The Coast News, May 21, 2010_web

Page 1

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94

.com THE COAST NEWS

MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

VOL. 24, NO. 19

Harassing complaint dismissed

THISWEEK le b a u Val pons cou ages on P 16 A THANK YOU Oceanside expresses its thanks to the people who defend our country with Operation Appreciation A3

ROCKIN’ OUT A local man has turned his home into a tribute to rock ’n’ roll music B1

NOT SO SLICK The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has some local consequences A12

INSIDE TWO SECTIONS, 56 PAGES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B20 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . B22 Consumer Reports . . . . A17 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A10 Eye on the Coast . . . . . . A5 EyeWitness . . . . . . . . . .A13 Frugal Living . . . . . . . . . B3 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . .B2 Hot Off the Block . . . . . . A7 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . . B6 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . .A14 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . B17 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Pendleton News . . . . . . A22 Pet of the Week . . . . . . . B4 Second Opinion . . . . . . A17 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . . B3 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . . A8

HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737 CALENDAR SECTION: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com COMMUNITY NEWS: community@coastnewsgroup.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: letters@coastnewsgroup.com

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS Sell your car at any price, or any one item $150 or less for free! Go online to www.coastnewsgroup.com or call our free ad hot line at (760) 436-1070. Deadline is Monday at 4 p.m.

MAY 21, 2010

n Attorney:

councilwoman doesn’t count as ‘city employee’

old-fashioned An

By Wehtahnah Tucker

ENCINITAS — City Council released an internal report during its May 12 meeting addressing a verbal harassment complaint filed by Councilwoman Teresa Barth against Councilman Jerome Stocks and Mayor Dan Dalager. The council voted unanimously and without discussion to waive the city’s attorney-client privilege and make the report public at the request of Stocks, who said taxpayers deserve to know the result of the $15,249 investigation. Barth said she chose to file an internal complaint to avoid politicizing the behavior, but supported the release of the report. In the complaint Barth contended she

good time

On May 15, the San Dieguito Heritage Museum hosted its 22 annual Santa Maria Barbecue event to benefit the museum. Right, 2-year-old Encinitas resident Payton Gaspar rides a toy goat. Above, Encinitas resident Casey Feary sits in the driver’s seat of the Encinitas Fire Department’s truck. Below, Oceanside resident Frank Chojnowski performs. Photos by Daniel Knighton

TURN TO COMPLAINT ON A25

Fairgrounds sale talk resurfaces By Bianca Kaplanek

Patients rally for popular Scripps doctor By Wehtahnah Tucker

CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA — Hundreds of supporters, many wearing green and holding signs, rallied May 14 to support a well-respected physician whose future delivering babies is uncertain. On May 7, Dr. Robert Biter was stripped of his obstetric privileges at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, where he has been delivering babies for several years and once served as the department chair of obstetrics and gynecology. Scripps officials did not give a reason for the suspension, and a release from the hospital called it “a confidential medical staff issue.” The suspension has outraged Dr. Biter’s following of expectant mommies and sparked a string of protests outside the hospital. Effective immediately, THE DOCTOR IS OUT Women’s health advocates joined current and former patients at a rally to support TURN TO DOCTOR ON A21

Dr. Biter on May 14. The obstetrician lost his privileges at Scripps Encinitas Hospital abruptly without an explanation from the hospital. Photo by Wehtahnah Tucker

DEL MAR — An item on the agenda for this month’s Community Relations Committee meeting with the 22nd District Agricultural Association caught Solana Beach Mayor Tom Campbell “a little bit off guard.” “It (had) to do with the potential sale of the fairgrounds,” he said. “It seems like it’s being put back on the front burner by certain people up in Sacramento. This is all speculation that I’m just putting together from the nature of our discussion (but) it appears that Del Mar has expressed interest or developed some sort of a proposal or whatnot to put in an offer to purchase the fairgrounds.” About a year ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed selling the 340-acre state-owned site, which occupies nearly 20 percent of Del Mar, as a way to close a massive budget deficit. The potential sale was eventually taken off the table, but Del Mar sent a letter stating it TURN TO FAIRGROUNDS ON A21


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.