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. 24, NO. 2
JAN. 8, 2010
Drunk driving nearly doubles
THISWEEK ART LOVE
When the district had to cut its grade school art programs, a Torrey Pines High student took matters into her B1 own hands
SURFER GIRL Oceanside’s Julie Cox
By Randy Kalp
size of the document and the scope of the project, fairgrounds officials opted to double that. So far, public discussions about the project have been less than favorable. Opponents say the expansion will create more noise, traffic and pollution than the area can handle. They claim plans to mitigate those problems are not adequately addressed in the
COAST CITIES — Arrests for drunken driving over the holiday season rose significantly in San Diego County when compared to the previous year, according to authorities. Officers from 14 San Diego law enforcement agencies arrested 887 drivers during the Winter Holiday DUI Mobilization crackdown, which ran from Dec. 18 to Jan. 3. In 2008, police arrested 496 drivers during the same period. The mobilization — which is part of the state’s AVOID Anti-DUI Campaign that brings law enforcement agencies together to enforce sober driving — consisted of sobriety check points, saturation and routine patrols, San Diego Sheriff’s Sergeant Jason Rothlein said. Five deaths have been attributed to drivers under the influence this holiday season in San Diego County, Rothlein said. While Rothlein couldn’t pinpoint what caused the spike this year, he said he didn’t think it had to do with an increased presence by law enforcement because the grants being used to fund DUI operations were the same as last year. “The disturbing thing is that regardless of all the DUI awareness, DUI education, all those different programs, we’re still having really, really high numbers,” Rothlein said. During the New Year’s weekend, from Dec. 31 to Jan. 3, sheriff’s deputies made seven arrest — five in Encinitas and two in Solana Beach — in North County coast cities compared to six last year during the same 2008-2009 holiday period, said Jeffrey Vandersip, a crime analyst with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. Across town, Carlsbad police reported one arrest
TURN TO FAIRGROUNDS ON A18
TURN TO DRUNK DRIVING ON A18
loved surfing as a teenager — as an adult, she’s built a B7 career out of it
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Taking the
Plunge
An estimated 1,000 people braved the chilly temps on New Year’s Day for the annual Penguin Plunge in Del Mar. Warm drinks and food were offered by the Poseidon Restaurant to help participants warm up after plunging in the 57-degree water. Right, Del Mar resident Debbie Church gets ready to take the plunge. See more photos on Page A15 Photos by Daniel Knighton
More time given for input on fairgrounds changes By Bianca Kaplanek
COAST CITIES — The 22nd District Agricultural Association spread some last minute holiday cheer when it announced on its Web site a few days before Christmas that comments on the master plan and draft environmental impact report for an expansion project at the Del Mar Fairgrounds will now be accepted through Feb. 8. The extension gives area legislators, jurisdictions, residents and organizations an
additional 30 days to submit written comments on the 4,500-page document. The 22nd DAA, which manages and operates the fairgrounds, is proposing several improvements to the 340-acre site that would be completed during the next 15 years. Near-term plans include a 330-room condominium hotel with an 18,000-squarefoot ballroom and parking facilities for 58 RVs, new exhibit halls with under-
ground parking and three rooftop sports fields, a health club and administrative offices. The east parking lot would be paved and the existing fire station relocated. Long-term projects call for a multilevel parking structure and a seasonal train platform. The public review period, which began Oct. 9, was required to remain open for at least 45 days. Given the