Volume XV, Issue 19
www.solanabeachsun.com
May 5, 2011 Published Weekly
Meet Your Neighbor: Don Miller Expertise in seismography enhances work as Master Gardener
■ The Romeros to perform at St. James’ centennial celebration. Page B8
BY DIANE Y. WELCH Staff Writer Solana Beach resident Don Miller, a retired development engineer in the geophysics department for Scripps Institute of Oceanography, is now a Master Gardener. He is a busy man during the spring season, as his mornings are
spent at Carlsbad’s Flower Fields. While famed for its rows of ranunculus flowers that create a massive blaze of color, there are also adjunct gardens for the public to wander through and enjoy. Miller tends to several of these gardens, one of which is the Enclosed Garden, first designed by Leucadia-based artist Patricia
Patterson. He took over responsibility for that garden a decade ago, he said. Featuring foxglove, morning glory, delphiniums, nasturtiums and lavender, the six square planters in the garden brim over with color, texture and fragrance. SEE NEIGHBOR, PAGE 6
Having a ball for the kids
Don Miller with Snoopy, his pet terrier. PHOTO: DIANE Y WELCH
City working to improve intersection Public asked to weigh in on plan for Lomas Santa Fe and Highland drives
■ Local resident becomes youngest players agent for soccer federation.
Submit to special city anniversary section in SB Sun To celebrate the city of Solana Beach’s upcoming 25th anniversary, the Solana Beach Sun will publish a special commemorative section on May 20. Editorial and advertising participation in this section is encouraged. Please email any photos or editorial submissions to editor@rsfreview. com (send any questions to this address, as well). Submission deadline is Thursday, May 12, at 5 p.m. To show your support for the city through advertising, call 858-756-1403.
Solana Beach Ball attendees Debbie and Russell Dushman, and Cass and Michael Husted with Ms. Calhoun’s kindergarten class art project ‘Geckos Gone Wild. ’ The fundraiser was held April 30 at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club. Money raised helps bring art, science, PE and technology to students at Skyline and Solana Vista schools. See page B12 for more. Photo/Jon Clark
rection to one lane in each direction on Lomas Santa Fe from Highland to Las Banderas. This change would aim to make the area more pedestrian-friendly by adding sidewalks as well as slowing down traffic. This change would be done by simply repainting the traffic lanes, so it could be easily modified as needed. The council is now acSEE CITY, PAGE 6
CCA’s rookie robotics team division champs at international competition Canyon Crest Academy’s rookie robotics team, de.evolution, took first place in its division and second place overall in the worldwide FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics competition held this past weekend in St. Louis.
JOHN R. LEFFERDINK
619-813-8222
BY MARLENA CHAVIRAMEDFORD Staff Writer Solana Beach City Council and city staff are developing a plan for improvements to Highland Drive and Lomas Santa Fe Drive, a project that aims to calm traffic and enhance the overall streetscape at this intersection. The preliminary plans include narrowing traffic from two lanes in each di-
Beginning last fall, 1,600 teams of 10 members each from around the world competed in regional tournaments, for an invitation to the international competition. Of those 1,600 teams, 128 winning teams were invited to compete in St. Louis
– among them de.evolution, which won first place in its first regional competition in December in Los Angeles. At the international tournament, the 128 teams (representing 1,280 students) were divided into two divisions of 64 teams each.
Two days of qualifying matches eliminated all but four teams from each division. The four teams then played against one another, and de.evolution won its division handily with a spunky little robot, innovative programming and nim-
Real. Results. Guaranteed www.johnlefferdink.com A
NGELA
MEAKINS-BERGMAN
858-405-9270
ble maneuverability. With 11 team members in ninth and 10th grades, de.evolution was formed just this year and was classified as a rookie team. The Canyon Crest students comSee ROBOTICS, page 6
LISA KELLEY
CONNIE SUNDSTROM
858-880-5242
858-334-8114