PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
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VOL. 26, NO. 19
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THISWEEK STORIED PAST
Exhibit featuring tapestries from the Hmong people are on display with a free public forum set for May 21. B1
INSIDE
TWO SECTIONS, 52 PAGES
Arts & Entertainment . . . A10 Baby Boomer Peace . . . . . . B6 Camp Pendleton News . . . . B13 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . B19 Comics & Puzzles . . . . . . . B22 Eye Spy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B11 Hit the Road . . . . . . . . . . . A12 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . . . A19 Lick the Plate . . . . . . . . . . A16 Life, Liberty, Leadership . . A4 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Pet of the Week . . . . . . . . B11 Small Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A17 Taste of Wine . . . . . . . . . A18 Who’s News? . . . . . . . . . . . B5
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MAY 18, 2012
Kids skate with the pros By Tony Cagala
ENCINITAS — “If you told me four years ago my son would be on a skateboard in San Diego with Tony Hawk and Neal Mims, I would’ve told you that was pretty farfetched,” said Michael Tobin. But for Tobin and his son Jack, who moved here from New York, that’s exactly where they found themselves Sunday for the “Skate with the Pros Day” at the Magdalena Ecke YMCA skate park. More than 30 kids were rewarded with the opportunity to skate with professionals like Tony Hawk, Andy MacDonald, Neal Mims, Ryan Sheckler, Mike McGill and others after helping to raise funds for much needed renovations and a planned expansion of the renowned skate park. It was all part of a threepronged effort to raise $680,000, explained Ron Lelakes, associate executive director at the Encinitas YMCA. “Basically what we wanted to do is challenge the kids with going out and supporting their own park,” said Lelakes. In addition to the kids’ fundraising campaign, funds have been raised through private funding efforts and help from the skateboard industry. Each of the kids attending managed to raise $1,500
through various means. For Chris Vrklan and her four kids, it was all about making enough phone calls to raise the money. Vrklan, who used to skate herself, said that it was the YMCA and Carlsbad skate parks where it all started for her kids; all of who now compete in the sport. As of now, the fundraising efforts are within about $150,000 from the total amount hoped to be raised, Lelakes said. With renovations expected to begin in the fall, following permit approvals, changes will include a transition from an all-wood ramp and obstacle street course to a wood/concrete mix street course. About 40 feet of the vert ramp will be removed to increase the size of the MiniLand lesson area. The clover bowl will see renovations and the coping around the kidney bowl will also get updating. The views and spectator section will also greatly improve as a result of the renovations. Former professional skateboarder Mike McGill, and owner of McGill’s Skate Shop, helped to raise the very first money for the park back
Bag law exempts eateries By Bianca Kaplanek
Mike McGill tears up the kidney bowl like it was the 1980s all over again. McGill participated, along with more than 30 kids and other professional skateboarders, in the “Skate with a Pro Day” at the Magdalena Ecke YMCA Skate Park. Photo by Bill Reilly
TURN TO SKATE ON A24
Residents weigh in on low-income housing By Jared Whitlock
ENCINITAS — About 100 people took part in a workshop Monday that will guide future housing projects in Encinitas over the next several decades. The city has held five open houses and two workshops this year in hopes of resolving a continuous sticking point: where to place state-mandated, low-income housing units. “There’s the challenge — we know from the onset that we’re not going to make everyone happy,” City Manager Gus Vina said. Residents were given 10 blue stickers and asked to mark on a map of Leucadia, Old A resident looks at a map of major roadways and environmentally senEncinitas, New Encinitas, sitive areas in Encinitas to help determine where controversial lowCardiff and Olivenhain where income housing units should be built. Photo by Jared Whitlock
1,300 multifamily, low-income housing units should be built. Attendees had to take a number of factors into account when placing the blue stickers, including whether the land is vacant, the environmental impacts of construction and if the land is near transit opportunities, commercial services and schools — among other considerations. Further, residents were directed to indicate whether they prefer dispersing the units in a concentrated area or throughout the five communities. Jordan Vasic, an Encinitas resident, said he contemplated putting most of his stickers in TURN TO HOUSING ON A24
SOLANA BEACH — Paper or plastic will no longer be an option in Solana Beach. At the May 9 meeting, the city became the first in the region to regulate the distribution of single-use plastic bags by adopting an ordinance introduced two weeks earlier. But to avoid a lawsuit, council members agreed to an amendment that will exempt restaurants. “We are responding to a specific litigation threat from a group that is very much in opposition of the proposed regulation,” City Attorney Johanna Canlas said. “That particular group has since threatened litigation three different times.” Stephen Joseph, an attorney representing the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition, threatened to sue any city that bans or requires a charge for the use of single-use plastic bags at restaurants. He said such a mandate is contrary to California health laws. “The law clearly states you are not pre-empting state law,” Canlas said. “The Save the Plastic Bag organization found that to be lacking and has reinstituted its threat to litigate against the city if the city adopts the ordinance as is. “While my office (and) I do not believe that the proposition — that it is in fact preempted by state law — has merit, this issue has not been litigated and is currently in litigation in Northern California,” she said. Canlas told council members they could adopt the law as is or have her draft an amendment “that explicitly … exempts restaurants from using single-use plastic bags until such time that this issue has been resolved in the courts.” The new law will be implemented in phases. Grocery stores, food vendors, pharmacies and city facilities must be in full compliance in three months. All remaining affected TURN TO LAW ON A24