Residential Customer Del Mar CA, 92014 ECRWSS
Volume XV, Issue 29
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July 14, 2011 Published Weekly
Group pushes for vibrant town center Friends for Village Revitalization aims to spread word about Del Mar’s renewed efforts BY JOE TASH Contributor A recently formed volunteer group wants to serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Del Mar, in hope that the effort will finally take root after
■ Hot Shotz Sports Center moves next to Pelly’s. See Page 4
■ Local company designs portable bridge for Army. Page 11
decades of stalled attempts. Friends for Village Revitalization has been meeting informally for several months, and is now going public with its mission: to get out the word about the city’s renewed efforts to cre-
Circle of Friends
yet. If the downtown continues to deteriorate, it not only affects sales tax… it’s a matter of pride. When I come into town from the south, I’d like to have it look like something, aesthetically.”
“We’re not here to come up with the vision. We’re here to catalyze the process,” said Linda Rock, a longtime Del Mar resident who owns an office building
SEE CENTER, PAGE 6
Judge orders closure of DM pot dispensary
The DMVA Board of Directors presents Jenny Craig with a photo of the bench in Del Mar that will be dedicated to Jenny and Sid Craig. Pictured are, from left, Barbara Inbody, Mathew Bergman, Jenny Craig, Sissy Alsabrook and Karen Powell. See more photos on pages B12-B13. PHOTO: JON CLARK
First ‘Del Mar Village Circle of Friends’ event held BY DIANE Y. WELCH CONTRIBUTOR On Saturday evening, July 9, at the beachfront home of Jenny Craig – an impassioned horse owner and founder of the famed Jenny Craig weight loss program – about 100 Del Mar residents gathered together to celebrate the very first Del Mar Village Circle of Friends event.
■ It’s almost time to get back to the track. Page B1
ate a vibrant, walkable town center. “We want to make something happen this time,” said Howard Gad, a member of the friends group. “Whatever that something is we don’t know
Not only did guests enjoy a spectacular sunset soirée in a breathless Del Mar setting, but history was made that night as each became a founding member of this newly formed group. The Del Mar Village Association (DMVA), which organized the
SEE VILLAGE, PAGE 6
BY JOE TASH Contributor A San Diego Superior Court judge Tuesday ordered the closure of Del Mar’s first and only medical marijuana dispensary, just over three months after it opened for business. Last month the city sued Patrick Kennedy, the owner of the 1105 Cooperative, as the dispensary is called, and the owners of the
building on Camino Del Mar where the cooperative is located, seeking to shut the operation down. At a hearing Tuesday, Judge Judith Hayes issued a temporary restraining order directing that the cooperative be closed immediately. She also set a hearing for Aug. 4, when the city will argue its case for
SEE DISPENSARY, PAGE 14
Transportation officials to pursue four-lane I-5 expansion BY JOE TASH Contributor State and federal transportation officials have decided to pursue a four-lane, $3.5 billion expansion of Interstate 5 between La Jolla and Oceanside, rather than a larger expansion plan that had been previously considered.
Some who had opposed a larger, six-lane expansion of the freeway that was studied as part of the project’s environmental review hailed the July 7 announcement as a victory. But others remained unsatisfied, advocating for public
SEE I-5, PAGE 6
Del Mar council passes ordinance that restricts taxicab parking BY JOE TASH CONTRIBUTOR Complaints about taxicabs taking up public parking spaces and drivers loitering and behaving rudely along city streets prompted
JOHN R. LEFFERDINK
619-813-8222
the Del Mar City Council to pass an urgency ordinance prohibiting taxicabs from parking anywhere in Del Mar between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. The Council approved
the urgency ordinance on a 5-0 vote at its meeting on Monday, July 11, and also approved the first reading of a permanent ordinance enacting the taxicab parking ban.
The law took effect immediately, and signs announcing the ban were expected to be installed beginning Tuesday, said Patrick Vergne, director of community services. Parking en-
forcement officers will begin issuing warnings this weekend for violations of the new rules, and citations, which carry a fine of $43,
SEE TAXICAB, PAGE 14
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