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. 24, NO. 6
FEB. 12, 2010
Cost of utilities project attacked
THISWEEK Del Mar ble a u l Va pons cou Page on 19 B
residents bet on a good time By Bianca Kaplanek
DINING GUIDE
Find a wonderful restaurant for B10 Valentine’s Day
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DEL MAR — Gusty winds and sporadic downpours didn’t dampen the spirits of the 100 or so people who attended the second annual Casino Night Party for the Tower on Feb. 6. Hosted by the Friends of the Powerhouse, the event raised $39,000 for the new 17th Street safety center and lifeguard headquarters. The $50 tickets included casino-style games such as craps, blackjack and roulette, dinner by Jake’s Del Mar, a complimentary cocktail and music by Java. A casino raffle and live auction featured vacation packages, Padres tickets and gift certificates to local restaurants such as Jimmy O’s, Bully’s, En Fuego and Zel’s. Other prizes included one year of free parking in Del Mar, a one-night stay at L’Auberge Del Mar with a spa treatment and gift certificates to Sbicca and Del Mar Rendezvous restaurants, dinner for eight from Jake’s served by Del Mar lifeguards, a free Powerhouse rental and a Life’s a Beach package that offered certificates to lifeguard programs, a tour of the lifeguard tower and a ride in
By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — With an overflow crowd watching from the city annex, nearly 50 residents provided input during a Feb. 2 special meeting to discuss undergrounding utility lines in the North Hills area of the city. Many said they were shocked when they received their assessment notices last month. Those on fixed incomes, such as senior citizens and single parents, said they feared losing their homes and asked council to stop the project immediately. With only about 15 speakers supporting the proposal, council nonetheless voted 3-0, with Don Mosier recused and Carl Hilliard absent, to move the project forward. A public hearing is TURN TO COST ON A23
Ex-Marine denies beating with stick
SEVEN COME ELEVEN Del Mar lifeguard Brendon Strause tries his luck at the craps table. Photo by Bianca Kaplanek
TURN TO CASINO ON A18
Nanninga remembered one year later By Wehtahnah Tucker
ENCINITAS — Robert “Bob” Nanninga, the venerable activist, actor, poet, writer, businessman and friend to many who worked tirelessly to change the face of a community died of pneumonia one year ago on Feb. 14. He was 45 years old. The anniversary of Nanninga’s death is a bitter pill to swallow for those who knew him best. Fellow artist and activist Marsha Lindsey said his absence has had a tremendous impact on her and the community. “Bob was my very
good friend, so it’s painful to lose such an awesome, inspiring friend.” From the environmental challenges of the area to theatrical, cultural and political issues, Nanninga had a hand BOB NANNINGA in everything. “He left lots of projects for the rest of us to pick up and run with,” she said. “He might have been
one person but he left many, many shoes for us to fill.” Nanninga was a columnist for this paper for several years, writing “Observations from the Edge” in a way that provoked thought among readers and sometimes controversy. In addition to his work as an actor, artist, poet and journalist, Nanninga was also a businessman. Nanninga, with his longtime partner Keith Shillington, opened the E Street Café in downtown Encinitas on Sept. 3, 2004 — his birthday.
By Randy Kalp
Lindsey helped build the popular gathering place. “It took us eight months to build the café, so it was like having a baby together.” “We had 15 years together and not a single moment of it was dull,” Shillington said in a previous interview. When asked what he would miss most about Nanninga, Shillington paused briefly. “The enormous wealth of information and engaging in intellectual conversation,” he replied. “Bob’s articles represent at least one of the TURN TO NANNINGA ON A18
CARLSBAD — A man walking his pack of Yorkshire terriers off the leash on a Carlsbad trail will have to stand trial for allegedly assaulting another dog walker after the two got into an altercation about his leash-less canines, a Superior Court judge ruled Feb. 4. Patrick Farner, 62, is charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon with the allegation that he caused great bodily injury. The charge stems TURN TO BEATING ON A25
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