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THE COAST NEWS
.com MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 25, NO. 17
MAY 6, 2011
Locals weigh in on La Costa
THISWEEK
WALK FOR IT Local walkers raise
By Bianca Kaplanek
hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise funds B1 to help fight MS
CARLSBAD — Nearly 100 residents gathered to provide input on how to improve traffic and safety along La Costa Avenue during the first of three community workshops held April 28 at Stagecoach Park. Pat Noyes, a traffic consultant, described the road as “a unique animal in terms of safety.” The two-mile stretch between El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe Road is a secondary arterial intended to carry traffic. But it also has driveways with direct access,
BUSINESS IS BLOOMING Meet the master gardener behind the Carlsbad A8 Flower Fields
INSIDE
TWO SECTIONS, 48 PAGES
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . A7 Camp Pendleton News . . B14 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B19 Comics/Puzzles . . . . . . B22 Consumer Reports . . . . A11 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Dining Guide . . . . . . . . B11 Dr Gott . . . . . . . . . . . . . A12 Frugal Living . . . . . . . . .A10 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . B7 Hot Off the Block . . . . . . B3 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A20 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . . . B11 Life, Liberty & Leadership . . A4 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . B6 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Place to Call Home . . . . A7 Pet Page . . . . . . . . . . . A18 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . . B6 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . . .A8
HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737 CALENDAR SECTION: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com COMMUNITY NEWS: community@coastnewsgroup.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: letters@coastnewsgroup.com
TURN TO LA COSTA ON A12
Council appoints new city manager By Wehtahnah Tucker
CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION
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City cuts services to balance general fund budget By Promise Yee
OCEANSIDE — City Council’s OK to cut services did not go over well with residents present as $3.75 million was slashed from the 2011-2012 general fund budget on April 27, in a 3-2 vote in which Mayor Jim Wood and Councilwoman Esther Sanchez voted no. The cuts will reduce the city’s general fund spending. “Council majority is ready to get us through these tough
times by not spending more than we receive,” Councilman Gary Felien said. Cuts include eliminating $377,000 in annual subsidy funding for KOCT Community Television. The station will be left to operate on public,education, government, or PEG, franchise fees, grant funds, program underwriting and donations. The loss of funds means reducing full-time staff from six
to three employees and less coverage of local news and events. “It’s an extremely difficult challenge,” Tom Reeser, KOCT executive director, said. The recreation center’s budget was chopped $235,000. This means shorter hours of operation and reduced work hours for nonexempt staff. Recreation centers will limit their hours to afternoons and evenings with the exception of preschool programs.
The aquatics program budget was cut $185,000. Cuts mean the closure of the Marshall Street pool,fewer programs at the Brooks Street pool, and eliminating two staff positions. The library budget was reduced by $116,400. The results are shorter hours at the Civic Center and Mission Branch locations and TURN TO BUDGET ON A21
ENCINITAS — Out of a pool of approximately 80 applicants, Gus Vina was chosen as the new city manager on May 2.After five months of recruiting efforts, City Council selected the former Sacramento interim city manager. His anticipated start date is July 1. Vina, 50, will replace a controversial figure as the top administrator at the city. City Council voted June 23, 2010, to offer departing City Manager Phil Cotton a temporary contract as interim city manager. Almost one year ago, in late May, Cotton, 61, submitted his resignation, saying he was ready to retire after 12 years with the city. Cotton took several weeks off after his scheduled retirement date but returned TURN TO MANAGER ON A17
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