PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 24, NO. 14
APRIL 9, 2010
THISWEEK
Leader fired in spite of protests
ble a u l Va pons cou ages on P 23 B HISTORICAL HORSES
By Bianca Kaplanek
The community is abuzz as twin foals — a rare occurrence — are born healthy and are being cared for at the Helen Woodward Animal B1 Center
INSIDE
TWO SECTIONS, 60 PAGES
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . A8 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B20 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . B22 Consumer Reports . . . . A11 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A12 Crossword Puzzle . . . . B22 Eye on the Coast . . . . . . A5 Frugal Living . . . . . . . . . B3 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . A15 Hot Off the Block . . . . . . A6 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . . B8 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . . A22 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . B19 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Outside Perspective . . . . A4 Pendleton News . . . . . . A26 Pet of the Week . . . . . . A29 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . A22 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . A12
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The kids of
EASTER
Above, Jaeden Clark and Mia Miller, both 3, celebrate Easter at the city of Encinitas Easter Egg Hunt and Festival at the YMCA on April 3. Right, Cayden Taylor, 17 months old, enjoys the sights and sounds of the days festivities. Photos by Wehtahnah Tucker
Man won’t stand trial for mother’s murder ■ Psychiatrist
found son ‘not competent’ By Randy Kalp
SOLANA BEACH — A 28-year-old man accused of killing and dismembering his mother in January in her Solana Beach home is mentally incompetent to stand trial, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled April 5.
After reviewing a physician’s evaluation of Bryan Chenhua Chang, Judge Frederick Maguire ordered that the defendant be sent to Patton State Hospital indefinitely; his competency to understand the charges against him will be re-evaluated periodically. The ruling suspends criminal proceedings in the interim; however, if he regains his competency, his criminal proceedings will continue.
Chang, of Los Angeles, is charged with one count each of first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon, which in this case was a hammer, to murder and mutilate his mother, 60-yearold Sherry Chu Chang, whose body was found Jan. 25 in her home on Santa Florencia near San Elijo Lagoon. A special-circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain is attached to the murder charge giving
the district attorney the option of seeking the death penalty. A decision on that matter was not made prior to the April 5 order. Chang, who had not worked for 18 months, was arrested two days after the murder in his Los Angeles home. At his arraignment in January, prosecutors described the scene authorities TURN TO MURDER ON A24
DEL MAR — Less than halfway through her four-year contract, Superintendent Sharon McClain was fired by the board of trustees on March 31, a move that could potentially cost the Del Mar Union School District more than $400,000. The decision comes almost exactly two years after three of the current board members voted to spend approximately $300,000 to buy out the contract of the previous superintendent. After more than an hour of public comment supporting McClain and nearly two hours of closed-session deliberations, Trustee Annette Easton made a motion to terminate McClain’s contract. Doug Perkins said he spent the past few months analyzing and agonizing over the issue, but he felt it was “in the best interest” of the district to second the motion. With Katherine White supporting, board President Comischell Rodriguez opposing and Steven McDowell abstaining, McClain was released “with cause,” meaning all pay and benefits would cease immediately. Other than saying McClain had committed a “material breach of contract,” Rodriguez said trustees couldn’t discuss details because it is a personnel matter and there is a threat of litigation. McClain said she plans to file a lawsuit against the district to recover, at minimum, the remaining two-plus years on her contract and attorney fees. Her salary for school years 2010 through 2012 was $371,000. “What I’m fighting for right now is my reputation,” McClain said. “I don’t feel like I’ve done anything wrong. I haven’t done anything I should TURN TO PROTESTS ON A30
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