July 2, 2026

Volume 56 - No. 27

July 2, 2026

Sharia and Freedom

Cannot Occupy the Same Throne by lyle e davis We apparently struck a nerve with last week’s analysis of Islam and Islamophobia. Some positive comments, some negative . . via phone, by emails, and in person. It’s apparently a sensitive issue.

This week’s cover story is likely to touch a few more nerves.

The debate over Sharia law is too often clouded by euphemism, intimidation, and intellectual cowardice.

We are told that criticism of Sharia is

really criticism of Muslims. We are told that concerns about Islamic law are merely products of ignorance or prejudice. We are instructed to avert our eyes from uncomfortable realities lest we be accused of intolerance.

whether Sharia, understood as a comprehensive legal and political system governing society, is compatible with the principles of a free civilization.

Enough.

Not “sometimes.” Not “under certain conditions.” Not “if properly interpreted.” No.

The question before free societies is not whether Muslims deserve equal rights. They do. The question is not whether Muslims can be loyal citizens of constitutional republics.

Millions are. The real question is

The Paper • 760.747.7119 online: www.TheCommunityPaper.com

email: thepaper@cox.net

The answer is no.

A society must ultimately decide what sits at the summit of its legal order. In constitutional democracies, the highest authority is the law

as established through representative institutions and constrained by constitutional limits. In a Shariabased state, the highest authority is not the citizen, not the constitution, not democratic consent, but divine law as interpreted by religious authorities.

These two principles are fundamentally incompatible.

The conflict is not a matter of cultural preference. It is a conflict between rival conceptions of sovereignty. Either the people govern

Sharia Law See Page 2

The Paper • Page 2 • July 2, 2026

Sharia Law from page 1

Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan

themselves through constitutional institutions, or political legitimacy derives from religious doctrine.

Both cannot simultaneously occupy the same throne.

Advocates of Sharia frequently attempt to soften this reality. They emphasize charity, family values, morality, and social order. These themes may be admirable in themselves. Yet political systems must be judged not by their rhetoric but by their consequences. And the historical record is sobering.

A prime example: The Baha’i community in Iran has long been persecuted under Sharia law, which does not recognize the Baha’i faith. Throughout 2024, there have been reports of increased arrests and confiscation of Baha’i property. Sharia law identifies Baha’is as apostates since their beliefs are seen as contradicting the teachings of Islam. According to Bukhari 88:5, “Whoever changes his Islamic religion, then kill him,” a principle often used to justify actions against Baha’is and other non-conforming groups.

In Pakistan, blasphemy is treated as a capital offense under its Sharia-based laws. In August 2023, a Christian woman, Shagufta Kiran, faced the death penalty for allegedly forwarding a blasphemous message on WhatsApp. Her lawyer argued she wasn’t aware of the content. This is an example of how accusations of blasphemy can be weaponized against minorities, stemming from Islamic doctrine that mandates severe punishments for those who insult Islam or Mohammed.

Koran 33:57 states: “Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter, and prepared for them a humiliating punishment.”

Church Demolitions in Indonesia In Indonesia, a country with the world’s largest Muslim population, non-Muslim places of worship are targeted under Sharia-aligned building regulations. Congregations must occupy illegal buildings as discrimination prevents them from obtaining permits to repair

Give Us This Day Me: Wow, that’s one hungry Cat! *** Our Daily once was a man from Chuckle There Nantucket

This week, a compendium of wit, wisdom and neat stuff you can tell at parties. Enjoy!

There’s a certain age where you no longer need an alarm clock. Your bladder will handle that. ***

Grooming gangs in the U.K. have targeted young white girls famously including decades of abuse in Rochdale and Rotherham over the course of two decades as well as individual cases. This aligns with

Christian Persecution in Nigeria In Nigeria’s northern states, Christian communities are subjected to violent attacks by jihadis following Sharia law. In April 2024, several Christian villages were destroyed, resulting in deaths and displacement. Jihadis justify this by citing Koran 47:4, which calls for the killing of “those who disbelieve”.

Northern Nigeria’s Sharia courts Sharia Law continued on page 3

“I’m a plasterer.”

“At the circus,” Says the barman.

who kept all his wealth in a bucket then his daughter Nan ran off with a man and as for the bucket, Nantucket

The flabbergasted barman cannot believe the duck and wants to learn more, but takes the hint when the duck pulls out a newspaper from his bag and proceeds to read it.

“The circus?” Repeats the duck.

***

So, the duck reads his paper, drinks his beer, eats his sandwich, bids the barman good day and leaves.

A duck walks into a pub and orders a pint of beer and a ham sandwich.

The barman looks at him and says, “Hang on! You’re a duck.”

“I see your eyes are working,” replies the duck.

“And you can talk” !!

Teenage Years: Have Time and Energy - no money.

“I see your ears are working, too,” Says the duck.

Working Ages: Have Money and Energy - no time.

“Now if you don’t mind, can I have my beer and my sandwich please?”

Farmer: The Cattle Eat it.

In 2016, during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne, Germany, numerous women reported sexual assaults by groups of men, many identified as migrants from Muslim-majority countries. Some perpetrators justified their actions by claiming that women dressed in Western attire were inviting such behaviour.

Koran 33:59 “O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.”

Koran 25:44 Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except like livestock. Rather, they are [even] more astray in [their] way.

job,” Says the duck.

Exclaims the barman.

*** Me: (Looking at Barn full of hay) Wow, who’s all that food for?

Sexual Assaults in Europe Linked to Non-Adherence to Islamic Dress Codes

Islamic teachings that demand modesty for women and teach that the unbelievers are ‘the worst of creatures’ Koran 98:6, even worse than ‘cattle’ Koran 24:2.

“I’m working on the building site across the road,” Explains the duck.

Three Stupid Stages of LIfe

Old Age: Have Time and Money - no energy.

or build new ones. There are frequent attacks on churches and congregations resulting in deaths and in West Java all 29 of its churches have been shut down. This aligns with Islamic doctrine, which historically limits the building of new churches in Muslim-majority areas.

Koran 9:28 describes non-Muslims as “unclean,” establishing a precedent that supports exclusionary practices toward non-Muslim institutions.

“Certainly, sorry about that,” Says the barman as he pulls the duck’s pint.

“It’s just we don’t get many ducks in this pub. What are you doing around this way?”

The same thing happens for two weeks.

Then one day the circus comes to town.

The ringmaster comes into the pub for a pint and the barman says to him “You’re with the circus, aren’t you? Well, I know this duck that could be just brilliant in your circus. He talks, drinks beer, eats sandwiches, reads the newspaper and everything!”

“Sounds marvellous,” says the ringmaster, handing over his business card.

“Get him to give me a call.”

So the next day when the duck comes into the pub the barman says, “Hey Mr Duck, I reckon I can line you up with a top job, paying really good money.”

“I’m always looking for the next

“Where is it?”

“That’s right,” Replies the barman.

“The circus?” The duck asks again.

With the big tent?”

“Yeah,” the barman replies.

“With all the animals who live in cages, and performers who live in caravans?” says the duck.

“Of course,” the barman replies.

“And the tent has canvas sides and a big canvas roof with a hole in the middle?” persists the duck.

“That’s right!” says the barman.

The duck shakes his head in amazement, and says “What the hell would they want with a plasterer” ? *** Just got a job as Senior Director at Old McDonald’s Farm.

I’m the CIEIO. *** Chuckles continued on page 7

The Paper • Page 3 • July 2, 2026

Sharia Law from page 2

continue to impose harsh punishments on both Muslims and nonMuslims. Reports indicate that non-Muslims face amputations, floggings, and other penalties under Sharia’s mandate. The legal system follows Koran 5:38, which prescribes hand amputation for theft, and Koran 24:2, mandating flogging for adultery.

Citing Sharia law, some extremist insist non-believing females should be raped before being executed.

France: In 2012, a school teacher and three children were attacked and killed at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France. The assailant cited the plight of Palestinian children as justification. Both the Koran and Hadith promote hostility towards Jews The 2015 Charlie Hebdo magazine killings continued over a period of 3 days with 17 dead. Then in October 2020, a French schoolteacher was beheaded for discussing Charlie Hebdo cartoons in class after advising that those who thought they might be offended did not have to stay.

Resistance to Islam justifies what is then considered ‘defensive’ jihad.

There are already ‘No Go’ zones in many European countries.

“The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. ‘O Muslim!

There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.’” (Bukhari 56: 138139) Koran 33:57 “Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter, and prepared for them a humiliating punishment.”

Ali asked – “On what issue should I fight with the people? Thereupon he [Mohammed] said: Fight with them until they bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger…”(Muslim 44:52) Yazidi communities in Iraq continue to face persecution from Islamic groups seeking to impose Sharia. Yazidis in northern Iraq have suffered attacks resulting in death, captivity, slavery and displacement. Koran 9:5 commands, “When the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them,” Where Sharia has exercised substantial authority over public life, questions inevitably arise regarding freedom of conscience, equal-

ity before the law, the status of religious minorities, freedom of expression, and the rights of women.

Defenders often insist that every controversial example represents a distortion of “true” Islam. Yet the same defense could be offered for any ideology or belief system. The issue is not theoretical perfection.

The issue is what happens when religious law acquires coercive power.

When law becomes sacred, dissent becomes dangerous.

That is the central problem.

In a constitutional republic, citizens may criticize lawmakers, challenge legislation, and advocate reform.

In a society governed by religious law, criticism can easily be transformed into blasphemy. Political disagreement becomes theological rebellion. Debate becomes heresy.

The result is not greater freedom but less.

The conservative tradition has long recognized a truth that revolutionaries and zealots routinely forget: human beings are flawed. No institution should possess unlimited authority. No ruler should be beyond criticism. No ideology should be immune from challenge.

Sharia, when elevated into a governing system, undermines precisely these safeguards.

Its defenders frequently describe it as justice. But justice administered without meaningful accountability is merely power clothed in moral language.

Its defenders describe it as morality. But morality enforced through state coercion quickly ceases to be morality at all. Virtue requires choice. Compulsion produces compliance, not character.

Its defenders describe it as order.

Yet history repeatedly demonstrates that order detached from liberty eventually degenerates into oppression.

The greatest achievements of the Western constitutional tradition emerged from the rejection of concentrated authority. Kings were constrained. Governments were limited. Rights were protected.

Citizens gained the freedom to worship, speak, publish, assemble, and disagree.

None of these achievements occurred because power became more sacred.

Sharia Law continued on page 4

Oodles!

Looking for things to do? Places to go?

Check out Oodles every week for a list of civic and service club meetings, and more!

Have an event you need publicized?

Email it to: thepaper@cox.net The Paper goes to print on Tuesday morning.

You are more likely to get published if you: • Submit your press release by the previous Friday.

• Keep It Simple: who, what, where, when, why.

• Send us something we can copy/paste. Please no brochures or flyers. Send a press release.

• Send photos as attachments, not embedded in the document.

Senior Anglers of Escondido Meeting July 10th • 9:30am The Senior Anglers of Escondido meet the second Friday of each month at 9:30 am at the American Legion Hall, 230 E Park Ave, Escondido, CA 92025. The group enjoys freshwater and saltwater fishing, camping, boating, and environmental conservation. Guest speaker is Scott Manson - high school history teacher, author, storyteller, and fisherman who will talk about the coffee-table books he has written. New members are always welcome. Join us to ‘Fish and Play the Senior Anglers Way!’ *** What’s Happening in Vista?

July 4th Independence Day Celebration Brengle Terrace Park opens at 7 a.m., the Moonlight Amphitheatre opens at 5 p.m., Fireworks begin 9 p.m. Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Dr. Admission to The Moonlight: $5 per person. Admission and parking to Brengle Terrace Park is free.

July 11th E-Bike Training Class 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Civic Center, 200 Civic Center Dr. FREE July 11th Movie in the Park: “Goat” Begins at Dusk. Brengle Terrace Park Softball Fields, 1200 Vale Terrace Dr. FREE July 29th Blood Drive

(not open first week of July) Self-serve event (bring your own containers, gloves, shovels). No commercial vehicles allowed.

Open-bed trucks must be covered with a tarp. Dawn to dusk. Vacant lot at Vale Terrace Dr. & Williamston St. FREE Vista Farmers Market Every Saturday 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Vista Courthouse Parking Lot, 345 S. Melrose Dr. Vista Makers Market First Sunday of every month 1-5 p.m. The Commons, 802 S. Santa Fe Ave. Visit www.vista.gov for more information. *** Play Chess!!

San Marcos Senior Center 111 Richmar Ave, San Marcos (760) 744-5535 www.sanmarcosca.gov/seniors Mondays 12:30 to 3:30 Adults of all skill levels are welcome. *** Table Tennis at the Park Avenue Community Center Calling all seniors age 50 and over, join us every Monday and Wednesday 1-3 pm. Everyone welcome – beginning to advanced level players. No sign-ups, no registration, just show up, play for free, and have fun!!

9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Civic Center parking lot, 200 Civic Center Dr. FREE Free Mulch & Compost 1st & 3rd weekends every month

Oodles continued on page 14

The Paper • Page 4 • July 2, 2026

Sharia Law from page 3

ple remains unchanged: some beliefs enjoy privileged legal status while others do not.

They occurred because power became less sacred.

This is not pluralism.

The genius of constitutional government lies in its recognition that no person and no institution should be trusted with unchecked authority. The law governs rulers as well as citizens. Rights belong to individuals rather than being granted by religious or political elites. Legitimacy flows from consent and accountability rather than claims of divine mandate.

Sharia reverses this logic.

Its premise is that ultimate authority has already been revealed and that the role of society is submission rather than self-government.

Once that principle is accepted, liberty becomes conditional.

Rights become negotiable. Political authority becomes insulated from criticism.

The danger is not merely theoretical.

A legal system rooted in religious supremacy inevitably creates firstclass and second-class citizens.

Even when implemented in relatively moderate forms, the princi-

It is hierarchy.

Nor is it sufficient to argue that every civilization has foundations and moral assumptions. Constitutional democracy certainly does.

The difference is that constitutional democracy allows those assumptions to be debated, challenged, amended, and reformed. Sharia, by contrast, claims authority beyond ordinary political scrutiny.

That claim should alarm every defender of freedom.

The twentieth century taught painful lessons about systems that demanded unquestioning submission to absolute truths. Whether those truths were presented in the language of race, class, nation, or ideology, the result was often the same: concentrated power, suppressed dissent, and diminished liberty.

The lesson should not be forgotten simply because the authority now claims religious rather than secular justification.

A free society cannot survive if

With this year’s Del Mar Fair upon us I recall a memory from 2011.

A Brief Review of the Willie Nelson Concert

Man About Town by lyle e davis

A gal that sat near us at last night’s Willie Nelson concert paid $95 per ticket PLUS “convenience charge,” plus “issuing charge,” . . . etc. End result? $117 and change.

The Fair must have made a ton of money on Willie at those prices.

The grandstand was packed at $25+ per ducat, the prime seating section was full . . at $95 per seat.

Regular parking $10, preferred parking $15. Initially, I grumbled I should have bought preferred parking but it actually wasn’t that bad. They had trams running regularly and the wait was not long.

I would love to have the parking concession there. Must have been 5000 cars huddled together at $10 each; figure that parking lot probably turns four or five times per day; do the math 5000 cars x $10 x 4 turnarounds. Why, I bet they musta made at least a $200 profit!

(That’s a joke, son).

We each had a Grant’s Hambuger (the best ones on the midway) for about $7 each. Expensive, but delish.

criticism becomes forbidden.

It cannot survive if legal equality becomes conditional.

It cannot survive if conscience becomes subordinate to religious enforcement.

And it cannot survive if citizens are expected to surrender self-government to doctrines they cannot peacefully challenge.

None of this requires hostility toward Muslims. In fact, many Muslims have fled societies governed by religious authoritarianism precisely because they desired greater freedom. Many have embraced constitutional democracy because they recognize the protections it offers to believers and nonbelievers alike.

The true divide is not between Islam and the West, nor between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The divide is between freedom and coercion.

Between constitutional government and religious supremacy.

Between equal citizenship and legal hierarchy.

Between societies in which laws

We stopped at a jewelry vendor after the concert; Evelyn saw a grotesque purple stoned wrist bracelet she liked. I gave a disapproving glare, told her it would make her look like either a cheap hooker or an elderly grandma who was trying to look like a cheap hooker. She decided she wouldn’t buy it as I quickly, but gently, guided her away from the gaudy trinkets.

Though the fair was packed with people, traffic to and from wasn’t bad, parking wasn’t as bad as it first appeared (thanks to the very efficient tram system. Our first driver had a great sense of humor and had the riders chuckling all the way to the entry gate). Crowded Midway but not difficult to negotiate. Evelyn told me a story she had heard that the vendors on the prime Midway spots pay $60,000 per season and in the first week, all the revenue they make goes toward paying off the $60,000. Everything after that is gravy. That is only anecdotal info; have not confirmed it, but, if true, interesting.

Beach Boys coming next Wednesday; not sure if we’re going or not. I know a Beach Boy’s Tribute Band, “Surfin’ Safari,” who sing better than the original Beach Boys. A Whole lot better looking as well. (Why, some of those

can be questioned and societies in which questioning the law becomes a crime.

That is why conservatives should reject the implementation of Sharia law with clarity and confidence.

Not because they oppose religion, but because they understand the dangers of concentrated power.

Not because they fear faith, but because they value liberty. Not because they reject moral order, but because they know that moral order cannot be sustained through coercion alone.

The central political achievement of the modern age has been the taming of power. Constitutions, representative institutions, independent courts, and individual rights were all created to ensure that no authority—whether king, party, bureaucracy, or clergy— could dominate society without restraint.

Sharia, as a governing system, points in the opposite direction.

A civilization that values freedom should have the courage to say so.

Clearly.

Without apology.

And without retreat.

original Beach Boys are elderly!

Must be over, at least, 40!)

The lady I referred to above, who paid $117, was pleased with the show but furious with the misinformation in the program guide.

It had said Willie had a 2:30pm show. “I figured he was getting up in years and wanted to perform during the day rather than at night,” she said. “So I’ve been here since 2pm! Eight hours!

That’s too long and I’m exhausted.” (Willies concert, according the media office, which was accurate, was supposed to begin at 7:30 and Willie appeared at 8:30. The last part was true; he started his show ON TIME. But from 7:30 to 8:30, nothing but recorded music). We arrived about 7:15 but decided to wait till 8:15 as we only wanted to see Willie.

So we wandered on the Midway, took our time, were quite leisurely strolling about. Came into the arena, and Willie came on stage and started his show about 5 minutes later, with no introduction.

Just Willie, waving to the crowd, hitting his guitar and opening with”Whiskey Woman.”

The unmistakable voice of Willie was at its prime all night. The Man About Town continued on page 5

The Paper • Page 5 • July 2, 2026

Man About Town from page 4 phrasing . . . the quivering voice at tender ballad points . . . all classic Willie. Folks know and love his voice and his writing of lyrics, but what a lot of folks don’t appreciate is . . he is one helluva musician with that guitar of his!

He can make it do everything but back flips and pick up the groceries.. . his band, including his son, is every bit as talented as he is with piano, electronic bass, harmonica, drums, just a superior set of musicians, doing what they love, and getting paid handsomely for it.

The show ran exactly one hour and, one of many things I liked, Willie doesn’t spend a whole lot of time with small talk. He segues from one song to the next, with a “thank y’all,” while blending into another song. Or, “Let’s do one for Waylon!” and then seguie-

ing into a Waylon Jennings Song.

When he did a medley of Hank Williams songs, the place erupted and he had them dancing in the aisles, particularly with “Jambalaya.” On “Hey, Good Lookin’,” he not only had the crowd dancing, including security, but they were singin’ along with him.

Just a super, super show, Very well done. When the show was over, Willie acknowledged the fans, then left the stage. The band finished out the closing song and that was it. Willie don’t do no encores. Willie be done fo’ the night.

Thankee very kindly and come back again and spends yo’ money.

Me? I needs to go to my mobile home and cut the grass. *** Lookin’ back over the early years.

First, I Discovered America, Then I Discovered

The Paper

Ever since I can remember I’ve had the burning desire to discover new places, new adventures. Because of this, I set out to discover a new country . . . and I was successful. I even ventured inland a great many miles where I discovered a place I called Minnesota. “This,” I thought, “would be a great place for Scandinavians.” So I headed back to Norway to recruit settlers. While I was gone, some clown named Columbus claimed he discovered America. Life ain’t fair. Except life also gave us The Paper. I read it whenever and wherever I go exploring and only buy from those who advertise in The Paper. It’s a Viking thing.

Your friend, Eric the Red

Your clothes came from Kmart and they stayed on layaway until school started. Eating out at a restaurant was a thing every now & then!! Fast food was leftovers at home. Eating popsicles was a treat on a hot day. We had fake cigs for candy and you only needed $1 or less. School was mandatory. You took your school clothes off as soon as you got home and put on your play clothes. If no one was home after school, you went to the neighbors. Nobody paid for daycare because we had a key to the house to get in when we got home.

We ate dinner at the table. Our house phone wasn’t always being used. We played Cops and Robbers, 1-2-3 Not It, Red Light Green Light, Hide & Seek, Truth or Dare, Tag, Kickball, Dodgeball & we rode bikes. Girls and Boys played in the street. We came home when the street lights came on.

Staying in the house was a punishment and the only thing we knew about being “bored”, “You

better find something to do before I find it for you!” We ate what Mom made for dinner or we ate nothing at all. There was no bottled water; we drank from the tap or the water hose!

Phone numbers and addresses were either memorized or written on a folded piece of paper which was kept with you at all times!

What were Cell phones? We watched cartoons on Saturday mornings and rode our bikes for hours. We ran around in the streets until dark and came in before the street lights came on.

We were AFRAID OF NOTHING. We watched our mouths around our Elders. If we acted up we got beat with a wooden paddle, switch or belt!

These were the good old days.

Kids today will never know how it feels to be a real kid, they will never understand my childhood!!

The Paper • Page 6 • July 2, 2026

5th District Supervisor • Jim Desmond Are We Spending Your Money the Way You Would?

We kept funding libraries, parks, and road repairs. We protected the swim lessons that keep kids from drowning. We funded the new defibrillator program for youth sports.

No $9 billion budget is ever perfect. This one prioritizes public safety and the services our families count on, so I voted to approve it.

But I put my objections on the record, and you should hear them too.

Last week at the County Board of Supervisors was a long day, and a lot of it came down to one question. Are we spending your money the way you would spend it?

Here is where I stood on the items that matter most to North County.

The Board adopted a $9.1 billion budget. I voted yes.

I want to be straight about why.

There is a lot in this budget worth supporting. $98 million more for public safety, including sheriff services, jail improvements, and opioid enforcement. More fire protection for our region, with new staffing for water tender trucks and the night-flying helicopter. The fires in Los Angeles showed us how much mobile water matters when lives and homes are on the line.

I do not support draining our emergency reserves to pay for ongoing programs. We opened up $381 million in reserves. This Board is now spending it down by $95 million a year. What did we actually need this year to respond to the federal changes?

About $24 million.

That gap should have been closed by setting priorities inside a budget that already grows 5% every single year. Not by emptying the savings account we set aside for a real emergency. And there is no emergency here. When a true one comes, that money needs to be there.

One more thing I flagged. Our capital improvement budget is just $45.8 million this year. That is the lowest in 16 years, and barely half a percent of the whole budget. That is the money that maintains our buildings, roads, and basic infrastructure. The City of San Diego

learned the hard way what happens when you stop funding the basics.

It led to devastating floods. I asked our staff to course correct before we repeat that mistake.

The Board also voted to put a County Charter measure on the November ballot. I voted no.

It is being sold as transparency, accountability, and independent oversight. Those are good words.

But read what is actually inside.

The measure extends term limits for Supervisors from two terms to three. In 2010, you voted to limit Supervisors to two terms. It passed with 68% support. You already spoke.

That effort came from the people.

This one comes from the politicians. All five of us ran knowing we would serve two terms. Now some want to change the rules for themselves and add a third. I believe sitting Supervisors should be flatly barred from that third term.

The measure also lets the Board reach into the hiring and firing of more than 600 manager positions across the County. That turns meritbased jobs into political ones. You should get a County job because you are qualified, not because you have the right politics.

If we were serious about reform, we would separate the good ideas from the self-serving ones and let you vote on each. Instead they are bundled together. I could not sup-

San Marcos Mayor • Rebecca Jones City Council Passes Balanced Budget

As we begin a new fiscal year in San Marcos, I’m pleased to share that the City Council has adopted a balanced budget that reflects our community’s priorities while positioning the city for long-term financial stability. The budget invests in public safety, infrastruc-

ture and parks and community budget makes meaningful inspaces while maintaining strong vestments across our community. financial reserves.

Residents will see continued improvements to parks, community The Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget facilities, roads and infrastrucis the result of months of public ture, along with efforts to support discussion and input, including local businesses and strengthen participation from the Measure our local economy. By investing Q Citizens Oversight Committee. in the things that matter most to Their involvement helps ensure residents, we are helping build we remain transparent, account- an even stronger community for able and focused on meeting the years to come. needs of our community.

I am proud of a budget that rePublic safety remains one of our flects our community’s values highest priorities. The budget and invests in the services and continues development of Fire amenities residents rely on. ToStation 5 and provides critical gether, we are making improveequipment and resources for our ments that will help protect the firefighters and first responders qualities that make San Marcos as they work to keep our com- such a special place to live. To munity safe. learn more and view the adopted budget, visit sanmarcosca.gov.

In addition to public safety, this

port that.

A citizen initiative for a half-cent sales tax also qualified for the November ballot. The Board cannot vote it up or down. Our only job last week was to confirm the signatures and decide how much information you get before you vote.

I pushed for as much transparency as possible. I supported ordering both an impact report and a fiscal statement for the voter guide, so you can see exactly what this tax would cost before you decide.

Here is my view. We do not need it.

Ten years ago the County budget was $5.3 billion. Today it is $9.1 billion. That is a 70% increase in ten years.

This tax would raise the cost of groceries, gas, clothing, and cars.

And it has no end date. It is a forever tax. The answer is not charging you more every time you buy milk or fill your tank. The answer is to live within our means, the same way we expect our own families to.

I will always support funding for public safety, fire protection, and the services that keep our families safe. And I will always fight to protect your tax dollars from being spent down faster than we can replace them.

That is the job you elected me to do. I intend to keep doing it.

San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond, 1600 Pacific Highway, #335, San Diego, CA 92101, United States http:// www.supervisorjimdesmond.com/

Read The Paper Online www.

TheCommunityPaper. com

The Paper • Page 7 • July 2, 2026

Roadrunner Publications, Inc. Acquires The Community Paper Creating North County Media Powerhouse The combined network delivers unprecedented print and digital distribution, offering advertisers and readers comprehensive coverage across a vast regional footprint.

The expanded media coverage area includes: • Camp Pendleton • Oceanside • Carlsbad • Vista • San Marcos & Lake San Marcos • Escondido • Valley Center • Pauma Valley • Pala • Palomar Mountain • All neighboring tribal reservations *** About Roadrunner Publications, Inc.

Longtime publisher Lyle Davis announces November retirement.

Roadrunner Publications, Inc. today announced its official acquisition of The Community Paper (popularly known to locals simply as “The Paper”). This landmark acquisition unites two of the region’s most trusted news sources, creating a massive, unparalleled media coverage area across North County.

The formal operational handover will take effect this upcoming November, coinciding with the welldeserved retirement of The Paper’s longtime owner and publisher, Lyle Davis, who has steered the publication since 1998. Until the transition takes effect in November, Davis will continue fully running and publishing “The Paper,” ensuring a seamless continuity of trusted local coverage for readers and partners alike.

While the official changing of the guard will occur in late autumn, Roadrunner Publications is opening the doors to local businesses and partners immediately. Combined advertising and coverage opportunities are now available, allowing North County businesses to instantly scale their reach and connect with a significantly broader, highly engaged audience.

“After incredible years of sharing local stories and connecting neighbors, the time has come for me to

step back and enter retirement this November,” said Lyle Davis, owner and publisher of The Paper. “Until then, it is business as usual as I continue to run the paper through the fall. I wanted to ensure ‘The Paper’ landed in hands that value community journalism as much as I do, and Roadrunner Publications is the perfect fit to carry this torch forward.”

“Lyle Davis has built an incredible legacy with The Paper, and we are deeply honored that he is entrusting its future to Roadrunner Publications,” said Justin Salter, President of Roadrunner Publications, Inc. “By bringing The Paper into our media family, we are creating an unmatched hyper-local network that spans from the coast to the mountains. We are thrilled to offer local businesses a unified platform that delivers massive reach across North County, starting today, while preserving the community-first journalism that our readers rely on.”

The integration of The Paper into the Roadrunner Publications portfolio creates an absolute powerhouse network for community news, local storytelling, and hyperlocal marketing. The Paper joins an established, influential media family that already serves as the backbone of North County communications.

Roadrunner Publications, Inc. is a premier community media company dedicated to providing highquality hyper-local news, entertainment, and marketing solutions.

With offices located in Escondido and Valley Center, Roadrunner owns and publishes a robust portfolio of the region’s most-read titles, including: • Valley Roadrunner • Escondido Times-Advocate • Valley Magazine • Escondido Magazine • Hidden Meadows News Deeply rooted in community advocacy, Roadrunner launched the local visitors center (Visit Valley Center) to champion regional tourism, and also launched the popular Valley Center Business Association, fostering local economic growth before the association successfully branched off into its own independent, thriving non-profit organization. With a steadfast commitment to journalistic integrity, Roadrunner keeps neighborhoods informed, connected, and thriving.

About The Community Paper (“The Paper”) Originally established as the San Marcos News Reporter, the publication entered a prominent new era when Lyle Davis acquired it in 1998 and rebranded it as The Paper.

For 28 years under his leadership, The Community Paper has been a beloved staple of North County life. Founded on the principles of community-first journalism, “The Paper” has delivered trusted local insights, human-interest stories, and reliable advertising to thousands of loyal readers.

Chuckles from page 2

At my age when I say I’m picking up a hottie at the club, that means I’m getting a rotisserie chicken at Costco,. *** Three rednecks were working on a telephone tower - Steve, Bruce and Jed. Steve falls off and is killed instantly.

As the ambulance takes the body away, Bruce says, “Someone should go and tell his wife.”

Jed says, “OK, I’m pretty good at that sensitive stuff, I’ll do it.”

Two hours later, he comes back carrying a case of beer.

Bruce says, “Where did you get that, Jed?” “Steve’s wife gave it to me,” Jed replies.

“That’s unbelievable, you told the lady her husband was dead and she gave you beer?”

“Well, not exactly”, Jed says.

“When she answered the door, I said to her, ‘You must be Steve’s widow’.”

She said, “No, I’m not a widow!”

And I said, “I’ll bet you a case of Budweiser you are.” *** The Story of Bronco McGuirk I once knew of two Siamese twin sisters, Beulah and Chloe, who were joined at the hip. Beulah played the trombone, Chloe, she didn’t have much musical talent at all, but she sure liked menfolk.

One afternoon Chloe was reading the paper while Beulah was practicing her trombone and said . . .

“Say, I see there’s a rodeo over in Ramona and the world famous rodeo cowboy, Bronco McGuirk, is performing. Let’s go see him!”

And so they did. They arrived at the rodeo and watched all kinds of cowboys bustin’ broncs, roping cows, barrel racing, bull ridin’ . . . all kinds of stuff. But clearly, the star of the show, the winner of All Around Cowboy honors was none other than Bronco McGuirk.

Well, the twin sisters, Beulah and Chloe, they decided they’d take a chance and go behind the liveChuckles continued on page 14

The Paper • Page 8 • July 2, 2026

Your Airport Lounge Pass Is Worthless ~ Unless You Do This

by Christopher Elliott The overcrowded airport lounge is no longer a perk. It’s purgatory.

Karin Kemp will tell you why. She had a four-hour stopover in Washington and thought it was the perfect opportunity to use her airport lounge pass.

She was wrong. The lounge was full; an agent ordered her to wait to get in. She finally was admitted half hour later.

“There was barely anything left on the breakfast buffet,” says Kemp, a retired graphic designer from Matthews, N.C. “If you could call it that.”

That’s the lounge letdown. What was once a quiet corner of the terminal—your reward for loyalty or a hefty annual fee—has turned into a cafeteria for the masses. The lines to get in stretch longer than the Starbucks queue. The food runs out by midmorning. Finding a seat requires the sharp elbows of a subway commuter.

Are airport lounges worth it anymore?

Blaming credit cards is easy, but

Illustration by Dustin Elliott the truth is complicated. Sure, the proliferation of plastic with lounge benefits drove more visitors to the airport lounges. But the slow degradation of air travel contributed, too. Passengers just want a little civility amid the chaos.

“Demand exceeds supply,” says Mike Taylor, an analyst at J.D. Power.

for entry rights. The airlines took the money and sold day passes to anyone with $50.

Banks discovered that lounge access drove credit card applications.

They paid airlines substantial fees

Lounge continued on page 9

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The Paper • Page 9 • July 2, 2026

Lounge from page 8 Capacity Did Not Grow with Demand “What changed wasn’t just credit card dilution—it was the shift from lounges as a rest space to lounges as a status performance space,” says Maury Blackman, a tech CEO who spent 20 years in constant travel. “People aren’t there to decompress anymore. They’re there to be seen having access, taking Instagram photos of champagne walls.”

The breaking point happened just before the pandemic, Blackman says. Business travelers stopped visiting lounges entirely.

“I’d walk past a packed Priority Pass lounge in SFO and head straight to an empty gate with power outlets,” he says.

Walmart vs. Ritz-Carlton The resulting product is a hybrid that satisfies no one.

“We used to have a saying in marketing: you can either be the RitzCarlton or Walmart, but you can’t be both,” says Danielle Styron, a retired private jet flight attendant and co-author of The Mile High Club: Confessions of a Private

Jet Flight Attendant. “Airlines, it seems, have made a choice.”

Styron flew first class coast-tocoast recently. She paid extra for lounge access, only to find lukewarm scrambled eggs and a space that felt like a corporate office break room. On her return, an agent denied her entry entirely.

“The luxurious-experience-renaissance of modern travel is dead,” she says.

She’s right. The lounge letdown is mathematical. The global airport lounges market is projected to grow from $5 billion in 2025 to $20 billion by 2034, according to one estimate. Someone is making money. But it’s clear that customers are paying for gold and getting tin foil.

The $4,850 Solution If you want real exclusivity, it exists. But you will pay dearly.

PS—formerly The Private Suite— operates private terminals at Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles. You check in at a separate entrance, clear TSA in a private screening area, and get driven across the tarLounge continued on page 12

The Paper • Page 10 • July 2, 2026

The Pastor Says . . . Religious Promises Many of us live with promises. They help secure our lives. In many ways, the government helps us live with that security. When we pay into the Social Security fund, we are promised that at a certain age, there will be funds for us to live on in retirement. Millions depend on this promise. Whenever this is threatened, there is an uproar. Socially, we also depend on promises. As a pastor, I have officiated at hundreds of couples’ weddings, where they make promises of fidelity, support, and faithfulness. When these promises are broken, it often leads to mistrust, despair, and shattered futures-sometimes even murder. In homes with children where parents and guardians fail to keep promises to the children, there is disillusionment and broken relationships for years.

Pastor Huls

Socially, we see the importance of promises. However, religiously, it is even more important to live with promises. The greatest and most important promise is from God. The greatest insecurity is our future. We live in a relationship with God, at least as is taught in Christian communities, and there is the threat of punishment for our wrongdoings. The ultimate is hell. While many have discarded this belief, many millions live with the fear of dying and going there. It is a given certainty unless something is done to free people from that fear and outcome. Thus, we search for a way out. While many try to work their way out of that outcome through good works and charity, the word is that we need more. That is found in the promise of God: belief in Christ as God’s son and in him as the promised Messiah, who died for man’s sin, with the promise of forgiveness and eternal life, is the assurance we need for our acceptance by God. It is this spiritual promise that God himself cannot break.

It is this spiritual relationship with God that has led many to give promises to us on God’s behalf. All we have to do is listen to many preachers who claim that if you give a certain amount of money to their cause, God promises to bless them with much more. I personally am amazed at the number of people who have a way to issue promises spiritually to us if we will pray their prayer, or share a biblical verse, who claim these actions will bring amazing results monetarily, emotionally, with the removal of stress, sickness, doubt, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and practically every other need known to man. This plethora of claimants apparently feels a divine calling to make such promises. Generally, these promises are connected to some spiritual biblical inspiration to give credibility to the claim. Usually, one has to sanction the promise with an amen.

This phenomenon seems to be a part of our social media. Do these presentations work? I suppose if one believes it enough, they could. Is there any harm in all of it? Jesus in the Bible made many promises to us for asking, searching, and knocking. We would never say He was a fraud. If it enhances our relationship with God, perhaps many of these claims might have their place. The Bible says that we are to test all things.

Pastor Huls

San Diego Humane Society is supporting families and their pets who need a little extra help.

Through the Community Pet Pantry, anyone can visit our campuses to pick up a bag of dog or cat food, and other supplies, as available.

No appointment is needed for this service. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

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Chopped Chillies is a 9-month-old, 19-pound, male, Terrier mix. He was transferred to Rancho Coastal Humane Society through Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS).

Chili melts when you pet him. He could live in an apartment. He needs someone home most of the time.

Chili likes other dogs.

The $145 adoption fee for Chopped Chillies includes medical exam, neuter, up to date vaccinations, registered microchip, and a oneyear license if his new home is in the jurisdiction of San Diego Humane Society.

For more information visit Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas or log on to www.SDpets.org. Open from 11 AM to 4 PM every day but Tuesday.

Diamond Girl is a true hidden gem who is ready to sparkle in a patient and loving home! This beautiful girl has a sensitive soul and can be somewhat cautious in new situations, but she is highly curious and will approach others at her own pace. She warms up with gentle baby talk and treats like hot dogs or whipped cream, eventually leaning in for soft pets under her chin. Diamond Girl is a fantastic walking companion who maintains a loose leash, though she may occasionally pause to sit and observe the world around her, especially when she hears loud noises or sees moving cars. She is a brilliant friend who finds confidence in familiar faces and even enjoys the company of other dogs, sometimes finding courage when a canine pal leads the way. She is a diamond in the rough that just needs a little polishing with positive reinforcement and a calm environment to truly shine! Once she trusts you, her playful side comes out and she joyfully tosses toys into the air with a loose, happy body.

If you are looking for a gentle and loyal partner who will reward your patience with a lifetime of devotion, Diamond Girl (982774) is waiting to be your most precious find. She is available for adoption at San Diego Humane Society’s Escondido Campus at 3500 Burnet Drive. If you have questions about the adoption process, you can visit sdhumane. org or call 619-299-7012. Online profile: https://sdhumane.org/adopt/ available-pets/animal-single/?petId=982774

The Paper • Page 11 • July 2, 2026

“Times They are a Changin” Part III of III ger based on a binary code but on the many times faster “quantum” technology. User receiving devices translate the “quantum” signal into video and audio in their preferred language. Everyone carries an A/V (audio/video) connection device 7/24 that interprets the quantum signal into their preferred language. Some folks even have A/V implants so they can communicate “hands free”.

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Fast forward to the future. It’s the year 2100 and Alice Dugan of Lancaster, England, has gone to her final reward at the ripe old age of 122. She was the last living person on the Planet to have reached the age of 21 prior to the birth of the Smart Web in 2001. The World’s population hit 20 billion in May of 2100 and most national governments have implemented population control regulations in an attempt to put the brakes on Earth’s exploding population growth.

All electronic communication including phone, TV, radio and Internet have been consolidated to a single worldwide network and communications resource, the “Omni-net”. Its output is no lon-

With nearly everyone on the planet having unrestricted access to mankind’s entire knowledge base, the need for “trained professionals” in many disciplines has been dramatically reduced. College teachers, lawyers, scientists and medical doctors are among the many largely displaced by AI/IW. Their years of information absorption through classroom instruction and guided practice have been rendered obsolete not only by the instant availability of the information on the IW but also by the staggering proliferation of newer information brought on by the 21st century technology explosion. The average human brain weighs about three pounds and simply cannot compete with the storage and cognitive power of the “Omni-net”. The daily growth of the Omni-net’s knowledge base is thousands of times the entire capacity of a human mind. It’s ever improving “quantum” based AI is many times faster than human cognition.

Since Homo Sapiens clambered

out of the trees 400,000 years ago, man has continued to develop gadgets to accommodate his physical limitations. From spears to space ships we have used our minds to build tools and civilizations. We have reaped the benefits of our fertile minds and rejoiced in its creations. In the last century we began the process of creating an intelligence to rival our own. In 2001 we combined the speed of the Internet with AI (artificial intelligence) to create the IW (intelligent web).

Today the power of our creation is becoming more evident every day.

The IW/AI is finding solutions and solving puzzles that have defied man’s quest for answers in physics, chemistry and other realms.

So what will human life on Earth

be like when Alice Dugan exits the planet in 2100? Will AI and the IW reduce the need for human professionals like doctors, lawyers, teachers and engineers who hone their skills and knowledge through years of education and practice?

Will robots and mechanical devices be used to perform most of the skilled services and unskilled daily tasks once the exclusive domain of humans? Will we incorporate the external AI stoked Internet as a part of our internal cognitive resources? Will we find a way to move on to ever greater heights using our hybrid internal/external intelligence? Or will we become shuffling drones marching to the rhythms of our own creations? I guess we’ll just need to wait and see.

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John Van Zante’s Critter Corner

Don’t Mix Fur and Fireworks My buddy insisted that his dog would be safe in the backyard. It was a tiny Yorkshire Terrier, and their fence was six feet tall.

More American pets run away on the 4th of July than any other day of the year. A TV Producer friend told me, “You just say that so I’ll put your story on the news.”

Why take the chance? Even if his dog couldn’t climb the fence (which it did!) why leave it outside, in the dark, alone, and scared?

His neighbors told him that the dog was frantic, screaming and barking until it figured out how to scratch its way up the corner of the fence and run.

The next time I saw him was the 7th of July. His dog had been missing for three days.

Even a small dog can find a way to climb a tall fence if it’s scared enough.

Maybe you didn’t believe me, or you didn’t have a pet the last time I wrote about this. Here it is again.

More American pets run away on the 4th of July than any other day of the year.

• Keep pets indoors in a secure area.

Fireworks are loud. No matter where pets run, there’s more noise, so they keep running until they’re lost.

of their collars. If they don’t have a microchip, they have no identification. Use a collar AND a microchip. Make sure your contact information is up to date.

and your pet together on Nextdoor, Facebook, X, Instagram, etc. Give your contact information, but not so much that you set yourself up for a scam.

• Some pets need medication to deal with stress. Handle this in advance.

If your pet runs away on the 4th of July, contact the San Diego Humane Society or the agency that handles animal services for your area. Be patient. It’s their busiest day of the year.

Many pets escape by pulling out

Post a notice with a photo of you

Be careful if you find a lost pet. It’s probably scared. If it has a collar and identification, and it’s safe to approach, contact the owner. If not, get it into an enclosed area then contact County Animal Services or San Diego Humane Society.

• Turn on the radio or TV to mask the sound of fireworks.

The Paper • Page 12 • July 2, 2026

America gave the world the gift of travel. Now it’s destroying it. for and a daily “administrative” fee for the privilege. The open road now comes with a toll booth at the start.

by Christopher Elliott On its 250th birthday, the country that invented the modern vacation is taxing, fee-ing and gatekeeping it to death.

But the saddest way we’ve destroyed our legacy is with our national parks. This year, the government began charging non-U.S. residents an extra $100 a person to enter 11 of the most popular national parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. The fee-free days are now for U.S. residents only.

America gave the world the modern vacation. But as the United States turns 250, it’s on the verge of destroying it.

The U.S. pioneered the idea that an ordinary person could go somewhere as a form of recreation.

(Sure, Great Britain popularized tourism in the 19th century, but it was for the rich.)

The long weekend, the affordable plane ticket, and, of course, the great American road trip—they’re all U.S. exports.

What America Gave the World It’s hard to understate what the United States did for travel.

National Parks On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill creating Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. The novelist Wallace Stegner called the national parks “the best idea we ever had.” The principle was carved into the arch

So much for the “benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

The Birthright Nobody Mentions at Yellowstone’s entrance: This land exists “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” All of them. That may be the most democratic sentence in travel.

Air Travel The world’s first scheduled passenger airline took off on January 1, 1914, when a pilot named Tony Jannus flew a paying passenger across Tampa Bay in a flimsy Benoist XIV flying boat, a biplane with a hull that allowed it to take off and land on water. The trip

took 23 minutes. The whole global industry—billions of passengers a year—traces back to that one hop in Florida.

The Modern Road Trip On June 29, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the law that built the Interstate Highway System, and an entire culture was born at the off-ramp. Motels, diners and service stations sprang up at the exits. The open road, the cheap motel, the pie at midnight.

The world copied all of it.

The Affordable Vacation

Lounge from page 9 mac to your commercial flight. You never set foot in the main terminal.

The Salon option starts at $895 per use. Annual memberships start at $1,250.

“The real solution is to ramp up exclusivity and develop private airport spaces just for the uberrich,” says Susan Sherren, founder of Couture Trips.

For everyone else, the industry is moving toward a segmented model. High-end lounges will target elite travelers with enforced capacity limits. Everyone else gets the food court with nicer chairs.

How to Beat the Crowd If you don’t have $1,250 to spare, you can still salvage the lounge experience. Here’s how: Call ahead. Pat George, a frequent flier, avoided a line at the Admirals Club in Miami because a representative called ahead to a second lounge near Gate D15 to confirm there was no wait.

Pre-book your spot. “I do this as soon as I land,” says Matthew Justice, who runs the site LoungeNerd. Capital One and American Express now allow you to join waitlists via their apps before you arrive at the lounge.

Scan and scram. If you can’t pre-book, move fast. Ilonka Molijn van Ginkel, a travel advisor, learned the hard way at Heathrow to scan the QR code at the lounge door immediately. “Then we get access within 30 to 60 minutes,” she says.

Walk the floor. Once you’re inside the lounge, don’t take the first seat you see. “I set my bag in a corner out of the way and then walk the entire lounge,” Justice advises. He often finds hidden seating areas or outdoor patios that the mob missed.

What’s the future of lounge letdown?

Airlines know they have a problem, and they’re trying to fix it.

Jeannie Walters, a customer experience expert, notes that lounges are introducing family zones and “quiet” areas where phone use is restricted.

Lounge continued on page 13

Finally, and maybe most importantly, America democratized the vacation. It was no longer a luxury for aristocrats on a Grand Tour, but something a factory worker could do with two weeks off. We made going somewhere a right, not a privilege.

So that’s the inheritance. But look at what we’re doing with it.

How We Are Wrecking Our Travel Heritage It’s difficult to exaggerate the recent damage inflicted on America’s travel legacy. U.S. airlines are now financial services companies that happen to fly planes. They’re too busy selling frequent flier miles and operating loyalty schemes to care that their customer service is circling the drain. They charge you for your carry-on, your seat assignment and the legroom they quietly took away. Juan Trippe, the legendary founder of Pan Am, is rolling over in his grave.

The road trip isn’t safe either, and I’m not even talking about the spike in fuel prices after the Iran war. Try renting a car. The company quotes you one price online, then demands nearly double at the counter once it bolts on insurance you don’t need, a toll transponder you didn’t ask

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, there will be a lot of talk about our birthrights like free speech and due process. But what about the one birthright we use every summer: the right to travel?

It’s the right to pack the SUV and drive out onto the open highway, to board a plane, and to walk into a forest that belongs to you.

These rights were created over 250 years. And they don’t vanish in one dramatic vote or with the imposition of one fee. They erode over time, until the vacation your parents took for granted costs a small fortune and requires proof of citizenship.

It’s not too late to change course.

Thoughtful regulation can compel travel companies to show all-in rates instead of playing price games.

We can remove the predatory toll booths that make travel less affordable with each passing year.

And while we’re at it, we should make our national parks open to everyone. These places represent the best of America. Let’s follow Switzerland’s lead, where a national park is free for all.

Don’t Forget Your Travel Legacy For its semiquincentennial, America needs to rediscover the present it already gave the world: the gift of travel. It should take steps to protect its legacy of affordability and access to the unparalleled beauty of its wilderness. The gift is still ours to give—for now.

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can email him at chris@elliott.org.

The Paper • Page 13 • July 2, 2026

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Lounge from page 12 But decoration doesn’t solve density.

“The exclusivity died the moment credit card companies started selling status as a perk,” says Deepak Shukla, founder of the travel agency Pearl Lemon.

It’s true. Credit card companies sold you a dream they can’t deliver, and airlines let them. Now they are figuring out how to take it back without admitting they oversold it in the first place.

If you are standing in line for a “VIP” experience, you are already the victim of the letdown. The lounge is full. Your text message inviting you to the lounge will never arrive. You are better off walking away.

“Much has changed in airport basic amenities,” says Donna Shelton, a banker from Chicago who gave up on the lounge chase. “Internet ports are pretty abundant, food service has improved.”

Shelton has a point. Find a quiet gate, buy a decent coffee, use your noise-canceling headphones. That may be the best way to get a VIP experience these days. *** Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can email him at chris@elliott.org.

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The Paper • Page 14 • July 2, 2026

Summer Safety Tips for San Diego County Families

Oodles from page 3 Park Avenue Community Center 210 E Park Avenue Escondido, 92025 *** East Valley Parkway Business Association Meeting 2nd Wednesday • 2pm July 8th, and August 12th. At Elote Restaurant, 1760 E. Valley Pkwy, Escondido. Visit www.evalley-parkway.com for more information. *** Chess at Park Avenue Community Center Home of Escondido Senior Center 210 Park Avenue, Escondido 760-839-4688

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office Families across San Diego County are enjoying more time outdoors, traveling or trying to beat the heat.

While the season offers plenty of chances for fun, the warmer months pose a higher risk of preventable injuries.

“There are many great ways for families to enjoy summer together, but this time of year also brings safety risks,” says Dr. Sayone Thihalilopavan, County Public Health Officer. “Following important safety tips can help prevent injuries and hospital visits, making summer more enjoyable.”

• Swim near lifeguards.

• Install pool fencing and alarms.

• Teach kids to swim early.

• Empty kiddie pools and buckets after use.

• Always swim with a buddy.

Find more resources at sdswimsafer.org.

If traveling, especially internationally, confirm children are up to date on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Contact your healthcare provider or visit a County public health center if you need assistance.

Heat Safety and Sun Protection

Bike and Ride Safety

High temperatures can be dangerous and lead to heat-related illness, stroke or even death. Signs of overheating include exhaustion, dizziness, nausea, confusion and headache. Children and older adults are especially at risk. Stay safe by:

Prevent injuries this summer by:

Water Safety

• Staying in air-conditioned spaces during peak heat.

• Wearing light, loose-fitting clothing.

• Drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol and sugary drinks.

• Never leaving children, older adults or pets in a vehicle.

• Limiting direct sun exposure.

With more time spent at pools, beaches and bays, water safety is critical. Drownings can happen quickly and often without warning.

Visit County Cool Zones to find free air-conditioned relief at libraries, community centers and other locations.

County data from 2016 – 2024 shows 346 drowning deaths and more than 1,500 near drownings.

In 2024 alone, 35 people died from drowning, and nearly all of near drownings involved children ages 0 to 9 years.

Window Safety

To help keep families safe, the County is sharing essential summer safety tips focusing on water safety, heat safety, window safety, travel vaccines, bike and e-bike safety and pet care.

Key water safety reminders: • Always designate a responsible adult supervising children at all times around water.

• Avoid distractions around water.

• Learn CPR. • Use life vests for children.

Vaccines and Travel

The summer heat often means more open windows, which can be dangerous for young children. Prevent window-related injuries by: • Keeping windows closed and locked when young kids are present.

• Avoid relying on screens for protection • Moving furniture away from windows.

• Supervising children near windows, balconies and patios.

• Wearing properly fitted helmets when riding a bike, scooter or skateboard, including the right type of helmet for the device.

• Checking e-bikes for compliance with local regulations.

• Ensuring riders understand how to operate their device.

• Wearing bright reflective clothing.

• Taking a device-specific riding course.

Pet Safety in Hot Weather Pets are part of the family too.

Keep them safe by: • Walking dogs early and staying in grassy or shaded areas.

• Keeping pets indoors during the hottest hours of the day.

• Providing shade, fresh water and cooling tools like kiddie pools or misters.

Stay Safe All Summer With millions of residents and visitors enjoying San Diego County’s outdoor spaces, simple safety steps can prevent injuries and keep families healthy all season long. *** Visit sdcounty.gov

Adults of all skill levels are welcome. Drop in anytime Wednesday OR Friday noon-3pm to play or watch in the shuffleboard building.

Follow the signs or ask at the front desk for directions. Friendly games with large boards and pieces provided. No fees or reservations. *** San Diego’s Summer Movies in the Park

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office This year, the Summer Movies in the Park’s current lineup is scheduled to show about 130 movies in parks all around the county through October. A current list of this summer’s movies can be found here.

Movies typically begin about 15 minutes after the sun sets. Families and folk are encouraged to wear warm clothes and bring blankets as the weather can turn chilly when the sun goes down. Pre-show activities begin before dark.

As always, this year’s list of movies includes something for just about everyone ─ animated and live-action films that include comedies, musicals, action adventure, science fiction and romance.

There are older classics like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Goonies,” “Shrek” “Ghostbusters,” and “Ratatouille.”

And there are numerous recent releases, from “The Wild Robot,” to “A Minecraft Movie,” “Hoppers,” and 2025’s “Superman.” *** For more information about the County of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department, its parks and events, go to sdparks.org.

The Paper • Page 15 • July 2, 2026

LEGALS

FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9012185 The name of the business: Coastal Care And Companion Services, located at 5592 El Camino Real, #118 Carlsbad, CA 92008. Registrant, Coastal Concierge Support LLC, PO Box 260, Escondido, CA 92033. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business N/A /s/ Tony Leevon Smith Jr., CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/1/2026 6/11, 6/18, 6/25, 7/2/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9012587 The name of the business: Venus Massage, located at 5525 Mission Rd #A, Bonsall, CA 92003. Registrant, Yu Mu, 5525 Mission Rd #A, Bonsall, CA 92003. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business 6/4/2026 /s/ Yu Mu, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 6/4/2026 6/11, 6/18, 6/25, 7/2/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9012677 The name of the business: Rooted Voices Speech & Language Therapy, located at 603 Seagaze Ave #313, Oceanside, CA 92054. Registrant, Jennifer Mohini Gima, 603 Seagaze Ave #313, Oceanside, CA 92054. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business 6/5/2026 /s/ Jennifer Mohini Gima with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/5/2026 6/11, 6/18, 6/25, 7/2/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9005584 The name of the business: Green Light EVS, located at 821 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd, San Marcos, CA 92078. Registrant, Green Light EVS Inc., 821 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd, San Marcos, CA 92078. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business N/A /s/ Ali Reza Bastanmehr, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 3/11/2026 4/24, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9011701 The name of the business: HX Refrigeration, HXR, located at 606 S. 1st Street Unit 15, El Cajon, CA 92019. Registrant, HX Mechanical Inc., 606 S. 1st Street Unit 15, El Cajon, CA 92019. This business is operated by an F.A. Corporation.

First day of business 5/22/2026 /s/ Ahmed Albojamal, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 5/22/2026 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9011740 The name of the business: vista Linda Realty, Pet Lovers Real Estate, located at 29627 Pamoosa Lane, Valley Center, CA 92082. Registrant, Pet Lovers Real Estate Corp., 29627 Pamoosa Lane, Valley Center, CA 92082. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business N/A

/s/ Omar Jesus Gonzalez, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 5/26/2026 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9012950 The name of the business: H P J & L Enterprises, located at 6110 Innovation Way, Carlsbad, CA 92009. Registrant, Peggy Gene Windrum, P.O. Box 2167, Vista, CA 92085, Holly Adele Marshall, P.O. Box 130506, Carlsbad, CA 92013, James Nicholas Marshall, P.O. Box 1307, Willows, CA 95988. This business is operated by a General Partnership.

First day of business 7/26/2011 /s/ Peggy Gene Windrum with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/9/2026 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9010183 The name of the business: MNTC Toys, located at 2561 el Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008. Registrant, Aksion Figure Corp., 825 College Blvd., Ste 102 PMB 1072, Oceanside, CA 92057. This business is operated by an F.A. Corporation.

First day of business N/A /s/ Abram Moedano, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 5/5/2026 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9012458 The name of the business: The Dempsey, located at 2960 La Posada Way, Julian, CA 92036.

Registrant, NDD On La Posada Way LLC, 598 W. Laurel St., Unit 11, San Diego, CA 92101.

This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business 1/1/2026 /s/ Soheil Nakhshab, Manager with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/3/2026 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9/2026 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME 26CU028822N TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Stephen David Ise Imamura filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Stephen David Ise Imamura to Proposed name Stephen Takeo Rogers. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: 7/10/2026, 8:30 am, in Dept. N-25 No hearing will occur on above date. Please see attachment The address of the court is: 325 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92081. A copy of the Order to

Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Marcos News Reporter, dba, The Paper, 845 W. San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, Ca. 92078.

Dated May 28, 2026 /s/ Brad A. Weinreb, Judge of the Superior Court 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9011177 The name of the business: Eduardo B. Lagrimas, located at 504 E. Barham Dr., Unit 110, San Marcos, CA 92078. Registrant, Eduardo Baldoza Lagrimas, 504 E. Barham Dr., Unit 110, San Marcos, CA 92078.

This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business 3/19/2026 /s/ Eduardo Baldoza Lagrimas with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 5/18/2026 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9012244 The name of the business: BH Nexus, located at 302 Washington Street #211, San Diego, CA 92103. Registrant, BHSME,, 302 Washington Street #211, San Diego, CA 92103. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business N/A /s/ Brian Burnham Jones, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/1/2026 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9011534 The name of the business: Summit Home Comfort, located at 1057 Manteca Dr., Oceanside, CA 92057. Registrant, RM Heating And Air, 1057 Manteca Dr., Oceanside, CA 92057. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business N/A /s/ Miguel Alexis Raymundo, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 5/21/2026 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9011801 The name of the business: Jaycee Rides, located at 4051 Fanuel St., San Diego, CA 92109. Registrant, Jameel Andre Nicholas Walcott, 4051 Fanuel St., San Diego, CA 92109, Chelsea Brook Renner, 4051 Fanuel St., San Diego, CA 92109. This business is operated by a Married Couple.

First day of business 5/3/2026 /s/ Jameel Andre Nicholas Walcott with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 5/26/2026 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9013026 The name of the business: Vantage Plumbing, located at 2518 S. Santa Fe Avenue, Suite F-4, Vista, CA 92084. Registrant, SCA Vantage LLC, 11740 San Vicente Boulevard, 109-204, Los Angeles, CA 90049. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business N/A /s/ Craig Henderlite, Manager with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San

Diego on 6/10/2026 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9011975 The name of the business: Redbrick Masonry, located at 2631 Roosevelt Street, #23, Carlsbad, CA 92008. Registrant, Manuel Jesus Treto, 2631 Roosevelt Street, #23, Carlsbad, CA 92008. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business N/A /s/ Manuel Jesus Treto with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 5/28/2026 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16/2026 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF JEAN F. LANDMESSER Case No. 26PE001611C CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA 92101 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both, of Jean F. Landmesser, Jean Landmesser, Jean Frances Landmesser. A Petition for Probate has been filed by Glen E. Brush in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA. 92101 Central Courthouse. The Petition for probate requests that Glen E. Brush be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: 7/22/2026 Time: 2:00 pm Dept: 504 Address of court: Same as noted above.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. you may

Advertise Your Legal in The Paper 760 747-7119 want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: J. Mark McNeill, Esq. Law Offices of J. Mark McNeill 10801 Thornmint Road, Ste 270 San Diego, CA 92127 DOP: 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9012199 The name of the business: The Healing Trade, located at 2213 S. El Camino Real Suite 107, Oceanside, CA 92054. Registrant, Tamara Reyzin, 1108 Pheasant Ct., San Marcos, CA 92028. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business 6/1/2026 /s/ Tamara Reyzin with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 6/1/2026 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9013441 The name of the business: Yummy Fruit Candy Bar, located at 773 Hillsboro Way, San Marcos, CA 92069. Registrant, Lily Fleur Clothing Inc, 773 Hillsboro Way, San Marcos, CA 92069. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business N/A /s/ Lily Eastridge with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 6/16/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9013986 The name of the business: Barons Market, Barons Marketplace, Barons, Barons Wine & Food, located at 2800 Roosevelt Street, carlsbad, CA 92008. Registrant, Shemran, Inc., 12420 Kirkham Ct., Poway, CA 92065. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business 6/1/2026 /s/ Rachel Shemirani, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/24/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9013415 The name of the business: Xing’s Cafe, located at 5116 Solola Ave., San Diego, CA 92114. Registrant, LNS LLC, 5116 Solola Ave., San Diego, CA 92114. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business N/A /s/ Bryan Soldara, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/16/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9013132 The name of the business: 626 Equipment Rentals, located at 175 Via Vera Cruz, San Marcos, CA 92078. Registrant, Six To Six Inc., 175 Via Vera Cruz, San Marcos, CA 92078. This

business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business 4/4/1984 /s/ Leslie P. Linn, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/11/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9014193 The name of the business: Presidential Structures, located at 747 N. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., Ste 3, San Marcos, CA 92069.

Registrant, Mike Bernier, 747 N. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., Ste 3, San Marcos, CA 92069.

This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business 4/20/1995 /s/ Mike Bernier with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 6/26/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9013798 The name of the business: Fresh Flow Cleaning Solutions, located at 2492 Solara Lane, Vista, CA 92081. Registrant, Fresh Flow Vents LLC,2492 Solara Lane, Vista, CA 92081.

This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business N/A /s/ Michael G. Watkins Jr., Managing Member with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/22/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9014293 The name of the business: Ahi Sushi and Grill, located at 157 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92069. Registrant, Yen Sushi Inc., 157 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92069. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business 5/1/2019 /s/ Hoa Vo, Secretary with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/29/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9014335 The name of the business: Tossed and Found Stacy, located at 520 Peach Way, San Marcos, CA 92069. Registrant, Stacy Lynn Davis, 520 Peach Way, San Marcos, CA 92069.

This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business 1/1/2026 /s/ Stacy Davis with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 6/29/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026 FICTITIOUS Business NAME STATEMENT 2026-9014188 The name of the business: Marquesitas la Roca, located at 159 Natal Way, Vista, CA 92083. Registrant, Estefanny Zuleyma Mendieta Ordonez, 159 Natal Way, Vista, CA 92083. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business 6/26/2026 /s/ Estefanny Zuleyma Mendieta Ordonez with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 6/26/2026 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23/2026

The Paper • Page 16 • July 2, 2026