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T he C oast News
May 23, 2014
Proposal to name park after late councilwoman moving forward By Aaron Burgin
ENCINITAS — A proposal to name a dog park in honor of the late Encinitas Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan is moving closer to fruition. The Encinitas Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday, recommending the City Council name the twoacre area within the Encinitas Community Park after Houlihan, who died in 2011 after a five-year bout with cancer. The City Council is expected to take up the proposal at a meeting next month. The 44-acre community park is expected to open in the fall. Committee members of the
Encinitas Garden Festival & Tour, the horticultural-appreciation event that Houlihan spearheaded, proposed the posthumous honor for the three-term councilwoman, who was first elected in 2000. Houlihan was widely known as an animal lover and staunch animal rights advocate. “In my opinion, and in the opinion of many others, Maggie was the most popular politician in the history of Encinitas,” said Sanford Shapiro, the parks and recreation commissioner and garden festival committee member A proposal to honor the late Maggie Hou- who is making the proposal. “This lihan by naming a section of the Encinitas is a way for the city to honor her Community Park after her is moving for- permanently.” ward. File photo Houlihan supporters first ap-
proached the city with the naming concept in August, when they pledged to donate $7,500 in park enhancements in exchange for the naming rights. The council tabled the discussion to allow the new parks and recreation administration to review the city’s park-naming policy, which currently prohibits parks to be named after people unless the council or commission deems there are special circumstances warranting the action. Houlihan’s history of animal-rights advocacy was well documented. In 2004, she used the proceeds of a lawsuit settlement to build an enclosure for rescued
turtles. That same year, when running a triathlon in Encinitas’ sister city of Hondo, Japan, she stopped to help a feral kitten in distress. Friends and supporters of Houlihan have paid homage to the late councilwoman with a number of tributes, one of which stirred up controversy. Two years ago, the city initially blocked a request by the Arts Alive program to erect 100 banners throughout the city that included Houlihan’s image. The city later reversed course after Houlihan’s widower threatened to sue, arguing the denial was a violation of the group’s First Amendment rights.
Del Mar may step up Welcome to the team changes to sidewalk project By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — With the design phase of a sidewalk improvement project under way, City Council agreed at the May 19 meeting to potentially expand the scope of work downtown and along Jimmy Durante Boulevard. The approved project along Camino del Mar called for intersection improvements at 10th, 11th and 12th streets. Sidewalks are also slated to be added on the west side of Camino del Mar in front of 1202, 1234 and City Hall and on the east side of Camino del Mar between 10th and 11th streets. During an analysis of the preliminary design, staff found that parking could be increased and traffic could be slowed if sharrow lanes and angled parking — changes similar to those made along Coast Highway 101 in Solana Beach — were added from 10th to 13th streets. The changes would net 33 new parking spaces as well as widen sidewalks and improve storm water runoff treatment. They would also elim-
inate designated left-turn lanes at 11th Street, although left turns would still be allowed, and increase the project cost for this segment from $300,000 to approximately $615,000. The few residents who addressed council did not support the changes. Tom McGreal said angled parking creates “an unnecessary danger” by forcing motorists to back up into traffic and bicyclists. He also feared eliminating the left-turn lanes would make traffic worse than it already is. As for adding needed parking spaces, McGreal said he would like to see a comprehensive parking plan. “It feels like we’re being piecemealed,” he said. Bill Michalsky and Former Councilman Dave Druker also opposed eliminating leftturn lanes. Druker didn’t support mirroring Solana Beach. “I am very upset with the way Solana Beach looks now,” he said. “It looks like a huge parking lot.” Druker also said he preferred meandering sidewalks TURN TO SIDEWALKON A16
T h e Coast News is pleased to introduce Aaron Burgin to the newsroom staff as our new Encinitas and San Marcos reporter. Previously, Aaron served as a reporter with the San Diego Union-Tribune on the paper’s investigative arm, the Watchdog Team, with an emphasis on watchdog issues in North County. Prior to the U-T, he
served as a municipal government reporter for the Press-Enterprise and Porterville Recorder, where his reporting won him several awards, including two firstprize awards in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. Aaron is a graduate from the University of Southern California with a degree in print journalism, and currently lives in Escondido with his wife, Susie, and two kids, AJ and Samantha.
INVESTIGATIONS
office decided not to press charges against Silva, citing lack of evidence, and he was released from custody on Monday. Officials would not comment on the status of the arrested juvenile because it is against state law. Oceanside police officers arrested Alberto Serrato, 57, after allegedly witnessing him throwing brush into the fire that broke out in the San Louis Rey Riverbed on May 15, according to police reports. Serrato is being held on $250,000 bail in the Vista Detention Center and is facing charges of arson of forest land. To share tips about any of the San Diego County fires, witnesses can share information as well as fire photos and videos with law enforcement via Crime Stoppers at sdcrimestoppers.org or (888) 580-8477.
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ments, according to Bertell. So far, investigators have determined the cause of the Bernardo fire, which was started by construction equipment. On May 15, the Escondido Police Department arrested two individuals for allegedly starting fires in Escondido. Two witnesses reported seeing Isaiah Silva, a 19-year-old Escondido resident, and a 17-year-old resident, who is not being named because he is a minor, attempting to start small fires near South Escondido Boulevard and Kit Carson Park, according to police reports. The fires were quickly put out and the two were arrested near the Westfield Mall in Escondido. The District Attorney’s
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