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SEPT. 10, 2010
RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
Ride-share alternative to pricey bus trips
Above, Chase and Alexa Field, former Minnesota residents moving to Rancho Santa Fe, stock up on Rancho Santa Fe Eagles merchandise in preparation for their new school. Below, Rancho Santa Fe resident Lila Bobertz browses a book in the new library.
SCHOOL’S COOKIN’
The Rancho Santa Fe School District and Education Foundation hosted the annual Newcomers’ Welcome BBQ & Orientation on Sept. 3.
Photos by Daniel Knighton
Above, Rancho Santa Fe resident Matthew Burdick is served a plate of barbecue from Escondido resident Larry Holton of Joey’s Smokin’ BBQ. Right, Rancho Santa Fe resident Bear Golden discusses the finer points of mac ‘n’ cheese with his friends. Below, Scripps ranch resident Jackie Mendez, a 19-year veteran teacher at Rancho Santa Fe School, shows off the new computer lab.
Rancho Santa Fe resident Brian Vincik grabs a bite to eat while his son Cooper plays.
Library program helps students get in the zone By Alyx Sariol
With school back in full swing, students are trading in lazy summer afternoons for evenings spent tackling homework and project assignments. Fortunately for local students, Carlsbad’s library branches have also kicked off their successful “Homework Zone” program to provide help along the way. The volunteer program is free of charge and offers guidance on every subject for first- through 12th-graders. Students can drop by the Dove Library, Cole Library and Library Learning Center four days a week to meet with volunteers on a first come, first served basis. “The Homework Zone volunteer is not there to do ZONING IN Homework Zone volunteer Ann Eklund, a former teacher, helps 6-year-old April Garcia with the child’s homework, they her reading skills. Photo by Alyx Sariol
are there to help the children find the answer for themselves,” children’s librarian Barbara Chung said. “It helps them develop study skills and learn to find information.” Launched in 2003, the program is an ideal afterschool resource for students. The convenient hours and locations make it an easy stop for kids heading home from school, where they can meet with volunteers in designated homework spaces. It is modeled after a popular King County, Wash., library program called Study Zone. “I like it because when my parents can’t help me with my homework, I can just come here,” 11-year-old Mariana Jiminez, a Valley TURN TO LIBRARY ON A18
Tribute bands rock listeners’ memories at Pala Pala Casino Spa & Resort continues its Free Concert Series featuring tribute bands at 8 p.m. on Saturdays during September in the Grand Cabaret. The Video Dance Parties, introduced in July, will continue on
Fridays. DJ Tunetyme spins dance and R&B hits while original videos of the artists play on a large screen. The schedule includes: — Video Dance Party at 9 p.m. Sept. 10 — Video Dance Party
at 9 p.m. Sept. 17 — Belladonna: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks at 8 p.m. Sept.18. — Video Dance Party at 9 p.m. Sept. 24 The recently expanded
Pala Casino Spa & Resort includes a Las Vegas-style casino with 2,000 slot machines, 15 poker tables and 87 table games; a 507-room hotel; a 10,000-square-foot, full-service spa and salon that features 14 treatment rooms;
a state-of-the-art fitness center; swimming pool with 12 private poolside cabanas and dual-temperature outdoor Jacuzzi. Pala also offers 10 restaurants and 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.
SANDAG has a solution for getting youngsters to school, with its growing SchoolPool program. With school back in session and school bus programs either prohibitively expensive or being cut back throughout the region, many parents are looking for alternative ways to get their youngsters to campus. The SchoolPool program addresses this need. A free, secure online ride-matching service for parents with children in grades kindergarten through 12th grade, SchoolPool aims to help busy moms and dads get their children to class, while at the same time cutting peak-time traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. “SchoolPool is a convenient way to get your kids to school while saving time, money on gas, and helping the environment,” SANDAG Executive Director Gary Gallegos said. The SchoolPool program is open to students in all public and private elementary, middle, and high schools within San Diego County. The service is part of the SANDAG iCommute program, which seeks to reduce peak-time traffic congestion in the region by helping travelers find workable alternatives to driving alone in a car. Participating in SchoolPool is as simple as ABC: A. Parents contact TURN TO RIDE SHARE ON A18
Course in calligraphy offered The La Jolla Art Association is offering a complimentary calligraphy workshop at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 25. The course covers beginning calligraphy with an introduction to uncial-Celtic hand and Italic hand. This is a handson workshop taught by Sharon Ford. The class will be held at the gallery, 8100 Paseo del Ocaso, La Jolla. Register by e-mail to sharnplfd@yahoo.com. La Jolla Art Association was established in 1918. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the community and local artists. The mission of LJAA is to promote the appreciation of visual arts by providing art exhibits and art education for the community. For additional information, visit www.lajollaart.org.