Residential Customer Del Mar CA, 92014 ECRWSS
Volume XV, Issue 48
www.delmartimes.net
Nov. 23, 2011 Published Weekly
3-Day for the Cure
Del Mar appoints new city manager BY CLAIRE HARLIN EDITOR@DELMARTIMES.NET
■ With nonprofit, local man backs child-rescue charities. Page 7
More than 4,000 walkers traveled through the Village of Del Mar Nov. 18 on the first leg of a 60-mile journey in support of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer in San Diego. The Del Mar Village Association, with support from En Fuego Cantina & Grill, hosted the official downtown Del Mar Cheering Station and water distribution center for the walkers. See page B18 for more. Photo: Jon Clark
Parent asks for update on promised playground equipment at Del Mar Hills
■ Check out the new computer lounge at Torrey Pines High. Page 10
■ Shop locally this Holiday Season. See our Holiday Gift Guide, pages B4-B11.
BY KAREN BILLING At the Nov. 16 Del Mar Union School District board meeting, Del Mar Hills parent Beth Westburg asked the board where the new playground equipment is for their school. Westburg requested that an item be placed on the next agenda to update the status of the lacking equipment. The board asked staff to present the update at their Dec. 14 meeting. “School has been in session for three months and there’s no plan or schedule to bring back the equipment,” Westburg said. “What kind of message is that sending to the current students, families and prospective families?” SEE HILLS, PAGE 15
Suspects nabbed in burglary BY KAREN BILLING Two suspects were arrested Friday, Nov. 18, breaking into Del Mar Heights- area homes and police are investigating the connection between the recent series of eight similarstyle burglaries. Lt. Andrew Hoffman, of the San Diego Police Department’s Northwestern Division, said they were able to link the suspects to one of the earliest incidents in the series. However, Hoffman said they continue to look at the cases in total to see if the same people are responsible for all of the burglaries or whether they are part of
a larger crew committing crimes in the area. “The good news is we are bringing significant resources to bear on this problem and we’re yielding results,” Hoffman said. “The whole Northwestern Division has had a hand in this thing, from our senior volunteers to detectives — I‘ve been out there myself. Everybody is chomping at the bit to catch these guys.” In Friday night’s incident, a family came home to their Del Mar Heights ar-
SEE SUSPECTS, PAGE 6
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Scott W. Huth has been appointed city manager of Del Mar, after an extensive search of more than 106 candidates. Del Mar City Councilmembers announced at a special meeting on Nov. 21 that the agreement was unanimous and Huth, who has served as the Public Services Director of the City of Coronado since 1995, was the top choice of the entire council. The council outlined proposed stipulations of the new city manager’s contract, which has not yet been finalized. “Scott was on the top of list,” said Councilman Mark Filanc. “I’m really excited to have him come on
board. It’s going to be good for the city, especially with the city’s desire to move forward with revitalization.” Huth’s overwhelming support did not come without reservations, however. Terry Sinnott expressed concern and urged support for performance evaluations in regard to the new city manager’s proposed $180,000 annual salary, which also includes about $650 a month in stipends for expenses, such as cell phone. “As a city of our size, we need to tighten our belts and make sure the total compensation is more in line with the outside world,” Sin-
SEE MANAGER, PAGE 6
Del Mar’s ‘Old-Fashioned Holiday Wonderland Event’ offers family fun, benefits local schools BY DIANE Y. WELCH To kick off the Holiday Season, the Del Mar Village Association (DMVA), in partnership with L’Auberge Del Mar, and three local schools, has organized Del Mar’s annual family holiday event for Sunday, Dec. 4, from 2-5 p.m. Many seasonal, fun activities – especially for children – are planned for the “Old Fashioned Holiday Wonderland Event” that will take place at Del Mar Plaza, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, and along the historic corridor of downtown Del Mar. Check in is at L’Auberge amphitheater, located at 1540 Camino del Mar, where tickets may be purchased for $1 each. The majority of the attractions cost two to four tickets, according to a DMVA representative. In the parking lot at Bully’s there will be a carnival fun zone organized for children with pony rides, in-
The annual tree lighting flatable jumpers, carnival games, face painting, henna body art, and holiday crafts, said April Dornback, vice president of programs for the PTA at Del Mar Heights Elementary School. Children may also participate in a cake walk with cakes donated by parents from the three participating schools – Del Mar
Heights Elementary School, Del Mar Hills Elementary School, and the Winston School – that will benefit from the event ticket sales. “By the end of the cake walk, every child pretty much will have won a cake,” said Dornback. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will present its children’s choir – the St. Nicholas Choristers – who will be singing Christmas carols from 2-3 p.m. both at the much-anticipated snow area at St. Peter’s Church and down at the corner of Camino Del Mar and 15th Street. “We have seven tons of snow being delivered to the north patio at the church and it will be open to the community from 2 4:30 p.m.,” said Anne Page, the Children and Young Families Minister from the church. “We will also have
SEE HOLIDAY, PAGE 6
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