belly Up of Solana Beach will oper ate the venue under a $16 million contract from the

22nd District Agricultural Association, the state board managing the fairgrounds, with a mix of public and pri

vate events.

Ziggy Marley will per form the venue’s Feb. 3 opening show, a tribute to

his father, Bob Marley, and more headline concerts are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

“All of us at the 22nd District are thrilled to deliv er The Sound to every San Diegan,” said 22nd DAA CEO Carlene Moore. “We’re especially proud to partner with the great people at the legendary Belly Up venue, a long-time San Diego music company, who will undoubt edly curate the new room with local sensitivity.

“And, what better per former to start off the music at The Sound than a legend like Ziggy Marley?”

Plans to develop the un derutilized 90,000-squarefoot Surfside Race Place into an entertainment space have been in the works for nearly a decade to generate more revenue.

The new venue com prises around two-thirds of the site, with the remaining space continuing to operate as an off-track betting facil ity. Belly Up officials hope The Sound can serve as another mid-sized concert venue option for San Diego County concertgoers, where they can enjoy the main stage, three-tiered seating, and a beer-tasting exhibit

hall.

Around 60 bookings are expected annually at the site, all managed by Belly Up.

“So many great bands have played the Belly Up throughout the years, and now The Sound provides a really cool next step for these bands as they grow,” says Steve Gold berg, co-owner of the Belly Up. “It’s a natural progres sion, right in our backyard, where we’ve been booking shows at the fair and the races for years.”

Visit thesoundsd.com for more info and tickets.

ZIGGY MARLEY will perform in February at the debut of The Sound, the Fairgrounds’ new music venue. Stock photo

Food &Wine

In the moment with San Marcos’ Melograno Cocktails

cheers! north county ryan woldt

Ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are one of the fast est-growing sectors of the alcohol industry. San Diego is an integral part of that rise, with multiple canned cocktail companies based in the county.

Melograno Cocktails of San Marcos is one of the newer entries to the mar ket. Founders Shiva and Reza Mortazavi are trying to bring their own premium stamp to the market. Re cently, we touched base with Shiva to see how the compa ny is doing in this moment.

Cheers: Hi Shiva, thanks for helping me to introduce Melograno to North County. On your website, melograno cocktails.com, the first mis sion statement introduces your ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails as “as an alterna tive to hard seltzers, wine and spirits.” That tells me what they aren’t, but not what they are! How would you describe what you’re of fering to someone who has never heard of your brand?

Shiva: Melograno Cock tails is a luxury-crafted cocktail. Our cocktails are 100% blue agave-based, meticulously handcrafted for those who are looking for a sophisticated take on a classic cocktail recipe in a ready-to-drink, convenient slim can.

The “100 percent blue agave base” is what makes us truly an alternative to

what you’ve been seeing in the last few years, as RTD cocktails have been trend ing. Instead of distilling aga ve, we ferment it, which cre ates a light, sessionable and refreshing base for all of our classic cocktail recipes. It’s a completely new category.

Our customer is some one who likes to enjoy a cocktail but in a sophisti cated way that is also conve nient and portable.

Cheers: What got you interested in creating a canned cocktail in the first

place? What’s the backsto ry?

Shiva: Both my husband and I have true entrepre neurial spirits. We always knew we wanted to create a brand together and build something from the ground up. During our travels, at friends and family gather ings, and even at upscale events, we noticed your classic offerings: the staple canned seltzers, beers or mixed cocktails. We wanted to create something that was intentionally different from

the rest. Something that you could hold in your hand that exuded luxury and design, and that tasted delicious. Why can’t a canned cocktail

do both?

We knew that if we cre ated something with an out standing package design, more complex and flavorful options, and quality ingre dients, we could elevate the image of the entire RTD cat egory. And early feedback is indicating that we did just that.

Cheers: I understand travel has been part of the origin story of Melograno. Why decide to base your company here in San Mar cos?

Shiva: It’s simple. We de cided on San Diego because San Diego is home. I grew up here, and currently, we both reside in San Marcos.

Melograno means “Pomegranate” in Italian, and our travels around the world inspired us when cre ating Melograno. Italy holds such a special place in my and Reza’s hearts.

Enjoying our cocktails is like taking a sip around the world. We can transport you visually to Europe, Asia, Africa and Ancient Persia, and through our flavors, you can taste some of the favor ites of Mexico, Cuba and America.

Cheers: There are four flavors available right now — Pomegranate Cosmopol itan, Melon Margarita, Or ange Blossom Martini and Cucumber Lime Mojito. How did you decide on these cocktails as your initial of fering?

Shiva: We chose fruits, vegetables and herbs we grew up with in Persian households that also had a great sensory memory at tached to them. Pomegran ates are the jewel fruit of Iran — our home country. It is shared with family and

Local help with your Medicare questions.

Anna Kozikowski

Licensed Sales Agent 619‑379‑2940, TTY 711 anna.kozikowski22@gmail.c www.MyUHCagent.com/anna.kozikowski

MELOGRANO COCKTAILS co-founders Reza and Shiva Mortazavi, whose San Marcos-based company currently offers four flavors in distinctive cans. Photos courtesy Melograno Cocktails

Botanic Garden lights up holidays

hit the road

One million shining, twinkling, pulsat ing, glowing, danc ing, flickering, swirling lights.

That’s what visitors will see at the San Diego Botan ic Garden’s Lightscape, a festive, seasonal light dis play that will put you in a winter mood.

The mile-long trail that winds through the garden’s 37 acres is sure to delight with its array of light dis plays, sculptures and music.

And don’t forget about the Fire Garden, an ele ment that features real can

dles and real flames.

Don’t worry, said Ari Novy, president and CEO of the garden. “We are fully permitted.”

Good thing. As I write, a dry-winded Santa Ana is in full swing. But this weath er phenomenon also creates the cold, clear nights that are associated with the hol idays. Add some hot choco late and s’mores and you’ve got a recipe for the perfect Southern California winter outing.

Lightscape and all the treats are available on se lected dates through Jan. 1.

Visitors can expect to see 12 distinct light dis plays, each a different ef fect because of the type of lighting, placement and music.

“Each stands alone with its own style and iden tity,” Novy said.

There are trees draped in neon; black-light string sculptures; thousands of tiny, twinkling lights in the bamboo forest; giant illumi nated water lilies and poin settias; a disco-ball “alley” and more.

Most of the displays are augmented by pop, classical and holiday-themed music. Some of the scores are syn chronized with the dancing lights.

“Lightscape is a … world-class, first-class production,” Novy said. “There’s a holiday feel to it but at a level of artistry, scale and production that visitors have never seen be fore.”

After a year’s research, Novy said it took about two weeks, working with Sony Entertainment and upgrad ing some infrastructure, to install the exhibit.

“We never shut down the garden,” Novy said. “(It took) lots of electricians and lighting designers… working at night with head lamps.”

Sony has been deliver ing illuminated Christmas trails for nine years, accord ing to the garden’s press re lease. The trail “is designed to showcase (the garden’s) natural and unique environ ment…”

This event is one of 30 similar events across the United States, United King dom, Europe and Australia.

Advance ticket pur chase is required, as the number of visitors is stag gered. Parking is separate. Visit sdbg.org/Lightscape or call 760-436-3036 ext. 217.

To see videos, visit www.facebook.com/elouise or Instagram @elouiseon dash.

CFD

CONTINUED FROM 6

For example, San Marcos has four CFDs that each target a specific goal, in cluding police services, lighting and landscape maintenance, fire and para medic services and conges tion management.

The County of San Di ego has two well-known CFD examples with Harmo ny Grove Village between San Marcos and Escondido and Horse Creek Ridge in Fallbrook. The Harmony Grove CFD tax covers pub lic services that include fire protection, ambulance and

paramedics, park mainte nance, parkways and open space, and flood and storm prevention, while the tax on Horse Creek Ridge sup ports general county ser vices together with flood and fire protection.

Councilmember Con suelo Martinez noted that with the city’s proposed ¾-cent sales tax measure for public safety and other municipal services likely to fail, she isn’t in favor of dis solving the CFD but instead would rather revisit the for mula as well.

“We have lots of more questions and we still need funding,” Martinez said.

THE BOTANIC GARDEN in Encinitas obtained a special permit to allow artists to design and build the Fire Garden, one of 12 exhibits that are part of Lightscape, a seasonal experience that runs through Jan. 1. Photo by E’Louise Ondash

THIS FLOWER and many other abstract works have been cre ated with neon strings, one of 12 elements along the milelong Lightscape trail at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas. Photo by E’Louise Ondash

Food &Win E

Manzanita Coffee Roasting in Escondido

Where: Manzanita Coffee Roasting, 301 E Grand Ave M, Escondido, CA 92025

Open: M-F 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

What: Black Drip CoffeeEl Gaucho Blend

Tasting Notes: Chocolate, smooth, rich, light floral Price: $3

What I’m listening to: Kev in Kaarl, “Prenda del Alma”

By Ryan Woldt

Manzanita Roast ing Company’s satellite tasting room is the en trance of a renovated the ater on the corner of Grand Avenue and South Juniper Street in Escondido.

Despite the chill, the garage door is rolled up and most of the tables under the marque are full.

There is a line inside, and a baby is crying. The barista seems quite com fortable in the chaos. Over the silky R&B elevator mu sic on the stereo, they ask for my order and inform me that it will be a few min utes. They are brewing a fresh pot. I’m happy to wait.

I’m clearly arriving

CHEERS!

CONTINUED FROM 11

friends, especially during the Winter Solstice.

Orange Blossom is a del icacy that is used in bread, baked goods and beverages that our grandparents and parents made. It imparts both a taste and floral fra grant note to the martini.

Cucumber, Lime and Mint are consumed for breakfast with a cup of black tea, tomatoes, feta cheese, hard boiled eggs and bread. These ingredi ents, when combined, deliv er a layered combination of sweetness and refreshment. This elevates our mojito and gives it a complexity unex pected in a canned cocktail recipe.

We use cantaloupe in our Melon Margarita, a fruit that is made into a smoothie in the summer and enjoyed

right after the morning rush. The pastry case is nearly empty, and the mer ch shelves are in disarray. MRC has somehow com bined the country wine store vibe of their Rancho Bernardo location with a more streamlined urban coffee shop without convo luting their brand identity.

The corner space dic tates that the seating ar eas, inside and out, are tucked in next to columns or around corners.

I meander past the coffee bar, where there is another entrance with an automated sliding door and some comfy green chairs for lounging.

with family and friends.

Cheers: You’ve obvious ly thought a lot about the design of the cans, which have a distinctive pattern design. Where did the style of Melograno come from, and how would you describe the vibe of the brand?

Shiva: In a word the vibe of Melograno is luxu ry. As far as design goes, we want our canned cocktails to be a statement piece that transports you. Take a sip that can take you from the tilework of Europe, the ce ramics of the Far East, the fabrics of West Africa and the patterns of the Middle East.

Our flagship design is the Pomegranate Cosmopol itan — a nod to Persian cul ture and heritage in recipe and design. This pattern is seen in Persian mosaics … walking through the streets of Iran, especially in places

The El Gaucho Blend of coffee I’m drinking consists of beans from Guatemala, Colombia, and Ethiopia. It is very rich with chocolate notes that don’t diminish even when the coffee has cooled.

I sit, sip and ponder the MRC motto stamped on the side of my takeaway cup — “Drink Good Coffee Naked.” The coffee keeps me warm, and I can’t help but be aware that I’m con nected to coffee producers around the globe while sit ting in downtown Escondi do.

The menu isn’t big, but it covers everything you’d want out of a good coffee shop — coffee, tea, break fast sandwiches, toast, smoothies and pastries.

There is also something called Aunt Devi’s Savory Pies, which I don’t see on the board until I’m about to leave. In a way, I’m glad I missed it. Now I have one more reason to make the journey east.

More at manzani taroasting.com.

Get more Bean Journal on roastwestcoast.com.

like Isfahan, you can see these types of patterns on the buildings.

Cheers: What is the best way for SoCal residents to try or buy your canned cocktails?

Shiva: We have a nice lineup (of locations) that we are really excited about, including the San Diego Zoo, Total Wine, Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, SDCM Restaurant Group (Kettner Exchange, Fire house American Eatery & Lounge, Camino Riviera), Cohn Restaurant Group (Vin De Syrah, The Prado, Pacific Social) and Belmont Park Entertainment (Beach House Tequila + Taqueria, Draft, Cannonball).

Follow @melograno cocktails on Instagram. Use the Melograno retail loca tor: melogranococktails. com/store-locator.

Give the gift of music this holiday!

Music is a Gift. We make it to give it away.

~Charles Martin

Have you decided on a gift for your loved ones?

Much research has been done about what makes a meaningful gift for both the recipient AND the giver. Music is THE gift that keeps on giving and a wonderful gift for both young and old!

Giving experiences rather than objects is the best gift to give.

Research shows that people who receive experi ential gifts feel more con nected to the gift giver than

people who receive material items.

Every year we sell a Christmas Stocking Stuffer loaded with fun musical items which include a gift certificate for a music lesson for your loved one. Many cli ents say their friend or fami ly member is still taking les sons after receiving the gift two years ago!!!

TOP 3 REASONS TO GIVE MUSIC THIS HOLIDAY!

A Christmas Stocking Stuffer is a lasting, memora ble gift that will put a song in a heart and a smile on their face!

Music makes kids smart

er – the research proves it! Music classes, especially Group Classes, inspire lots of time together and bonding.

You can give the gift to anyone of any age and for any instrument, and you can gift Recording Studio time too, and that special some one will have something to look forward to each week!

And this Holiday Sea son, we are having a “Winter Wonderland” extravaganza at our “New” Leading No teTheatre in San Marcos.

Palomar Plaza Shopping Center 760 S Rancho Santa Fe Rd. San Marcos (760) 815-0307

MANZANITA ROASTING is at the renovated Grand Ritz The ater. Photo via Facebook

EVENTS CALENDAR

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

NOV. 25

GOURDS BY GRACE

Gourds by Grace at the Bates Nut Farm. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 25 at Bates Nut Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Rd, Valley Center.

FIFA WORLD CUP

The Gaslamp Quar ter will broadcast the 2022 FIFA World Cup from Qatar and revel in fanfare with a free viewing party. 8 to 11 a.m. Nov. 25 at Gaslamp Quarter, Island Street be tween 4th and 5th Avenues, San Diego.

WILD HOLIDAYS

Wild Holidays returns to the San Diego Zoo Safa ri Park with food and en tertainment through New Year’s Day. 9 a.m. at San Di ego Zoo Safari Park , 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido.

NIGHT SKIES

Palomar College Plan etarium host two shows ev ery Friday with its “The Sky Tonight” program. 7 p.m. at Palomar College, 1140 W. Mission Rd, San Marcos.

NOV. 26

SING-A-LONG

The classic film with lyrics on screen so everyone can sing along!. $25-$35, 2 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 26 at Bal boa Theater, 868 Fourth Av enue, San Diego.

WAYWARD SONS

Wayward Sons plays the Belly Up Tavern. 9 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave., Solana Beach.

SMALL BIZ SATURDAY

Small Business Satur day shopping. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 26 at Cardiff Town Center , 2033 San Elijo Ave nue, Cardiff-by-the-Sea.

SHOP SMALL

Celebrate Small Busi ness Saturday in the Vil lage. 10 a.m. at Carlsbad

Village, 300 Carlsbad Vil lage Drive, Carlsbad.

COASTAL BIRDING

Join Coastal 101 Bird ing along the Buena Vista Lagoon. Meet at the Buena Vista Nature Center. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Nov. 26 at Buena Vista Nature Center, 2202 S. Coast Highway, Oceans ide.

SMALL BIZ HOLIDAYS

Encinitas Chamber of Commerce is supporting Small Businesses with a new two-pronged holiday campaign. 5 p.m. at Down town Encinitas, South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas.

SDAG HOLIDAY BAZAAR

This event gives local artists a venue to offer their hand-made items to the pub lic. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 26 at Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas.

RAISING CAIN

Live Entertainment. 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Nov. 27 at Mr. Peabody's Bar and Grill, 136 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas.

N. COUNTY CYCLE CLUB

North County Cycle Club rides every Saturday morning. 8 a.m. at San Mar cos Restaurant Row, 10201080, W San Marcos Blvd. , San Marcos.

NOV. 27

GOURDS BY GRACE

Gourds by Grace at the Bates Nut Farm. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 27 at Bates Nut Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Rd, Valley Center.

HIGHWAYMAN SHOW

Enjoy The Highway man Show at the Belly Up Tavern. 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave Ste T, So lana Beach.

FIFA WORLD CUP

The Gaslamp Quar ter will broadcast the 2022

JOIN THE VISTA SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

SENIOR VOLUNTEER PATROL

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.

FIFA World Cup from Qatar and revel in fanfare with a free viewing party. 8 to 11 a.m. Nov. 27 at Gaslamp Quarter, Island Street be tween 4th and 5th Avenues, San Diego.

LEUCADIA FARMERS MKT

Best local foods and fresh produce in North County, every Sunday!. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 27 at Paul Ecke Central School, 185 Union Street, Encinitas.

FOREST/NATURE CLASSES

San Diego Botanic Gar den is offering opportuni ties to enjoy a diverse range of classes and workshops in November. 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 27 at San Diego Botanic Garden, 300 Quail Gardens Drive , Encinitas.

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Join the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe for a Christmas sing-along, bingo games, holiday treats and a selfie picture station. 4 p.m. at Village Community Presbyterian Church, 6225 Paseo Delicias , Rancho Santa Fe.

NOV. 28

BUDDHISM WEEK

The Monks of Gaden Shartse Phukhang Monas tery return to PHES Gal lery as part of their 2022 Sacred Art of Tibet tour!. 2 to 3 p.m. Nov. 28 at PHES Gallery, 2633 State Street, Carlsbad.

NOV. 30

CHRISTMAS IN HAWAII

Ukulele master and jol ly ambassador of aloha, Jake Shimabukuro will bring joy to the world with his highly anticipated holiday show, Jake Shimabukuro - Christ mas in Hawaii, $40-$60, 7:30 p.m. at Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth Avenue, San Di ego.

ANUHEA

Singer, songwriter, mu sician Anuhea plays the Bel ly Up Tavern. 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave Ste T, Solana Beach.

TEEN ART STUDIO

Teen Art Studio. 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 30 at Escondido Public Library, 239 S. Kal mia St., Escondido.

STATE ST FARMERS MKT

Starting Nov. 9, the State Street Farmers Mar ket will have its Fall/Win ter hours in effect and will close one hour earlier than usual. 2:30 to 6 p.m. Nov. 30 at State Street Wednes day Market Carlsbad, 2907 State St. , Carlsbad.

HOLIDAY MUSICAL

“The Life of a Sofa” opens at the Vista Broadway Theater. 7:30 p.m. at Vista Broadway Theater, 340 E. Broadway, Vista.

DEC. 1

HOLIDAY IN!

Cozy up to great music this December and come to Holiday In! It’s a tip of the hat to Bing, Ella, Frank, and other music greats with a swinging twist on holiday classics. 8 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at California Center for the Arts, 340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido.

‘PRIDE & PREJUDICE’

Jane Austin’s “Pride & Prejudice.” 7 p.m. at La Costa Canyon High School theater, 1 Maverick Way, Carlsbad.

JINGLE BELL LUNCHEON

North Coast Women’s Connection “Jingle Bell Luncheon.”. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 1 at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, 1505 Lo mas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach.

JUKEBOX JUNKIES

Live Entertainment. 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Dec. 2 at Mr. Peabody's Bar and Grill, 136 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas.

DEC. 2

MERRY-ACHI CHRISTMAS

Join the Grammy-nom inated Mariachi Sol de México® for their uniquely southwest Christmas cele bration on Friday, December 2!. $40-$70, 8 p.m. at Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth Avenue, San Diego.

NO DUH ON STAGE

No Duh performs at The Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. 9 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave Ste T, So lana Beach.

A MELANGE NOELLE

The Encinitas Guitar Orchestra directed by Pe ter Pupping will perform "A Melange Noelle," a medley of unique seasonal music. $18, 7:30 p.m. at Bethle hem Lutheran Church, 925 Balour Drive, Encinitas..

BIG LITTLE ART SHOW

Escondido Arts Partner ship's big show of 72 little artworks. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 at Escondido Arts Partnership , 62 E. Grand Ave., Escondido..

VISTA GARDEN CLUB

Vista Garden Club meeting features Winter Growers. 1:45 p.m. at Glo ria McClellan Vista Senior Center, 1400 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista.

CIRCASONIC

Live Entertainment. 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Dec. 3 at Mr. Peabody’s Bar and Grill, 136 Encinitas Blvd, Encini tas.

CAMP CHRISTMAS

Come get into the holiday spirit with Camp

‘The Nutcracker’ in North County in Dec.

By Staff

ENCINITAS — Add to the magic of the holi days with Encinitas Bal let’s performance of “The Nutcracker” next month at the Encinitas Commu nity Center.

Russian-born chore ographers Sayat and Olga Asatryan, the husband and wife team who run Encinitas Ballet, have assembled award-win ning dancers, visually stunning stage sets and a talented local cast for North County’s most-an ticipated performances of Tchaikovsky’s classic fairy ballet.

“(The Nutcrack er) was performed first in Russia and traveled around the world and the reputation built,” Olga previously told The Coast News. “It became a holiday tradition. You can’t feel the spirit of the holiday without the nut cracker. And it’s fun for all ages. From little kids to adults, everyone gets together to watch.”

The local staging of the “Nutcracker” is com plete with a sparkling holiday party, giant mice doing battle with toy sol diers, a growing Christ mas tree, dancing snow flakes, a nutcracker that transforms into a hand some prince and exotic dances from around the world.

Local professional dancers from Encinitas Ballet include Gabrielle Fish, Sejal Janaswamy and Ariel Asatryan. The performance in Encini tas will also feature in ternationally-acclaimed Ukrainian bandurist Val entin Lysenko and local pianist Alicia Jiang.

The stage will also feature a roster of pro fessional guest dancers, including Jaroslav Rich ters, from the Kirov Acad emy of Ballet in Washing ton D.C. and Alexander Romanchikov, former principal dancer of Mari insky Ballet.

Performances will be held at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the Enci nitas Community Cen ter, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive. The Encinitas Ballet Academy will also perform at 6 p.m. on Dec. 22 at The Ritz Theatre in Escondido, featuring 3D and multimedia anima tion effects.

First established in 2008, Encinitas Ballet Academy is well-known in the coastal community for its entertaining per formances featuring local and international talent.

For tickets or infor mation call Encinitas Bal let at (760) 632-4947 or visit EncinitasBallet.com. Group discounts for orga nizations of 10 or more are provided upon request.

ARIEL ASATRYAN, a 13-year-old Carlsbad resident and professional dancer with Encinitas Ballet Academy, will perform for the school’s performance of “The Nutcrack er” next month, including a Dec. 22 show in Escondido.

Photo courtesy of Encinitas Ballet Academy

EVENTS CALENDAR

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

Christmas!. $10-$17, 5 p.m. at Pine Valley Camp Christ mas, 8668 Pine Creek Road, Pine Valley.

HERITAGE TREE LIGHTING

The Encinitas Histor ical Society has partnered with The Rotary Club of Encinitas for the 28th an nual lighting of the Encini tas Heritage Tree. 4 p.m. at Moonlight Beach, 400 B St, Encinitas.

TREE LIGHTING

The 20th annual Tree Lighting Celebration at The Forum Carlsbad kicks off the holiday. season. 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 2 at The Forum Carlsbad, 1923 Calle Barce lona, Carlsbad.

WINTER WONDERLIGHTS

Each Friday and Sat urday evening, enjoy a fes tive light show and magi cal snowfall at The Forum Carlsbad. 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 2 at The Forum Carlsbad, 1923 Calle Barcelona, Carls bad.

HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS

Choose from beaded wreaths and candy canes, paper chains for your tree or a foam Santa, reindeer, snowmen and more. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 at The Shop pes at Carlsbad, 2525 El Camino Real, Carlsbad.

DEC. 3

CHRISTMAS PARADE

The 64th Annual Vista Christmas Parade. 1 p.m. at Santa Fe, Historic Down town and Vista Village, Vis ta Village Drive, Vista.

CALL FOR ARTISTS

December Open Show, “Celebrate.” $5-$20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 3 at Artist Gallery, 121 W. Grand Ave, Escondido.

CARDIFF TINY TOWN

Bring the family by the Cardiff Library for a holi day-themed craft and tour of a miniature Cardiff-bythe-Sea. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at 2081 Newcastle Ave, Cardiff.

COMPETITION CONCERT

An Elite Music competi tion will be held for students ages 6 through 22. Piano, vi olin, guitar, cello, voice, du ets, and ensemble. 10 a.m. at Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad.

MUSIC COMPETITION

Elite Music competition at Ruby Schulman Auditori um in Carlsbad on Saturday, December 3rd at 10 am (cov ering San Diego County) for students between 6 and 22 years old. 10 a.m. at Ruby Shulman Auditorium, 1775 Dove Ln, Carlsbad.

MAKERS MARKET

Carlsbad Village cele

brates its Holiday Showcase Makers Market. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at Carlsbad Vil lage, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad.

HOLIDAY PARADE

The Encinitas Holi day Parade Committee an nounces the 2022 parade theme of “Classic Encin itas.” 5:30 p.m. at Down town Encinitas, South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas.

HOLIDAY BAZAAR

Rancho Calevero Mo bile Home Park Holiday Ba zaar will be set up behind the pool. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at Rancho Calevero Mobile Home Park, 3570 Ca levero Lane, Oceanside.

CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE

Participate in the toy drive to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 3 at St. Michael’s-by-the-Sea Epis copal Church, 2775 Carls bad Blvd, Carlsbad.

THE NUTCRACKER

Performing Arts Work shop presents “The Nut cracker,” with both matinee and evening performances. $25, 1 p.m. at Truax The atre El Camino High School , 400 Rancho Del Oro Rd. , Oceanside.

DEC. 4

JOHN WATERS

8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave., Solana Beach.

A WORLD OF CHRISTMAS

“A World of Christmas” music concert. 4 p.m. at Beth lehem Lutheran Church, 925 Balour Drive, Encinitas.

KRINGLE MINGLE

The 15th annual Car diff Kringle Mingle will be on Aberdeen Drive in Car diff-by-the-Sea. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at Cardiff Town Center , 2033 San Elijo Ave nue, Cardiff-by-the-Sea.

NORTH POLE BY THE SEA

Holiday fun with Del Mar Plaza and the Del Mar Village Association. 12 to 4 p.m. Dec. 4 at Del Mar Pla za, 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar.

SOLANA TREE LIGHTING

The Solana Beach Parks and Recreation Commission invites you to the lighting of the Holiday Tree with live music and a visit from Santa Claus. 4:30 p.m. at Fletcher Cove Park, 111 S Sierra Ave, Solana Beach.

FREE GUIDED HIKE

Join Randy Boyer for a free docent-guided mod erately strenuous long-dis tance educational hike at Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Randy is a tour guide at San Diego Botanic Garden, and has many years of hiking and backpack ing experience in the Lake Tahoe basin, North Lake

Tahoe, eastern Sierra, Yo semite, Death Valley, Josh ua Tree, eastern... 8 to 11 a.m. Dec. 4 at Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, 8833 Harmony Grove Road, Es condido.

GEM FAIRE

America’s Best Gem and Jewelry Show. Free-$7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 4 at OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa.

HOLIDAY MARKET

Get ready to eat, drink and be merry! The San Mar cos Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the re

turn of the San Marcos Hol iday Market at North City Sunday, Dec. 4 10am-4pm. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 4 at North City, 250 North City Dr #9, San Marcos.

LA JOLLA SYMPHONY

La Jolla Symphony & Chorus offers a holiday con cert. 7:30 p.m. at La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, Man deville Auditorium, La Jol la.

FARMERS MARKET

Best local foods and fresh produce in North County, every Sunday!. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at Paul

Ecke Central School, 185 Union Street, Encinitas..

CAMP CHRISTMAS

Come get into the holi day spirit with Camp Christ mas!. $10-$17, 5 p.m. at Pine Valley Camp Christmas, 8668 Pine Creek Road, Pine Valley.

‘THE NUTCRACKER’

Performing Arts Work shop presents “The Nut cracker,” with both matinee and evening performances. $25, 5 p.m. at Truax The atre El Camino High School , 400 Rancho Del Oro Rd. , Oceanside.

LOVE/SICK

“Love/Sick” at Point Loma Playhouse. $20, 8 p.m. at Point Loma Playhouse, 3035 Talbot St., San Diego.

DEC. 6

LORETTA LYNN REVUE

Loretta Lynn Revue. 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Ced ros Ave Ste T.

FESTIVE FUNDRAISER

A Fundraiser Benefit ing Community Resource Center. $50, 5:30 p.m. at Morgan Run Club & Resort, 5690 Cancha de Golf, Ran cho Santa Fe.

In Loving Memory BATTISTA “BATTIE” CASTELLANO November 2, 2022

Company, passed away on November 2, 2022. He was 86 years old.

With a heavy heart, we share that Battista “Battie” Castellano, be loved husband, father, grandfather, and co-own er/operator of Mellano &

Curt William Horst Encinitas

October 26, 2022

Andrew Barton Carson Encinitas October 24, 2022

Battista Castellano was born on February 1, 1936, in the tiny Italian village of Entracque, the youngest of four children. He served in the Alpini branch of the Italian mil itary and then joined the Fiat corporation in Tu rin. Always the entrepre neur, he left factory life to return to Entracque where he started his own taxi business. In 1967, he moved to Artesia, Califor nia to marry his sweet heart, RoseMarie Mel lano. In 1971, the family moved Mellano & Com pany’s growing division to Oceanside, California and Battie built their family home on 2.5 acres in the

Sherman Brownell Chace Escondido November 2, 2022

Joanne

November 7, 2022

middle of the farm – the place he called his “par adise” and is where he passed away.

Battie was a true family man and a pas sionate farmer. He loved the fields of Mellano & Company and knew the farm like the back of his hand. He treasured his re lationships with the field employees with whom he worked side by side on a daily basis. His love of farming extended to their home with his numerous projects such as breed ing orchids, raising koi, growing rare bananas and other tropical fruits, car ing for his menagerie of animals (including birds, cats, dogs, fish, rabbits & turtles), and a garden that was the envy of everyone

who came to visit.

Battie was a devoted father and grandfather, but the true love of his life was his wife of 54 years.

He is survived by his wife RoseMarie Castella no, daughters AnnMarie Castellano & Michelle Castellano Keeler, three grandchildren Julia, Ame lia, & John Battista, his sister Orsolina Castella no Grosso, many nieces & nephews here, and in Italy, as well as over 200 members of the Mellano & Company family.

The Rosary, Funeral Mass, and Burial was held on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the Mission San Luis Rey’s Serra Cen ter. You can visit www.dig nitymemorial.com to see slide show.

MAYA ANGELOU

Sue Clark Oceanside

A great soul serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. It brings us together again and again.

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CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might have to defend a workplace decision you plan to make. Colleagues might back you up on this, but it’s the facts that will ultimately win the day for you. Good luck!

LEO (July 23 to August 22) The Big Cat’s co-workers might not be doing enough to help get that project fin ished. Your roars might stir things up, but gentle purrr-suasion will prove to be more effective.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Someone you care for needs help with a problem. Give it lovingly and without judging the situation. What ever you feel you should know will be revealed later.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) While you’re to be admired for how you handled recent workplace problems, be careful not to react the same way to a new situation until all the facts are in.

SCORPIO (October 23 to Novem ber 21) Rely on your keen instincts, as well as the facts at hand, when dealing with a troubling situation. Be patient. Take things one step at a time as you work through it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your curiosity leads you to ask questions. However, the answers might not be what you hoped to hear. Don’t reject them without checking them out.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Be careful not to tackle a problem without sufficient facts. Even sure-footed Goats need to know where they’ll land before leaping off a mountain path.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to Febru ary 18) Appearances can be deceiv ing. You need to do more investigating before investing your time, let alone your money, in something that might have some hidden flaws.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your recent stand on an issue could make you the focus of more attention than you would like. But you’ll regain your privacy, as well as more time with loved ones, by week’s end.

BORN THIS WEEK: You’re a good friend and a trusted confidante.

would be a wonderful teacher or a respected member of the clergy.

Vista High hoops star commits to Portland Sport S

By Steve Puterski

VISTA — Cyprian Hyde, a 6-foot-10, 220-pound center for the Vista High School basketball team, signed a letter of intent on Nov. 10 to play hoops at the Uni versity of Portland beginning next year.

Surrounded by family, friends, teammates and VHS coaching staff, Hyde inked his of ficial commitment to play for the Pilots.

Portland coach Shantay Le gans began recruiting the Vista standout during his freshman year. After growing at least 5 inch es, Hyde has transformed into one of the region’s biggest scoring threats mainly due to his ability to play in the post, shoot three-point ers and grab rebounds.

But Hyde said he felt under-re cruited after only receiving schol arship offers from Portland and Eastern Washington University, where Legans was coach when he first discovered Hyde.

If there is a chip on Hyde’s shoulder, Legans said it would only fuel his desire to improve and succeed at the next level.

“(Hyde) plays really hard,” Legans said. “He takes coaching. I saw how hard he played and could shoot the ball. Usually, you don’t get a combination of skill and tal ent that plays hard like that and who’s really physical. You feel lucky to get a kid like that.”

Regardless, Hyde’s game has the potential to help the Pilots navigate a difficult West Coast Conference, which is home to pow erhouse Division I programs Gon

zaga and St. Mary’s.

Brigham Young is leaving the conference for the Big 12 after this season.

Hyde chose Portland due to his relationship with Legans, who was the first to acknowledge his skillset and make him an offer. Additionally, Hyde's religious be liefs align with the private Cath olic institution, offering academic support to assist with his dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“Those are my big three rea sons,” Hyde said of his commit ment. “I’m just trying to take it one step at a time. As for this sea son, our goal is to win our league … and win CIF Division 2. We defi nitely have the talent.”

Vista coach Anthony Bolton said Hyde’s ability to push himself outside of scheduled practices had positioned him for success, in ad dition to Hyde’s focus on academ ics and overall positive attitude. Bolton said athletes such as Hyde

are role models to younger players.

“He’s an outstanding kid,” Bolton said.

“The one thing I’ve been most proud of since Day 1 is that he’s been a great student. He is a kid that does the extra, not just the necessary practice. He does the extra workouts. I think that the extra work he put in, keeping his head down when people doubted him … has allowed him to progress to this point. I think his best bas ketball is ahead of him.”

World Cup outdoor viewing in Gaslamp

By Staff

REGION — Gather with fel low soccer fans in the Gaslamp Quarter to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup from Qatar and rev el in fanfare with free viewing parties, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 25 to Nov. 27.

With games starting each day at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., come cheer on your team at the Gas lamp World Cup Viewing Party on Island Street between 4th and 5th avenues while you en joy the all-ages beverage gar den, interac tive games and a free outdoor viewing ex perience.

Game schedule: Nov. 25: 8 a.m., Nether lands vs. Ecuador

Nov. 25: 11 a.m., En gland vs USA Nov. 26: 8 a.m., France vs Denmark Nov. 26: 11 a.m., Argen tina vs Mexico Nov. 27: 8 a.m., Croatia vs Canada

Nov. 27: 11 a.m., Spain vs Germany

Find easy parking at Gas lamp garages Park it On Market or 6th & K.

For more information, vis it gaslamp.org/news/gaslampworld-cup-viewing-party.

RAIN, WIND, AND FIRE...

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

Every year there are over twenty thousand chimney / fireplace related house fires in the US alone. Losses to homes as a result of chimney fires, leaks, and wind damage exceeds one hundred million dollars annually in the US.

CHIMNEY SWEEPS, INC., one of San Diego’s leading chimney repair and maintenance companies, is here to protect you and your home from losses due to structural damage and chimney fires.

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.

CYPRIAN HYDE, a 6-foot-10 senior, was praised by his coaches during a Nov. 10 signing event at Vista High School. The University of Portland is a member of the Division I West Coast Conference. Photo by Steve Puterski

AARON BOONJINDASUP, MD, MPH Urologist

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