The Coast News INLAND EDITION
.com ESCONDIDO, SAN MARCOS, VISTA
VOL. 6, N0. 21
OCT. 15, 2021
Supervisors pause SVP placements
Five years in, Prop. 64 sees slow progress
By City News Service
REGION — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 5 to oppose any further placements of sexually violent predators in the county until local jurisdictions are able to fully participate in the placement process, including having full veto authority. Supervisor Jim Desmond submitted the proposal in a board letter, which also directs Helen Robbins-Meyer, county chief administrative officer, to send a letter “communicating the county’s position to the state of California Department of State Hospitals and other relevant agencies.” “San Diegans should not live in fear of a sexually violent predator to be placed in their neighborhoods,” Desmond said. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said Tuesday's vote “is about giving our county new tools to keep our county safe and stand up for our families.” During an hour-long public hearing, 22 residents spoke in favor of Desmond’s proposal. Mary Taylor, a member of activist group Your Voice Has Power, said she was sexually assaulted over 30 years ago and is “still haunted by that terrible night,” saying she understands the fear communities have. There is no excuse for letting a sexually violent predator join any family community “and young lives will be forever traumatized, if not tragically ended” should that be allowed to happen, Taylor said. Kathleen Hedberg, a Mount Helix resident and former president of Grossmont Helix Improvement Association, said she and others spent eight months fighting the TURN TO SVP ON 5
By Steve Puterski
LAST ‘CAW’ FOR SCARECROW CONTEST
Thinking about making a scarecrow for the Oct. 16 Alta Vista Botanical Gardens Fall Fun Festival? Scarecrows must be made at home, but you can register and pick up scarecrow supplies from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 15 at the botanical garden, 1270 Vale Terrace Drive. A deposit of $10 covers the scarecrow’s armature (sticks), a head, stuffing and clothing. $5 will be returned when the completed scarecrow is brought back to Alta Vista. Visit altavistabotanicalgardens.org to register. Courtesy photo
REGION — Five years ago, California’s approval of Proposition 64 opened the door to recreational marijuana markets and budding new economies. The proposition was billed as a win for increased tax revenues, entrepreneurships, jobs and the hope of beating back marijuana’s long-established and vast black market. But the reality of legalization has been somewhat underwhelming, with retailers struggling to • For the full story break even and on Prop. 64, visit illegal markets thecoastnews.com still responsible for roughly • Vista plays large 80% of cannabis role in local cannat r a n s a c t io n s , bis economy. Page 3 according to industry publication MJBiz Daily. While many municipalities have been reluctant to join the multi-billion industry, several North County cities have legalized recreational cannabis, including Vista, Oceanside and Encinitas, allowing retail sales, distribution, manufacturing, testing, growing and delivery. But the barriers to entry — taxes, fees and other regulations — make it difficult for small business owners to garner a profit, according to cannabis store owners. “Prop. 64 leaves most of the power in the cities’ and counties’ hands,” said Jon Jesse, owner of Vista’s Dr. GreenRX. “There’s a ton of taxes in it and there’s a ton of revenue in it and there is a huge demand for it.”
How one child care provider stayed open amid COVID closures By Tigist Layne
REGION — Amid nationwide shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a North County preschool and infant center developed a one-of-a-kind operational system to combat the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses in settings that care for children under 5 years old. Children’s Paradise Preschool and Infant Centers, an early childhood education provider, has five locations throughout North County, including in Vista and Escondido. As businesses began
STAFF MEMBERS at Children’s Paradise Preschool and Infant Centers, with locations including in Vista and Escondido, discuss the one-of-a-kind operational system they created to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while staying open during last year’s closures. Photo courtesy Children’s Paradise
closing their doors last year as a result of a statewide mandate issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Children’s Paradise created Sweet Teams and remained open. The Sweet Teams program is an extensive operational system of posters, signage and tags that outline step-by-step strategies to keep learning centers, play yards and common areas safe and clean. Julie Lowen, president and CEO of Children’s Paradise, told The Coast News that she saw a need to remain open because many
families were essential workers and desperately needed child care and preschool services. “So we thought, okay, if we’re going to be open during a pandemic, we’d better know how to do this with the highest level of health and safety,” Lowen said. “The first thing we did was we went to the World Health Organization (WHO) and took their training on COVID and we all became certified. And then we sat down as a team and TURN TO CHILD CARE ON 5