Our e-mail addresses are: Advertising: ads@sdranchcoastnews.com | Editorial: editor@sdranchcoastnews.com | Web: www.SDRanchCoastNews.com
Celebrating Our 19th Year!
National AwardWinning Newspaper
VOLUME 27 NUMBER 50
Fair board seeks more information from state
Dec. 15, 2011
Beach Boys at Cathedral Catholic
Asks officials to better define rules on buy-backs of employee leave BY JOE TASH The Del Mar Fair Board is asking state officials to provide more information about the rules regarding buy-backs of employee leave, in the wake of a state audit that said such buybacks for fairgrounds employees were improper. At its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13, the board voted unanimously to send a letter to Ron Shackleford, audit chief for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the agency that issued the audit report last month. The report noted that the district allowed management and rank-and-file workers to cash out nearly $600,000 worth of leave time between 2005 and the beginning of 2011, which it said was a violation of state personnel rules. The state-owned fairgrounds is operated by the 22nd District Agricultural Association, which in turn is overseen by a board of directors whose members are appointed by the governor. The district suspended the leave buy-back program earlier this year at the direction of board president Adam See BOARD, Page 7
The renowned Beach Boys performed a private Christmas concert at Cathedral Catholic High School on Dec. 11, with proceeds benefitting Cathedral Catholic and Notre Dame Academy. See pages B20 and B21 for more. PHOTO: ROB MCKENZIE
Variety of opinions voiced over proposed housing development BY KAREN BILLING The Carmel Valley Community Planning Board’s Regional Issues Subcommittee again recently reviewed a proposed new housing development on Worsch Way in Carmel Valley, with many neighbors present expressing their continued concerns about the potential of eight more houses in their neighborhood. “The two biggest issues are the impacts of having something there that wasn’t there before and where that driveway is going to go,” said Jan Fuchs, regional issues committee co-chair. The Worsches were one
DM advances new plan for fairgrounds EDITOR@DELMARTIMES.NET
See PLAN, Page 8
See CONCERNS, Page 8
Cheer squad wins national championship
BY CLAIRE HARLIN Stressing the importance of both public participation and the input of regional stakeholders, the Del Mar City Council voted on Dec. 12 to move forward with the drafting of amendments to the city’s longterm community plans, which would outline goals and development parameters for the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The city’s Master Plan includes little about the future of the fairgrounds, as regional or city control of the state-owned asset was considered unlikely when it was last revised in the 1970s. But if Del Mar pursues
of the original landowners in Carmel Valley, selling some 300 acres to Baldwin Homes in 1981, with the Worsch family keeping their 1.6-acre homestead on the hill off Worsch Way, near the intersection of Del Mar Trails and Worsch Drive. The land went up for sale last year and was purchased by Del Mar Mesa resident Gary Levitt of Seabreeze Properties. The Worsch home is still there and will be removed in favor of the subdivision, with original plans calling for an access point on the existing driveway from the Worsch
The Torrey Pines Pop Warner championship cheer squad includes, back row, from left: Coach Andrea Loewen-Rodriguez, Alyssa Rodriguez, Blair Borneman, Julia Pascoe, Olivia Scott, coach Alicia Smith and Alexis Filippone; middle row: Adi Azoulai, Sarah Kirby, Kellie Hayes, Ellison Starnes, Aliya Bolt, McKenna Smith, Kaitlin Mohler and Viviana Gil; and, front row: Palomar Cheer Director Amy Leon, Olivia Krzyston, Annalise Castro, Jenna Agbulos, Mari Hoffman, Olivia Fuller and Stephanie Silva.
The Torrey Pines Pop Warner (TPPW) Jr. Midget Falcons cheer squad made history last week, placing first and capturing the National Championship title at the Pop Warner Super Bowl National Cheer & Dance Competition held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla. This is the first National Championship win ever for Torrey Pines Pop Warner and just the second National Championship in Pop Warner history for the WESCON Region, which includes Southern California, Southern Nevada, Utah, Hawaii and Arizona. The TPPW Jr. Midget Falcon cheer squad, led by head coaches Alicia Smith See CHEER, Page 7
JOHN R. LEFFERDINK
619-813-8222
www.johnlefferdink.com
ANGELA MEAKINS-BERGMAN
LISA KELLEY
CONNIE SUNDSTROM
VERONICA MOORE
858-405-9270
858-880-5242
858-334-8114
619-250-5076