The coast news, april 17, 2015

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skateboarding community, which said that most cities don't enforce as vigorously as Encinitas. Skateboarders took to message boards to complain about the enforcement, saying that deputies should spend their time dealing with more important public safety issues rather than ticketing helmetless skateboarders. In addition to supporting Jones' bill, the city has come out against an assembly bill that would prohibit local governments from charging transient occupancy taxes on short-term vacation rentals.

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the street from Solana Highlands, said. “What they were asking for before wasn’t appropriate. I appreciate their response to the community and their efforts. “But could it be further improved?” she asked. “I need to think about that before I make a decision.” Another resident was less supportive. “If the pole is not where the building is going to be it’s going to be hard to get an idea of the impact,” she said. “The residents have legitimate concerns,” Ger-

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staff used 25 years, when calculating whether or not the solar panels are worth installing. “Right now, everything seems to be moving in the right direction,” Garuba said of the current technology and rate structure. The San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG, also presented their findings of an energy audit. Allison Wood, Associate Regional Energy and

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ning of the Guild.” Also cited were the construction of the new ADA parking slot, ADA compliant ramp and restroom facility at the library. Yayanos shared that the Guild supports six parttime librarians in the children’s library and it makes up a significant part of its budget. He went on to say how

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house blues accent) and "Hearing Jimmy Loud" (a crunchy rocker that's a highlight of "English Oceans"). Hood, meanwhile, pitches in "When He's Gone" (a seething, twangy rocker that rides the tension of conflicting emotions), "Pauline Hawkins" (a catchy, musically upbeat rocker) and the cinematic ballad "Grand Canyon" (a song about long-

T he C oast News Assembly Bill 1220, authored by Assemblyman Matthew Harper, R-Huntington Beach, would hurt Encinitas more so than its coastal neighbors, the position letter states. "As with many State bills, this is a one-size-fitsall approach and the underlying assumption (fairness) is that every jurisdiction will be equally impacted by eliminating transient occupancy tax on vacation rentals," the letter states. "Coastal cities or destination cities with theme parks or entertainment venues often have an abundance of existing hotel rooms and your bill will have little impact on them. On the other hand, coastal cities with

few hotels but an abundance of vacation rentals will be adversely affected by your proposed bill. That would describe the City of Encinitas." The city also has staked opposition to State Senator Carol Liu's "Right to Rest" Act, which, if approved, would decriminalize homeless people's use of public spaces to rest, accept food from passersby or park their recreational vehicle with approval from the property owner. The council approved the positions on its consent agenda, which is voted on without discussion unless a council member of someone from the public requests the item be discussed.

ri Retman said. “It sounds like the developers are listening but we’ll have to wait and see. “It sounds like they are doing their best,” she added. “I think even with the story poles it will be hard to visualize.” Retman, who drives by the complex daily, said oftentimes “complaining makes for a better project.” “If the developers care they will make changes,” she said. “Then we end up with something that fits the community. That’s happened several times in the past.” H.G. Fenton will present the new plans during a special council meeting May

6. If they are approved, story poles could start going up within a week or two after that. It will take about as long to complete the installation. Once that is done the developers plan to hold workshops to address questions and concerns. To accommodate residents’ schedules the meetings will be held on various days at different times. La Raia said he also will meet with residents by appointment if none of the workshop times are convenient. “I’m happy to do that,” he said. “I would love feedback from everybody.” The poles will remain in place for at least 30 days.

Climate Planner at SANDAG, said the city serves as a positive example for its sustainability efforts. The transportation fleet is made up of 15 percent hybrid vehicles and staff has been encouraged to take part in SANDAG’s iCommute program, which encourages alternative methods of transportation to reduce carbon emissions. The city also recently launched a Walk and Bike Carlsbad campaign to educate residents about safe biking and walking routes. The campaign encour-

ages residents to leave their car at home for short trips, to further reduce carbon emissions. Wood also commended Carlsbad for Alga Norte Park’s energy, which uses solar panels for power. The solar panels at Maerkle are still in the planning stage but Garuba is hopeful. “We think over the next several years we’ll be able to reduce overall consumption by 15 percent,” Garuba said.

the Guild has continually had a board member who is engaged in the matters of running the children’s library. “We’re quite fortunate again to have a board member, Erica Peterson, who had similar enthusiasms,” he said. Yayanos also touched upon the fact that the Guild helps supplement programs offered by the country library such as author talks, yoga classes, Alzheimer’s

education, and more. Looking ahead, the next project is the outdoor patio renovations, including seating. Yayanos said that should be happening any day now. The plan is to have five benches and two tables shaded by café style umbrellas. “Build it and see if they come,” he said. “If people start using the outdoor seating, then we’ll be thinking about expanding the patios for better use.”

time friend Craig Lleske, who died of a heart attach in January 2013). "English Oceans" is the 10th studio album from the Drive-By Truckers, which formed in 1996 in Athens, Georgia. The album features the studio debut of a somewhat revamped lineup of the group, with Hood, Cooley and long-time drummer Brad Morgan joined by bassist Mike Patton (replacing Shonna Tucker) and key-

boardist/guitarist Jay Gonzalez (who joined in 2008). Cooley said the revamped lineup gelled quickly and the new songs translate well to the live stage. "The thing about this one is all of the songs work really well live," Cooley said. "I don't think any of them create any lull in the live shows that you sometimes deal with new material."

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educational institutions. This year, the Grant Committee includes Pam Wasserman, MaryAnn Smith, Anne Rogers, Laverne Schlosser, and Susan Glass. “The Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club has a long history of contributing to the community through charitable horticulture and

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Stage, including MAIZ (featuring Karlos Paez of the B*Side Players) and Aquile (who appeared on The Voice). Meanwhile, five other acts will perform on The Lumberyard Courtyard Stage, including the Bayou Brothers, while upand-coming stars will entertain crowds at the Hansen’s Community Stage and the Encinitas School of Music Stage. The Kids Zone will be at H Street, with interactive booths and activities for the younger set, including an inflatable obstacle course and a bounce house. Canine companions get their own special treatment in the VCA Animal Hospital Dog Zone at I Street. They’ll find a va-

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Wilson said. The residents brainstormed present Tuesday methods that could be used to slow traffic. Traffic consultants hired by the group will take that information and create a plan that will be presented to the City Council for approval in June. Funding for the measures has yet to be determined. “But in order to have funding, we have to have a plan,” Wilson told the audience. Residents along both streets - Quail Gardens and Saxony - have been frustrated in recent years by increasingly faster traffic as motorists have used the streets to bypass traffic along Interstate 5, which runs parallel to the streets. Residents have called for the city to lower the speed limit, but the city has been unable to oblige the request, largely due to how speed limits are created. Every few years, traffic officials conduct a speed survey to see how fast motorists drive along a stretch of road. The speed limit is set by the speed that 85 percent of drivers drive

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block our view when exiting our property,” Kathy Dunn, the principal at St. James Academy on Nardo Avenue, wrote. “Parents have recently also expressed safety concerns in light of the Skyline kidnap scare. I encourage any action to prevent these safety concerns.” Kerily McEvoy, who lives on Nardo and attends

APRIL 17, 2015 charitable conservation activities,” said Browne. “Our grant program is designed to support the efforts for other community-based organizations to implement these initiatives in a way that is technically and economically feasible, ensuring that all those actively involved in the project will benefit from the results, addressing a community need, facilitating the transfer of technology,

and skills and knowledge to others.” Browne went on to say that this year they are very excited to award the grant recipients at its Annual Meeting on May 28, 2015 at the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club. For more information on the Grant Application process and criteria visit rsfgardenclub.org or contact Browne at (858) 756-1554 or erin@rsfgardenclub.org.

riety of pet-centric exhibitors, plus free activities in the 2,000-square-foot dog park. The Encinitas Fire Department will kick things off with its annual Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. April 25 in the 7-Eleven parking lot, at the corner of Highway 101 and D Street. For the first time, there will be free bicycle test rides, from the south end of the fair area. Electra Bike is lending out its latest models, so fair goers can cruise from Electra’s J Street booth to Cardiff and back. Also at the south end, Smart will be offering free test drives of their new electric-powered models. Electra Bike is also sponsoring the free Bike Valet service at either end of the festival, so cyclists arriving at D Street or J

Street can leave their ride in a secure spot while enjoying the festival. Those not arriving via bike, on foot, or via the adjacent bus and train stations, could get a free ride with Uber. Encinitas 101 has partnered with the popular rideshare service to offer free rides to and from the street fair. To get a free round-trip up to $20 each way, sign up online, or download the app, and enter the promo code ENCINITAS101 (new users only). For those arriving by car, parking will be available at Moonlight Beach, City Hall and North County Transit District Coaster Station lots (along Vulcan Avenue at D and E Streets). For more information, including the full entertainment lineup, visit encinitas101.com.

along the stretch. The faster drivers drive, the faster the speed limit. In order to lower the speed limit, Wilson said, the coalition must slow the cars down. Among the tools discussed at Tuesday’s meeting were roundabouts, the placement of medians in the roadway, exaggerated or raised crosswalks, street parking and bike lanes, and other measures that would shrink the profile of the roadway. “What slows drivers down is the perception of obstructions along the roadway,” Wilson said. “They see the road with narrowing, they see those obstructions and they slow down.” The E3 Cluster - composed of the San Diego Botanic Garden, the Magdalena Ecke YMCA, the Encinitas Union School District, Seacrest, the San Dieguito Heritage Museum and the Leichtag Foundation, have been leading the charge of calming traffic along the streets. Earlier this year, the coalition worked with the city to successfully implement traffic calming measures along segments of the streets. On Quail Gardens, the city enacted a 25-mileper-hour speed limit in the

area near the school district’s new farm lab, and installed a crosswalk with safety lights in front of the farm lab. On Saxony, the city recently enacted a 25-milesper-hour “senior zone” in the area immediately adjacent to Seacrest and the YMCA. Construction of a similar crosswalk, which will bridge the two locations, is expected to be completed in June. Some of the stakeholders acknowledged that lowering speeds might inconvenience some drivers - including those who commute to some of their establishments. “I have to say I am personally impacted by this because I have to slow down on my way to work,” said Pam Ferris, the president and chief executive officer of Seacrest Village. “What I have seen over the years is that the traffic on these streets has increased tremendously, and the people are not concerned about the neighborhood per se. If we would slow it down, it would make the streets safer for neighbors, and deter those who are using the streets as a cut-through because they would lose the incentive of saving that time by speeding.”

St. James Catholic Church, echoed many of the same concerns. “Nardo is a busy enough street without people using it as free storage,” McEvoy wrote. “It makes the street unsightly … and can be dangerous. I have seen near accidents as people move to the center to go around the RVs.” Jane Morton agreed with council members that the proposed rules were too

restrictive. She noted the four-day maximum for visiting guests “is hardly time to say hello!” The draft ordinance was presented for a first reading but because council recommended several changes, it will be revised and presented again at a future meeting. If approved, it will be returned for adoption at a second reading and become effective 30 days after that.


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