PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 26, NO. 7
FEB. 17, 2012
Satisfaction at high level in Carlsbad By Christina Macone-Greene
THISWEEK
POLARIZING
Swimmers are preparing for the Feb. 18 Polar Plunge by jumping into the cold waters of Oceanside. B1
INSIDE
TWO SECTIONS, 44 PAGES
Arts & Entertainment . . A10 Camp Pendleton News . . B10 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B17 Comics & Puzzles . . . . . B19 Consumer Reports . . . . . B5 Frugal Living . . . . . . . . . . B5 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . A21 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . . A12 Local Roots . . . . . . . . . . B4 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . B5 Odd Files . . . . . . . . . . . A15 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Pet of the Week . . . . . . . A8 Second Opinion . . . . . . . B4 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . A18 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . A13 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . . B3
HOW TO REACH US (760) 436-9737 CALENDAR SECTION: calendar@coastnewsgroup.com COMMUNITY NEWS: community@coastnewsgroup.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: letters@coastnewsgroup.com
A TABLE FOR ONE SOLANA BEACH — The third annual Puppy Love 5K Run/Walk, benefiting the Helen Woodward Animal Center, took place Feb. 12 with festivities and events for dogs and their owners to participate in. In addition to the 5K race, there was also a Fuzzy Valentine Costume Contest hosted by Magic 92.5 radio personalities Jagger and Kristi. Above: Dozer, who was looking for his valentine, took home first place in the costume contest instead. He is owned by Gigi and Doug Hokstad. See more photos on page A17. Photo by Tony Cagala
Coaster won’t make stop in Del Mar By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — The Coaster won’t be stopping in Del Mar, at least not anytime soon. Following a request last month from City Council, North County Transit District explored the possibility of reestablishing limited train service to the city on weekends and for special occasions. The review indicated “there is not a sufficient business case to support restoring� service at this time, Matt Tucker, NCTD executive director, stated in a Feb. 7 letter to Mayor Carl Hilliard. “The limited projected usage of the stop for special events, combined with the limitations for initiating trav- Plans to restore Coaster service to Del Mar quickly came to the end of the tracks. North County Transit District el from the station, is not Executive Director Matt Tucker said the move would likely slow current travel times and not increase riderTURN TO COASTER ON A20
ship. City Council sought to re-establish service, which ended in 1995, to help reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions. Photo by Bianca Kaplanek
CARLSBAD — At a recent City Council meeting, results from the 2011 Carlsbad Resident Survey and State of Effectiveness Annual Report were presented. Both were done in tandem because the survey filters into the State of Effectiveness Annual Report. The compilation of information offers a comprehensive way for the city to gauge how its citizens view the overall outlook in their town. Josh Williams, president of BW Research Partnership, Inc. based in Carlsbad, was first up in his presentation. This marks the fifth year the firm prepared the Carlsbad Resident Survey Report. Williams said last September and October, 1,000 Carlsbad residents took part in a phone survey which lasted approximately 20 minutes for each participant. “We wanted to get an overall assessment of satisfaction of the job that the city is doing,� he said. Areas addressed were quality of life, safety of community, sense of community and city services. The city reached new highs in areas such as quality of life, traffic congestion and residential growth and development. The survey highlighted the following percentages of respondent satisfaction numbers: 94 percent were satisfied with city services; 98 percent rated the quality of life in Carlsbad as excellent; 99 percent felt safe walking alone in their neighborhood; and 84 percent showed confidence in their city government. Also in the 90-plus percentile were a breakdown in city services such as library, city parks, trash collection, water and sewer services and fire protection and law enforcement. Williams said while the overall resident satisfaction is decreasing on a national or statewide level, in Carlsbad TURN TO SURVEY ON A20
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Sam Hansen Branch Manager - NMLS #632837 858-442-1232 shansen@gatewayfunding.com
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