PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92025 PERMIT NO. 94
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VOL. 29, N0. 10
MARCH 6, 2015
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Encinitas Fire Chief Mike Daigle would like to add three new firefighters to the Olivenhain Fire Station to help cut back on overtime. Photo
by Tony Cagala
A state appeals court panel will hear arguments next week in a group’s appeal of the lower court’s ruling over the yoga program in the Encinitas Union School District. File photo
Arguments to be heard in yoga case By Aaron Burgin
ENCINITAS — A conservative rights group’s continued litigation against the Encinitas Union School District’s yoga program returns to court next week when a state appeals court panel will hear arguments in the group’s appeal of the lower court’s ruling. The Fourth District Court of Ap-
peal March 11 will hear oral arguments in Sedlock v. Baird, the case filed by the National Center for Law and Policy on behalf of the parents of two El Camino Creek students, who said the district’s yoga program endorsed Hindu religious beliefs promoted in Ashtanga yoga and indoctrinated students with those beliefs. Superior Court Judge John Mey-
er, however, ruled in 2013 in favor of the school district and the group Yoga for Encinitas Students — known as YES — that the district’s program did not endorse one religion over another and did not violate the U.S. Constitution’s “establishment clause.” The battle over the school district’s yoga program gained national TURN TO YOGA ON A16
Haydu appointed to 22nd DAA, Day resigns By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — Lee Haydu, a former Del Mar City Council member who served one year as mayor, was one of two people appointed on Feb. 27 by Gov. Jerry Brown to the 22nd District Agricultural Association board of directors, which governs the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Haydu and Pierre Sleiman, of San Diego, fill vacancies left by David Lizerbram and Adam Day, who recently left the board to
The
better focus on other commitments. “I was very pleased and excited and honored that the governor appointed me,” Haydu said. Del Mar has been trying for what seems like forever to get a resident appointed to the board, especially since the state-owned fairgrounds sits on about 20 percent of the city’s properFormer Del Mar Mayor Lee Haydu, center, who was appointed to the ty. Haydu has lived in Del 22nd District Agricultural Association board of directors on Feb. 27, chats with board President Fred Schenk, right, and General Manager Mar for 34 years, but reTim Fennell during a 2013 event. File photo by Bianca Kaplanek
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Fire Department wants 3 additional firefighters RANCHO By Aaron Burgin
ENCINITAS — Encinitas’ fire chief has signaled that he will ask the City Council for three more firefighters at the city’s newest fire station in Olivenhain during the upcoming budget discussions. The request emerged during a discussion at the Feb. 25 meeting in regards to Fire Chief Mike Daigle’s request to apply for a federal grant that would offset the costs of three full-time firefighters at the station, which currently is staffed with three fulltime firefighters and three others working overtime shifts. The three new employees would replace the overtime employees at the station, located at the corner of Rancho Santa Fe and Lone Jack roads. “The system we have out there is not perfect,” Daigle said. “I would hope that this could get us away from the OT.” The council voted 4-1 to allow Daigle to apply for
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the grant, but questions SFNEWS emerged about whether the city could afford three new full-time positions, which, according to Daigle’s initial estimates, would cost $453,000 in year one and $522,000 by year two. If the city received the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or, SAFER grant, it would cover 80 percent of the costs the first two years, and potentially a third if the firefighters hired were veterans. Beyond that, however, the city would have to cover the costs. “To me, this is like an introductory rate on a new credit card. It’s cheap for a two year honeymoon, but afterward the additional firefighters cost the city over half a million dollars every year,” said Deputy Mayor Catherine Blakespear, who voted against the grant application. “The first question is whether we need these to be full-time positions in TURN TO FIREFIGHTERS ON A16