Inland Edition, March 3, 2023

Trial date set for ex-swim teacher charged with sex abuse

By Laura Place

SAN MARCOS

— A

former swim instructor in North County will face trial in May for the alleged sexual abuse of three young children, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.

In a Feb. 24 hearing at the Vista courthouse, the court scheduled 19-yearold Nicholas Piazza’s jury trial to begin May 15. A readiness hearing will take place April 17 to determine if both the prosecution and defense are ready to proceed as scheduled, said District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Tanya Sierra.

Piazza has been in custody at the Vista Detention Center since September 2022, when he was arrested and charged with sexually abusing a 7-year-old child during private swim lessons at a residence in Rancho Santa Fe.

At the time of the arrest, Piazza was already facing a separate charge of child sex abuse from 2021, after he allegedly abused a 6-year-old boy while employed as an instructor at Callan Swim School in San Marcos.

Charges related to those two victims will now be heard in the same trial, along with child sexual abuse charges related to a 5-year-old victim who also recently came forward.

One parent is suing Callan Swim School in a

separate civil suit, alleging the school displayed negligence in continuing to employ Piazza after being made aware of concerning behavior.

A hearing in that case has been scheduled for 9 a.m. on March 24 at the Vista courthouse.

MOTORIST DIES IN FIERY CRASH IN SAN MARCOS

SAN MARCOS — A male motorist died in San Marcos on Feb. 23 after being struck by a vehicle that crossed over a road median and into oncoming traffic

on South Rancho Santa Fe Road near La Colusa Drive, law enforcement officials said.

The driver of a 2016 Jeep Cherokee was heading northbound on South Rancho Santa Fe Road about 7 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and struck the median.

The Jeep continued traveling over the median into the southbound lanes of South Rancho Santa Fe Road, colliding with a 2008 Lincoln MKZ.

The force of the collision caused the Jeep to roll

on its side and catch fire, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The driver of the Lincoln had to be extricated from his vehicle and was brought to the hospital with significant injuries; he later died at the hospital.

The Jeep’s driver also had to be rescued from his vehicle and was brought to the hospital with minor injuries. There were no other passengers in either car.

Firefighters with the San Marcos Fire Department were in the area when

the collision occurred. They immediately began rescue efforts, with deputies from the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station arriving moments later.

Sheriff’s officials said an investigation into the collision is ongoing, and no arrests have been made. Neither drugs nor alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any information is urged to contact Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Valdez at 760-510-5042.

— Laura Place HS

STAFFER ARRESTED

OVER

CAMPUS THREAT

VISTA — A staff member at a Vista secondary school was arrested last month on suspicion of issuing an anonymous threat of violence at the campus, authorities reported Feb. 16.

Alma Cacho, 52, allegedly made the threat against Rancho Buena Vista High School on Monday morning, Feb. 13, via a cellphone app designed to disguise the origin of the call, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Administrators at the Longhorn Drive campus kept all students and employees secured indoors while deputies conducted a security sweep of the grounds and facilities, sheriff’s Sgt. Alfred Gathings said. Once the school was deemed safe, classes resumed as normal.

Cacho was identified as the alleged perpetrator of the crime after investigators “were able to locate the origin of the call and determine the caller was a staff member,” Gathings said.

Officials did not reveal details about the purported threat, disclose a suspected motive or identify the nature of Cacho’s job at the school.

— City News Service

Vista says churches, others can offer mobile showers without permit

By Laura Place

VISTA — Local organizations and churches in Vista now have explicit permission to offer mobile shower and laundry facilities to the local homeless population.

Previously, mobile showers and laundry facilities have not been explicitly permitted as part of the city’s code, leading to some confusion and changing information for organizations seeking to offer these services in Vista.

However, in an ordinance adopted Feb. 14, the City Council approved changes to the city code to make mobile showers and laundry facilities permitted uses in the city’s commercial and light manufacturing zones and clarified that religious institutions do not need to obtain a permit to offer these services.

The ordinance, which takes effect in mid-March, allows non-religious organizations to operate mobile shower and laundry facilities with a minor use permit issued by the city. While city officials discussed the option of imposing a fee of around $3,300 for the permit, equal to the staff time it takes for review, the council ultimately decided to have it waived.

“Most of the organizations that I’m considering that would use this MUP would be ones that are serving a population that is experiencing homelessness. We would not want to burden those organizations

with any additional fees,” said Councilmember Corinna Contreras.

The topic of mobile hygiene facilities for homeless populations first came up in August at the request of Contreras, who expressed concerns that some local organizations offering these services were “illegally” being told it was not permitted.

City spokesperson Fred Tracey said that the city has never denied an organization the ability to provide mobile showers but

that back in 2021, the city did inform Calvary Chapel Vista that it would need to amend its special use permit, which all churches are required to obtain, to continue offering mobile showers.

Under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA, local zoning laws cannot prohibit religious institutions from exercising their religious beliefs, including offering services like homeless outreach and assistance.

After considering the issue within the framework of RLUIPA, city staff determined that these activities are already allowed under the special use permits required for local churches in the city.

“Following consultation with our City Attorney’s office shortly thereafter, we reversed course and notified Calvary they were allowed to have mobile showers onsite without a [special use permit] amendment,” Tracey said.

Councilmember Ka-

tie Melendez said she recognized that the city was mistaken in the way it handled this topic in the past, and that city leaders are committed to supporting services for homeless individuals.

“I know it’s sometimes not recommended to showcase what the city has done that’s been inappropriate or been wrong, but I think it is important to acknowledge what we’ve done that has been wrong. I just want to, for myself as a councilmember and a leader, apologize — that was a mistake that we did make, and I do hope that we continue to build faith in the community that we are providing these services,” Melendez said.

In recent months, several residents as well as council members have spo -

ken out about the benefits of mobile laundry facilities and showers. They not only support hygiene and cleanliness that can protect individuals from infections but also help to preserve dignity.

“Showers are very foundational. They provide dignity and the health benefits are incredible,” Holly Herring, a Vista resident experiencing homelessness, told the City Council in the fall. “Having that bacteria on your skin, getting a scratch or a scrape, you know the first thing you do is wash out the bacteria that has now gone in through the skin break.”

Free showers are regularly available in several neighboring cities includ-

LAST WEEK’S collision on South Santa Fe Road near La Colusa Drive caused a 2016 Jeep to roll on its side and catch fire.

The male driver of a 2008 Lincoln that was hit by the Jeep later died of his injuries. Courtesy photo

SAN DIEGO Rescue Mission’s mobile shower trailer is available three days a week in Oceanside, including at Calvary Chapel on Tuesday mornings. The organization said it is considering expanding to Vista, where mobile showers are now explicitly permitted. Photo by Laura Place

AT ITS MOBILE SHOWER site at Calvary Chapel Oceanside, the San Diego Rescue Mission offers homeless individuals toiletries, towels and clean clothes. Photo by Laura Place

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Mass transit merits potential budget cut

From the moment

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in January that his next budget plan would include a $2 billion cut in funding for building mass transit, there was bleating from many of California’s leading liberal legislators.

The budget reduction, warned Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, “could lead to significant service cuts, which is a downward death spiral for some (transit) agencies.”

Protecting farmworkers from criminal wage theft

By Summer Stephan

After the mass shooting in Half Moon Bay in January, the deplorable conditions in which farmworkers live and work and how they are paid came to national attention. One of the points that was highlighted in the subsequent media coverage was the low pay the mushroom farmworkers were receiving.

In his trip to Half Moon Bay, Gov. Gavin Newsom saw firsthand the disgraceful working and living conditions of the farmworkers, noting that many were getting paid as little $9 an hour — well below the state minimum wage of $15.50 an hour.

California is often called the “breadbasket” of the world due to its bountiful harvests. In San Diego County, there are also agriculture and field workers who contribute to the state’s abundance of commodities.

California is able to yield such abundance, in part, due to the hard work of a group that is often unnoticed and unappreciated: farmworkers. Unfortunately, this group, which is so vital to our state, also includes some of our community’s most vulnerable and taken advantage workers. They are often underpaid.

My office has been at the forefront of protecting workers’ rights. In 2020, we started the Workplace Justice Unit to investigate and prosecute employers who steal labor from their employees. Recent legislation made it clear that wage theft can be a felony crime.

Overtime pay is one of the main issues that affects farmworkers. In 2016, historic legislation was signed into law that gradually eliminated the farmworker exception that exempted agricultural workers from receiving overtime pay.

These workers are now

eligible for the same overtime benefits extended to all other California hourly workers. This new law was phased in over the course of a seven-year period to give agricultural companies time to adjust their business models to account for increased labor costs.

San Diego County is home to its share of agriculture including avocado groves, flower fields, citrus groves, tomatoes and various vegetable and nursery crops. Here are quick facts for workers, employers, and consumers.

• Farmworkers are entitled to the same protections as all other California workers.

• Farmworkers are entitled to paid 10-minute rest breaks for every four hours of work, and an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes if they work more than five hours.

• Failure to pay minimum wage and overtime or to provide meal and rest breaks could amount to criminal wage theft.

• All employers are required to provide a pay stub to their employees upon request regardless of method of payment.

• Workers receiving cash pay are entitled to and should request a copy of their pay stub.

• A review of the pay stub would show the hourly

rate, how the worker is classified and that the appropriate taxes are paid.

• Employees should keep records of hours worked, with whom they worked and any written documentation from their employer. When it comes to which farmworkers would be most affected by employer theft, it can be anyone, but it’s more prevalent in the murky quasi legal industries like marijuana grows. Those who work in large illegal grows are more likely to be victims of wage theft since there is less oversight of an illegal grow.

Although the focus of this column is farmworkers, wage theft laws are applicable to other industries where exploitation is prevalent, including:

• Construction

• Janitorial

• Nursing homes

• Restaurants

• Massage parlors

When wage theft is accompanied by force, fraud or coercion, it can be elevated to the crime of labor trafficking.

If you suspect you have been the victim of wage theft, you can report it directly to our office on our Workplace Justice page at www.sandiegoda.com/workplacejustice, by email at workplacejustice@sdcda.org or by calling 1-866-402-6044.

As your district attorney, I am committed to protecting all San Diego County workers, especially those in the agricultural industry, from criminal exploitation and wage theft. Only by safeguarding the rights of our most vulnerable populations can we ensure that those who help provide for us all can also provide for themselves and their families.

Summer Stephan is district attorney for San Diego County.

fends folks like Wiener and Skinner for other reasons, even though they rarely mention it.

Oakland Democratic state Sen. Nancy Skinner added that “I think everyone in the Legislature would not want to have any funding shift, for example, for a public service like transit.”

But a look at the numbers gives a pretty good idea why Newsom chose transit for about 10% of the cuts needed to make up a predicted $22 billion deficit.

They show Californians are not as enthusiastic about either light or heavy rail commuting as their elected lawmakers.

Figures from the American Public Transit Association demonstrate that neither the extensive Bay Area Rapid Transit system nor Southern California’s Metro Rail have come close to recovering the ridership they lost during the coronavirus pandemic, when two things happened:

One saw many white-collar workers begin staying home to work. The other was that thousands of commuters daily chose to use private cars rather than public transit to avoid possible exposure to the many, ever mutating variants of COVID-19.

By the fall of last year, BART was carrying just 55% of its pre-pandemic passenger load, while Metro Rail was at 71% of prior ridership. Partly, that’s because San Francisco saw a greater shift than Southern California toward remote work. The change also saw that city lose about 6% of its population, many workers moving to less expensive areas once they no longer needed to live close to their job sites.

The specific numbers, available most recently from last July, August and September, saw both systems carrying tens of thousands more persons in those months of 2022 than a year earlier. But still not nearly enough to make either system break even financially.

That’s one reason the Newsom budget proposal seeks to cut much more money for new lines and equipment than for operations.

But any reduction in new rail construction of-

Wiener, in particular, has been the legislative point person for the recent spate of state laws that encourage far denser housing than California has previously seen.

Proximity to mass transit lines and stations is written into some of those measures, with high-rise construction permitted almost automatically in areas close to “major transit corridors” and light rail stations.

So the more new rail lines are built, the more dense housing will be permitted over the next few years.

The fact that not very much of the development authorized so far has actually taken place has less to do with transit access than with high interest rates and skepticism on the part of lenders. They see high vacancy rates where new construction has risen. Current vacancy rates in commercial and multi-family housing run about 27% in San Francisco and 20% in Los Angeles.

In short, just because legislators authorize something does not mean it will automatically occur, especially when the average cost of creating a new one-bedroom apartment or condominium reportedly is about $830,000.

None of this will dampen the enthusiasm of Wiener, Skinner and other legislators for ever-denser housing.

As a result, and if transit ridership gradually creeps back toward pre-pandemic levels, expect pushback from the lawmakers over the cut in transit construction funding, putatively slashed by Newsom from $7.7 billion in 2022-23 to $5.7 billion in 2023-24.

For the fiscally conservative governor had to find places to cut his budget that would impact the fewest possible Californians.

Since ground has not even been broken yet on rail lines that were to be financed by the funds at issue, let alone have them in operation, this is a cut that affects no one right now. Which makes it a logical category to reduce, unless there’s a sudden and unexpected upturn in the state’s finances.

These workers are now eligible for the same overtime benefits extended to all other California hourly workers.

County gas price highest since Dec. 2

By City News Service REGION

— The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose Wendesday for the 22nd consecutive day and 27th time in 29 days, increasing 1.5 cents to $4.864, its highest amount since Dec. 2.

The average price has increased 28.2 cents over the past 29 days, including two-tenths of a cent Tuesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

It is 3.8 cents more than one week ago, 27.9 cents higher than one month ago and threetenths of a cent above what it was one year ago.

The average price has dropped $1.571 since rising to a record $6.435 on Oct. 5, 2022.

A run of 29 decreases in 31 days to the national average price ended with an increase of two-tenths of a cent to $3.359. It dropped 15.3 cents over the previous 31 days.

The national average price is 3.8 cents less than one week ago, 14.2 cents lower than one month ago and 26 cents below what it was one year ago. It has dropped $1.657 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14.

EUSD’s Rankins-Ibarra named superintendent of year

By Staff ESCONDIDO —

Luis

Rankins-Ibarra, superintendent of the K-8 Escondido Union School District, has been named the 2023 Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators Region 18, which encompasses San Diego and Imperial counties.

“I am honored and humbled by this recognition,” Rankins-Ibarra said. “I share this with every member of the EUSD team. I believe that this is a great testament to the collaboration and hard work of everyone in the district.”

Rankins-Ibarra is recognized in the nomination as “an infinite-minded leader who has established a true just cause that centers and drives our positive culture and instructional programs. Through his leadership, all team members have embraced the calling to actualize the unlimited potential of every learner.”

The nomination takes note of how Rankins-Ibarra has fostered a culture of risk-taking and support, encouraged the flexibility to innovate, and established shared accountability for results.

Under his leadership, the district’s programs advance equity, creativity, and purpose for all students, and, as a result, they thrive.

“As a board, we could not be more proud of Rankins-Ibarra and the fine

work he has done in leading the Escondido Union School District,” Board President Mark Olson said.

“We are grateful to the Association of California School Administrators for recognizing what we have known for a very long time. Ibarra and his team have led our district through a few very challenging years, and although the work will never be done, we are grateful for his efforts to serve our students and our community.

“His efforts in leading EUSD are one of the many reasons Escondido is such a wonderful place to call home.”

In an education career spanning more than 30 years, Rankins-Ibarra has served as a bilingual elementary teacher, principal, director and assistant superintendent in both human resources and business services.

He joined EUSD as superintendent in 2014, and since then, he has nurtured the district’s role as a leading pioneer in the use of educational technology, while cultivating a safe, productive and innovative environment for learning and working.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Rankins-Ibarra led the dis-

trict with thoughtful collaboration and meticulous planning, never losing sight of the guiding principle of ensuring the health and safety of students and employees.

Under his leadership, employees from every corner of the district worked to close the gaps that EUSD families were experiencing by ensuring ready access to food, technology, internet access, instructional materials and other resources.

In fall 2020, EUSD was among the first school districts in the county to provide in-person instruction when students returned to campus in late September.

In the following school

year, EUSD opened its 24th campus, Limitless Learning Academy, in response to the need for a continuing virtual learning environment.

Rankins-Ibarra’s forward-thinking continued as he launched the 2022-2023 Design Team last fall with the focus on developing and refining the EUSD school experience for students, working with dynamic facilitators from the Learner-Centered Collaborative to guide us on defining whole-learner outcomes. Recently, Rankins-Ibarra shared the progress of this meaningful work in a draft Framework for the Future.

The Association of California School Administrators Region 18, which represents nearly 1,400 educational leaders, advocates for public school students and strives to ensure that school leaders are recognized for their excellence.

Through its annual awards program, ACSA honors administrators for their achievements and dedication to public education.

Recipients of ACSA’s administrator of the year awards are individuals who show strong support for the school management team, exceptional leadership in managing school programs, commitment to educational quality and student achievement, commitment to professional growth, and creativity and innovation in dealing with issues and problems facing public education.

RAIN, WIND, AND FIRE...

“The three menaces to any chimney, fireplace, or stove.”

Every year there are over twenty thousand chimney / fireplace related house fires in the US alone. Losses to homes as a result of chimney fires, leaks, and wind damage exceeds one hundred million dollars annually in the US.

CHIMNEY SWEEPS, INC., one of San Diego’s leading chimney repair and maintenance companies, is here to protect you and your home from losses due to structural damage and chimney fires.

Family owned and operated and having been in business for over 30 years, Chimney Sweeps Inc. is a fully licensed and insured chimney contracting company (License # 976438) and they are certified with the National Fireplace Institute and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

For a limited time, readers of this paper will receive a special discount on our full chimney cleaning and safety inspection package with special attention to chimney water intrusion points in preparation for the rainy season.

CHIMNEY SWEEPS, INC SERVING SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOR OVER 30 YEARS

LUIS RANKINS-IBARRA joined Escondido Union School District, a K-8 district, as superintendent in 2014. He has previously served as a teacher and principal. Courtesy photo

Who’s NEWS?

Business news and special achievements for North San Diego County. Send information via email to community@ coastnewsgroup.com.

APP FOR OCEANS

Twins Garrett and Jacob Stanford from Encinitas, graduates of La Costa Canyon High School, run on Brigham Young University’s Track and Field team, study accounting and develop apps together. Their newest creation is a home run, both for its users and for a charity dedicated to keeping our oceans clean. With some app development experience already under their belt, the brothers decided to create a video game aimed at kids. The revenue generated is donated to Team Seas, a charity “committed to cleaning oceans all around the world,” they said. Visit teamseas.org.

MUSEUM HONORED

In honor of our nation's 250th anniversary, the Daughters of the American Revolution is erecting 250 patriotic markers, with one in California, to the Green Dragon Tavern & Museum in Carlsbad, which offers a free museum featuring artifacts from the American Revolution and colonial heritage.

STAR STUDENTS

• Beste Tatlican of San Diego named to the fall 2022 presidential honor list at New York Institute of Technology.

• Colton Lehberg of Rancho Santa Fe was named to the dean’s list at Grove City College with high distinction for the fall 2022 semester.

• Ella Alford of Solana Beach was named to the College of Charleston fall 2022 dean’s list.

•Kayley Garcia of Vista

SDG&E

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

ed to be significantly lower than January and February, an SDG&E statement read, driven in part by the restoration of service to a critical out-of-state pipeline.

SDG&E will begin collaborating with local nonprofit organizations and seek proposals for the new $10 million initiative that “support programs that uplift vulnerable and lower-income residents, including seniors and those who are food insecure.”

“United Way of San Diego County has a long history of working with SDG&E to help underserved populations and addressing inequities in this region,” said Nancy L. Sasaki, CEO of United Way of San Diego County. “I commend SDG&E for its latest giving initiatives. This type of community investment is critical to uplifting struggling families, helping create a brighter future for all.”

The Neighbor-to-Neighbor program,

PENDLETON BAND REHEARSES

The

Division

qualified for the dean’s list at Chadron State College.

•Harrison Spicknall was named to St. Lawrence University’s fall 2022 dean’s list.

• Joshua Bourgeot of Encinitas, Dennis Li of San Diego, Nicholas Gardner of San Marcos and Aishah Bint Sadiq Abdul of Vista were named to the dean’s list at Rochester Institute of Technology.

• Breeanna Gilbert of Oceanside was named to the University of Wyoming fall semester dean’s list.

• Camryn Cox of Encinitas was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2022 semester at Coastal Carolina University.

• Ryan Bell of Oceanside was named to the Middle Tennessee State University dean’s list for fall 2022 semester.

established in January and funded entirely by SDG&E shareholder dollars, is intended to provide eligible customers with up to $300 to offset their outstanding bills.

The additional funding announced Monday means that even more customers who need bill assistance can now receive up to $600 per household per year.

SDG&E customers may apply if they are experiencing serious illness, temporary unemployment, disability or unusual hardship. Customers are encouraged to call 2-1-1 San Diego for assistance with the program.

“Every day, 211 San Diego works with thousands of individuals and families to connect them to important and much needed community, health, and social services and programs,” said 211 San Diego President and CEO William York. “We believe access to these critical services is the foundation for individuals and families to build and sustain healthy lives.”

More information at sdge.com/assistance.

University in December 2022.

• Carrie Alidaee of San Marcos graduated with a Master of Arts degree in biology, and Jim Spandikow of Oceanside graduated with a Master of Arts degree in biology from Miami University in December 2022.

CHAMBER PODCAST

The Encinitas Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce the launch of a new podcast for the community, “Encinitas Chamber Chat Live” — at youtube. com/channel/UC1lX1yibPZtpTz9n40MnZXA. Carol Knight, community relations and membershipdirector of the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, will host, with Encinitas-based Max Lux Media producing the bi-monthly series.

Taking stock with bag of potato chips ask mr. marketing

Thirty years ago, I bought a bag of potato chips. Stepping on the scale this morning reminds me that I’ve probably bought (and eaten) a truckload of these munchies since then. But this particular potato chip experience was special enough to stand out in my mind.

Because every bag of snacks I purchased from the Good Idea Foods Co. came with one share of its common stock, certificate and all.

rob weinberg

ers) to its mailing list. That mailing list was undoubtedly rented out to other businesses numerous times.

Sadly, Good Idea Foods went belly up in 1997. So much for my youthful wisdom and foresight, eh?

and

LEAGUE SCHOLARSHIPS

Assistance League of North Coast will award 13 scholarships to 2023 graduates from Carlsbad High School, El Camino High School, General Raymond Murray High School, Mission Vista High School, New Haven School, North County Trade Tech High School, Oceanside High School, Rancho Buena Vista High School, Sage Creek High School and Vista High School. These include $2,500 for careers in STEM or business and a $5,000 Meredith Fellows Future Teacher Scholarship for a career as a teacher. Applications due by April 7. Go to alncscholarships.com.

GREAT GRADS

• Chelsea Peach of Oceanside graduated from Stephen F. Austin State

AMERIPRISE WINNER

Marie Accunzo, CFP, ChFC, MBA, was named winner of the 2022 Ameriprise Client Experience Award.

RESEARCH IN GARDEN

San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) in Encinitas will be among four public gardens nationwide involved in a new national research network created to provide training in plant science for post-graduates.

HWAC AIDS UKRAINE

With the help of the community, Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe raised over $356,000 and the Center is still in touch with the Eastern European animal welfare organizations served. In addition to other critical supplies, Ukrainian animal welfare group HappyPaw utilized Center donations to purchase a rescue van, which is being used daily to transport injured animals and bring pet food to shelters in desperate need across the country.

The company had obviously figured out that, regardless of what you sell, your customers are asking one question: What’s in it for me?

And by providing an “ownership” position in the company, Good Idea Foods had successfully gotten me to buy into its success. The company was motivating me to buy more of its merchandise.

Pretty slick trick!

Now for my confession: After I received that first stock certificate, I went out and bought a bunch more of Good Idea’s snack foods.

I eventually ended up with several dozen shares. My youthful fantasies of easy wealth focused on retiring early and writing a novel while sitting on a beachfront veranda.

Plus, I’d get to each all that junk food!

Distributing a share of stock is arguably a cleaner, more effective strategy than having me send in four box tops.

Furthermore, in addition to providing significant incentive to continue buying its products, Good Idea Foods also added my name (and countless oth-

But remember, a sales promotion is supposed to generate short-term sales with an eye toward establishing long-term customer relationships. Anyone familiar with the story of Willy Wonka recognizes the fury that can be generated by a good promotional campaign.

And while most promotions these days are humdrum contests and drawings, you periodically encounter a campaign that’s professional, clever and most important, different.

Your business can also benefit from the occasional sales promotion. Done properly, it can grab attention, build long-term revenues and steal market share from your competitors.

As this manufacturer showed, being daring and outrageous has potential to add some immediate flavor to your bottom line. And that makes it a good idea.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Get your share of marketing ideas at www. askmrmarketing.com.

And don’t let the dead bugs bite small

Enjoy one from the archives.

So I bought some bugs. I know. I was welcome to drop by your backyard and take all the bugs I wanted for free. However, while I respect the insect’s place in our ecosystem, I prefer them dead and pinned to a board.

My elementary school received a loaner display of bugs under glass from another school in the district, and the kids were delighted and fascinated.

It made me crazy though, because those bugs had no identification, and hard as we tried, we couldn’t identify most of them.

That was my cue to scour the internet for a similar, fresher collection with at least the phylum included. The only affordable set was from Thailand, but the bugs arrived in a timely fashion.

Parents, teachers and youngsters alike are truly enthusiastic about this display, and love discussing which is what.

I couldn’t resist hunting

down the common name and home country for most of them, because that’s what I want to know when I see a bug.

The collection includes a gorgeous, huge, fivehorned rhinoceros beetle, an elephant beetle, a toe-biter (water bug), assorted other beetles, an Asian tarantula and a big, black scorpion.

The most entertaining aspect of the arrival of this display is the checkered reactions of the kids. I have been smiling for days.

Now, I don’t take pleasure in having a child refuse to even approach the area of the desk where they are displayed. But it does make me chuckle to see their machinations to avoid proximity.

I had the bugs right by

my checkout area one day and one fourth-grader simply could not, would not get close enough to check out her book. I remedied that, but she remained horrified. I truly hope she has a parent who is nonplussed by bugs, to get that spider out of her bedroom.

I could rent myself out for that job. It’s not my favorite pastime but I get very militant when a live insect foolishly breaches the line between indoors and outdoors.

I will leave them to their crawly, skittering, web-building, biting business outside (with the absolute exception of black widows), but the minute they cross that threshold, they are likely to end up squashed.

If they are dead and under glass, however, I get very brave. I do understand irrational fears, though. Don’t ask me to go to the top of any high precipice and look down and don’t even mention roller coasters.

But bugs I can handle. And the distress of one or

two kiddos is far outbalanced by the shining eyes of most of the youngsters. It is glorious to know that so many of today’s kids find nature and science completely captivating.

I credit the parents, largely, though some are born with it — like my big brother. I will never forget the day he called me into his room and insisted I block the other end of the dresser in case his escaped tarantula should run that way.

I did it, but I wasn’t thrilled. He then taught me that tarantulas are really pussycats, unless you sit or step on them.

So with the hope that the collector found all of these bugs in our collection already expired from old age, I will continue to enjoy exposing the young’uns to one more marvel of our world.

Jean Gillette is a freelance writer who will never love a mosquito. Contact her at jean@coastnewsgroup.com.

talk

jean gillette

1st Marine

Band practice drills

event rehearsals at Camp Pendleton are led by Staff Sgt. Jessica Larsen, above, the drum major of the 1st MARDIV Band. Larsen’s first duty station was with the Blue Diamond as a lance corporal saxophone instrumentalist; after three years as a drill instructor, she has returned for a second tour. Larsen, pictured during a practice drill last month, is a native of St. Donatus, Iowa. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Cameron Hermanet

Vista now requiring permits for skateboard ramps

New city law regulates ramps over 6 feet tall

By Laura Place VISTA — Professional skateboarder Evandro

Mancha and his family have enjoyed having a 17foot vertical skate ramp in their Vista backyard for the past decade, operating the recreational structure without meaningful local regulations — until now.

The Vista City Council on Feb. 14 unanimously approved city code amendments related to skate ramps over 6 feet tall, restricting them to the city’s agricultural, estate and single-family residential zones and requiring owners to obtain minor use permits from the Planning Commission beginning March 16.

Existing skate ramp owners like Mancha and his wife Courtney Menezes will have until March 2024 to obtain a minor use permit for the structure. A 12-month amortization period will be in place from the time the ordinance takes effect, with the option of waiving the $3,300 permit fee if they apply within the first 90 days.

According to city staff, the ordinance came before the council after months of complaints about noise, parking issues and view blockage from neighboring residents to homes with ramps.

The city’s planning commission first discussed the issue in October and, in January, created an ordinance that was forwarded to the council for approval.

Mancha, who has been skating for around 35 years, said the backyard ramp allows people of all ages to explore vert skateboarding with encouragement and supervision. Kids from the neighborhood, as well as his friends’ kids, come over to

try out the ramps, he said.

“There’s not that many [vert] ramps out there, so I try to pass on my knowledge as much as I can. The only way to keep that alive is to provide the opportunity for those skaters to ride the ramp and see if they can progress,” he said.

Menezes said she Mancha worked hard to responsibly build and manage their two skate ramps — the 17-foot tall one they brought over from the Encinitas YMCA- and a smaller 4-foot-tall ramp. They reached out to the city when they first constructed the ramps over 10 years ago to make sure it was legal and received the blessing of surrounding neighbors at the time.

However, she said they understand that it is an unusual structure and the city’s desire to create regulations.

“Out of respect for our investment and in honor of our efforts to help control noise and maintain privacy, and the fact that both ramps

in question have been in existence for more than 10 years each, our preference would be, of course, not to amend the existing code,” Menezes told the city council on Feb. 14. “However … we are aware it’s an unusual structure, and we do fully understand the desire to add some guidelines.”

Several residents at the meeting said these large ramps are still a nuisance even with mitigation measures like screening and sound infrastructure. Tony Hutchison and his wife Alicia, who live next door to Mancha, said the constant noise from kids skating “six days a week” is unfair.

“This ordinance is long overdue. Common sense needs to take priority over absurdity. That is what the situation in my neighborhood has become — absurd,” Hutchison said. “My neighbor’s never-ending parade of skateboarders is an oppression which I cannot escape nor do I deserve … I’ve lost the enjoyment of my property.”

Communications between city staff and the Hutchison and Menezes households indicate a more complicated situation regarding the ramp on Oak Drive.

Menezes told staff that her neighbors had only raised severe issues regarding the ramp in the October planning commission hearing. Before then, she and her husband had always worked to accommodate their privacy and noise concerns.

According to emails, Hutchison also filed a code complaint with the city in November, arguing that the ramp did not meet setback requirements. However, city staff said they found no code violations upon inspecting the property.

Councilwoman Katie Melendez said the lack of resolution, in this case, made it necessary for the council to intervene, but that she prefers these issues to be solved on a “neighbor to neighbor level.”

“Somewhere along the

way, that no longer became a reality for the neighbors in this situation, which is unfortunate,” Melendez said. “I really do see regulations like this not as something that’s going to take away from the benefit of someone being able to do a sport in their backyard or in their free time, but to be able to have consideration [for] a group of people — the neighbors — and to have peacemaking.”

Individuals who submit a skate ramp permit for review to the Planning Commission must meet various conditions, including implementing proper landscaping and screening to protect neighbors’ privacy, using wood or other composite materials in the ramp’s construction and soundproofing the structure to the extent practical.

Use of a skate ramp for special events or business purposes will not be allowed, and adequate parking must also be provided at residences with a ramp. In addition, any lighting

for a skate ramp must be directed downwards and not spill onto other properties, and setbacks must meet the requirements for a primary residence, according to the city.

“Staff would be able to impose conditions for the use of the structure depending on characteristics of the property and the neighboring concerns,” Community Development Director John Conley said.

The council also agreed to set general hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for skate ramps over 6 feet unless otherwise permitted following a public hearing.

While the draft ordinance approved by the Planning Commission suggested an 18-month amortization period for existing ramps to come into compliance, the council agreed to shorten that period to 12 months to speed up the process for concerned neighbors.

Application approval may also be appealed to the City Council.

Sale complete, new owners look to revitalize Escondido mall

By Samantha Nelson ESCONDIDO

— Revitalization efforts are underway as new owners plan to return the mall known as North County Fair to its former glory.

Investment groups

Steerpoint Capital and Bridge Group Investments purchased the mall from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in February for $57 million.

The mall opened in the mid-1980s during a boom period for shopping malls.

Bo Okoroji, managing partner and founder of Steerpoint Capital, said the mall is well liked and well visited despite the recent decline in mall shoppers across the country and has created many fond memories for locals over the years.

According to Okoroji, who previously served as head of U.S. investments for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, the mall welcomes 6 million visitors annually. During the pandemic, the

mall averaged between 3 millions and 4 million visitors; pre-pandemic, the mall saw an average of 8 million visitors.

“Our goal is to get the mall back to that point preCOVID by retaining and adding retail,” Okoroji said.

The Escondido mall is the fourth California mall that the two investment groups have purchased in partnership. The other three are Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale, Northridge Mall in Salinas and the Shops at Montebello in Montebello.

The new owners’ goal is to focus on right-sizing the mall’s retail aspect by maintaining current tenants and finding new ones to take over the many vacant spaces.

“We have a significant number of national tenants that want to be here, we just need to identify more tenants,” Okoroji said.

Only Macy’s and JCPenney remain from the origi-

nal anchor stores. Sears and Nordstrom closed in 2020. No tenant is lined up for the Nordstrom space, but the city has entered into a new lease agreement with Costco to take over the former

Sears location.

“We’re supportive of bringing in Costco,” Okoroji said.

The mall occupies 83 acres at the southern end of Escondido. The city owns all

but 9 acres.

Redeveloping the mall

to include mixed-use residential is not something currently in the works for the new owners, though it could be discussed down

the road.

According to Jennifer Schoeneck, Deputy Director of Economic Development for the city, apartments are not allowed on site unless voters pass a measure to allow such a use.

Though residential space on the mall property isn’t happening anytime soon, the new owners are considering the addition of a hotel, which is an approved use for the space. Another piece being considered is a theater, which could fill the void with Regal Escondido’s upcoming closure, along with other entertainment possibilities.

“We want this to be a family-oriented destination,” Okoroji said. “We’re finding things for all ages.”

For now, the mall will be known as North County Mall, but Okoroji said his company plans to conduct a poll of local residents on what they think the new name should be.

EVANDRO MANCHA stands atop his 17-foot vertical skateboarding ramp in his Vista backyard last month. Beginning this March, the city will begin requiring permits for ramps over 6 feet tall, which currently face little to no restrictions. At right, Mancha’s vert ramp, which was originally located at the Encinitas YMCA but was moved to the backyard of his Vista home about 10 years ago. Photos by Laura Place

WESTFIELD SIGNS have been taken down at North County Mall after new owners Steerpoint Capital and Bridge Group Investments took over in February.

Photo by Samantha Nelson

Silvergate San Marcos wins “2023 Best of Senior Living” Award

SAN MARCOS - March 3, 2023

Silvergate San Marcos – the area’s premier senior living community for nearly 30 years –once again has been honored with a “Best of Senior Living” award from SeniorAdvisor.com, the country’s largest online ratings and reviews site for senior care and services. The agency found Silvergate San Marcos to be among the top 1-2% of senior living communities in the nation, making it one of a select few senior living communities in the region to win the coveted award.

“Quite simply, we are in the business of making every day matter in retirement,” said David Nelson, Marketing Director for the community. “The exceptional ratings we garnered this year demonstrate how dedicated we are to each of our residents. In fact, it’s simply woven into every aspect of the Silvergate retirement lifestyle. From our robust calendar of activities and events, to our amazingly delicious chef-prepared meals, residents find life easier and better here. Families in turn worry less about loved ones and find the peace of mind they need.”

For more than a decade, SeniorAdvisor.com has hosted an annual award contest showcasing retirement communities in the industry who are delivering outstanding care and meeting the highest standards of service in independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Based on online reviews written in the last twelve months by seniors and their families who have direct experience with the

community, these exclusive designations honor the top tier of senior living communities. Silvergate San Marcos is one of only a small handful of winners in all of San Diego County and regularly receives exceptionally positive reviews like this one:

“There’s no place my mom would rather be! Fine dining, family time on the patio, social hour with friends. The staff at Silvergate lives by their motto ‘Where Every Day Matters’. — Michael, Loved One of Silvergate Resident “We’re proud to be among the top one percent of family-rated communities and care providers in the nation,” said Joan Rink-Carroll, Executive Director for Silvergate San Marcos. “Seniors have set an incredibly high bar of standards for themselves when considering a transition to senior living. They want and expect the best in retirement. I’m proud to say our amazing team rose to the occasion once again.”

This latest announcement completes a trifecta

of award wins for Silvergate San Marcos having also been named a 2023 Caring Star recipient for service excellence by Caring.com, the nation’s second largest online referral service for senior living, and a “Favorite” for both the Assisted Living and Retirement Community categories in the Union Tribune’s 2022 “Best Of” Reader’s Poll.

About Silvergate San Marcos

Located in a serene setting within the city of San Marcos, Silvergate is a full-service retirement community offering independent living, assisted living or memory care. As a senior living community with a broad spectrum of care, and decades of experience in the industry, Silvergate is proud to have been recognized for its superior service levels and for making a difference in the lives of seniors right here in San Diego County.

Find out why San Diegans are singing Silvergate’s praises and learn more about securing a new apartment home at Silvergate San Marcos by taking a virtual or private, in-person tour of the community. For information, David Nelson to arrange a private tour of the property at 760-744-4484. Currently, the community has two-bedroom, one-bedroom and studio models available for private viewing in addition to Memory Care Suites located in a separate building on campus. Silvergate San Marcos is located at 1550 Security Place, San Marcos, CA 92078. www.SilvergateRR.com/SM.

Friends Are Life’s Great Joy

Escondido considers ad hoc committee on homelessness

By Samantha Nelson ESCONDIDO

— The city may soon have an ad hoc committee designed to address local homelessness with the City Council’s permission.

After hearing an update from staff regarding the city’s ongoing efforts to tackle homelessness at a Feb. 15 council meeting, Mayor Dane White requested the consideration of a homelessness ad hoc committee be added to a future council agenda.

“We will find a solution,” White said. “We will implement it through the City Council; we will do something moving forward. I’m tired of hearing these conversations and then no action happening.”

According to the mayor, Supervisor Jim Desmond is interested in funding potential solutions that North County cities like Escondido could create via such a committee.

“The funding is there; we just all need to cooperate,” White said.

City staff across several departments have spent thousands of hours annually addressing the homelessness situation in Escondido. The city also recently launched its website, escondido.org/homeless, demonstrating its ongoing efforts to address homelessness through current data.

Housing and Neighborhood Services manages $10.2 million in federal grant funding through homeless outreach and prevention services contracts. Nearly two-thirds of that amount goes to National Core, which plans to construct 25 studios for seniors 62 and older experiencing homelessness and 24 affordable units for households.

The second majority of the funds go to various contracts with Interfaith Community Services and other partners, including $1.3

million for the Haven House 49-bed emergency shelter, $1.7 million for homelessness prevention efforts and hundreds of thousands of dollars for other services, including street outreach and rapid re-housing options.

The Public Works department has dedicated nearly 2,900 employee hours to addressing issues related to homelessness, including repairs to damaged city property like broken fences and stolen electric wiring from city lights, debris removal, installing infrastructure to deter homelessness and outreach with other public entities like Caltrans about problem areas.

The police department has also been involved with approximately 11.5% of its homelessness-related calls over the last year. As part of its Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT), a TURN TO AD HOC ON 15

Theft of batteries worth $300K probed

By Steve Puterski VALLEY CENTER

— The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the theft of more than 100 utility-grade lithium batteries from the Valley Center Energy Storage Center.

The thefts occurred between December 2022 and January with each battery having an estimated value of $3,000, according to Lt. Jim Emig. The department is seeking the public’s help with its investigation by offering a $1,000 reward. No suspect or suspects have been identified.

The 139-megawatt battery storage facility, owned by Terra-Gen, is located at the intersection of Cole Grade and Valley Center roads. Terra-Gen was unaware of the thefts until at least January, according to law enforcement.

While he couldn’t share details of the investigation, Emig said it’s likely multiple individuals were involved in removing dozens of used high-capacity batteries — each weighing approximately 250 pounds — from the facility.

The LG lithium power cell batteries (model JH4-P LG NMC lithium-ion batteries) are roughly 3.5 feet by 1.5 feet and approximately 4.5 inches thick. The batteries are not intended for personal use and the Sheriff’s Department warns to avoid connecting or using the batteries because of the risk of a fire or explosion.

“The batteries should only be operated in a commercial facility and require several external design parameters to operate safely,” the department said in a press release. “The batteries must have a system to monitor current, voltage, temperature and other conditions. They require strict environmental conditions to maintain temperature parameters and a water-cooling system in case of an overheating emergency.”

In addition, if the batteries are not properly and securely installed, they could suffer damage from vibrations or seismic events. The department said without those parameters, the batteries could fail, ignite or explode.

Over the past few

months, nationwide energy infrastructure, including power substations, has been the target of attacks and subject of threats. In December, gunfire damaged five North Carolina power substations. In Washington state, four substations were damaged by attacks on Christmas Day.

Between mid-November and Dec. 8, at least six other attacks occurred on substations in Oregon and Washington, according to NPR.

However, Emig said the battery theft in Valley Center was more likely a crime of opportunity seeking money in the resale of batteries.

“We have leads, but would like the public’s help,” Emig said. “We don’t have any information at this point that organized crime or terrorism is involved. We think this is just opportunists looking to make some money.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Valley Center Sheriff’s Substation at (760) 751-4400 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477.

AERIAL VIEW of Terra-Gen’s energy storage center in Valley Center. North County San Diego is home to a number of similar sites, including the world’s largest lithium-ion battery energy storage facility in Escondido. Courtesy photo

Spotted owl heads to endangered list

By Steve Puterski

REGION — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week a proposal to protect the California spotted owl under the Endangered Species Act.

In a Feb. 23 filing published in the Federal Register, the Fish and Wildlife Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, proposed two subspecies of the California spotted owl — Sierra Nevada and Coastal-Southern California — receive protections under the 1973 law.

According to the USFWS, the Sierra Nevada population is being “impacted by high-severity fire, tree mortality, drought and barred owls” and should be placed under threatened status.

The Coastal Southern California owl, found along the state’s coastline and Transverse and Peninsular ranges, is in danger of extinction and should be listed as endangered.

A species is an endangered or threatened species due to one or more factors, including present or threatened habitat destruction; overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes; disease or predation; inad-

equate regulatory mechanisms; or other natural or manmade components.

Pam Flick, California program director at Defenders of Wildlife, said conservationists and animal advocates have lobbied the federal government to place the bird under a protected category for more than 20 years.

In 2019, the USFWS denied listing the bird as endangered, claiming it did not meet federal standards to warrant protection.

The following year, conservation groups Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Forest Legacy and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit alleging Fish and Wildlife’s rejection of protections for the owl was unlawful and no consistent with scientific research, according to legal documents.

“We are pleased to see the listing,” Flick said.

“It’s high time and the petition has been in play for more than two decades. The spotted owl’s numbers have been declining during that time, particularly in national forests.”

Lesley Handa, an ornithologist for the San Diego Audubon Society, said these raptors can be found in San

Diego County above 2,500 feet elevation and mostly feed on small mammals, such as flying squirrels and wood rats.

While it’s difficult to determine the exact number of owls in San Diego County or Southern California, Handa estimated between 25 to 50 pairs for the coastal species.

Flick said the owl’s decreasing population goes back nearly 40 years. According to a study, the spotted owl population experienced a 9% drop between 1987-1998, and follow-up analysis shows further decline.

The owl’s habitat has dwindled over the years due to wildfires, climate change, bark beetles, tree mortality, drought, logging and devel-

Encinitas OKs ban on public smok ing

By Samantha Nelson ENCINITAS

— The city of Encinitas now has one of the strictest anti-smoking ordinances in Southern California after expanding its public smoking ban earlier this month.

the ban. First-time offenses will include a $50 fine and increase by another $50 for each offense after.

contentious among member cities is SANDAG's controversial $172 billion Regional Transportation Plan.

Melendez said her goal is to advocate for Vista and infrastructure projects, but also did not state a position on a controversial road user charge. Under that proposal, motorists would be charged 3.3 cents per mile.

In December 2021, the SANDAG board directed staff to remove the charge from the transportation plan.

After staff missed its summer deadline, the removal of the charge was pushed to the spring. Opponents believe the inaction by SANDAG staff is a decoy pushed forward by the Democratic board majority.

In agreement with Franklin, Melendez said she does not support a road user charge in combination with gas taxes, a scenario they have both called "double taxation." Melendez said she believes county voters will ultimately determine the fate of the road user charge and she has no interest in superseding the

will of the people.

Melendez also said she does not want to eliminate single-occupancy vehicles. Instead, she wants to wants to encourage residents to move away from using single-occupancy vehicles as a primary mode of transportation.

“I care about my community, and I know that I will pursue transparency and community participation,” Melendez said. “We need freedom and choices. We need a world where buses are reliable and jobs closer to home.”

Franklin said Contre-

opment. The northern population is also threatened by the invasive barred owl, which are larger and “outcompete spotted owls for habitat and food,” according to Oregon State University.

“Another concern we have is the spotted owl is very sensitive to disturbance,” Handa said. “Anytime there is development or even recreational activities it can be problematic. We’re always concerns about habitat loss.”

And even with a federal listing protecting the spotted owl, many logging operations would likely be exempt from having to comply with the rules under the Endangered Species Act, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

ras should have recused herself from the vote due to her alleged financial and lobbying conflicts through her role as a policy advocate at the Climate Action Campaign, a primary sponsor for the failed half-cent tax measure last year.

If Contreras had recused herself from the vote, Franklin would serve as the primary SANDAG representative due to a 2-2 split.

Throughout the meeting, the mayor and Contreras traded verbal jabs. At one point, Franklin said he'd spoken with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and will bring the matter alleged conflicts before a court.

Franklin argued he was the best choice for the SANDAG role based on his experience and role as mayor.

Franklin questioned the state’s pilot program for the road charge, namely privacy concerns related to its use of a GPS device installed in cars to track mileage. Franklin further criticized the SANDAG board for reallocating Transnet funds from one city to another. Franklin has been vocal about the reallocation, and he forced the board to vote down a motion to remove the rule requiring two-thirds approval from voters for any special purpose tax measure. Any tax increase proposed by SANDAG must be approved by 66% of voters.

“It’s obvious that over 80% of the community doesn’t want the road user charge,” Franklin said. “We have not received our fair share of taxes since 1987 when Transnet was approved and again in 2004.”

The Encinitas City Council on Feb. 15 approved an amendment to an existing ban on smoking at public beaches, parks and trails to include all public places throughout the city.

The law will go into effect 90 days after officially being adopted into the city code and includes traditional tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and cannabis products.

Last summer, the Environmental Commission previously recommended the council adopt a smoking ban in all public places. Following that move, the council directed staff to look into modeling the smoking ban after a similar ban in Manhattan Beach, which includes prohibiting smoking inside moving vehicles.

After analyzing the logistics behind implementing and enforcing such a ban, staff recommended that the city’s new smoking ban make an exception for smoking in moving vehicles due to the difficulties of notifying and enforcing non-residents in town.

Smoking in parked cars, however, is still prohibited by the new law, including in parking lots.

The only places where smoking is now acceptable in Encinitas are moving vehicles, private residences and up to 20% of guest rooms in any hotel or motel.

Businesses with a designated smoking area at least 20 feet away from the main public area can also maintain those spaces.

Signs warning of the new law will be posted throughout the city, and businesses are required to post signage within the 90 days.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will be in charge of enforcing

SHOWERS

CONTINUED FROM 3

ing Oceanside, Carlsbad and Escondido, via local religious and social service organizations such as San Diego Rescue Mission.

Rescue Mission Coordinator Mike Neff manages the mobile shower program in Oceanside, where he estimates that between 75 and 100 people obtain showers and toiletry kits at three locations weekly.

One of these locations is the Oceanside location of Calvary Chapel.

Providing a shower and the chance to feel clean can also open the door to connect homeless individuals with additional resources, Neff said.

“The people we’ve tak-

“The purpose of the ordinance is to protect the coastal environment from hazardous and toxic plastic pollution — cigarette butts and vape cartridges — and then secondarily to improve or protect public health,” said Sustainability Manager Crystal Najera.

According to the Surfrider Foundation, cigarette butts comprise between 20% and 30% of the litter found during beach cleanups. Based on health and environmental concerns, the ordinance received significant support from the community.

“We do not need more smoke in the air in any way,” said Vanessa Forsythe of CleanEarth4Kids.

But not everyone is happy about the new law.

“I’m a smoker and I don’t smoke around any other people,” said Eli Stern.

Some also noted the law conflicts with individuals’ constitutional rights, however the council felt that the rights of non-smokers also need to be considered.

“I still understand the argument about rights, but the question is does the smoker infringe on other people’s rights,” said Councilmember Bruce Ehlers. “The emitted smoke that gets to other people is enough of an impact.”

Deputy Mayor Joy Lyndes said the law addresses a “nexus” between environmental, public and personal health.

“When you can improve all three with one action I think you’ve got something very special,” Lyndes said. “This is a good example of something that elevates us as a community.”

The City Council approved the new smoking ban in a 3-0 vote. Both Mayor Tony Kranz and Councilmember Kellie Hinze were absent.

en down to the Rescue Mission, the ones that do need help, even for some of them just giving them a shower is enough. Just the smile and glow you see when they get out of the shower … we might not be able to help them get off the street, but we can help them with cleansing,” Neff said.

He said Rescue Mission would like to eventually expand its program to other cities, and that Vista could potentially be among them if the organization finds a suitable site.

As the name suggests, mobile shower and laundry facilities permitted under the ordinance will be required to change locations on a regular basis rather than remaining in one place.

SANDAG CONTINUED FROM FRONT

THE CALIFORNIA spotted owl faces a number of threats, including wildfires, climate change, bark beetles, tree mortality, drought, logging and development Photo by Kyle Greene

In ‘Wild Patagonia,’ photos capture a challenging terrain

Notoriously bad weather is not usually an asset for a tourist destination, but for Patagonia, high winds, heavy rains and unexpected blizzards are what keep this area of immense grandeur shared by Chile and Argentina pristine and worth seeing.

“Bad weather may be Patagonia’s saving grace,” author and photographer Anthony Garvin said in a telephone interview from his home in Alameda. “Europeans are not interested in settling there (because of) the difficulty of the terrain, the weather and the lack of roads.”

If you are lucky enough to catch any portion of Patagonia on a good-weather day, you take photos — lots of them. And that’s what Garvin has done. He shares the images taken during two trips to Patagonia, 10 years apart, in his hard-cover, all-color, coffee-table book “Wild Patagonia.”

Nearly every one of the tome’s 142 pages features one or two images of Patagonia’s jagged peaks, pristine rivers, lakes, fjords and glaciers, and wildlife unique to this vast, sparsely inhabited

land.

Garvin, a retired environmental attorney who has “dedicated his life to the protection of the environment and the preservation of wild spaces,” grew up in the mountain-rich Pacific Northwest.

“I naively thought all mountains were like Mount Rainier and her sister volcanoes,” Garvin said.

He learned otherwise after moving to the East Coast for college, and eventually learned to appreciate the lower, less-dramatic mountains there. This didn’t

quell his appetite for exploring grander peaks, though.

So when the demands of family and work subsided a bit, Garvin and his wife, Linda, spent a month in 2012 traveling through Chile and Argentina, focusing on Patagonia.

This rugged area is about 1,200 miles long; is three times as large as California; features 452 volcanos, active and non-active; and has the largest, permanent ice cap — 4,700 square miles — outside of Antarctica and Greenland.

Besides the vastness

and the notoriously bad weather, visitors also must navigate the difficulties in getting from Chile to Argentina and back.

“The two countries don’t exactly like each other,” Garvin said, and buses that once took travelers across country borders within Patagonia were discontinued in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, travelers must return to Santiago, then fly to Buenos Aires, then fly or take a bus to your destination in Argentinian Patagonia. Reverse the process to

return to Chile.

“The first time we were there in 2012, we took nine flights back and forth so we could see things,” Garvin said. “It got so that stewardesses on the airplanes started recognizing us.”

The Garvins returned to Patagonia in 2022, and while he had some great shots from the first trip, the majority of the images in “Wild Patagonia” were taken during last year’s visit. Garvin feels lucky to have had enough fair weather to shoot to his heart’s content, but there were some chal-

lenging days.

“In Torres del Paine (National Park in Chile), twice I was trying to take some video time-lapse and wind blew over my tripod,” Garvin said. “And a trip to see the penguins was canceled because the wind was too strong. But we were able to see more of Patagonia that I hadn’t seen, especially the Lake District of Chile.” Garvin pursues his next photographic adventure this month in Antarctica.

For more photos and discussion, visit www.facebook.com/elouise.ondash.

Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) is bringing cleaner electricity options to the residents and businesses of Escondido and San Marcos beginning April 1, 2023.

Because CEA is a locally managed, not-forprofit entity, any excess revenue generated by CEA will be reinvested in the community through innovative energy projects, rebate programs and other incentives. CEA is designed to empower the local community through local control, clean power, competitive rates, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and more.

CHILE’S LAKE DISTRICT contains six

volcanoes, some erupting as recent as 2015. Left, Osorno Volcano (8,701 feet high) is in the foreground; Cerro Tronador Volcano (11,380 feet) is to the left. “Despite the risk of volcanic eruption, residents don’t seem overly worried about living on top of pools of molten magma,” writes Alameda-based author and photographer Anthony Garvin. Although it’s possible to travel on the margins of Patagonia in relative comfort, there are still thousands of unexplored square miles in this vast wilderness of mountains, rivers, glaciers, waterfalls and fjords. Right, the three signature granite towers of Torres del Paine National Park, with heights ranging from 8,530 feet to 9,350 feet. Photos by Anthony Garvin

5.00

4.75

1Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of February 24, 2023, and assumes principal and dividends will remain on deposit until maturity. Fees and withdrawals or transfers may reduce earnings. A minimum $500 opening deposit is required for 17-month certificate or IRA certificate. There is no minimum daily balance requirement to obtain the APY. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Member may close certificate, or have it automatically renew at maturity at our standard certificate rate. This special certificate is not extended to organization accounts. 2To open an IRA certificate, visit a branch or golden1.com/Accounts/IRA to obtain the necessary forms. We reserve the right to change or discontinue this program at any time. Rates and term are subject to change without notice.

Leading Credit UnionSM. INSURED BY NCUA.

Food &Wine

Betty Buzz, Yard House team up on NA cocktails

Make yourself a drink while I dig through my inbox to share some San Diego area craft beer and spirits news.

• San Diego-based Embolden Beer Company and New Motion Beverages will be more readily available in North County.

Embolden’s Mango Palmer Hard Sparkling Black Tea and Embolden Litehouse Blonde Ale have been added to Gelson’s Local Discoveries category in San Diego locations.

• Stone Brewing may not be locally owned anymore, but it is still a significant local beverage business attracting other big brand names.

The brewery has partnered with Bulleit Frontier Whiskey to encourage us to explore the old order of a beer and a shot, or in this case, a Bulleit and a beer.

The collaboration

Ascend Coffee Roasters in San Marcos

Where: Ascend Coffee Roasters, 1080 W San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, CA 92078

Open: Daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What: Batch Brewed Black Coffee House Coffee (Single-origin Costa Rica)

Tasting Notes: Milk chocolate, grapefruit, bright.

Price: $3.05+tax

What I’m listening to: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “Death Wish.”

By Ryan Woldt

Ilove the pop-in. PreCOVID-19, I used to always pop into people’s homes for a surprise visit. There were no expectations, and since I usually brought coffee or a six-pack, I was often welcomed with open arms. Of course, the pandemic changed the reality of the pop-in.

Still, it motivated me to find other ways to connect, like convincing my editor that the paper needed a column about coffee and the local purveyors who serve it.

You’re here, so…I think it worked.

Restaurant Row in San Marcos has been in flux for years. On top of that, the coronavirus pandemic laid bare how dependent the hospitality business is on its customers.

So when Erin Harper and her business partners at Old Cal Coffee considered the future, they faced a big question: How do we create something sustainable in the face of uncertainty?

Erin’s partners decided it was time for a new direction away from coffee. Erin had already started her coffee roasting business under the Ascend Coffee Roasters banner to open a new location in Vista.

She’s bucking the trend by focusing on and featuring accessible dark roasts, but she wasn’t ready to

leave the community she spent a dozen years serving at Old Cal Coffee.

At the dawn of 2023, the Old Cal Coffee sign came down and the Ascend Coffee Roasters sign went up. Erin has taken over the location and put her stamp on things.

There is new signage and a new menu, but most faces, both behind the

counter and stepping up to order, are the same. In late January, a red ribbon was strung to commemorate the grand opening of a new-old business in San Marcos.

I ordered my standard black drip coffee that morning and watched employees, customers, and city officials cheer as the blades of oversized scissors sliced through the ribbon. There was a pal-

pable relief at having kept a local business — albeit one with a new name — around to be a hub in the community for a little longer.

I’ve popped into Ascend a few times since the grand opening. The future is still wide open, and proposals for the redevelopment of Restaurant Row are still on the table. How long will it take before they come to fruition? Your guess is good as mine. In the meantime, the staff is still making drinks and serving pastries, and the future Ascend Coffee Roasters location is still moving forward.

Erin’s experience is an excellent reminder that being flexible is just as important as staying focused. It’s a fine line to walk. Without a doubt, there will be more plans, adjustments, and opportunities to pursue in her future.

Follow @roastwestcoast on Instagram.

cheers! north county ryan woldt

kicked off in December 2022 with the release of Stone One Batch Dispatch: Gimme Yule Gimme Fire Barrel-Aged Bock.

This limited-time offer beer was aged in Bulleit Rye Whiskey barrels and sold exclusively online and at Stone Brewing locations. Please be sure to look for more collaborations between the brands moving forward.

• Did you know the chain restaurant Yard House originated in Long Beach? I didn’t. It’s one thing I learned reading

TURN TO CHEERS! ON 16

GUNTHER GUNS

March

ASCEND COFFEE ROASTERS has opened in the place of Old Cal Coffee at Restaurant Row in San Marcos. Photo by Ryan Woldt

THE TEAM behind Ascend Coffee Roasters is planning another location in Vista. Photo by Ryan Woldt

Versatile Coyle having twice the fun with CSUSM softball

sports talk

jay paris

Savannah Coyle is a two-way softball standout at Cal State University San Marcos with a one-way allegiance.

Never mind that she reminds some of Shohei Ohtani, the pitching and hitting star for the Los Angeles Angels.

When talk turns to Ohtani, Coyle turns away.

“I’m a Dodgers fan,’’ she said, firmly.

Fair enough and we’ll let her wrestle with the Padre faithful on her own. Knowing the feisty Coyle, she would welcome it.

The Cougars, ranked No. 6 in the nation among Division II programs, are back at it in defending their California Collegiate Athletic Association title.

By winning the championship last season for the first time in school history, everyone is aware of CSUSM (10-3, 7-1).

“We’re in a different position this year,’’ Cougars coach Stef Ewing said. “We got a target on our back. The expectations are for us to be able to come out and take care of business.’’

CSUSM did just that in

its opening California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series, sweeping Cal Poly Humboldt in four games.

This past weekend, the Cougars took three of four at Cal State East Bay, with Coyle (4-1, 1.05 ERA) earning a win and a save in the series to earn CCAA Pitcher of the Week honors.

“When a team beats us now, it’s like it won the World Series,’’ Coyle said.

Coyle is serious about her game, a sport she has

been playing since she was 4 years old. After a stellar career at Rancho Buena Vista High, she sets sail on her sophomore season after a freshman year to remember.

Coyle, an Oceanside native, was named to the All-CCAA team and was the conference’s freshman of the year in 2022. She went 19-4, which included five shutouts and 12 complete games.

And when asked to ride to the rescue coming out

of the bullpen, the southpaw Coyle had a conference-high five saves.

Want another reason why Ewing makes sure Coyle is on the team bus before games?

As a designated player and first baseman, the left-handed hitting Coyle batted .384 with two homers and 15 RBI.

Shohei, no. But is Coyle showing well?

Absolutely.

“She’s a competitor,’’ Ewing said. “She wants to

win. The moment never gets too big for her. She gets pumped up and she understands when the big moments are.”

That included the opening weekend of conference play when she entered the game with traffic on the bases and the contest hanging in the balance.

“She wants the ball in her hands,’’ Ewing said.

“She’s like the great Trevor Hoffman that she can come in those situations and shut it down.’’

We’ll allow Ewing introducing Del Mar’s Hoffman, the former Padres great, into the conversation even with Coyle leaning toward the team up north. When summoned to put out another fire, Coyle hears “Sandman” by Metallica instead of AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells,” which Hoffman preferred.

Just don’t sleep on Coyle when she’s in the circle or at the plate.

“I’ve always pitched and hit,’’ Coyle said.

Her versatility allows her a perspective few others possess.

“I know, as a pitcher, what they are trying to throw me when I’m hitting,’’ she said. “Because I think of when I’m pitching and if someone gets a hit on an inside pitch, I know not to go inside again.

“As a pitcher you know what to throw in certain counts, so as a hitter I know what to expect.’’

Coyle is far from the Cougars’ lone bright light.

Other returning AllCCAA players seeking to run it back are first baseman Paige Donnelly (Poway High), outfielder Bianca Gutierrez and right-handed pitcher Jayline Sloss.

“We know,” said Ewing, last season’s CCAA coach of the year, “that we’re going to get everyone’s best shot.”

Contact Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com and follow him @jparis_sports

SAVANNAH COYLE, among the CCAA’s top pitchers, is no slouch at the plate either. In her first year with the Cougars, the Oceanside native and Rancho Buena Vista grad posted a 19-4 pitching record and batted .384 to earn first-team all-CCAA honors and the conference’s freshman of the year award. Photos courtesy CSUSM Athletics

sort to other parking op -

“As a parent, I am really frustrated and concerned that these kids cannot park at their own school,” said Tom Primosch, father of student Allison Primosch.

Tom said he relies on Allison, who does not have a designated parking space or school-issued permit, to take her younger siblings and herself to school.

“My parents both work, so I am the only way my little siblings can get to school,” said Allison, a junior at San Marcos High.

Despite being an upperclassman, Allison cannot park at school — only a few juniors acquire parking permits.

‘The only way all three of us can get to school is parking in the neighborhoods and walking through the rain and the cold just to get there,” Allison said.

The community also has ideas of how the administration could solve the parking issue.

“Maybe make it all first come, first serve or maybe give teachers a commute to the high school from the district office,” Tom said.

Students also park in lots at nearby businesses due to the school’s parking system, but regardless if companies are okay with it, students could still get towed.

Eugenio’s, an Italian restaurant located in a business complex across the street from San Marcos High School, occasionally allows students to park in spots surrounding the restaurant.

“We haven’t had many specific issues, but I know it is an issue for security,” Katherine said, who manages the restaurant with her father, Eugenio.

Katherine said security patrolling the areas would tow students’ cars if parked in designated busi-

ness spaces, even if the lots are mostly empty.

While many students and parents wish the school could find better parking alternatives for commuting students, Erin Garcia, assistant superintendent of business services at San Marcos Unified School District, said district administrators are trying solutions and doing their best to remedy the situation.

“When the school was first built, we had to go through lots of regulatory agencies, including sufficient parking,” Garcia said. “We met all the regulations at that time, but since the school has grown over time, more students drive than what was originally anticipated when it was built, and we very much want to come up with a solution because we know it is an issue. The problem is that the school is landlocked; we don’t have space around the school if we want to put another big parking lot up.”

The administration has also looked at possible resolutions, such as reaching out and negotiating with different property owners close to the school.

“We have reached out to neighboring property owners, but it appears at this time they want very high prices to allow students to park there,” Garcia said. “If we were to partner up with one that

has the ability to have some open parking spots, it looks like, at this time,

they would charge us a very high fee. We don’t think that is financially viable for us at this time, and we do not want to pass on that cost to students.”

Garcia also said the school’s parking permits have always been free for students, a benefit the administration would like to keep intact.

San Marcos Unified acknowledged students are struggling to find parking spaces, a problem the school district has tried to solve for years and will continue to address.

“If anyone out there has some suggestions or solutions, we’re happy to engage in those conversations,” Garcia said.

handful of assigned police officers also work with a licensed mental health clinician to address high-risk homeless individuals who need more intense help.

The police have been identifying and prioritizing target areas throughout the city with the highest number of homeless-related calls. One particular success story for the department has been at the Motel 6 on Quince Street, where over the last year, the police experienced a 77% drop in calls from that area due to their ongoing efforts.

Police Chief Ed Varso would like more officers and PERT clinicians to be assigned to the team. The majority of the council agreed.

Not everyone was happy with the police department’s involvement in addressing homelessness. Several public comments accused the city and the police of caring more about the property than residents in need.

“It’s a joke to say that funding the police department to provide any kind of services to people in need is going to be effective because they’re sorely unqualified to do that,” said Juliana Musheyev. “They exist to uphold and protect the systems that cause the severe inequality at the root of homelessness.”

Others noted that over-policing and criminalizing homeless individuals are also counterproductive to helping them get back on their feet.

“Policing will not solve our current homeless crisis,” said Escondido resident Sean Pike.

The police chief noted that although the department wants to help people

who need it, they must still uphold the law.

“Our goal is to help people that need help, and we have a lot of resources available in our city,” Varso said. “Our police officers are very familiar with the resources available to them and are working diligently to connect people with resources; however, at the end of the day, if people are unwilling to accept those resources for whatever reason that may be and they engage in criminal behavior, our police officers are going to intervene in that behavior and hold them accountable.”

Although resources are available in the city and beyond, Interfaith CEO Greg Anglea said many existing resources, including the organization’s own, are full, leaving many in the streets without much-needed help.

“Despite the positive elements that have been presented tonight, there is no shelter available for someone on the streets tonight,” Anglea said. “Our Haven House shelter, which we operate with your support, is full. If somebody wants a treatment program, our treatment program is full. If someone wants to detox, our detox program is full… we have a long way to go.”

White, who spent several years homeless, struggling with addiction between the ages of 16 and 21, noted how important it was for him to have resources like permanent supportive housing and treatment options.

Several other council members pointed out that while Escondido has been trying to chip away at homelessness in the region, neighboring cities are not as involved in the efforts and need to step up to the plate.

STUDENTS WITHOUT PERMITS often park on Discovery Street, a busy thoroughfare next to San Marcos High School, then walk to school. Photo by Alexandra Schueller

tions.

Felix Dominguez, 65 Oceanside February 13,

David P. Hernandez, 67 Oceanside February 10, 2023

A SCHOOL-ISSUED parking permit allows students to park at San Marcos High School, which has 3,400 students but only 445 spaces in the student lot. Photo by Alexandra Schueller

ADVERTISE • DONATE

Flower Fields invites visitors to ‘Live Colorfully’

By Steve Puterski CARLSBAD

— The iconic Flower Fields opened its doors on March 1 and guests can expect a lively and colorful season thanks to heavy winter rainfall.

The 55 acres of giant tecolote ranunculus flowers are the basis for this year’s theme of “Live Colorfully,” according to a press release from the Flower Fields.

The season runs through May 14, which is also Mother’s Day.

For the 2023 season, The Flower Fields is thrilled to introduce new events, such as the Meditation and Sound Healing Workshop,

Flower Design Workshop, and Toddler and Me Yoga Story Time themed around plants and flora.

“Visitors can’t help but smile here,” said Fred Clarke, general manager of The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch.

“We are first and foremost, a sustainable working farm, and each spring The Flower Fields invites our visitors to ‘live colorfully’ via our rainbow of ranunculus. It is our distinct honor to serve as a multi-hued backdrop to so many family trips, romantic dates and even proposals and weddings.”

Flower frolickers and annual visitors will also be greeted by the return of fan favorite programming like the live outdoor music series, Tea in the Garden and Flower Flow Yoga among other experiences like the American Flag of Flowers, Tractor Wagon Ride, Artist Gardens, a Sweet Pea Maze and Cymbidium Orchid Greenhouse.

Special events will also be sprinkled throughout the season, from Kids Day on March 25, a Canon Photography Workshop on April 16 with the season capped off with its iconic Mother’s Day Celebration on May 14.

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch is located at 5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad. Single ticket admission is $23 for adults, $21 for seniors 60+ and military, $12 for children 3–10, and free for children under 3.

Season passes are $48 for adults, $44 for seniors 60+, $24 for children 3–10, with group tours also available.

Private events are available to book yearround, including corporate groups and weddings. Advanced tickets are available for purchase at theflowerfields.com.

The need for local journalism has never been more important than it is today. Misinformation, biased reporting and fake news impact your ability to make informed decisions. The Coast News needs your help to continue honest communitybased reporting you can trust. Just like many of you, our team at Coast News Group has also been impacted by the coronavirus. In order to continue our mission to provide quality local journalism, we are now accepting reader donations. We appreciate all your support during this time of need.

To make a contribution, go to thecoastnews.com/support-coast-news/ or scan this QRCODE:

ACTRESS BLAKE LIVELY is

locations in Carlsbad and San Diego, recently became the first nationwide restaurant to partner with Lively’s beverage company. Courtesy photo/Betty Buzz

CHEERS!

CONTINUED FROM 13

an e-mail about how they are the first nationwide restaurant partner of Blake Lively’s Betty Buzz non-alcoholic line-up of sparkling cocktails.

Did you know that Blake Lively had a line of NA cocktails? I didn’t.

Plus, Yard House has locations in Carlsbad and San Diego. Today has been a fun day of learning.

• Speaking of NA cocktails, one of the fastest-growing beverage categories, look for an upcoming feature in the Cheers! column on the locally based !mprov Booze-Free Cocktails.

• Was that a Juneshine commercial during the Super Bowl? Yes. Yes, it was. Congrats to another San Diego company leading the way.

• Barrio Logan’s ReBru Spirits (previously featured in the Cheers! column) is jumping into the hard tea game with Longball, a hard lemon iced tea cocktail. It is already available throughout San Diego County. Did I miss the memo on 2023 being the year of hard teas and NA cocktails?

In a nice (lemon) twist, you can choose whether you

want your Longball with one shot of booze or two. The base of the drink is actually fortified apple wine with a lower alcohol by volume (ABV) content of 23.5%, so you might see it at your favorite restaurants with beer and wine licenses.

• Congratulations to Thomas Peters, who was promoted to head of production and quality manager at Belching Beaver Brewery. Peters started at Belching Beaver in 2013 as a keg washer and volunteer brewer.

I’ve always loved seeing someone work their way up.

Also, how does one volunteer to be a brewer? I have some free time…

• Nova has been named the Official Hard Kombucha of the San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. The multi-year partnership includes a limited-edition Wave FC Kombucha that will be available during the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season starting March 25.

In addition to the exclusive Wave FC Kombucha beverage, Nova tasting rooms will serve as a watch party location for Wave FC away matches.

The Chula Vista-based brewery has a taproom in Ocean Beach, while all Nova kombuchas are served at their sister Novo Brewing locations in Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City, and Otay Ranch Mall. I should mention that I am ALL IN on the Wave.

I’d also like to know how to get an Official Hard Kombucha (not to mention beer, whiskey, wine, etc.) partner for the Cheers! column. Who do I talk to about that?

• My Yard Live Beer Co. in San Marcos recently posted an event update in which they canceled an upcoming “Drag Brunch.”

The ticketed event was

canceled, per the @myyardlive Instagram account, due to reflection on the pub’s lack of clarity over the event.

My Yard Live continued on to proclaim that while most customer reactions were positive, there was also an outpouring of hate.

“…With that said, we are disappointed and deeply saddened by the amount of viciousness, hatred, and threats that we have seen over the last few days. MYL will not tolerate hate speech or threats of any kind in our establishment and will not welcome those who exhibit this behavior.

“MYL has always been and will continue to be open to ALL groups of kind, well intentioned people. We support the LGBTQ community and the cancellation of this event is in no way a reflection of our feelings towards them, but rather due to the disheartening hostility and threats we have seen surrounding this event.”

The post can be seen in full on the@myyardlive Instagram account.

Be inclusive. Be cool. Be better. Craft beer is for all.

Don’t forget to follow Cheers! North County on Instagram.

the founder of Betty Buzz, a line of non-alcoholic sparkling cocktails. Yard House, with

THOMAS PETERS was promoted to head of production and quality manager at Belching Beaver Brewery. Courtesy photo

Girls on the Run, Escondido schools partner

By Staff

ESCONDIDO — Girls

on the Run San Diego and the Escondido Union School District (EUSD) are partnering to support, empower and inspire students.

Girls On The Run is an international nonprofit that offers social-emotional learning programs through physical activity to support and enhance the emotional and physical strength of girls during a critical stage in their development.

The Girls on the Run program inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running and team-based activities.

The 10-week curriculum is taught by GOTRtrained EUSD teachers and uses the end-of-season 5K as a tangible life lesson on setting and achieving goals. This curriculum is available to girls in third through eighth grades at 20 EUSD elementary and middle schools.

“Girls on the Run curriculum successfully combines play, social-emotional learning, and running to create a truly transformative experience for the girls,” said Wendy Threatt, a fourth-grade teacher at Felicita Elementary.

“As an educator, I have witnessed many positive changes in and out of the classroom — better grades,

school attendance improves, and the girls feel proud to be part of a team. The school’s climate is positively impacted by hosting a team on campus. After 24 years as a teacher, I have not found a more inclusive, supportive and impactful program.”

Starting in early February, more than 300 EUSD students and nearly 50 EUSD coaches embarked on the 10-week program journey to the 5K finish line, scheduled for May 7 at De Anza Cove.

A key feature of the GOTR curriculum is empowering teams to positively impact their communities by designing service projects. The collaborative planning process and execution of these projects helps girls

identify both their own and each other’s strengths and to view themselves as leaders.

“Since 2006, Girls on the Run San Diego has served more than 11,000 girls in San Diego County,” said Girls on the Run San Diego Executive Director Anna Maria Maybury. “We envision a world where every girl possesses the confidence needed to boldly pursue her dreams and realize her self-worth. This partnership with EUSD continues our collective mission to create healthy, confident, and thriving students.”

Strong community partnerships with organizations like Girls on the Run are essential to EUSD, said Superintendent Luis Rankins-Ibarra.

“We are thankful that Girls on the Run has chosen to work with us to bring such an extraordinary experience to our district,” Rankins-Ibarra said. “I’m thrilled to have such a life-changing program accessible to hundreds of students. I’m looking forward to watching it grow in EUSD, and I can’t wait to cheer on this year’s participants as they cross the finish line.”

Founded in 1996 with 13 girls, Girls on the Run, an international nonprofit organization, has now served over 2 million girls. For more about Girls on the Run, visit gotrsd.org.

PARTICIPANTS in the Girls on the Run program at Reidy Creek Elementary head out for a run. GOTR San Diego has teamed up with the Escondido Union School District. Courtesy photo

After 24 years as a teacher, I have not found a more inclusive, supportive and impactful program.”

Wendy Threatt Teacher, Felicita ES

EVENTS CALENDAR

MARCH 3

AMERICAN POWS

The Coronado Historical Association honors 50th anniversary of the return of the Vietnam POWs with a new exhibit, “Open Vietnam POWs Fifty Years of Freedom.” 5 p.m. at Coronado Historical Association, 1100 Orange Ave, Coronado.

VISTA GARDEN CLUB

Richard Reed presents “Beyond Bananas, Novel Fruits for Southern California.” 1:45 p.m. at Gloria McClellan Vista Senior Center, 1400 Vale Terrace Dr, Vista.

NERD COMEDY NIGHT

Clever comedy and a smart audience make this Carlsbad tradition one-of-akind. $15, 7 p.m. at Harding Community Center, 3096 Harding St, Carlsbad.

‘LUCKY STIFF’

A musical comedy by Ahrens and Flaherty. 5 p.m. at Oceanside Theatre Company, 217 N. Coast Hwy, Oceanside.

MARCH 4

ROTARY FUNDRAISER

Magician and longtime Rotarian, Paul Dwork, “the Merlin of Magic” performs. 7 p.m. at Carlsbad Cultural

Arts Center, 3557 Monroe St, Carlsbad.

KIMCHI WORKSHOP

Kimchi is a Korean style of fermented vegetables. We will explore fermentation and teach you how to make it. 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mar. 4 at Maya Moon Collective, 3349 Adams Ave, San Diego.

CARDIFF FARMERS MKT

The Cardiff Farmers Market, sponsored by The Cardiff 101 Mainstreet Association, will feature ap -

proximately 60+ vendors every week. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mar. 4 at MiraCosta San Elijo Campus, 3333 Manchester Ave, Encinitas.

IMAGINATION STATION

In Imagination Station, create a new show based on fun new characters. For ages 4-8. 9 to 10 a.m. Mar. 4 at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

THEATER CLASSES

New Village Arts Theatre is offering a host of act-

MARCH 5

OUR PLANET IN CONCERT

The landmark Emmy award-winning Netflix series that took the world by storm is now a live concert event. Our Planet Live in Concert combines breathtaking HD cinematography with all-new orchestrations by Oscar-winning composer Steven Price performed by a live orchestra. 7:30 p.m. at Balboa Theater, 868 4th Ave, San Diego.

BALBOA WALKING TOUR

JAZZ EVENSONG

A blend of jazz rooted in the context of Anglican meditation and prayer. 4 p.m. at St. Michael’s-by-theSea Episcopal Church, 2775 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad.

MARCH 6

THE FLAMING LIPS

The Flaming Lips bring American indie rock to the stage. 8 p.m. at the Sound at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

CARLSBAD PLAYREADERS

ing classes through March. 5 p.m. at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

OFF TRACK GALLERY

An evening of visual art at Art Night Encinitas. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mar. 4 at Off Track Gallery, 937 S Coast Highway 101, Encinitas.

NORTH COAST SYMPHONY

Organ Symphony, 2:30 p.m. at San Dieguito United Methodist Church, 170 Calle Magdalena, Encinitas.

Register for the Women’s Museum of California on first Sundays for the 60-minute, free Women of Balboa Park Walking Tour. 10 a.m. at Bea Evenson fountain, Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado, San Diego.

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ

A nationwide tour to celebrate the Hall’s 60th anniversary. 5 and 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

NVA’S ‘THE FERRYMAN’

Tickets are on sale now for the New Village Arts presentation of “The Ferryman” with a cast of 21 actors, live animals onstage and more. 8 p.m. at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

Box office opens at 6:30, house at 7 p.m. $5 suggested donation. 7:30 p.m. at Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Ln, Carlsbad.

PARKINSON’S EXERCISE

This group exercise class is appropriate for anyone with Parkinson’s disease. We focus on PWR! Moves, flexibility, strength, endurance, balance and coordination. Modifications are provided and everyone is welcome! This free class meets noon to 1 p.m. the first Monday of each month at NeuroLab 360, 2146 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas.

MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE

Explore different styles of dance in musical theater

TURN TO EVENTS ON 19

PRESERVATION HALL Jazz Band, celebrating its 60th anniversary, performs at 5 and 8 p.m. March 5 at Belly Up in Solana Beach. Photo via Facebook/Jim Brock/Preservation Hall Jazz Band

at New Village Arts. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mar. 6 at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

HARRIET TUBMAN

Leslie McCurdy invokes the “spirit” of Harriet Tubman as she portrays the life of the famous Underground Railroad conductor. 7:30 p.m. on March 6 & March 7 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Solana Beach.

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT

Inland North County Parkinson’s Support Group. “Tremble Clefs – Parkinson’s Voice & Movement Therapy.” 10 a.m. at San Rafael Church, 17252 Bernardo Center Dr, San Diego.

MARCH 7

AMERICAN AUTHORS

Pop alternative rock folk band at the Belly Up. $25 (21 & up), 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

PURIM CELEBRATION

Children’s party, Megillah reading and Purim feast. 3:30 p.m. at Chabad at La Costa, 1980 La Costa Ave, Carlsbad.

PURIM

Community holiday celebration. 5 p.m. at Chabad Jewish Center Oceanside/ Vista, 1930 Sunset Dr, Vista.

FREE APHASIA CLASS

This group is for individuals with difficulty communicating after a stroke or a brain injury. It is led by a licensed Speech Language Pathologist. Join this group to connect and communicate with individuals with aphasia, and rejoin life’s conversations in a fun and supportive way. 11 a.m. at NeuroLab 360, 2146 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas.

MARCH 8

GONE GONE BEYOND

Folk-Americana and roots music. 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

STEPHAN CRUMP

Grammy-nominated bassist/composer Stephan Crump brings fan-supported pandemic solo project live to San Diego. 7:30 p.m. at Dizzy’s, 1717 Morena Blvd, San Diego.

SUNRISE BREAKFAST

Get to know your local Kiwanis Club. 7 a.m. at Pegah’s Kitchen, 945 S Santa Fe Ave, Vista.

HAPPY HOUR & CHESS

Play chess, cards and backgammon (bring your boards & sets - some chess boards available). 5:30 to 8 p.m. Mar. 8 at Sammy’s Del Mar, 12925 El Camino Real, San Diego.

MARCH 9

MANIA: ABBA TRIBUTE

Dig out those platforms, dust down those flares and enjoy all your favorite ABBA hits. 7:30 p.m. at Balboa Theater, 868 4th Ave,

San Diego.

CUT THE CLUTTER

If your current environment is cluttered and you desire to create a more organized and personally satisfying space, this is the seminar for you. Free, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Mar. 9 at Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Dr, Encinitas.

FREE WHEELCHAIR SKILLS

This class is for manual wheelchair users to learn and practice skills such as wheelies, ascending/ descending ramps, curbs and stairs, and transferring from the floor to their wheelchair. Each class is led by a Doctor of Physical Therapy and begins with a shoulder warm up to help reduce and prevent shoulder pain. 12 to 1 p.m. Mar. 9 at NeuroLab 360, 2146 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY Oceanside College theater presents “The Addams Family.” 7:30 p.m. at MiraCosta College, 1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside.

COAL GALLERY AWARDS

Artist Lisa Skelly does demo March 9. Reception March 12. 5 p.m. at North Coastal Art Gallery, 300 Carlsbad Village Dr, Carlsbad.

NORTH COASTAL ART

North Coastal Art Gallery interactive and observation demo and expression exhibition every Thursday. Bring your supplies. 1:30 p.m. at Pine Avenue Community Room, 3209 Harding St, Carlsbad.

CANCER FITNESS

Outdoor gentle boot camp with Mary MacDonald. 1:30 p.m. on the greenbelt at Village Park, Willowspring Drive North & Summerhill Drive, Encinitas.

SD LATINO FILM FESTIVAL

Films, Festival Village and Arte Latino Gallery & “Mercado.” 2 to 10 p.m. Mar. 9 at Westfield Mission Valley West, 1640 Camino del Rio N, San Diego.

CANCER FITNESS

Gentle yoga with Alessandra Colfi. 3 p.m. at Yoga Branch, 208 E Broadway, Vista.

MARCH 10

CANCER FITNESS

North County Cancer Fitness TGIF pilates with Mary MacDonald. 1:30 p.m. at EOS Fitness, 780 Garden View Ct, Encinitas.

NERD COMEDY NIGHT

Clever comedy and a smart audience make this Carlsbad tradition one-of-akind. $15, 7 p.m. at Harding Community Center, 3096 Harding St, Carlsbad.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Oceanside College theater presents “The Addams Family.” Free, 7:30 p.m. at MiraCosta College, 1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside.

Film Program for international film “Wild Strawberries”/“Smultronstället” (1957, Sweden). Free, 7 p.m. at MiraCosta College, 1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside.

HEROES OF VISTA

The Heroes of Vista Gala prides itself for celebrating excellence in education, business, public safety, and more. 4 to 7 p.m. Mar.

10 at The Vistonian, 306 S Santa Fe Ave, Vista.

MARCH 11

‘PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH’

Dr. Jenni Brand, Climate Scientist discusses the lasting impacts of our daily use of plastics. 10 a.m. at Batiquitos Nature Center, 7380 Gabbiano Ln, Carlsbad.

SUPER STEM SATURDAY

A free interactive science festival for all ages. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mar. 11 at California State University San Marcos, 333 S Twin Oaks Valley Rd, San Marcos.

TINYFEST CALIFORNIA

See up-to-date tiny houses, van conversions, skoolies, backyard cottages (ADUs) and shipping container homes. 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Mar. 11 at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2236 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar.

DANA COOPER

Dana Cooper is known for insightful storytelling, songwriting, and his guitar and harmonica playing. 3 to 4 p.m. Mar. 11 at Escondido Public Library, 239 S Kalmia St, Escondido.

HONOR CHOIR

100 talented high school students from across San Diego County come together in a free community concert. 4:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 2111 Camino del Rio S, San Diego.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Oceanside College theater presents “The Addams Family.” Free, 7:30 p.m. at MiraCosta College, 1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside.

BOLLYWOOD DANCE

A step-by-step ‘Bollywood Dance’ program designed for everyone. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mar. 11 at New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St, Carlsbad.

‘THE CHERRY ORCHARD’

Anton Chekhov’s beloved masterwork is a rich tapestry of the human condition woven into a humorous and haunting tale. Tickets for non-subscribers are $57, with discounts for active military, seniors and students with ID. 7 p.m. at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Solana Beach.

WORLD OF ORCHIDS

Orchid specimens, locally bred hybrids, and rare species plants displayed in unique and unexpected ways. 5 p.m. at San Diego Botanic Garden, 300 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas.

DIMITRI MORAITIS

An extraordinary jour-

March

Conference Includes:

• CEO presentations of select emerging growth companies

• An audience of pre-quali ed investment professionals, analysts, portfolio managers, hedge fund managers, top brokers and accredited investors

• CEO media exposure and interviews by “Getting Deals Done” podcast and vodcast with Patrick A. Howell, distributed by Apple iTunes, Amazon Audible, Spotify

• Red Carpet and Cocktail Reception “Standing Room Only” event for maximum exposure and astute 1-1 networking

• Increased web and social networking presence with Wall Street Research Group and Alan Stone

• Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists, High Net-worth Individuals, Leading Entrepreneurs

• Keynote & Panel by: High Pro le Deal Makers; In uencers

Patrick Howell Getting Deals Done

Newport Beach and Southern California is one of the most powerful banking markets in the world offering investors the opportunity to nance.

3 classical music pieces to get you in the mood for spring!

By Amber Flynn “The first blooms of Spring always Make my heart sing.”

— S. Brown

Spring will be here on March 20th We welcome this season of longer days, and the excitement of the sun, and the bursting of spring flowers!! Music has always been known for capturing and celebrating how we feel. What better way to celebrate it with classical music designed to "nod" toward the seasons?

• Antonio Vivaldi, The

EVENTS

ney of Soul in the many spiritual realms, ascending to the heavenly dimensions via the astral, mental,causal and etheric worlds. Align with your spiritual growth and Divine Plan. $40, 2 to 4 p.m. Mar. 11 at SOUL OF YOGA, 627 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas.

TRUECARE GRAND GALA

Join TrueCare’s “Havana Nights” Grand Gala fundraising event to help expand critical services

for older adult health care and the ongoing demand for quality, affordable, healthcare. $300, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Mar. 11 at The Seabird Resort, 101 Mission Ave, Oceanside.

MARCH 12

TINYFEST CALIFORNIA

See up-to-date tiny houses, van conversions, skoolies, backyard cottages (ADUs) and shipping container homes. 5 p.m. at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2236 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar.

GALLERY ART EXHIBIT

Stop in monthly, as the entire gallery changes out with new art for public enjoyment. Something for everyone. 3 to 5 p.m. Mar. 12 at North Coastal Art Gallery - COAL, 300 Carlsbad Village Dr, Carlsbad.

‘UNDER A BASEBALL SKY’

Inspired by San Diego’s Logan Heights neighborhood, this world premiere celebrates communities and individuals coming together to find hope, healing, love, and the occasional home run. 6 p.m. at Old

Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego.

JAZZ EVENSONG

A blend of jazz rooted in the context of Anglican meditation and prayer. 4 p.m. at St. Michael’s-by-theSea Episcopal Church, 2775 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad.

MARCH 13

TANK AND THE BANGAS

Jazz meets hip-hop, soul meets rock, and funk is the beating heart of everything they do. 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 143 S Cedros Ave,

Four Seasons La Primavera (“Spring”) .

You will feel the excitement and vibrancy of this song within the first 10 seconds - it is such a joy! It moves in so many ways and pleases the ear. Featured in the Netflix series "Wednesday," and also "Pretty Woman," "The Simpsons," and "Runaway Train.”

• Johann Strauss II - Voices of Spring Waltz

The orchestral or piano versions of this waltz are what you'll hear more often these days, but first, there was "the music of the

Solana Beach.

CANCER FITNESS CLASS

Balls, bands, and dumbbells. 1:30 p.m. at Village Park greenbelt, Willowspring Dr N & Summerhill Dr, Encinitas.

MARCH 14

N. MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS

American blues and southern rock band. $25, 8 p.m. at Belly Up, 160 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach.

CANCER FITNESS CLASS

Gentle fitness/kickbox-

breeze that comes humming through the trees."

•Robert Schumann, Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, "Spring."

Robert Schumann's Spring is grand and moves beautifully. The composition's celebratory spirit is felt from start to finish. Schumann conceived this symphony with the season of rejuvenation in mind. We hope they inspire you to the joy and beauty music brings!

For more info visit www.leadingnotestudios. com

ing with Amber Rogers. 1:30 p.m. at EOS Fitness, 780 Garden View Ct, Encinitas.

TUESDAY NIGHT COMICS

$3 Beers. Rated R. 7:30 p.m. at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Solana Beach.

MARCH 15

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FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-708-7311 EXT. 257

SALOME’S STARS #12345_20230227

FOR RELEASE FEB. 27, 2023

EDITORS: These horoscopes are for use the week of March 6, 2023.

1. GEOGRAPHY: Which river flows through the European capitals of Vienna and Budapest?

2. SCIENCE: At what temperature are Fahrenheit and Celsius equal?

3. TELEVISION: The comedy series “Frasier” is a spinoff of which sitcom?

4. LITERATURE: Which novel features a character named Katniss Everdeen?

5. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of beans are used in falafel?

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a beaver’s home called?

7. THEATER: Which musical features a character named Tracy Turnblad?

8. MOVIES: Which actress plays the young Wendy Darling in the movie “Hook”?

9. HISTORY: Who invented the game of lacrosse?

10. SCIENCE: What percentage of the world’s population has brown eyes?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Seeing the silly side of some really ridiculous situations helps give the Lamb a new perspective on how to handle them. Some important contacts can be made this weekend.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Try to complete your outstanding tasks by midweek. This leaves you free to take advantage of new possibilities — both professional and personal — opening up by week’s end.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) With both your creative side and energy levels rising this week, you should be able to tackle that too-long-neglected project again. A family member might have important news.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) An explanation you requested seems to be more confusing than enlightening. You should insist on clarifications now, rather than dealing with problems that might arise later.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your energy levels might be ebbing a bit. But that’s no excuse for taking catnaps when you could be working on those unfinished tasks. There’ll be time to curl up and relax by week’s end.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) It’s a good time to get those ideas out of your head and into a readable format if you hope to turn them into something doable. In other news, a good friend is ready with worthwhile advice.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Careful — you might be stepping into dangerous territory if you decide to exaggerate the facts too much. Remember: The truth speaks for itself and needs no embellishment.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Although your workplace successes have earned you many admirers, there are some colleagues who are not among them. Be careful how you proceed with your new project.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You might have to go into great detail to explain why you’re currently reluctant to make changes to an already prepared plan. Be sure you have all the facts to back yourself up.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Travel plans might still be uncertain. But instead of getting upset about the delay, open yourself up to other possibilities and begin checking out some alternative destinations.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Changing conditions might require you to alter some of your plans. While you might be agreeable to this, be prepared with explanations for those who do not want changes made.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Although you might have to deal with some detractors who aren’t too kind in their critiques, you gain points in your favor when you’re willing to stand up and defend your work.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a gift for creating a warm and loving environment between yourself and others.

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

TRIVIA TEST ANSWERS

1. The Danube River. 2. -40. 3. “Cheers.” 4. “The Hunger Games.” 5. Chickpeas or fava beans. 6. A lodge, or a den. 7. “Hairspray.” 8. Gwyneth Paltrow.

9. Iroquois tribes in the eastern United States and Canada. 10. 70%-80%.

OUR SKILL SAVES LIVES. OUR COMPASSION INSPIRES HOPE

IT STARTS WITH CARING. When there’s an emergency, every second counts. That’s why we don’t waste a single one. From the moment a patient enters the Emergency Department, we’re working earnestly to get them the best care and treatment possible. Beacuse, in situations like those, time may not be the only thing we’re trying to save. Check into the emergency room from home, so when you get here you can get in, get out, and start feeling better, faster.

CAREY MELLS, MD Emergency Physician