PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
.com SERVING NORTH COUNTY SINCE 1987
VOL. 32, N0. 43
Accusations roil Escondido mayoral race By Steve Horn
ESCONDIDO — A blog post accusing the mayor of saying he is in politics only for his “personal finances.” An accusation that the opposing campaign has stolen 20 percent of its signs. These are the insinuations which have arisen in the Escondido mayoral race pitting Mayor Sam Abed against challenger Paul McNamara. Though both sides have made these allegations, neither side has backed up its claims with verifiable documentation, information that The Coast News tried but failed to obtain from either camp. The first shoe to drop came on Oct. 9, when the website Alianza North County — a liberal- and Democratic-leaning monthly bilingual Spanish-English newspaper distributed throughout Escondido — published an article titled, “My Meeting with Mayor Abed” by Wendy Wilson. Wilson, now the executive director of the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center, described a meet-
OCT. 26, 2018
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Since its inception, Measure Y has generated confusion, warranting a breakdown of what it says and what’s at stake. Page A6
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School board candidates gather to discuss future of education By Kelli Kyle
ENCINITAS — Roughly 50 people filled the patio of Leucadia Pizzeria in Encinitas on Oct. 23 to talk about the future of education in their district. The public forum featured 20 Board of Education candidates across several local districts discussing their platforms and meeting with the constit-
uency. The San Dieguito Union High School District race took the spotlight, with all candidates in attendance except for Dr. Cheryl James-Ward, who had a prior engagement. A Q&A session for the SDHSD candidates was open to all attendees, and raised questions about STEM versus STEAM (the “A” stands for arts), social
and emotional learning and, most notably, balancing the budget. “The budget talks about where your priorities are,” said Maureen “Mo” Muir, the SDUHSD incumbent seeking re-election in Area No. 1. “The things that are most important, we’re going to make sure we’re watching that and make sure that happens.”
While Muir spoke to her experience working with the new superintendent hired during her time on the board, her opponent, Amy Flicker, a newcomer to the elections and parent of two kids in the district, said they needed fresh financial evaluation. “We’re going to have to look at different models and different ways we can
streamline and figure out efficiencies, and look at our infrastructure and how we are actually doing the business of the district,” Flicker said. Candidates in the other areas also echoed the need for clearer financial priorities. Kristin Gibson, candidate for Area No. 5, has served two terms on the Del Mar Union School
District board, and said this approach worked for them. “You have to pick the things that are the very most important to you — let’s say it’s class size or STEM ” Gibson said. “ You need a limited number of high priorities that you dedicate your resources to.” The event saw more TURN TO SCHOOL FORUM ON A9
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