Inland edition, november 17, 2017

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92025 PERMIT NO. 94

The Coast News

INLAND EDITION

.com

VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO

VOL. 3, N0. 23

NOV. 17, 2017

Council approves country club plan

Two indicted over canceled San Marcos High band trip REGION — A Florida couple who operated a Georgia-based travel agency were indicted in San Diego on embezzlement and other charges involving a canceled high school band trip to Japan that resulted in nearly $100,000 in losses for students at four area campuses and their parents, officials announced on Nov. 15. Bradley Matheson, 52, and Margaret Matheson, 43, together operating as Harmony International, are charged with 93 felony counts, including failing to maintain passenger funds in a trust account and failure to provide refunds, according to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. A grand jury in San Diego handed down the indictment against the Mathesons last month, finding that the total loss involving band students from San Marcos High School, Del Norte High School, Eastlake High School and Mission Hills High School was $99,000. “These defendants took money from the students and their families, then turned around and spent it on business and personal expenses instead of honoring their agreement,” Stephan alleged. “Our Consumer Protection Unit’s investigation has been thorough, and it’s our hope that these charges will not only hold the defendants accountable but will also result in restitution for the victims.” Bradley Matheson was arrested in Florida last Friday, but Margaret Matheson remains at large, according to authorities, who asked anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact the California Department of Justice at (800) 952-5225 or (916) 210-6276. In December 2014, Bradley Matheson met with one of the high school band directors at a band conference in Chicago and offered to make arrangements for a school band trip to Japan through his company, Harmony International, according to court papers. In January 2016, he provided band students and their parents with a brochure explaining the trip details and also appeared via Skype during a parent informational meeting to generate interest in the trip, which was scheduled for July 11-18 TURN TO BAND TRIP ON 14

Developer wants to build 380 homes By Steve Puterski

HONORING MILITARY VETERANS Guests of the city of San Marcos’ Veterans Day Ceremony greet retired Navy veteran Edward Bridges, left, after his presentation highlighting personal experiences of his military service. STORY ON PAGE 5. Photo by Mark Marquez

ESCONDIDO — After nearly five hours of presentations, resident feedback, discussion amongst the City Council and an overflowing audience, New Urban West, Inc.’s proposal for the Escondido Country Club was approved Nov. 15. In a close tally, the council voted 3-2 to move forward with the plan calling for 380 homes, 48.7 acres of open space including a massive green belt, a new clubhouse and four miles of trails. Each home will also be 100 percent powered by solar energy. “We are extremely grateful to the City Council for their vote as well as to the hundreds of residents who shared our commitment to restoring this community to the healthy and vibrant place it once was,” said Jonathan Frankel, project manager for New Urban West. “We now look forward to continuing our work with the community, including the members of ECCHO (Escondido Country Club Homeowners), as we revitalize this once-prestigious neighborhood.” TURN TO COUNTRY CLUB ON 10

At Vista High, students can make it and dish it out By Promise Yee

VISTA — An ultimate grilled cheese sandwich, homemade roasted tomato soup and a mixed berry crumble topped with vanilla gelato are on the November menu at the student-run Panther Cafe. For the past seven years, Vista High School culinary arts and agriculture classes have teamed up to grow, cook and serve fresh meals for the community. Culinary students use what is grown by agriculture students, along with other ingredients, to create bimonthly lunches served at the school’s cafe. Lunches include soup or salad, an entree, a dessert and a beverage. “We mostly use salad greens, herbs, flowers and a few vegetables in our Panther Cafe meals,” Chef Kim Plunkett, Vista High School culinary arts teacher, said. Planning for meals starts months ahead of time. Plunkett and agriculture teacher Sara Benner discuss menus. Benner follows

Chef Kim Plunkett, Vista High’s culinary arts teacher with, from left, Omar Nieto, Marcelo Lopez, Humberto Moreno, Jair Pena and Antonio Blas. Photo courtesy Kim Plunkett

up and purchases seeds that students plant and grow. Updates on when crops will be harvested are shared and menus are finalized. All culinary students are involved in preparing and serving the bimonthly lunches. “We begin on Wednesday with a list of tasks that need to be done to prepare for the meal,” Plunkett

said. “I break the recipes down into small steps and students work in groups of two to four.” Preparation work shared by students includes washing, chopping and preparing food. Students also polish silverware, level cafe tables and set out the host sign. Choreographed lunch operations involve 119 students from

five class periods. The day of the lunch more than a dozen students sign on for positions of cooks, servers and hosts. The fourth period class, which meets right before lunch, is tasked with readying to-go orders. “We serve everyone at 11:50 for our 35-minute lunch period,” Plunkett said. “Our meals have to go basically all at once.” The $10 lunch is a big hit with local residents. “Our guests enjoy the meals,” Plunkett said. “We make something different each time. No repeats.” In addition to bimonthly lunches served from October to May, an annual farm-to-table tasting event is held each February. Meats from student-raised livestock are part of the dining experience. Last school year 40 recipes were served, and cooking demonstrations were done on site. TURN TO STUDENTS ON 7


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