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. 25, NO. 6
FEB. 11, 2011
Del Mar plans outlined
THISWEEK
■ New report
A CASKET TOO SMALL
details running of fairgrounds
A local group, with support from the community, offers a dignified burial for abandoned newborns B1
By Bianca Kaplanek
DEBT OF GRATITUDE
Every year, a local doctor travels to the Solomon Islands to repay the small nation for its support in A7 World War II
END OF AN ERA
The couple who has volunteered as hosts at the San Elijo beach campgrounds is leaving B2 after 23 years
INSIDE
TWO SECTIONS, 52 PAGES
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Camp Pendleton News . . A16 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B19 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . B22 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Frugal Living . . . . . . . . . B6 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . .B2 Hot Off the Block . . . . . . B7 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A22 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . . B6 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . B7 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Pet of the Week . . . . . . . A8 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . A13 The Law and You . . . . . .A12 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . . A7
HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737 CALENDAR SECTION: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com COMMUNITY NEWS: community@coastnewsgroup.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: letters@coastnewsgroup.com
LOCAL SUPERCROSS RIDER TAKES TO THE SKY Carlsbad resident David “Davi” Millsaps, above, riding the No. 18 JGR Racing Yamaha YZ450F, is getting ready to defend his 2010 AMA Supercross win at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Feb. 19 against the likes of Chad Reed, Ryan Villapoto and current leader James Stewart. Millsaps was the 2006 125 East Supercross Champion, fourth overall in the 2008 Supercross 250 Class, and third overall in the 2010 Supercross. He is currently 12th in the 2011 points standings five races into the 17-race season and finished 10th at the sold-out Anaheim event on Feb. 5 in front of 45,050 fans. Photo by Daniel Knighton
DEL MAR — Vowing to increase public involvement, City Council adopted a governance model that outlines future management and operation details should Del Mar be successful in its effort to purchase the stateowned Del Mar Fairgrounds. The city may have time to do just that after Gov. Jerry Brown announced three days later that now is not the best time to sell real estate. The draft plan, being called a public benefit trust indenture, was approved 4-0 at the Feb. 7 meeting. Councilman Carl Hilliard recused himself pending a ruling by the Fair Political Practices Commission because of complaints that as a horse owner his participation could present a conflict of interest. The trust currently lacks detail and could be changed as it goes through the Legislature, but it is a necessary step to advance Senate Bill 1, legislation introduced by Sen. Christine Kehoe that authorizes the $120 million TURN TO FAIRGROUNDS ON A17
Former mayor sentenced for conflict of interest By Wehtahnah Tucker
ENCINITAS — Former Mayor Dan Dalager pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor conflict-of-interest charge in a Vista courtroom Feb. 9. He was sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three years summary probation. The charge stems from Dalager’s acceptance of heavily discounted kitchen appliances in 2009 from Aztec Appliance owner Matthew Gordon who had business before the council several months later.
Gordon was cited for building an unapproved rock wall that encroached on the public right-of-way in front of his home on Neptune Avenue. After receiving several notices, Gordon contested the violation for more than two years, culminating in an unsuccessful appeal to City Council in February 2010 in which Dalager and Councilwoman Teresa Barth voted in favor of Gordon’s appeal. In October 2009, Gordon
sold Dalager a cook top range, an oven and a duct cover for $150. Dalager said the price was set by the store. He also received a microwave. Gordon said the appliances had no value to him because they were damaged or returned. Dalager claimed to have done nothing wrong in determining “fair market value” of the items. However, state law clearly states that the elected official is not the person to make that judgment.
State law prohibits elected officials from accepting any gift or combination of gifts from the same source in excess of $420 in any one calendar year. Dalager did not report the appliance gifts in 2009 on state-required 770 disclosure forms. Despite having admitted to failure to report a $100,000 loan on a mandatory state disclosure forms for public officials and allegations of impropriety in his business as a consultant at a local bank in charge of soliciting new
accounts, the district attorney only charged Dalager with one count of violating the Political Reform Act. According to Deputy District Attorney Leon Schorr, who prosecuted the case, the best evidence to support the charge was in the investigation into the appliance deal. “We felt this was our best and cleanest count,” Schorr said. He said the other two issues would have to be proved beyond a reasonable TURN TO MAYOR ON A17
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