Encinitas Advocate 6 19 14

Page 1

Encinitas Advocate Cardif f-by-the-Sea • Leucadia • Olivenhain

Volume I • Issue I

www.encinitasadvocate.com

HAPPY GRADS!

■ Encinitas resident calling for more public murals to enliven city. Page 8

Encinitas Advocate: Submit your coverage requests and announcements The Encinitas Advocate welcomes announcements for publication consideration on community events, achievements, sports, etc. We also welcome story suggestions and requests for possible event photography coverage. Please email editor@ encinitasadvocate.com and/or jared@ encinitasadvocate.com.

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE An Edition of 491 2nd St. Suite 103 Encinitas, CA 92024 858-756-1451 www.encinitasadvocate. com

La Costa Canyon High School students (left) and San Dieguito Academy students (right) celebrated graduation June 13. (Above left) Dani, Sabrina, Aubree; (Above right) Mike, Axton, Lucas, Nick, Kyle. For more photos, see inside, and for more photos online, visit www.encinitasadvocate.com. PHOTOS/MCKENZIE IMAGES

June 20, 2014

Parents ask for change to school selection system BY KAREN BILLING Parents Jennifer Hewitson and Britta Brewer graduated from San Dieguito when it was still just a high school, not an Academy. They had always hoped their children would follow in their footsteps and attend their neighborhood high school, too. But now, because of San Dieguito Union School District’s high school selection and lottery process, there is a chance that they won’t get that opportunity.

Sixty-five students did not get into their school of choice — San Dieguito Academy — this year. Many of them live within walking or biking distance of the school. So a large group of Cardiff and Encinitas residents have banded together to ask the district to consider changing the selection system and making San Dieguito a boundary school. Parents filled the room See SELECTION, Page 22

Easing backyard bee and farm restrictions all the buzz Council will consider less-restrictive buffers to help the farmer next door BY JARED WHITLOCK In a spacious backyard neighboring the 44-acre Encinitas Community Park, bees come and go from two white, wooden boxes. The beehives belong to homeowner Bruce Hall, who said the insects greatly improve the health of his plants and flowers. Not to mention, he has more honey than he knows what to do with. Technically, though, his

hobby is illegal. City code states that hives are allowed in most residential areas, provided they’re at least 600 feet from surrounding homes. But Hall’s nearest neighbor is roughly 75 feet away. The buffer is smaller for chicken coops or goat pens — 35 feet. Yet it’s still restrictive in Hall’s book. “Having bees or raising animals isn’t realistic in Encinitas for most,” Hall said. “Yards are too small. Unfor-

tunately, agriculture in this city is dying out.” He’s among a chorus of residents calling for the city to overhaul decades-old agriculture rules in light of Encinitas’ increasingly urban environment. Relaxed city codes, they say, would sprout more recreational and commercial farms. For now, Hall said most are forced to keep their livestock in hiding. “You can hear chickens and goats in the area,” Hall said. “Bring them out of the shadows.” Some cities are more lenient when it comes to resi-

dential agriculture. Take Carlsbad, where hives must be kept only 150 feet from homes. In Encinitas and most cities in the county, ordinances addressing backyard livestock and agriculture date to the 1980s and even earlier. But less-strict laws have taken root recently. In a nod to the “local food” movement, the city of San Diego relaxed rules for chickens, goats and bees in 2012. For instance, a coop housing up to 15 chickens is now allowed on lots if more See RESTRICTIONS, Page 23

Some say the city needs to relax its livestock and commercial farming restrictions to encourage farmers. PHOTO/JARED WHITLOCK

Encinitas City Council agreed to buy Pacific View — now what happens? BY JARED WHITLOCK Some details of the Pacific View purchase still have to be ironed out for the property to change hands. After months of negotiations, the Encinitas City Council recently voted 3-2 to buy the site — long floated as the best place for an arts or community center — from EUSD (Encinitas Union School District). However, don’t expect any city projects there right away. Currently, the city is analyzing the condition of the soil and buildings on the 2.8-acre property, where Pa-

cific View Elementary has sat vacant since closing more than a decade ago. City Manager Gus Vina said if asbestos and other serious issues are found, the council could ask the district to mitigate them. “It’s like noting any flaws before you buy a home,” Vina said, adding that the city is still in the due diligence phase. The city is also working to finance the deal by selling $13 million in bonds, with $10 million for obtaining Pacific View and $3 million for a new lifeguard tower at

Pacific View Elementary in downtown Encinitas closed 10 years ago. The city recently agreed to buy the property, but it has to wrap up the purchase before moving forward with city projects there. PHOTO/JARED WHITLOCK

Moonlight Beach. The plan will add an estimated $733,000 to the city’s annual debt service — money for paying down interest and principal — for the next 30 years. Vina said the city’s debt-management ratio is now at about 8 percent, still meeting the council’s goal of staying below 10 percent. He added the city’s AAA credit rating remains intact. If financing can’t be obtained within a year, the purchase agreement speciSee PACIFIC VIEW, Page 22

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A2 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

Path forward proposed for stalled community garden

BY JARED WHITLOCK Residents have tried to establish a community garden on Quail Gardens Drive since 2009, only to hit a series of roadblocks. The council suggested a path forward for the stalled garden at its June 11 meeting. The hold-up is largely because community gardens aren’t explicitly defined as agriculture in the city’s municipal code. In turn, city staff members said the project needs a $1,600 minoruse permit to move forward. Deputy Mayor Tony Kranz said whether or not it’s spelled out in the municipal code, a community garden certainly falls under the definition of agriculture. “We can call it purple or something other than a community garden, if that’s what we’re wrapped around the axle about,� Kranz said. With the aim of expediting the project, the council then directed the Planning Commission to determine whether community gardens fall under the definition of agriculture. A ruling in favor of the garden would eliminate the requirement for a minor-use permit. The council also agreed

A community garden has been in the works for five years at this Quail Gardens site, but hasn’t taken root. The council recommended a path forward on June 11. PHOTO BY JARED WHITLOCK

to consider waiving any additional city fees associated with the project that could arise at a later date. However, garden organizers would still have to submit a state requirement — a coastal development permit. Completing a new CDP could take eight months, but it would be faster to attach the garden to an existing Encinitas Union School District CDP, according to city staff. EUSD owns a 10-acre parcel on Quail Gardens Drive, about an acre of which has been reserved for the community garden’s raised planter beds. The district has stated that the rest of

the land will host crops and a farming education center for district students in the next few months. Residents lined up to speak in favor of fast-tracking the garden at the meeting. Andrew Moore, a sophomore at San Dieguito Academy, said he was a fifth-grader when the council first issued support for the community garden. “I bike, I hike, I go camping — but the one thing I do not do is grow my own food,� Moore said. “I live in a relatively small complex where there just isn’t enough space.� “I think it’s a pretty common-sense decision — a community garden is agricul-

Council approves naming dog park after late councilwoman BY JARED WHITLOCK The two-acre dog area in the soon-to-debut Encinitas Community Park will be called the Maggie Houlihan Memorial Dog Park. The Encinitas City Council voted unanimously June 18 in favor of naming the dog park after the late councilwoman, drawing applause from residents who packed into council chambers to support the plan. Before voting, council members shared stories of Houlihan’s love for animals. Deputy Mayor Tony Kranz said Houlihan always picked lunch spots that accommodated dogs. And Houlihan taught Mayor Kristin Gaspar how to give injections to her tortoise that has liver problems. “This is a no-brainer,� Councilwoman Lisa Shaffer said. Numerous public speakers said the name is fitting given that Houlihan, who died of cancer in 2011, spearheaded animal welfare causes. Notably, she helped found the Spay and Neuter Action Project and the off-leash dog advocacy group People and Dog Zones (PADZ). “She actively worked so hard to promote off-leash areas in Encinitas,� said PADZ board member Laurie Michaels, adding Encinitas likely wouldn’t have as many dog amenities without Houlihan. Ian Thompson, Houlihan’s husband, recalled how she hopped off her bike during a triathlon in Encinitas’ Japanese sister city, Hondo, to help a homeless kitten along the side of the road. Some in the local media painted the move as disrespectful to Hondo representatives, he said, adding the officials actually saw it as an act of kindness and selflessness. Thompson went on to say the act highlights how someone’s contribution to a community isn’t only measured by how long he or she served. “Sometimes it’s about how deeply a person has been

See GARDEN, page 23

See PARK, page 19

ED UC D E ER C I PR

CAVALLO FARMS Up to 60 Stalls - Del Mar t

HO NC A R

DEL RIO FARMS 35+ Horses, 2 Homes, Great Well t

FE TE N SA

ED

RANCHO CABALLO ROJO -FWFM BDSFT NBOZ IPSTFT BMMPXFE t $2,500,000

HORSE CREEK TRAIL 1SPGFTTJPOBM T " &RVFTUSJBO &TUBUF t

EQUESTRIAN REAL ESTATE

WILDFLOWER RANCH 4UBMMT )PNFTJUF t $7,395,000

PREMIER CALIFORNIA PROPERTIES

G

F EO

RS

F

RANCH IN SANTA FE HILLS 5,900 SF Dressage Estate t Caren Kelley CA BRE #01003787 858-350-1018 Caren@EquestrianRE.com WWW.EQUESTRIANRE.COM

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A3

Council issues conditional support for Manchester Avenue underpass BY JARED WHITLOCK The Encinitas City Council recently warmed up to the idea of an underpass and parking lot on part of the Manchester Avenue strawberry fields. At the June 11 meeting, the council noted long-standing reservations, but ultimately agreed to support the project in a letter to the California Coastal Commission. The agency will review Caltrans’ plans for the Interstate 5 corridor in August. However, council backing comes with conditions: Notably, Caltrans must preserve some of the strawberry fields for agriculture or open space in perpetuity. Councilwoman Lisa Shaffer said she’s received emails from residents who want the land to remain for agriculture. However, she said the grandfathered-in strawberry fields are zoned as residential. So nothing is stopping the property owners from developing the land. “The city can’t really force them to stay agricultural,” she said, adding that Caltrans could protect some of the land. The strawberry fields measure about 30 acres, and the Manchester project would take around eight of those acres. But Caltrans intends to buy most of the land. The underpass, known as a direct-access ramp, is designed to alleviate congestion for cars trying to enter I-5 from Manchester Avenue. It would funnel car poolers, buses and solo drivers willing to pay a fee directly into the I-5 express lanes. And those driving in the express lanes could also exit via the direct-access ramp. For the planned I-5 widening, Caltrans intends to add four express lanes — two in each direction — in North County. The 150-space Park and Ride, next to the direct-access ramp, aims to promote car-pooling, as well as bicycling. It would connect with a planned bike path running parallel to the freeway and would feature bike lockers. San Diego resident Tom Alvin, who owns part of the strawberry fields, could not be reached for comment regarding the Caltrans proposal. The council said its support is also contingent on Caltrans following through with: the bike path; mitigation for impacts to the San Elijo Lagoon; and phasing projects at the same time to avoid traffic problems. Councilwoman Teresa Barth said originally plans called for the direct-access ramp to complement rapid buses on Manchester Avenue. However, when the buses were scrapped, she was reluctant to support the ramp.

A mock-up image of a direct-access ramp and Park and Ride just off Manchester Avenue. Although it has reservations, the council is backing the project. IMAGE COURTESY OF KEEP SAN DIEGO MOVING.

Yet the council’s conditions were enough to win her support. “We’re OK with the DAR as long as we get what’s promised,” she said. During a meeting in April, council members worried the direct-access ramp could draw more traffic to El Camino Real and Manchester Avenue. A Caltrans representative at the June 11 meeting said a 2007 traffic study analyzing the area actually showed the opposite. The Manchester proposal is included in Caltrans’ $6.5 billion package of rail, freeway and lagoon improvements for the I-5 corridor. Funding would be drawn from state and federal sources. Should the Coastal Commission sign off on the I-5 proposal, construction could begin for some projects by next year. The direct-access ramp and parking lot are scheduled in the 2020 to 2030 timeframe. Mayor Kristin Gaspar noted the Coastal Commission will also have to weigh in on whether Proposition A applies to the direct-access ramp and Park and Ride. Prop A requires that major rezone requests go to a public vote.

433 A Street, Encinitas $2,995,000 to $3,195,000 Co-listed with Mary Raser

802 Luminara Way, San Marcos $739,000

1735 Dylan Way, Encinitas $1,150,000 -SOLD

Cell - 760-822-1755 David Miller Pacific Sotheby’s Realty themillergroupre@gmail.com CABRE# 01389997

1312 Corvidae, Carlsbad $1,025,000 to $1,125,000

PacificSothebysRealty.com

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A4 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

New Encinitas enforcement program seeks to discourage unruly late-night behavior BY JOE TASH An Encinitas code enforcement officer will soon begin paying unannounced, latenight calls on bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in an effort to curb unruly behavior by patrons that has triggered complaints by residents. The effort marks a first for the beachside community, where residents have complained to city officials in recent years about bar patrons who speak in loud voices, urinate in public, litter and cause other disturbances. Most of the problems occur in the late night or early morning hours. In March, the Encinitas City Council authorized funding for a half-time code enforcement officer who will focus on issues related to the city’s 111 alcohol-serving establishments. The officer will conduct daytime checks for compliance with city regulations, such as a requirement that servers and bartenders receive training in such topics as spotting and dealing with inebriated customers. The officer will also make periodic latenight checks from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., accom-

panied by a sheriff’s deputy. At that March hearing, the council declined to approve a “deemed approved ordinance,� a new set of regulations that would have given the city additional enforcement powers to regulate bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. Through the new inspection program, city officials hope to learn more about what is going on downtown and elsewhere along the Highway 101 corridor in the wee hours, since the number of official complaints filed with the city has been relatively small, said Planning Director Jeff Murphy. A review by city staff found that over the past five years, 141 complaints were filed with the city regarding problems with alcohol-serving establishments, or about two per month, said a city report. The Sheriff’s Department reported 67 calls for service at alcohol-serving establishments during the same period, said the report. “There seems to be a disconnect here, between what residents are saying here at the dais (at City Council meetings) versus what we have seen regarding complaints

Let's give together. We're your neighbors. We bike, surf and savor the sunsets. We eat at neighbohood cafĂŠs and support local businesses and charities. Like you, when we see needs in our community, we want to help. As a community foundation, we have been helping to meet needs throughout San Diego County for nearly 35 years.

s Donor Advised Funds n The ultimate win-win for you to give and invest in the causes you care about. You receive an immediate tax benefit and give the money away over time. Your fund is professionally managed by the RSF Foundation, and we efficiently handle all the check writing and record keeping. Unlike large commercial institutions, we provide personalized service with every fund and expertise in local nonprofits and community needs. Our donor advised fund holders have collectively granted over $30 million locally, nationally and around the world. s Grants to area nonproďŹ ts n When you open a fund with the RSF Foundation, you increase the impact of your own giving by becoming part of a community of givers. The generosity of our donors over the years – through gifts large and small – has made it possible for us to grant over $10 million to support nonprofits addressing the most pressing needs throughout San Diego County. s Sustainability for area nonproďŹ ts n Endowment funds provide long-term financial stability for nonprofit organizations. These funds demonstrate that a nonprofit is committed to serving the community forever, so you can trust that your contribution today will make a difference for the future. Over 60 area nonprofit organizations have endowment funds at the RSF Foundation.

Get to know us. Call today – 858-756-6557 WWW RSFFOUNDATION ORG s INFO RSFFOUNDATION ORG

that have been filed,� said Murphy. “Hopefully, this pro-active enforcement program will give us the opportunity to go out into the community and see for ourselves what is happening in the downtown in the late night and early morning.� Businesses found in violation of city rules will receive a warning, and could face fines for additional violations, Murphy said. Repeat violators could be referred to the city attorney for legal action, he said. Shirley Finch, who lives downtown and is a member of the Encinitas Citizens Committee, said there is no mystery — bad behavior by bar patrons has plagued her neighborhood for several years. The problem eases in the winter, but grows worse in May or June when the weather is warmer and more people come downtown for late-night fun, she said. “It’s discouraging, to say the least. It’s going on three years now, and these incidents are still happening. The citizens can’t fix it. The city (government) has

“There seems to be a disconnect here, between what residents are saying here at the dais (at City Council meetings) versus what we have seen regarding complaints that have been filed.� — Planning Director Jeff Murphy to take control of their city,� said Finch, who supported the deemed approved ordinance. But downtown business owners said they do take steps to prevent disruptive behavior by patrons, and that many problems attributed to customers of bars and restaurants are in fact caused by teenagers who are drinking illegally. The Encinitas Hospitality Association, a coalition of downtown businesses, has hired security guards in the past to patrol city streets late at night in an effort to curtail bad behavior, and the ef-

fort will soon gear up again, said Haven Dunn, co-owner and manager of the D Street Bar and Grill. “The goal is to create a safe environment where we can operate our businesses, where people can have fun and we can prosper in the downtown area and co-exist with our neighbors,� Dunn said. Along with training his staff on safe and proper procedures for serving alcohol, Dunn said, he sends employees out to patrol the area around his business to discourage illegal activity and pick up trash. As for the new enforcement program and its latenight spot checks, Dunn said, “We welcome it 100 percent.� “I think it’ll help to clear the air of the stigma that we as an entity, in the downtown area, are malicious and doing all these illegal things. We go above and beyond what’s required by law, and we’re proud of that,� Dunn said. See PROGRAM, page 23

Encinitas City Council race taking shape BY JARED WHITLOCK The Encinitas City Council race officially starts next month, but two residents have already thrown their hats in the ring for the one seat up for election. The mayor’s race has one confirmed candidate, with two council members considering running for the role. So where do the early candidates stand on the issues? Council candidate Catherine Blakespear said she’d like to overhaul the city’s farming ordinance to jump-start agriculture operations. “The city should make agriculture a part of its economy,� she said. “We’re in danger of losing our greenhouses to development.� Blakespear is an attorney who is representing Coral Tree Farms and Nursery. The small farm lost its ability to sell produce and host educational classes because it ran afoul of city code. She argued the farm has been “regulated out of business.� Blakespear also said the city should review why construction costs are so high, noting that the new Moonlight Beach lifeguard tower could cost up to $3 million. She added that the council should be able to choose from different project designs, from basic to more expensive. “Not every facility needs to be the Taj Mahal,� she said. Blakespear, a member of the Traffic and Public Safety Commission, also said she’d work toward a more general goal: preserving quality of life. Mayor Kristin Gaspar, whose term ends this year, is running for office. But she has yet to decide whether she’ll vie for the mayor or council spot.

An opponent of the $10 million Pacific View purchase, Gaspar has said the city needs to prioritize funding core services like roads. A few months ago, the council majority floated the idea of a sales tax increase to bring in extra revenue, which Gaspar opposed. “Council should hold the line on spending instead of raising taxes,� Gaspar said. Gaspar also said she’d like the city to focus on economic development. She suggested setting up forums or workshops with various stakeholders to learn about challenges facing the business community. She’s also passionate about the city’s housing element, a blueprint guiding growth for the next two decades. Essentially, the city has to map out where to place state-mandated housing. Instead of clustering the units, Gaspar said they should be evenly distributed throughout the city. Julie Graboi, the other candidate in the council race, said her platform centers on land-use issues. “In this area, the council is out of touch with citizens,� Graboi said. For example, Graboi said the council didn’t fully vet the Desert Rose density-bonus development to address traffic and safety concerns. California’s density-bonus law allows developers to build extra homes on a property if one or more of the units is dedicated to low-income residents. Recently, the projects have sparked protests across the city. Graboi, a regular at council meetings, said it’s a laudable law on the surface. But in practice, it entails packing too many homes See RACE, page 23

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A5

Rancho Santa Fe Plaza

Services

Shops

Finezza Fine Gifts Kris Lajeskie Design Mister B-Men’s Clothing Renaissance Galleries Wilshire Fireplace

Food & Wine Harvest Ranch Market

Health & Beauty

Bentley’s Steak & Chop House Champagne Bakery Firenze Trattoria Meritage Wine Market & Tasting Room The Original Pancake House

Aesthetically Pleasing Med Spa Home Care Assistance. Pilates on Cue Senté Inc. Stainless Salon

Coldwell Banker Capstone Development Partners Coastal Community Foundation Edward D. Jones & Co. Executive Dynamics Search Fisher Real Estate Advisors JEI Learning Center Jonathan Tart Foundation Nancarrow Realty Group Nationwide Insurance Ranch Santa Fe Foundation West Village Cleaners Withers Bergman LLP

Browse, Shop, Dine, Enjoy! ENTLEY’S STEAK & CHOP HOUSE Steaks Chops Prime Rib Seafood

Two for One Friday Tastings! Mention Promo Code RSFR13

Friday Night from 6 - 8pm 162 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd. #A-10 Encinitas, CA 92024 | p. 760-479-2500

Now serving Sunday Brunch 10 - 2 North County’s Finest Steak House 760.632.9333 | www.BentleysSteak.com 162 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd. Suite C-10 | Encinitas, CA 92024

Rancho Santa Fe Plaza | 162 S.Rancho Santa Fe Road, Encinitas CA | (760) 436-6463 | www.ranchosantafeplaza.com

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A6 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

2014 Encinitas Arts Alive Auction

2014 Arts Alive Banner Auction

The 2014 Encinitas Arts Alive Auction was held June 8 at the Cardiff Town Center Plaza. This annual art exhibit is produced by the 101 Artists’ Colony, Cardiff 101 Main Street and Leucadia 101 Main Street. Half of the sale price goes to the artist and the other half to the three nonprofit organizations that produce the event. Visit www.artsaliveencinitas. com. Photos by Jon Clark. For photos online, visit www.encinitasadvocate.com

Tom Cozens bids on a banner

MC Danny Salzhandler

Norma Salzhandler (101 Artist Colony board member), Lorraine Stiehl (event volunteer), Sheryl Tempchin (artist)

Auctioneer Rich Houk

Bill Rodewald, Bill Fairchild, Teri Rodewald

Mitchell Clarke, Vincent Tessieri (artist)

Geli Turner, Sarah Hyndman

Terri Soppe (artist), Skye Walker (artist), Katy Holt

Colin Richardson, Jim Lahey

Sheryl Tempchin with one of the banners she painted

Ilona Zotkova, Tonia Senoo

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A7

Encinitas moving on plan for safe walking routes BY JOE TASH Making the city’s streets safer for pedestrians — around schools and throughout the community — is the goal of Let’s Move Encinitas, a project that has been under way since 2012 and is nearing completion. The end product of Let’s Move Encinitas will be a comprehensive plan for safe walking routes that includes community priorities for safety improvements around schools and popular walking routes. That plan is scheduled to be presented to the City Council for review in January, said Christy Villa, an associate civil engineer with the city’s Engineering and Public Works Department, who is project manager for Let’s Move Encinitas. By the end of June, a “ranking tool” will be put up on the project’s website, letsmoveencinitas.org, where residents can prioritize a list of infrastructure improvements identified during a series of workshops last fall and this spring, as well as “walk audits” around neighborhood schools. The draft plan will be presented to residents this fall during workshop sessions. It will include prioritized lists of projects — customized for specific schools and neighborhoods — designed to make pedestrians safer. The lists could include such improvements as enhanced crosswalks, signs, pedestrian underpasses, sidewalks and traffic-calming devices such as roundabouts. “It’s not just students who want to walk to school, but people want to walk downtown, to the beach, parks, the post office,” said Villa. “A comprehensive plan will benefit not only students, but people of all ages who want to get to the great destinations in our city.” The city worked with the nonprofit group Circulate San Diego in a successful application for a $183,000 grant from the California Department of Transportation to fund the project, along with a $27,000 contribution from the city, for a total project budget of $210,000. The effort was launched in 2012, and the program includes a task force made up of representatives from city

Encinitas residents at one of the workshop sessions for the Let’s Move Encinitas project. Courtesy photo neighborhoods and public agencies, said Villa. The task force meets monthly. Along with the workshops and walking tours around schools, the project has a strong social media presence through its Facebook page and Twitter feed, Villa said. Some 800 people contributed online suggestions for safety improvements after the fall and spring workshops. “We see that as really good participation,” Villa said. “We’re seeing a lot of people being actively engaged online.” Each community and school has different goals and needs when it comes to safe walking routes, and the plan will seek to accommodate that diversity, Villa said. While the plan doesn’t include funding for infrastructure projects, it should help the city seek grant money for such work, according to project organizers. “Really, what it does is position the city... it makes the

grant applications more competitive,” said Leah Stender, a former program manager with Circulate San Diego who worked on the Encinitas project since its inception. “It will give them a leg up over another community that hasn’t done the extensive outreach that we have.” Stender, who has worked on a number of similar projects around San Diego County, said Encinitas residents participated at a high level. “Out of all the projects I’ve done, I’ve definitely gotten the most community input for this particular plan,” she said. “There’s just a huge community involvement … it’s absolutely fantastic.” Other cities have had success in using their safe-routes plans to obtain grants, said Stender. La Mesa, for example, has received about $3.5 million in grants over the past four or five years after completing its own plan. Along with the practical purpose of providing a blueprint for the city in prioritizing pedestrian safety projects and obtaining grants, the process of compiling Encinitas’ plan also allowed city residents to have a say on an important issue, said Mim Michelove. She is participating in Let’s Move Encinitas both as a representative of the Encinitas Union School District, and as a resident of “new Encinitas,” which is centered on the El Camino Real corridor. Encinitas students and parents are already using alternative means of getting to school, from walking and biking to skateboarding and car-pooling, said Michelove. District schools placed first and second for two years in a row in the countywide “Walk, Ride and Roll to School Challenge,” put on by iCommute and the Safe Routes to School Initiative, said Michelove. “I’m hopeful the city will take this data and pursue more grant funds and put them into action to meet the needs of the community,” Michelove said. “I thought it was a very positive experience. These people made me feel like anybody can be part of the process and the process can work.”

ADV RTISEMENT

Seniors Helping Seniors provides care, jobs to seniors in North County By Kristina Houck When Patricia Berman went to see her doctor for her routine checkup in March, he told her she doesn’t look or act 90 years old. “I don’t plan to act 90,” said Berman from her chair in her Oceanside house, a place she has called home for more than 20 years. “I want to keep doing things. I want to keep living.” When Berman fell in August, she needed a compassionate caregiver who understood her desire to remain independent. That’s when she contacted Seniors Helping Seniors of San Diego North County, a Carlsbad-based non-medical, in-home care agency. Founded in 1998 in Pennsylvania, Seniors Helping Seniors matches seniors who want to provide help with seniors who need help. The company now has about 230 locations throughout the U.S. “When you get to be a certain age, you can understand maybe what that other senior is going through,” said 63-year-old Patty McCormac, one of Berman’s three caretakers. “I’m not saying a younger person couldn’t do it, but I think an older person has more empathy.” From a couple of hours to 24-hour care, Seniors Helping Seniors offers companionship, housekeeping, cooking, shopping, transportation services and more. Seniors Helping Seniors of San Diego North County serves Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, Oceanside and Vista. After Berman fell, McCormac stayed with her full-time for five days. Now, she and two other caretakers from Seniors Helping Seniors take turns spending time with Berman Monday through Friday, driving her to her appointments, helping her clean her home, and more. “If I don’t have anything for them to do, they leave,” said Berman. “I have free time and I’m alone, which I like. I don’t want to be hovered over. I don’t need it.” A widow for 31 years, Berman said she enjoys spending time alone. After she raised her children, Berman worked at a needlepoint store. Today she spends much of her time working on needlepoint projects and teaching a needlepoint class. “I prefer my home. I prefer privacy,” she said. “My home is my sanctuary.” While Seniors Helping Seniors provides essential services to senior clients, it also helps other senior citizens supplement their retirement incomes. Matching those two groups together is the mission of Seniors Helping Seniors. “I was lucky to get Mrs. Berman,” said McCormac, who also lives in Oceanside. “I’ve got out of my rut, my circle of friends has widened and I genuinely love being with Mrs. Berman. “I think this is the best program I’ve seen around here. Seniors are helping seniors. In a

Patricia Berman (right) with Pat Fowler (left), one of her three caregivers from Seniors Helping Seniors. Courtesy photo few more years, I might need a little help.” Seniors Helping Seniors of San Diego North County is located at 701 Palomar Airport Road, Suite 300, Carlsbad. For more information, call 760-591-7474, email info@SHSsandiego.com or visit www. seniorshelpingseniors.com/SanDiegoNorthCounty. Note: Business spotlights are developed through this newspaper’s advertising department in support of our advertisers.

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A8 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

Encinitas resident calling for more public murals to enliven city BY JARED WHITLOCK Where some see a plain, white wall, Jax Meyers sees a blank canvas. A couple of months ago, Meyers founded Paint Encinitas, a group dedicated to highlighting street murals and bringing more public art to the city. “When art is public, anyone can access it,” Meyers said. “That’s not to knock museums. But not everyone can afford to see art at those places.” At paintencinitas.org, visitors can peruse colorful murals splashed on businesses’ walls throughout the city. Accompanying each mural on the website: the artist’s name, a bit of history about its creation and the location. “What you’re seeing is private businesses taking it upon themselves to put up this stunning art that makes you stop and look at it twice,” Meyers said. “By cataloguing the existing murals, hopefully that catalyzes more public art.” From large murals on Café Ipe to the Leucadia Boulevard 7-Eleven, what makes Encinitas such a hotbed for public art? “It’s difficult to say with certainty,” Meyers said. “I will say that we have a lot of artists. And if they aren’t artists, they’re a patron of the arts. We’re becoming this big arts community. So why not put it on our walls?” And Meyers is spurring more artwork. She helped arrange for artist Skye Walker to paint a piece on the north wall of Royal Liquor. Titled “Remember California,” the piece will have a debut party there at noon June 29. “That’s the first thing — businesses have to be open to having art on their walls,” Meyers said. “I think a lot of them recognize that it’s good for the community and good for business.” She added that she’s lining up more public murals, which she hopes to announce on her website soon. Kevin Anderson, who has created murals throughout Encinitas, including at the Leucadia Mobil Gas Station and Kealani’s, said he “thought the mural thing was drying up six or seven years ago.” “People associated it with graffiti, which it’s not,” Anderson said. “Since then, I’ve seen a turnaround. The community seems to love them.” Anderson credited Paint Encinitas with fueling the demand for public art. “The more the merrier, I say,” Anderson said. Meyers, who grew up in Encinitas, said she wasn’t able to visit many galleries or museums as a kid. But she distinctly remembers riding the train up to Los Angeles and admiring the eye-catching artwork outside.

Jax Meyers, founder of Paint Encinitas, shows two murals behind Bull Taco. Meyers wants to bring more art to the public sphere. The mural on the left is by Kris Markovich; the other by the artist known as Pces One. PHOTO BY JARED WHITLOCK “It left an impression,” Meyers said, noting it inspired her poetry, another of her passions. Later, after graduating from UCLA in 2010, she felt lost, unsure of what to do next. But enrolling in a program called City Year in Philadelphia — in which she mentored inner-city youths — gave her newfound purpose. As part of the program, Meyers helped students paint murals in their neighborhoods and schools, showing her the power of art firsthand. “It’s really special to go into a community with a lot of hardships — violence, drugs — and being able to connect with the youth through art. “Art enriches the community,” Meyers added. “And you see how the community takes ownership. It becomes a part of them.” Two years passed in Philadelphia, and then she moved back to Encinitas. Without a car, she walked and skateboarded around the city. The slower pace afforded her a new appreciation of the city’s murals, old ones and new ones that had popped up while away. But the barren walls really stood out. “It was a bit of a culture shock,” Meyers said. “Art was everywhere there (Philadelphia), and there wasn’t as much public art here.”

Big band jazz featured at July concert The Coastal Cities Jazz Band performs a concert of big band jazz at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, at Carlsbad Community Church, Carlsbad. Music popular during the World War II era will be on tap, with trumpeter Willie Murillo and vocalist Becky Martin joining the band for this performance. Tickets are $15 general admission or $12 for seniors and students. For advance tickets, call Gary Adcock at 858-775-1113. The Coastal Cities Jazz Band has become quite popular with very entertaining programs that feature guest artists from the Los Angeles scene. Both Murillo and Martin are in demand around the world, having just returned from a tour in Japan and Australia. We are fortunate to have them with us for this concert. For information, call 858-775-1113.

Where Pottery is just the beginning!

SD International Boat Show kicks off summer The Progressive Insurance San Diego International Boat Show, in partnership with the California Yacht Brokers Association (CYBA), San Diego Superyacht Association, and Port of San Diego, cruises into Harbor Island June 19-22 for four days of fun on the water and deals on the newest boats and marine accessories. As San Diego’s biggest summer boating event, the annual boat show provides attendees an all-access pass to discover the boating lifestyle and a chance to shop more than 150 vessels, from entry-level family cruisers and personal watercraft to luxury motor and sailing yachts. Not in the market to a buy a boat? The boat show offers an ideal setting to see and experience everything that boating has to offer, with activities and education for all ages and skill levels, including a chance to Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) and take a variety of boating courses on-land or in-water. Visit www.SanDiegoInternationalBoatShow.com.

San Diego’s Award Winning Authentic German Restaurant Since 1980

RESTAURANT & BIERGARTEN ENTIRE PURCHASE With this coupon. Not valid with other offers, exchanges or previous purchases. In stock items only. Exp. July 13, 2014

0OTTERY s &OUNTAINS s 'ARDEN !RT s 3UCCULENTS s 0LUMERIA 0ALMS /LD 7ORLD 0OTTERY s 4ERRA #OTTA s 4ALAVERA s #USTOM 7ATER &EATURES 5NIQUE 'IFTS s 'LAZED 0OTTERY &ROM !ROUND 4HE 7ORLD

310 North Coast Hwy 101 Encinitas, CA 92024 760.635.1641

136 Ranger Road Fallbrook, CA 92028 760.943.7256

www.maddpotter.com

“I identified a need and went for it,” she added. Since Paint Encinitas is the first group of its kind in the city, she blazed her own path. Despite having no experience in online design, she created the Paint Encinitas website from the ground up. For the page, she continues to track down who’s behind the extensive network of existing murals, which requires considerable digging in some cases. Lately, she’s stayed busy hosting open meetings to inform the community about Paint Encinitas. And she constantly updates her Facebook and Twitter pages to get the word out. She also regularly reaches out to businesses to gauge their interest in murals. “It’s kind of my second full-time job,” said Meyers, who works as teacher’s assistant at a private school, with a laugh. And she has no plans to stop. Besides the aforementioned Paint Encinitas happenings, a mural tour is in the works. And Meyers would like to focus on preserving select murals. “Sometimes they are just temporary because that’s the way of public art,” she said. “Whenever possible, you want to save them because they become a part of the neighborhood.”

SPECIAL WORLD CUP MENU!

Biergarten open for ALL World Cup games featuring Germany Reservations Recommended · Closed Mondays

(619) 224-0606 · 2253 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. www.kaiserhofrestaurant.com

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A9

SUMMER IS HERE! Voted BEST Yogurt!

1RQ )DW /RZ )DW /RZ &DORULH )UHVK )UXLWV 5RWDWLQJ )ODYRUV 'HOLFLRXV 7RSSLQJV 0RVW $UH *OXWHQ )UHH

Your Neighborhood Yogurt Shop!

FREE YOGURT BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

Of equal or lesser value, Not valid with any other offer. One coupon & one yogurt per customer. CV News. Exp. 7/17/14

BUY 1 GET 1

50% OFF Of equal or lesser value, Not valid with any other offer. One coupon & one yogurt per customer. CV News. Exp.7/17/14

Join Our

VIP CLUB Get Fl av or A l er t s & Speci al Deal s by Text! 7 H [ W W K H : R U G 6 : , 5 /6 W R

NEW SUMMER HOURS: 11 am - 11 pm DAILY

' ( / 0 $ 5 6 : , 5 / 6 ( 1 & , 1 , 7 $ 6 6 : , 5 / 6 & $ 5 0 ( / 9 $ / / ( < 6 : , 5 / 6

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A10 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

‘Active shooter’ drill prepares hospital staff, law officers BY JARED WHITLOCK The blood appeared real, but it was only a drill. The scene: A volatile man with unknown injuries was escorted into the new emergency room at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas at 10:15 a.m. June 6. After a struggle with a Sheriff’s deputy, he grabbed the officer’s gun and went on a shooting spree through the hospital. Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health, said the mock shooting drill identified areas of security improvement for hospital staff and law enforcement officials. “You respond like you train,� Van Gorder said. “For us, I always say we learn more from the mistakes than from the successes.� Videographers captured the exercise, which will be edited into a training video for law enforcement and hospital personnel, he added.

A law enforcement exercise involving a mock shooting at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas took place June 6. Above left, police work to clear the area and identify hospital staff and patients. Above right, hospital staff remove “victims� from the campus and take them to staging areas for care. The drill took place at Scripps Encinitas because its new ER wing was still empty. PHOTOS BY JARED WHITLOCK Van Gorder couldn’t recall any recent hospital shootings in the county. Nonetheless, he said, it’s important to coordinate all the moving parts of an emergency response in case the worst does happen. “An active shooter situation with patients on IVs and in critical condition is very different from evacuating an office building or apartment,� Van Gorder said. During the drill, medical personnel declared a “code black,� locking the hospital down. After 10 minutes, Sheriff’s deputies arrived. Then came the SWAT team members, who or-

North County’s

Furniture & Design Resource

dered hospital staff and officials portraying patients to raise their hands. Victims were wheeled outside the hospital for care. But had the incident been real, emergency personnel would have taken them across the street or to other hospitals if necessary, according to officials. While the incident was scripted, law enforcement personnel weren’t told where the shooter was hiding. After an exhaustive search, they later apprehended the man. The drill was held at Scripps Encinitas because the new ER wing won’t open until July 1, so actual patients

weren’t inside. A public outreach campaign days earlier and signs outside the hospital notified the public a drill would be taking place. For law enforcement personnel, the goal of the training was to practice clearing rooms, as well as rescuing wounded people and evacuating victims. Encinitas Sheriff’s Capt. Theresa Adams-Hydar was among the officials grading the response. She evaluated how quickly the officers gleaned information from radio calls and people at the scene to develop a plan. Adams-Hydar noted the Sheriff’s Department also conducts mock-shooting drills at schools, but hospitals are new territory. “In this day and age ‌ active shooters are becoming too frequent, and we’re taking a proactive stance so we have the training and ability to get out there and neutralize a threat as soon as possible,â€? Adams-Hydar said.

tunein

Saturdays at 8 a.m.

AM 600 KOGO News Talk Radio

Topic to be Discussed

INVESTMENT TRENDS for Stocks, Bonds and Estate Aubrey Morrow, CertiďŹ ed Financial PlannerÂŽ

Good

Better

Join us for our Saturday, June 28th Noon to 1pm Educational Workshop

Best

RSVP below phone or website CoolSpring Gel Skyline

Relief Luxury Firm

Caress Luxe with CoolTouchGEL Technology

Ethos Natural Peace

FREE DELIVERY, FREE MATTRESS PAD ON QUEEN SIZE AND UP.

1044 N. El Camino Real #B, Encinitas 92024

s 4AX 0LANNING s 'LOBAL )NVESTING s 2EAL %STATE s 2ETIREMENT 0LANNING s !DVANCED %STATE 0LANNING s )NSURANCE s ,ONG 4ERM (EALTH 5075 Shoreham Place, Suite 200 San Diego, CA. 92122 Ask Aubrey at: www.MoneyTalkRadio.com

Phone (858) 597-1980 | Fax (858) 546-1106

(Next to Stater Brothers & Best Buy)

Call 619-399-3460 for details | In-Home-Design-Consultations Available

3ECURITIES AND ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH )NDEPENDENT &INANCIAL 'ROUP ,,# )&' A REGISTERED BROKER DEALER AND INVESTMENT ADVISOR -EMBER &).2! AND 3)0# #ERTAIN )&' REPRESENTATIVES ALSO MAY OFFER ADVISORY SERVICES THROUGH &INANCIAL $ESIGNS ,TD &$, A #! 3TATE 2EGISTERED )NVESTMENT !DVISOR )&' AND &$, ARE NOT AFlLIATED ENTITIES

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A11

New Encinitas sheriff’s captain taking the reins •Capt. Theresa Adams-Hydar wants to establish closer ties with the community to help reduce crime

A special gift for you! Capt. Theresa AdamsHydar. Courtesy photo

Offer epir

es 6/30/1

4.

Stop by and see us at the fair through July 6th PAT O’BRIEN PAVILION BOOTH 1102

We want to be your door and window remodeling company. WINDOWS AND DOORS l ENTRY DOORS l FOLDING DOOR SYSTEMS l SHUTTERS l CLOSET DOORS Showroom Hours Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Sat 9am-3pm

Carr oll

Rd

805

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

THE

WINDOW FACTORY

Serving San Diego For Over 20 Years

7550 Miramar Road San Diego, CA 92126 sales@windowfactory.com

WindowFactory.com

877-305-9737 LIC#983265

15

Miramar Road

Kerany Villa Rd.

puter software showing where and when past crimes occurred, the department identifies trends and deploys personnel accordingly. “For effective law enforcement, you really need to have both approaches working together,” AdamsHydar said. “There’s a time and a place for each. “It’s trying with limited resources, but I think we’ve been successful,” she added. Adams-Hydar also has her eye on the downtown bar scene, as some residents believe the area has gotten too rowdy at night. The city recently hired another code enforcement officer, which will help Sheriff’s deputies investigate issues and make sure bars have the proper licenses, she said. “We’re taking a proactive approach,” she said, adding that she wants bar owners and community members to “find a happy medium.” Residential burglaries are also on her radar. One aspect of solving the problem is for residents to lock their homes and cars, she noted. “Some see us as a sleepy little beach community,” she said. “While that’s great, we still have to been vigilant and not allow ourselves to be victims.” She said Encinitas is unique in that a lot of the people committing crimes don’t necessarily live in the city. Hence, she added, community tips are important in locating suspects. “We want citizens to be proud of the services we provide,” she said. “And we want them to feel secure when they lay their heads down at night.”

The Window Factory is passionate about delivering the highest level of satisfaction to our customers and we now offer a wide variety of solutions to make your home more comfortable, safe and fun. Enjoy the finest in windows and doors, entry doors, folding door systems, shutters and closet doors. Call or stop by today!

Black Mtn. Road

BY JARED WHITLOCK Theresa Adams-Hydar wants open lines of communication between law enforcement officials and residents. That’s one of her main goals as Encinitas’ new sheriff’s captain. In her role, Adams-Hydar is in charge of not only Encinitas, but also Solana Beach, Del Mar and unincorporated areas such as Rancho Santa Fe. “We want people to be our eyes and ears out there,” she said. “Likewise, we want people to understand what we do and how we can help.” Adams-Hydar noted that the city of Encinitas and the Sheriff’s Department recently teamed up on a monthly crime report, which can be found on the city’s website (ci. encinitas.ca.us). Plus, the department bolstered its social media presence when it launched a Facebook page earlier this year. The purpose of the communications push: to keep residents in the loop regarding crime trends, and in some instances, help detectives identify suspects. “If people don’t know about crime trends, they don’t know and they’re unprepared,” Adams-Hydar said. “And if they’re unprepared, they can’t help us. We can’t be good partners.” Another example of facilitating dialogue: the Sheriff’s Department periodically hosts “coffee with the community” events in which Encinitas residents can share concerns and exchange ideas with law enforcement officials. Adams-Hydar said better communication also “dispels myths surrounding law enforcement.” “Law enforcement is mysterious,” she said. “Sometimes people think what they see on TV is real.” For instance, Adams-Hydar said some falsely believe officers spend most of their time writing tickets and arresting people. In reality, educating residents, research and proactive policing make up the lion’s share of the job. “I want people to know what we do, what we can do and what we don’t do — and how we can work together,” she said. Adams-Hydar lives with her husband and two children in North County. Last month, she replaced Capt. Robert Haley, who retired. She grew up in Oceanside and graduated from the University of San Diego in 1993 with a degree in international business. Unsure of what to do after college, she began pondering law enforcement. For one, she thought her analytical mind suited the career. Additionally, Adams-Hydar had a positive impression of police work because her father, who retired as a sergeant, worked in the field for 33 years. But she wondered whether gender would be an issue. “For a female, it wasn’t something that was encouraged, even in the early ’90s,” she said, adding that she initially worried about the physical and mental requirements. However, completing the Sheriff’s academy dissipated those concerns. And tackling her first assignment as a jail officer eliminated any second thoughts. “You learn the tricks of the trade and gain experience and confidence,” said Adams-Hydar, who has a poster with an illustration of a female police officer with the caption “Girls Can’t WHAT?” hanging in her office. She’s spent most of her career in North County, including commanding the North County Regional Gang Task Force. In 2004, the Veterans of Foreign Wars recognized her as the nation’s deputy of the year for bringing taggers to justice in Vista. Working to stop graffiti taught her the “nuts and bolts of law enforcement,” she said. “It was the old-fashioned way of talking with the right people, getting information and coordinating with schools to get a case together,” Adams-Hydar noted. Along similar lines, she said it’s important that law enforcement officials make an effort to get to know residents and business owners — what’s known as community-orientated policing. With this approach, she said, officers can better share and gather valuable information. At the same time, she’s a believer in the department’s “information-led policing” philosophy. By poring over com-

Create an inviting and welcoming home with new windows and doors from The Window Factory!

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A12 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

San Dieguito Academy Graduation 2014 San Dieguito Academy students and their families celebrated student achievements and bid a fond farewell to the school at a graduation ceremony held June 13. Photos by McKenzie Images. For photos online, visit www.encinitasadvocate.com

Dane, Andy, Adam, History teacher Oly Norris

San Dieguito Union High School District Associate Superintendent, Business Services Eric Dill, Principal Tim Hornig, school board member John Salazar

Music teacher Jeremy Wuertz, Automotive teacher Eric Neubauer, Spanish teacher Donã Bode Advanced Calculus teacher Neal Glasgow, Art teacher Jeremy Wright, Engineering teacher Jason Berend, Social Sciences teacher Jamie Duck

Amy, Lucrecia, Ana Ruth, Jennifer, Eunice

Audrey, Jamie, Carly, Iris, Eliza

The stadium was standing room only Brittney, Chelsea, Alondra

Jyoti, Math teacher Paul Brice, Jessica, Trevor

Sean, Alex, Kyle, Mike, Axton, Lucas, Nick, Kyle

Ela, Samantha

Isabel, Art teacher Jeremy Wright, AnahiÍ

Linda, Spanish teacher Donã Bode, Selena

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A13

La Costa Canyon High School Graduation 2014 La Costa Canyon High School students and their families celebrated student achievements and bid a fond farewell to the school at a graduation ceremony held June 13. Photos by McKenzie Images. For photos online, visit www.encinitasadvocate.com

La Costa Canyon High School Principal Dr. Kyle Ruggles

Principal Dr. Kyle Ruggles with students from Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) class

La Costa Canyon High School Assistant Principal Bjorn Paige, Education Specialist Christina Holland, Assistant Vice Principal Mark Van Over

Colleen, Halley, Phoenix, Kyle, math teacher Julie Vaccaro

Nate, Victor, Alexander

Brock, Brooke, Zoe, Ian

Rachel is headed for England

Arizona bound

Michael, Rachel, James

Andrew, Tyler, Carter, Jack, Megan, Megan, Kodiak Guests filled the stadium

Michael, Rachel, James, Ali, Grace, TAP class teacher Mrs. E.

Megan, Jamie, Sierra, Julia, Alex, Lauren, Laila

Meghan, Devon, Ashely, Megan, Stephanie Colin, Alec, Ryan, Ashley, Devon, Adam

Lucas, Savanna, Scott, Brandon, Jonah

Mary, Courtney, Hayde, Magali, Mikayla

Austin, Christian, Junior, Moises, Jose, Andrea

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A14 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

Passion for gardening leads to show and livelihood for Encinitas woman BY JOE TASH As a girl growing up in the San Fernando Valley, Nan Sterman learned to garden with her grandfather and mother. “I just always loved the idea of putting seed in the ground and something coming up,” said the Encinitas resident. In 2013, she planted a different kind of seed, launching a gardening show on KPBS, called “A Growing Passion,” which has been picked up for a third season, which begins next April. The half-hour show, which she produces with her partner, Marianne Gerdes, also an Encinitas resident, airs on Thursday nights and repeats on Saturday mornings on KPBS. It covers a variety of topics, from chaparral and native plants, to food justice and water-wise landscaping. Future episodes will focus on such subjects as insects and growing citrus. Sterman, who hosts the show, relies on both her passion for sustainable, water-wise gardening in Southern California’s Mediterranean climate, and her educational background, which includes graduate degrees in marine botany and instructional design. Her target audience is anyone interested in gardening, even those who don’t regularly take to the dirt with a hand trowel or hoe. “Lots of people are armchair gardeners,” she said. Her goal is to educate and entertain, while providing access to places that most people wouldn’t ordinarily see. In one episode, she starts at the horse barns at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, where used straw is gathered up, taken to a mushroom farm in Escondido and turned into compost. Once the farm is finished with the compost, it is given away free to the public for use in home gardens. “I want to empower (viewers) to understand the world around us and how to work with it and make it work for them,” she said. One of the keys to being a successful gardener — whether planting ornamental landscaping or a vegetable garden — is to understand the climate where the garden is located, said Sterman.

Nan Sterman Courtesy photo

San Diego is one of five regions of the world with a Mediterranean climate, characterized by rain in the fall, winter and spring, followed by hot, dry summers. Also, our soil is lean, without a lot of nutrients. Therefore, gardeners need to pick plants native to Southern California or Mediterranean areas that can tolerate the hot, dry summers and don’t need a lot of watering, Sterman said. Vegetable gardens will require soil additives and regular watering, she said. Sterman has published two books, “California Gar-

dener’s Guide, Vol. II,” and “Waterwise Plants for the Southwest,” and her third book will be out next year. She has also written articles for a variety of publications, including a monthly column for U-T San Diego. Sterman’s research as a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara focused on phytoplankton, a one-celled seaweed that is the food source for a variety of marine life, from whales to jellyfish. “I was studying their photosynthesis, how they make food from sunshine. That’s the essential function that powers our world,” she said. In a lab across the hall, she met Curt Wittenberg, who was studying molecular biology. Wittenberg, who became her husband, conducts basic cancer research at the Scripps Research Center.

Sterman decided that she preferred communicating and teaching over lab research. She completed a fellowship with CNN’s science reporting unit before going back to school to earn a master’s degree in instructional design, which she used to create educational programs for different clients, including companies, museums, zoos and aquariums. Along with her books, articles and TV show, Sterman also designs gardens for clients, and one of her designs was recently published in a book, “Groundbreaking Food Gardens,” by Niki Jabbour. For more about Sterman and her show, “A Growing Passion,” visit www.agrowingpassion.com. Full episodes of the show can also be viewed on the website.

Fairy Festival beckons at Botanic Garden June 21 Calling all Fairy Princes and Princesses! Children (and parents) are invited to celebrate summer at the annual Fairy Festival from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at the Hamilton Children’s Garden in the San Diego Botanic Gardens in Encinitas. The Fairy Festival is presented by Great Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and features fairy- and garden-themed crafts, where children can make anything from flower fairy dolls to treasure chests; face painting and a fairy land to be explored; and an official fairy queen and fairy princess ready to have their picture taken. Crafting and shopping are available in the Fairyland Market, and Snap-Tap-N-Sing will perform dance and sing-along music. The Fairy Festival, which draws thousands to San Diego each year, offers fun and a great atmosphere for children and families to interact with nature. Youngsters are welcome to don wings and dress in their favorite fairy costumes – or just come as they are – while enjoying an array of activities. The Hamilton Children’s Garden is the largest interactive children’s garden on the West Coast and provides a full acre of interactive exhibits for children and their families. The Fairy Festival is free with paid admission or membership to the Botanic Garden. Adult attendees are asked not to dress up for the Festival. Visit www.sdbgarden.org/fairyfest. htm; call 760-436-3036. The San Diego Botanic Garden is at 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas.

That Perfect Piece of Furniture Can Change the Whole Room Beautifully Unique Solid Wood Furniture Including Teak Ironwood Sheesham Alder A Large Variety of Dining Tables, Sideboards, Bookcases, Cabinets, Entertainment Centers & Patio Furniture

Stop By Rustic Home and Mention this Ad and receive a

FREE GIFT No Purchase Necessary Large Showroom / Custom Designs Available / Designers Welcome

We can make it! Custom Carpentry Shop on Premises

Rustic Home 760-471-5208 Serving San Diego for 30 years 1040 Los Vallecitos Blvd., Suite 107, San Marcos CA 92069 www.rustichomesanmarcos.com

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A15

Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Festival opens with ‘Othello’ BY DIANA SAENGER Actor Richard Thomas, Iago in “Othello,” the first show of the Globe’s 2014 Summer Shakespeare Festival, calls “Othello” “one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies in the theater.” In addition to his role, Thomas said he’s eager to work again with Barry Edelstein, the Old Globe Artistic Director making his outdoor directorial debut in The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Thomas played the role of Timon in “Timon of Athens,” directed by Edelstein at New York’s The Public Theatre in 2011. “I’m very excited to be here at the Old Globe and with Barry,” Thomas said. “Barry is a dynamic director with his own vision that’s strong, artistic, wieldy and productive.” Thomas has an impressive resume in television, stage touring. Born in New York City in 1951, he started acting at the age of seven. His parents, Richard and Barbara Thomas, were dancers with the New York City Ballet and owners of the New York School of Ballet. His first role was his

47th Anniversary SALES EVENT

ENCINITAS Serving North County Since 1967 “Othello” stars Richard Thomas as Iago, Kristen Connolly as Desdemona, and Blair Underwood as Othello. Photo by Jim Cox. Broadway debut in “Sunrise at Campobello” (1958) as John Roosevelt, son of future U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Thomas (“An Enemy of the People,” Broadway’s “Race,” “Richard II,” “Richard III,” “Hamlet”) went on to make more than 105 film and TV appearances as well as many roles on the theatrical stage. He appeared in more than 20 film and TV roles before earning an Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series as “John Boy” in the Walton’s TV series that ran 1972-1981. One character he’s

149

$

per mo. plus tax

1 at this payment EM242562

To Lease A Brand New

2014 Jetta S 2.0L *36 month lease, $0 security deposit, $2,469.24 plus government fees and taxes total due at signing includes first payment with approved credit, total mileage limitation 36,000 with 20 cents per excess mile, offer ends 6/30/14.

See FESTIVAL, page 20

0% APR for

0% APR for

+

+

60 Months

60 Months

$1,000 VW Credit Contract Bonus on the New 2014 VW Passat

$1500 VW Credit Contract Bonus on the New 2014 VW Tiguan

0% apr with approved credit and cannot be used in conjunction any other factory or dealer bonus that is not specified here. Offers require financing through Volkswagen Credit and exclude TDI clean diesel models. Example with $0 down, monthly payment is $16.67 per month, per $1,000 financed.

Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance® for 2 Years or 24,000 Miles. Whichever occurs first. 2014 models. Some restrictions. See dealer or program for details.

WAVE 12-1 Volleyball Team wins SCVA Regional Tournament and Season Title The WAVE 12-1 Volleyball team played two days of amazing volleyball to capture the 2014 Southern California Volleyball Association Regional Championship. By winning the Regional tournament the team also secured first place overall for the season, which is determined by the combined points earned over six tournaments. Winning the SCVA title was a result of strong play and consistency throughout the whole season. Front Row (L to R): Carly Diehl, Maddie Yu, Sofia Lyon, Emma Lewry, Anaree Smith; Back Row (L to R): Coach Kevin McColloch, Sofie Park, Marly Preston, Hannah Mackenhausen, Kendra Ham, Layla Haberfield, Maddie Wilmot, Head Coach Ali Daley.

Drive Yours Today at

ENCINITAS 760.753.6256 1435 Encinitas Boulevard | Encinitas, CA 92024 www.cookvw.com Offer expires 6/30/14

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A16 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

Encinitas Rotary Wine & Food Festival The 11th Annual Encinitas Rotary Wine & Food Festival was held on June 7 in the Hamilton Children’s Garden at San Diego Botanic Garden. San Diego Botanic Garden was once again selected to be one of the 21 beneficiaries of this event. The Rotary’s overall goal is aligned with the Garden’s; both strive to be leaders in promoting and implementing sustainable, eco-friendly practices. The Wine & Food Festival featured fine wines, the best dishes from local restaurants, music, and a live and silent auction. Each year, the Rotary selects local beneficiaries to become a part of the event’s fundraising efforts. Photos by McKenzie Images. For photos online, visit www.encinitasadvocate.com

John Davis, Encinitas Rotary President Elect Mike Walsh, Jeff Egenberger Mickey Hipp, Todd Kammer, Jim Madaffer, Chris Madaffer

Jay and Julie Sarno, Marti and Adam Rosenberg Rotarians Norm and Linda Nyberg, Dave Olson

Gary and Diane Cox, Billy Cox

Martin and Sharon Cooper

Dr. Megan Hamreus, Evelyn Weidner, Peggy and Tom Cozens

John Blaisure and Bethany Cummins, Korin Daly and Kim Ence

Jennifer Roane, Kelly Roane, Brenda Annibali

Christine Grkovich, Jessica Farber, Patty Jones

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A17

CCF awards more than $20,000 in scholarships Hillary Clinton appearing at Warwick’s on June 25 More than $20,000 in scholarships has recently been awarded to local North County high school graduates through the Coastal Community Foundation, an Encinitas nonprofit. The Bill Berrier education scholarship fund was created to honor Berrier, who retired after 30 years as superintendent of the San Dieguito Union High School District. Recipients this year are Joleen Hsu, Torrey Pines High School; Jenna Golden, Canyon Crest High School; Jennifer Cady, La Costa Canyon High School; and Emily Ross, San Dieguito Academy. The Joe W. Chavez education awards for medicine and government honor Chavez, who worked to improve the living conditions for the Eastside community of Oceanside in the late 1940s. This year’s recipients are DoWon Kim, Torrey Pines High School; Cassidy Mayeda, San Dieguito Academy; Catherine Wu and Davina Moossazadeh, both of Canyon Crest High School; Henry Gardner, Carlsbad High School; Laura Leon, Oceanside High School; and Katrina Diaz, Ocean Shores High School. Receiving the Langdon/Monzeglio award for artists are Emily Lailotis and Stephen Ai, both from Canyon Crest High School. This fund is in honor of the late Eric Scott Langdon and Diana Monzeglio. Students who plan to study nursing, psychology, or special education are eligible for the Jackie Harrigan Hasse award. Haase worked as a nurse in health services and special ed for the San Dieguito High School District. The awards go to Sarah Bhattacharjee, Torrey Pines High School, and Daniela Carreon, La Costa Canyon High School. The Steve G. Ma Scholarship award goes to a first- or second-generation graduating senior who plans to attend a California community college. Ma continued his public education career in the community college level. The recipient this year is Rigo Mejia, Torrey Pines High School. An additional education scholarship award goes to Alynee Powers, San Dieguito Academy from the Deanne Rich trustee award. Rich was a trustee for the San Dieguito Union High School District. An award for a student planning to study architecture, construction, public administration or public finance was given to Sergio Ochoa Farias, El Camino High School, from the Eric Hall scholarship. Hall was an associate superintendent of the San Dieguito Union High School District. Two students from Sunset High School, Stephen Lovette and Kirra Sarquilla, have received the Dr. Roy Risner Scholarship. Risner was principal of Sunset High School. The Jay Penacho scholarship award provides intensive training at a summer wrestling camp for this year’s candidate, Todd Chappuis, La Costa Canyon High School.

Warwick’s will host former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as she signs copies of her new book, “Hard Choices,� at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 25, at 7812 Girard Ave. in La Jolla. The book from Simon & Schuster is Clinton’s inside account of the crises, choices and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the future. A limited number of wristbands for entry will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 6:30 a.m. the day of the event with purchase of the book at Warwick’s. Call Warwick’s or come to the store to pre-purchase your wristband reservation. Call 858-454-0347. All books will be distributed at the signing table on the day of the event. There is a limit of one (1) signed book per customer. No personal items are allowed at the event; a bag check will be provided. Please leave all personal items in your car. No other books or memorabilia, please. Other books by Clinton are “Living History� (2003), a memoir; “It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us� (1996), which presents her vision for the children of America; “An Invitation to the White House�

(2000); “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy,� (1998), a collection of children’s letters to the “First Pets�; and “The Unique Voice of Hillary Clinton� (1997).

%1:5;> : ;91 ->1

SD Jewish Film Festival hosts premiere screening of ‘Aaron Swartz’ documentary

The San Diego Jewish Film Festival will host the premiere screening of “The Internet’s Own Boy — The Story of Aaron Swartz,� at 7 p.m. Friday, June 25, at the Carlsbad Village Theatre in Carlsbad. The 90-minute documentary is about programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, a young man who made international news with his groundbreaking work in social justice and political organization in relation to the Internet world. His aggressive approach to information access created a two-year legal nightmare that resulted in a prison sentence and ended in his tragic death at age 26. His story touched a nerve with people far beyond the online communities in which he was a celebrity. This personal story is about what we lose when we are tone-deaf about the interaction among technology, business, the power of government and its relationship to our civil liberties. After the screening, a Q&A discussion will take place with individuals who were involved with the case and personally knew the story. Whether one is involved in Internet technology, an advocate of social justice or simply fascinated by the talent and intellect of this young man, this brilliantly created documentary will intrigue everyone. The Carlsbad Village Theater is at 2822 State St. in Carlsbad. For tickets, contact the San Diego Jewish Film Festival box office at 858-362-1348 or visit www.sdjff.org.

Next Coastal Communities Concert Band event to be held June 22

The Coastal Communities Concert Band will hold its next concert on Sunday, June 22, at 2 p.m. at the Carlsbad Community Church (3175 Harding Street). The band’s Carl Janelli — with a special appearance by vocalist Michael Ruhl — will be featured performing Big Band’s and Broadway’s best loved music. For tickets, visit www.cccband.com or call Kris Sims at 760-436-6137.

Zoonitas event lending a paw to help Humane Society Seventeen local artists will “join paws� to help the animal victims of domestic violence during the Zoonitas Extravaganza Exhibition benefiting the Animal Safehouse Program at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society. An opening reception will be held from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Encinitas Library Gallery at 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas. For more about Zoonitas, call 760-519-1551 or visit zooinitas.zohosites.com. For more about the Animal Safehouse Program at Rancho Coastal Humane Society, visit the shelter at 389 Requeza St. in Encinitas, call 760-753-6413, or visit www.sdpets.org.

SD International Beer Festival to run June 20-22 The 2014 San Diego County Fair will present the 8th Annual San Diego International Beer Competition & Festival, June 20-22. Although the judging has already taken place, and Gold, Silver and Bronze medals have been awarded, the Best of Show beer will be announced during Session 3 of the festival on Saturday, June 21, at 12:30 p.m. For the entire list of results at the 2014 San Diego International Beer Festival, go to: http://sandiegobeerfestival.com/beer-competition/winners. For more information visit, www.sdfair.com or www.delmarfairgrounds.com.

Creating a safe, comfortable environment with a care plan for loved ones who want to remain independent in the comfort of their own home.

;9<-:5;: ->1 â– â– â– â– â– â–

Companionship Meal Preparation Light Housekeeping Respite & Family Care Laundry Conditions which compromise one’s ability to stay home

"1>?;:-8 ->1 â– Assistance with Bathing, Dressing, Grooming & Toileting â– Transferring, Positioning & Ambulation â– Medication Reminders â– Continence Care

19;>E ->1 â– Customized Memory Care Plan â– Stimulating Activities â– Social Support â– Redirection

!A@?501 %A<<;>@ â– â– â– â– â–

Transportatoin Shopping/Errands Escort to Appointments Hospital/Facility Sitting Assistance with Outpatient and Follow-up Care

YTYY B1:50- :/5:-? w %A5@1 UTT Carlsbad, CA 92008

I[ZTJ \V\ YVTU CCC 31@3;801:/->1 /;9

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A18 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

President and CEO of San Diego Botanic Garden La Costa Canyon High School graduate a honored as 2014 Horticulturalist of the Year winner at Ben Vereen Awards competition Julian Duval, president and CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden, received the prestigious Horticulturalist of the Year Award from the San Diego Horticultural Society on Monday, June 9, at the Flower and Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Duval, a self-described “nature nut,” was honored for his remarkable service in horticulture in Southern California. For the past 20 years, he has served as president and CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden. He describes his two decades at the garden, including the opening of the popular Hamilton Children’s Garden five years ago, as one of the highlights of his career. “The San Diego Botanic Garden truly is a special place to be a part of,” Duval said. “I feel very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work with so many talented staff members, donors, benefactors and volunteers over the years, all of whom have helped to make my job a success.” He added, “It came as a complete surprise when the San Diego Horticultural Society Board decided to select me as the 2014 Horticulturist of the Year. It is an incredible honor to be recognized by one of the most successful and dynamic horticultural societies in the nation.” The award presentation on June 9 was also an excellent Julian Duval opportunity to see all of the exceptional horticultural displays at the San Diego County Fair. This year, the San Diego Botanic Garden is honored to be the Premiere Garden Display at the Flower and Garden Show at the fair, which began June 7. It is the first time the garden has been awarded this prestigious location at the fair. The theme of the garden at the Fair is “Happy Ever After,” a take-off of the Beatles song “Ob-la-di Ob-la-da.” It is designed to reflect the garden of Desmond and Molly Jones (featured in the song), a working-class couple with two children. Despite limited resources, the Joneses have created a colorful and lively space for their family, with much of the materials in their garden recycled or repurposed. Visit www.sdbgarden.org.

Pacific Ridge student named Coca-Cola scholar As a 2014 Coca-Cola Scholar, senior Delaney Miller of Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad is in elite company. Out of more than 100,000 nationwide applicants, just 150 high school seniors are selected each year. A member from each of Pacific Ridge’s first four graduating classes has been honored by the Coca-Cola Foundation on a regional or national level. Miller joins Pacific Ridge alumni Tony Ibrahim ’13, Stephanie Sapp ’12, and Anisha Mudaliar ’11 as part of the scholarship program’s “extended family” of individuals committed to positive leadership and dedication to service. This spring, Miller attended the Coca-Cola Scholars weekend in Atlanta and had the opportunity to hear a keynote address by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the importance of academic exploration. The weekend also included a leadership development workshop and sightseeing, as well as a private party at the World of Coke Museum. Besides receiving $20,000 in scholarship money, Miller now has access to the Coca-Cola Foundation’s community of past and present winners. According to the foundation, Coca-Cola Scholar alumni stay in touch through regional councils and special events, and often unite to organize and implement community service projects that enable them to make an even greater impact together. “I didn’t realize the magnitude of this network until my trip to Atlanta,” Miller said. “It is a honor to be selected and really exciting to be a part of such an accomplished group of

•Aubree Bouche will now compete in national event on Broadway Broadway/San Diego recently announced that the top winners of the Southwest Region (San Diego and Tucson) Ben Vereen Awards — Aubree Bouche, a recent graduate of La Costa Canyon High School, and Jonathan Norwood — are now headed to Broadway to compete June 30 at the National High School Musical Theater Awards for a chance to win $10,000 towards a college scholarship. The inaugural Ben Vereen Awards, hosted June 14 by actor/singer/dancer Vereen and CBS 8 news anchor Marcella Lee, is sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union. A team of seven judges from San Diego and Tucson came together June 14 to select the top two performers from the Southwest Region to win $1,000 each and to compete at the national level. The national competition, also known as The Jimmy Awards, is named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander. Aubree Bouche, winner for Best Actress, was nominated for her role in “Once

Winners Jonathan Norwood and Aubree Bouche Upon a Mattress,” singing “Happily Ever After” as her nominated song, as well as “Pulled” from “The Addams Family” for her contrasting piece during the competition. Jonathan Norwood, winner for Best Actor, is a junior at Classical Academy High School in Escondido and was nominated for his role as Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables.” For the competition, he performed “Bring Him Home” from the “Les Misérables” production for which he was nominated, as well as a contrasting piece called “I’m Alive” from “Next to Normal.”

Upcoming home tour features historic Rancho Santa Fe Row Houses Delaney Miller people who are doing amazing things in the world.” Miller will be attending Princeton University in the fall, where she will run track and cross-country. She hopes to major in chemical and biological engineering.

The Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society will hold its 2014 Home Tour on Saturday, July 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. This year’s tour will feature the rarely seen, historic Row Houses in the Village of Rancho Santa Fe on Paseo Delicias that date back to the founding community in the mid-1920s. Of the five Row Houses, four are known to have been designed by Lilian Rice, the architect commissioned by the Santa Fe Land Improvement Company to be in charge of the design of Rancho Santa Fe. The fifth house is also believed to be her design. The Row Houses today stand among Rice’s finest achievements. Two have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Event headquarters is at the Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society, 6026 La Flecha, Rancho Santa Fe, with early check-in starting at 11 a.m. Tickets are $30 for members, $40 for nonmembers. To register, send your check, including a list of attendees in your group, to RSFHS, P.O. Box 1, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067. For more information, visit www.rsfhs.org or call 858-756-9291or email info@rsfhs.org.

Award Winning Care in San Diego! “Assisting with care needs when

Encinitas Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

you need a little or a lot of help”

Specializing in

Home Care needs for adults. Specializing in Alzheimer’s and Rehabilitation Care Caregiver’s Live-In or Hourly RN guidance at a time of uncertainty

Toll-Free 1-877-731-1442 www.innovativehc.com

Colleen Van Horn RN, BSN, PHN, CCM

Come find out why we are the best in San Diego county.

Please call or stop by for a tour

Patient Rooms with Ocean Views

760.753.6423

Offer Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy

FIVE STAR RATED

Skilled Nursing at its BEST. among other great services for your loved ones.

900 Santa Fe Dr. Encinitas, CA 92024

www.EncinitasNursingANDRehab.com

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A19

Beads, Crystals and More shop a dream come true for owners Since welcoming Lava, the couple has adopted cats Opal and Onyx from the Rancho Coastal Humane Society. “My wife and I are examples of, and we are living, the American Dream,” said Fischman, who supports local schools, shelters and the Escondido-based Ecolife Foundation. “We’re grateful that we’ve got something that pays the bills and supports our lives. It’s a very special thing for us. It’s more than a business. It gives us the opportunity to be creative, to be generous, to be in touch with nature and to be part of the community.” Beads, Crystals and More is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For more about the store, call 760-942-5222 or visit beadscrystalsandmore.com.

PARK continued from page 2

Phil Fischman and Valeri Okun Courtesy photo the most. Our clients appreciate that. They know that when they come in, they’re going to find the nicest things we could find. We give loving attention to everything we do.” Years ago, he purchased gold charms that read, “Rescued.” Although he intended on selling the charms, after they arrived, he decided to give them to customers who rescue animals, which he continues to do to this day. Fischman and his wife rescued their first cat, Jasper, when they first moved in together, and later adopted Topaz. After the 2007 wildfires, the couple adopted a badly burned kitten. Burned on his face and paws, Lava spent six months in intensive care. Fischman is currently writing a book about Lava’s recovery.

able to challenge our thinking about what it takes to be a conscientious member of our society,” Thompson said. “I hope you’ll make the decision to keep her memory alive.” The agenda item was up for a vote because city code states: “generally, parks and beaches will not be named after individuals, living or deceased, except by special circumstances…and deemed appropriate by the council.” Sanford Shapiro, one of the main drivers behind the item, noted other city parks are named after well-known

locals, including Paul Ecke Sports Park. At a later date, the council will hear an update on plans from the Encinitas Garden Festival and Tour committee to donate $7,500 for enhancements to the dog park. The 44-acre Encinitas Community Park, located behind the Vons on Santa Fe Drive, is expected to open in early fall. Houlihan served three terms on the council, and she was mayor twice during that time. She received more votes than any other candidates in the 2004 and 2008 elections.

San Diego Vein Institute Excellence in Vein Treatment state-of-the-art techniques for treatment of vein problems, which include unsightly hand and temple veins, ulcers, and bulging varicose veins. Select cases of rosacea, spider veins and skintags are treated with a patented, painless laser. Dr. Van Cheng graduated with highest honors from Harvard University and trained in surgery at UCSF.

Come in today for your free consultation. We are now located at 336 Encinitas Boulevard Encinitas, CA 92024

San Diego’s 2008 Women Who Mean Business Award

For a map, please call 760.944.9263 or go to www.SDVeinInstitute.com

GRAHAM BLAIR

SDVI uses

GRAHAM BLAIR

BY KRISTINA HOUCK In the summer of 1969, Phil Fischman walked into his first bead store on the New Jersey boardwalk. At just 15 years old, he thought it would be nice to one day own a bead shop in a little beach town a few blocks from the ocean. More than three decades later, his dream came true. “This is exactly what I asked for when I was 15 years old,” said Fischman, as he looked around Beads, Crystals and More, an Encinitas-based shop he owns with his wife, Valeri Okun. “It just took 35 years to catch up to that vision.” Fischman and his wife have owned the store for the last 16 years of its 23-year history. Located at 967 South Coast Hwy 101, the roughly 1,600-square-foot store offers a variety of beads, crystals, jewelry and antiques. “We have beads in the store that are 6,000 years old from sacred religious places in the world where Judaism and Christianity originated, and for children, we have little pieces of plastic with puppies on it,” Fischman said. “I love seeing children play, and I love seeing adults get stimulated culturally, intellectually and spiritually.” A New Jersey native, Fischman is a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America. He worked for Zales for nearly a decade. With a passion for jewelry, Fischman has created numerous pieces for his wife of 21 years. For her 43rd birthday, he spent several weeks secretly crafting 43 pairs of earrings. When he ran out of materials after the 42nd pair, he visited the local bead shop and learned it was just days from foreclosure after being on the market for years. The couple decided to use their life savings to save the place. “I was the exact right person to walk through the door that day,” recalled Fischman, who has lived in the community for more than 20 years. “They were just about ready to give up and close the doors.” From the chains to the charms, Fischman selects every piece he sells in his store. “I buy everything like it’s a gift for my wife, my mom, my dad,” he said. “I don’t buy things to sell to other people; I buy things that I love and I would gift to the people I love

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A20 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

Encinitas Advocate 491 2nd St. Suite 103 Encinitas, CA 92024 858-756-1451 www.encinitasadvocate.com

U-T Community Press Publishers of Rancho Santa Fe Review Gold Ink Award Winner, California Newspapers Publishers’ Association Award Winner, Independent Free Papers of America Award Winner, Society of Professional Journalists Award Winner

DOUGLAS F. MANCHESTER Publisher PHYLLIS PFEIFFER Vice President and General Manager LORINE WRIGHT Executive Editor editor@encinitasadvocate.com JARED WHITLOCK Associate Editor jared@encinitasadvocate.com KAREN BILLING Senior News Writer KRISTINA HOUCK Reporter MARSHA SUTTON Senior Education Reporter JON CLARK Photographer DON PARKS Chief Revenue Officer RYAN DELLINGER, COLLEEN GRAY, GABBY CORDOBA, DAVE LONG, MICHAEL RATIGAN, ASHLEY O’DONNELL

Letters to the editor/opinion

Are you an Encinitas advocate? We are! Panel helping review Although some uninformed people think newspapers are fading, we here at UT Community Press are very excited to be launching The Encinitas Advocate for the Encinitas communities. Look for us every Friday in your driveway and online daily at encinitasadvocate.com. There are also news racks around town with free copies for people who work in Encinitas and visitors to pick up. For several years, local businesses have encouraged us to extend our award-winning model of publishing hyper-local news that is home delivered to all residents. (We also publish the La Jolla Light, Del Mar Times, Rancho Santa Fe Review, Carmel Valley News, Solana Beach Sun, Poway News Chieftain, Rancho Bernardo News Journal and Ramona Sentinel.) The improving San Diego economy finally gave us the confidence to invest in a new community paper, and Encinitas and its environs were a natural choice. In addition to bringing hometown news to your doorstep, you can expect from the Encinitas Advocate information about what’s happening at city hall and with city services, plus stories about your neighbors, kids, the organizations and establishments that make Encinitas unique — what’s new, what’s different, what’s familiar. While we all share photos at the speed of light on Facebook, Instagram and Flickr there’s nothing quite like cutting out your kid’s picture from the newspaper and putting it up on the fridge or sending it to grandma. My mother did it for me, I did it for my kids and we hope you will do it for yours, too. The Encinitas Advocate will also publish news about the arts, entertainment and dining further afield than Encinitas but the main news and features will be focused on your city, and include what’s happening in New and Old Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Leucadia and Olivenhain. Politically, you can expect us to be middle of the road. We have a policy of not making endorsements in elections. We will cover the candidates, ask them the questions you want answered and later hold them accountable for what they promised, but we won’t tell you how to vote because you know your own mind and values. I hope you get a chance to meet and welcome executive editor Lorine Wright (editor@encinitasadvocate.com) and associate editor for Encinitas Jared Whitlock (jared@encinitasadvocate.com), as well as the rest of our North Coastal news team — Karen Billing, Kristina Houck, Joe Tash, Marsha Sutton, Jon Clark and Rob and Sherry McKenzie. Our multi-media account executives, led by chief revenue officer Don Parks, stand ready to assist area businesses in delivering their messages right to your home. The team

applications for Community Enhancement funds

Phyllis Pfeiffer

Lorine Wright

Jared Whitlock includes: real estate advertising manager Colleen Gray and retail reps Ryan Dellinger, Dave Long and Michael Ratigan. Please call me anytime to share your thoughts and comments at 858-459-4201. We look forward to advocating for Encinitas for many years to come. Phyllis Pfeiffer, vice president and general manager.

Advertising DARA ELSTEIN

Business Manager BEAU BROWN

Art Director NATHAN PARVIN

Lead Graphic Artist Laura Groch, Amy Stirnkorb

Page Designer

Joe Tash, Suzanne Evans, Diane Welch, Kathy Day, Rob LeDonne and Kelley Carlson, Gideon Rubin, McKenzie Images, Randi Crawford

Contributors OBITUARIES: 858.218.7237 or cathy@myclassifiedmarketplace.com

LETTERS POLICY Topical letters to the editor are encouraged and we make an effort to print them all. Letters are limited to 200 words or less and submissions are limited to one every twoweeks per author. Submissions must include a full name, address, e-mail address (if available) and a telephone number for verification purposes. We do not publish anonymous letters. Contact the editor for more information about submitting a guest editorial piece, called Community View, at 400 words maximum. We reserve the right to edit for taste, clarity, length and to avoid libel. E-mailed submissions are preferred to editor@rsfreview.com. Letters may also be mailed or delivered to565 Pearl St., Ste. 300, La Jolla, or faxed to (858) 459-5250. LETTERSPOLICY

FESTIVAL continued from page 15

longed to play is Iago. “Iago is a challenging character but a big reward for me to play,” Thomas said. “Shakespeare is the greatest writer in the English language. His writing is smart and complex but elemental with all kinds of passion. He puts his teeth down where he can get at the core of the story.” Thomas currently has the role of Agent Frank Gaad on FX’s “The Americans.” “I feel very lucky to have so many performing opportunities, but theater is my greatest pleasure,” he said. “Playing some of the

classic roles like Iago is a great privilege.” Joining Thomas in the lead roles are Blair Underwood as Othello and Kristen Connolly as Desdemona. Underwood is an awardwinning actor/writer/director/producer. He received two Golden Globe Award nominations, 10 NAACP Image Award nominations with six wins. His theater credits include his one-man show “IM4: From the Mountaintop to Hip Hop,” New York Shakespeare Festival’s “Measure for Measure,” and the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which garnered Underwood a 2012 Drama League Distinguished Performance nomination. He’s appeared in many films and TV roles.

Connolly worked with Barry Edelstein on “King Lear, All’s Well That Ends Well,” and “Measure for Measure,” at The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival. She had a role in the History Channel miniseries “Houdini” and the Netflix’s series “House of Cards.” If you go: “Othello,” 8 p.m. June 22-July 27 at The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park. Tickets from $29 at (619) 23-GLOBE. www.TheOldGlobe.org The 2014 Shakespeare Festival will also include the comedy “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” (Aug. 10-Sept. 14) directed by Globe alumnus and Tony Award nominee Mark Lamos.

To submit to the Encinitas Advocate: The Encinitas Advocate welcomes announcements for publication consideration on community events, achievements, sports, letters to the editor, etc. We also welcome story suggestions and requests for possible event photography coverage. Please email editor@encinitasadvocate.com and/or jared@encinitasadvocate.com. Deadline is every Friday for consideration for the following week’s paper. Web site: www.encinitasadvocate.com

BY SUPERVISOR DAVE ROBERTS June is when county policy-makers review and approve budgets for the year ahead. One of the spending programs in our budget is the $3.5 million Community Enhancement Program. To prepare for the dispersal of these funds to local nonprofit groups, each of the five Supervisors must recommend how one-fifth – or $708,000 – of the program’s budget should be allocated. The recommendations must pass with at least four votes. I take this process very seriously, and that’s why I have added another layer of public review. For the second straight year, my Third District Community Enhancement Review panel convened to review and make recommendations on more than 600 grant applications totaling nearly $10.8 million in funding requests. For six hours on June 13, we pored over paperwork at my district office in Escondido. To promote transparency, we welcomed the public to attend through notices in my weekly newsletter and on social media. We also issued media advisories to invite the press. To identify panelists, I solicited recommendations from mayors and city council members whose jurisdictions overlap the Third Supervisorial District. The local officials gave me great choices: Bari Vaz (Mira Mesa); Cindy Weir (Escondido); Sharon Omahen (Encinitas); Shirley King (Del Mar); Rich Thesing (Tierrasanta); Ed Muna (Rancho Bernardo); and Frisco White (Carmel Valley). The final seat was filled by Sean Karafin, interim president and CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. My focus: Do the applications support programs that encourage tourism and economic development? Those are the guiding principles of the Community Enhancement Program, so that question came up again and again. We also asked, What do we know about the applicants? Their financial

Dave Roberts

standing and their work in the community? Which organizations positively impact the greatest number of people, delivering the best bang for the buck? We agreed to recommend funding for street fairs and music festivals, theater and dance companies, business booster groups, historical societies, veterans groups and numerous other organizations. The Community Enhancement Program is funded by transient occupancy taxes – also known as “bed taxes” – collected at hotels in the unincorporated area. Rather than emptying those receipts into our general operating fund, the Community Enhancement Program allows us allocate them to nonprofit groups whose programs promote local spending. Earlier this month, during two full days of testimony, representatives from these nonprofit groups – hundreds of them – appeared before the Board of Supervisors. The speakers received two minutes each to make a case for funding their program. Many of them told us the investment of public dollars would pay dividends. They spoke about the hotel stays, spending and jobs created by their programs. I am confident that with the help of my review board, my funding allocations will be equitable. I can’t thank the panelists enough for volunteering their time. The Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the Community Enhancement Program recommendations during a 9 a.m. hearing on June 24. Dave Roberts represents the Third District on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A21

SPOTLIGHT on LOCAL BUSINESS Swirls frozen yogurt continues to please customers this summer with a variety of new flavors BY KAREN BILLING The only time a Swirls customer isn’t happy is when they arrive to find the doors haven’t opened yet or that the store has just closed. For the last five years, Swirls owner Evan Wilensky has been serving up his creamy, quality frozen yogurt and making sure he keeps the community happy. A business owner who places a strong emphasis on community, Wilensky has loved the shops he’s been able to create and support at his three locations in Encinitas, Carmel Valley and Del Mar. Wilensky, a graduate of Torrey Pines High School’s class of 2002, opened his first Swirls shop in Del Mar in 2008. Encinitas Swirls followed in 2009 and a long-awaited Carmel Valley location opened in 2012. Wilensky’s Swirls family has enjoyed sweet success and looks to grow even more. “People come from all over to our locations because of our product, how good it tastes and the atmosphere we create. I really want the community to recognize that this is their community yogurt shop,” Wilensky said. “I want to make people happy.” At Swirls’ three locations the goal is always providing excellent customer service and serving up a premium product in an extremely clean and bright environment. Wilensky said that he loves “providing a healthy treat for the community to enjoy. We will never let a customer leave the yogurt shop unsatisfied. If the customer’s yogurt is not perfect, tell us and we will make it

right!” There are over 52 flavors of yogurt in the mix and 12 on tap on a daily basis — everything from plain tart to the exotic tropical island coconut. All locations always have a non-dairy flavor and a “no sugar added” flavor, and Wilensky said 10 or more new flavors will debut this summer. “You can join Swirls Vip Club by texting the word SWIRLS to 99000 to get the latest flavor alerts and special deals,” Wilensky said. The self-serve concept allows customers to create their own masterpieces — swirling yogurt into their cups and capping it off with a full toppings bar that includes everything from cookie dough hunks and candy bits to fresh fruits chopped multiple times a day. Wilensky notes his shops always use fresh fruit, never frozen. The yogurt itself is a good source of protein, can help lower cholesterol, improves digestion, increases metabolism and stimulates the immune system, Wilensky said. All three shops are consistently busy and Swirls keeps going strong despite many other yogurt stores going out of business. Wilensky said he is surprised by Swirls’ success but he works very hard to achieve that success — often putting in 18-hour days, going non-stop between stores. “I love to interact with customers. I’m not the owner that likes to sit off to the side, I love to take the register and work the store

Owner Evan Wilensky gives customers their frozen yogurt fix at Del Mar Swirls, Encinitas Swirls and Carmel Valley Swirls. Photo by Karen Billing myself, I’m a really hands-on owner,” Wilensky said. “I go back and forth constantly between the stores to make sure everybody’s happy and everything’s running smoothly.” Visit Del Mar Swirls at 2683 Via de la Valle, suite E, Del Mar, 92014; Carmel Valley Swirls in Del Mar Highlands Town Center, 12925 El Camino Real, suite AA1, San Diego, 92130; and Encinitas Swirls at 204 N. El Camino Real, suite G, Encinitas, 92024. For more information, visit swirlsfrozenyogurt.com Note: Business spotlights are developed through this newspaper’s advertising department in support of our advertisers.

MEET THE TEAM OF THE NEW ENCINITAS ADVOCATE Serving the advertising needs of the Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia and Olivenhain businesses

Back Row L-R

Dave Long – Retail Advertising Ryan Dellinger – Retail Advertising Michael Ratigan – Retail Advertising Don Parks – Chief Revenue Officer Front Row L-R

Gabby Cordoba – Real Estate Advertising Colleen Gray – Real Estate Advertising

Contact us at 858-756-1403 x110 for your advertising needs.

www.encinitasadvocate.com

Are you an Encinitas Advocate? We are.

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A22 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

SELECTION continued from page 1

at the June 5 school board meeting and inundated the district with phone calls and letters to prompt an agendized discussion at the Thursday, June 19, meeting and a community meeting on Monday, June 16. About 80 parents attended Monday’s June 16 meeting at Cardiff Elementary School. “Thank you for advocating for your kids and voicing your opinion,” Superintendent Rick Schmitt told the room, which was full of parents and SDUHSD staff members. “We are in the business of listening to moms and dads and students.” The board’s discussion at the June 19 meeting will address concerns and comments and how the district should move forward. A task force could be formed to look at the issue. Schmitt said the district really has three options: to remain a mix of schools of choice and boundary schools; to make all high schools boundary schools; or to make all schools schools of choice. Parental concerns about nonboundary schools have risen, as no students were accepted from the wait lists at San Dieguito or Canyon Crest Academies this year. Neither school has any room left. “We have seen an increase in the numbers of students that are choosing the academies,” said Michael Grove, the district’s associate superintendent of educational services. He noted there was a big jump this year, with almost 60 percent of students choosing academies. “The increase in the size of the schools is because of the increase in demand.” Jennifer Leslie is a parent of one of the 65 students for whom there was no room. She lives seven houses away from the school. She walks her kids to Ocean Knolls School every day, but now her oldest will have to be at the bus stop at 6:30 a.m. to be bused to La Costa Canyon, a transportation cost she must incur. As a single parent, she’s not sure how after-school activities like sports will work without transportation. “We appreciate having a choice,” Leslie said, “but effectively, my daughter is being displaced and her choice has been removed.” Grove gave a history about how the high school selection process and nonboundary schools came to be. When building La Costa Canyon High School in

1995, the district took a look at the boundaries for the new school and saw it would be creating a population at LCC that would be 95 percent Caucasian; San Dieguito would be 33 percent Latino. To create a balance of diversity between the schools, they came up with the idea of making San Dieguito an academy — “a school of choice.” When San Dieguito opened as an academy in 1996, it had 976 students. This fall, there will be 1,600 students. In 2004, when the district was looking to open Canyon Crest Academy, Torrey Pines High School had 3,600 students. The district had the same discussion about boundaries and decided to duplicate the success of SDA as a choice school, rather than redraw boundaries. CCA had 369 students when it opened one grade in 2004. That number reached

“The increase in the size of the schools is because of the increase in demand.” — Michael Grove 1,200 in 2008 with a full campus, and now it is the district’s second-biggest high school, with 1,955 students coming in the fall. Grove said the district’s goal is to get all ninth-grade students into their choice schools. But with the school selection lottery process, SDUHSD is simply following the law. The Open Enrollment Act of 1993 was enacted because at the time, students who wanted to attend another school did not have that legal right. The law states that districts must allow transfers as long as there is space and, if demand exceeds capacity, the district must conduct an unbiased lottery. The law allows only three exceptions to the random lottery: if a student faces a threat of bodily harm at one school; if a student is the child of an employee; or if a sibling already attends the school. SDUHSD uses only the sibling exception. The law does not allow geographic proximity to be a priority. Grove said capacity at SDA is realistically about 1,600 and they typically accept 25 to 50 more students than that to allow for attrition. Since 2006, he said, 98 percent of high school students have enrolled in their school of choice. For that 2 percent not admitted, however, “it creates a great deal of anxiety,” he said. Grove said 60 percent of enrollment at SDA comes from Encinitas, 23.2 percent from La Costa, 12 percent

from Cardiff, 2.3 percent from Solana Beach, and less than 1 percent from Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar. One parent pointed out that if there were boundaries, taking away the kids from the south would represent the 60 local children who did not get into SDA this year. The district has increased capacity at both campuses to accommodate increased demand, and the goal is to continue to increase the cap on enrollment with scheduling and facility improvements provided by Prop AA funding. In discussions with the principal at San Dieguito, Grove said the top reason why students choose the academy is the four-by-four schedule and the flexibility it offers. “La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines High School are in discussions about a change in the bell schedule in the 2015-16 year to draw more students to those schools and decrease demand at the academies,” Grove said. LCC has plenty of capacity. At one time it had 2,700 students; now it has 1,950. Grove said the goal should be creating programs that will attract students to the boundary schools and restore balance among the four high schools. Parents argued that the situation is different at SDA and LCC than TPHS and CCA — Torrey Pines is a couple of miles away from CCA, and La Costa and San Dieguito are about six miles apart. Parents noted that surrounding areas have changed and conditions for transporting children long distances have changed. It’s best for the students, the community and the environment to keep them in their neighborhood school. Parent Joel Rump said some parents are facing about 150 minutes a week in travel time, a 30-minute round trip every day — versus a five- to 10-minute walk without spending money on fuel. Parent Nancy Frazier said the ability for kids to walk and bike to school gives them a taste of independence, forges a sense of community and promotes health and wellness. “It means a lot to us to be at the neighborhood school and not to be all over town and spend $700 on bus rides,” said Hewitson, who lives four blocks from San Dieguito. Britta Brewer said the importance of having her children at a school closer to home came into sharper focus after the wildfires last month. “Over the last 20 years

I’ve watched the district accommodate growing communities with La Costa, Del Mar and Solana Beach. We’re left behind, in a sense,” Brewer said. “Old Encinitas and Cardiff are not allowed the choice to attend their local public school. It’s time to give us the same treatment as other communities. We want the choice to keep our kids near us.” Several parents proposed that perhaps the problem was with the law and that they should lobby to change it to include geographic proximity as a priority. “The legislation was more about if you didn’t want to go to your neighborhood school,” said parent Danica Edelbrock. “But I want my kids to be able to attend a school within walking distance.” Some parents spoke in favor of high school selection. Paul Abel said his children have been different from each other since day one, and he likes that they are able to choose where they would fit best. “I drive my kids way too much, but I am willing to drive for my kids,” Abel said. “I appreciate the choice we have, and it encourages schools to be unique and have their own unique culture.” He wondered whether the time and resources spent to redraw boundaries would truly benefit students. Grove said varying factors must be considered with all the district’s options for solutions. For example, the ethnic/racial/socioeconomic diversity of the campuses, Mello-Roos funding, redrawing middle school boundaries, and where the high school boundaries would be. There are also program implications — for example, if the district isn’t offering different schools to students, would it have to offer football at San Dieguito? “The unique culture of SDA may be lost over time if it is a boundary school,” said Grove, who used to be principal at the school. He said these are discussions that they need to have as a community, a big discussion with all 12,300 families in the district. He believes a task force will help solicit feedback and generate a community dialogue. “In the meantime we continue to find as many ways as we can to get students into their school of first choice,” Grove said. The parents said all they are asking for is fairness. “We understand change will be difficult and long, but we know it will benefit all of the district, not most of the district,” Brewer said.

PACIFIC VIEW continued from page 1

fies either the city or EUSD could terminate the agreement. For years, council members and residents have advocated for transforming Pacific View, located on Third Street in downtown, into a community or art centers. Nothing, however, has been set in stone. The council will mull an outreach process in the coming months to gain community input on what should be done with the property, both over the near term and further out. The property could host a farmers market, art gallery or something along those lines in the interim while the city figures out a longstanding project, Vina said. He noted the city is looking to hand over the check for Pacific View by November. In the meantime, some residents have proposed a community cleanup for the entire site. Worn desks, chairs and other artifacts are strewn about the schoolrooms. Graffiti covers the exterior. Vina said such an effort would likely have to wait until the deal is complete and the city is given the keys. The agreement between the city and EUSD comes after years of failed plans and back-and-forth debate over what to do with the property. Frustrated by the lack of progress, the district voted to auction off the property to the highest bidder this past spring. But the city stepped in with an 11thhour offer, preventing the auction. Resident Scott Chatfield, who started SavePacificView.org, was instrumental in mobilizing support to stop the auction. He’s since turned his attention to ensuring the deal goes through. “I’ve used a lot of train metaphors,” Chatfield said. “The one I’ve been using lately is that I want to make sure the train reaches the station.” Also, last month he launched an open forum on his website — called Share Your View — allowing residents to submit ideas for the site. “I’m just trying to get the conversation started,” Chatfield said. While $10 million in financing buys the property, any improvements or facilities on the site will cost ad-

ditional money. Deputy Mayor Tony Kranz noted the council recently established a subcommittee to explore private fundraising to help pay for additional building costs and potentially other arts venues. Other groups are also engaged in fundraising. Notably, the nonprofit Encinitas Friends of the Arts formed to bring in donations for a city-owned arts center, with Pacific View being a possible candidate. Those behind the nonprofit have stated the city needs an arts center, citing the high concentration of artists in Encinitas and the lack of venues. For the city and arts groups to attract private funds, Kranz said the city must first develop a clear plan for Pacific View. As a starting point for conversation, the city will study which kinds of arts programs are feasible at Pacific View, along with other potential locations such as a vacant theater pad at Encinitas Ranch Town Center. “Pacific View might be suited for more visual arts, and the pad could accommodate performing arts, but of course it’s early to say,” Kranz said. “The community will have to weigh in.” John Britt, EUSD’s superintendent of business services, said the district hasn’t determined how to use the Pacific View funds. That conversation, he added, will take place once the sale is complete. He said the Pacific View money could be injected into the district’s general fund on a one-time basis, though the State Allocation Board would have to approve such a transfer. Otherwise, funds would go into capital improvement projects like buildings or playgrounds. The council majority, which includes Kranz, has stated the Pacific View purchase was necessary to save the historic property, home to the 1883 schoolhouse. They’ve also said it’s a chance to showcase local arts and culture. Mayor Kristin Gaspar and Councilman Mark Muir opposed the deal. They believe the price tag is too high and the money would be better spent on roads and other infrastructure. At a recent council meeting, Muir said, “Whether we agree or disagree on the purchase price, I think we’re all united in making the community vision of the property a reality.”

www.encinitasadvocate.com

ENCINITAS ADVOCATE - JUNE 20, 2014 - PAGE A23

RESTRICTIONS continued from page 1

than 15 feet away from homes, down from 50 feet. Also, there’s less red tape to cut through when setting up a commercial farm. That ordinance has made waves locally — the Encinitas council will decide whether to pursue rules similar to San Diego’s sometime next year. In Encinitas, enforcement is reactive. That means code enforcement officers investigate livestock and bee violations only upon receiving a complaint from a resident. And it doesn’t matter whether other neighbors like the bees or goats; all it takes is one upset person to trigger potential penalties. If a code enforcement officer deems a complaint valid, a letter is sent asking the resident to get rid of the livestock. Those who ignore the letter can be fined $100, with repeat offenders facing a $200 fine and eventually a $500 fine. Marianne Buscemi, senior code enforcement officer, said the city has issued a few warnings related to illegal livestock or bees in the past year, but no fines. Most complaints stem from noisy animals or smelly droppings that have been on the ground for too long, she noted. Deputy Mayor Tony Kranz is no stranger to limitations on backyard agriculture. He removed his bees after finding out there wasn’t enough distance between them and nearby homes. Kranz, a proponent of an urban agriculture ordinance, said quite a few residents unwittingly break the rules or raise livestock in secret. “Looking at an aerial map of Encinitas in the 1970s and 1980s compared to today, it’s sad,” Kranz said. “The city had agriculture everywhere; we have to fight for small farms today.” Along with reducing buffers, Kranz said an ordinance makes it easier for small commercial farms to obtain permits. “People with goat milk or another ware should have a means to sell it in the open,” Kranz said. Eric Larson is the executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau. He said Encinitas’ agriculture-friendly image is at odds with a difficult permitting process. Larson said in order for backyard farmers in Encinitas to sell their goods, they

Bees fly in and out of a hive in a resident’s backyard. Some argue the city should reduce the buffer for bees and other livestock. PHOTO/JARED WHITLOCK have to obtain a special minor-use permit that runs more than $1,600. And there’s a significant time commitment to do so. “More is at stake than chickens and goats,” Larson said. “Even for those small operations growing vegetables and selling them, they need expensive permits. It’s onerous — the process could be streamlined.” Laurel Mehl, owner of Coral Tree Farm and Nursery, knows firsthand about complex permitting. Only four months ago, her neighborhood farm was bustling with activity. She sold her farm’s fruits and vegetables as part of a CSA (community supported agriculture) program, and kids there took part in educational classes. The city, however, recently ordered her to stop. Neighbors complained about the farm generating traffic (one of the neighbors did not respond to a request to comment). That led the city to examine the farm’s legal status. Mehl’s family has been farming on the property since the 1950s, before homes in the neighborhood were built. But when the city incorporated in 1986, commercial farms in residential neighborhoods were deemed “nonconforming.” Nonconforming farms that cease commercial activity for 180 days — which the city alleges happened two decades ago — must apply for the minor-use permit.

“I had no idea this could be an issue,” Mehl said. “Here we are, doing well one day, and then we’re asked to close out of the blue.” “We’ve enjoyed an outpouring of support for the farm, “she added. “Yet we’re still stuck.” Mehl said she isn’t sure whether she’ll pursue the permit. In any case, she emphasized the city should do away with the 180-day stipulation in its updated ordinance and give farms stronger protections from nuisance complaints. On the flip side, the city requires minor-use permits from commercial farms so they’re held to specific noise and traffic standards. Those living nearby then have extra assurances their area won’t be disturbed. Which brings up the question, could more livestock and residential farming — commercial or otherwise — grow more neighborhood disputes? Resident Al Rodbell believes community gardens and commercial agriculture shouldn’t be allowed to take root on just any vacant parcel. “The encouragement of local gardens should be in the context of existing laws and zoning, rather than seeming to ignore those carefully crafted restrictions that allow residents to live in close proximity,” he said in a recent letter to the city. “Residential zoning precludes commercial endeavors such as selling produce, and should not be overruled

in this burst of enthusiasm.” Bill Tall is the founder of City Farmers Nursery in San Diego and an advocate of the city’s 2012 ordinance, which eased zoning regulations. He’s noticed a recent spike in backyard livestock as well as farm stands throughout San Diego, but not a corresponding increase in conflicts. “You’re always going to have some issues,” Tall said. “I’ve heard of a few. Really, it’s been very positive. Families are getting outside and connecting with the land, learning how to slow down and enjoy life.” City Farmers Nursery offers free classes in Backyard Farming 101, including raising chickens. As a testament to the growing popularity of urban agriculture, eight years ago, those lessons drew a couple of people; now they get around 50 attendees. On that note, Tall said, education stressing cleanliness and readiness goes a long way toward preventing disputes. “The hope is that you’re responsible, and if there happens to be a problem, your neighbor approaches you to address it before going to the city,” Tall said. But are there enough people in Encinitas who support loosening agriculture rules to move the needle? On at least one front, the issue is galvanizing reformers. Resident James McDonald, owner of Encinitas Bee Company, said local beekeepers are advocating for revised laws, not only in Encinitas, but also elsewhere in the county. “More beekeepers are getting together and making their voices heard,” McDonald said, noting they’re coordinating via social media. He said beekeepers rallied together when the county Board of Supervisors considered easing bee regulations in unincorporated areas like Rancho Santa Fe last month. They argue cutting the 600-foot requirement in Encinitas and the county would result in more domestic bees. In turn, additional domestic bees would dilute the African bee population, which is known for being aggressive and stinging in larger numbers. And beekeepers say the insects are critical for pollinating crops. “Organic growers need bees,” McDonald said. “If you want to promote organic, something needs to give, since bees aren’t allowed unless you own a significant chunk of land.”

RACE continued from page 4

on a parcel, threatening the surrounding community character. Additionally, Graboi said she’s “closely watching” the housing element to make sure it reflects residents’ views. Graboi said she would also uphold Proposition A, the growth-control initiative that passed last summer despite the council coming out against it. The initiative says that zoning changes and proposed buildings taller than 30 feet must go to a public vote. Deputy Mayor Tony Kranz, a vocal advocate of the Pacific View deal, said he’s still mulling whether to enter the mayor’s race.

PROGRAM continued from page 4

But residents insist that the patrons of bars and restaurants are causing most of the problems. City officials must stick to the rules, and not allow alcohol-serving businesses to expand beyond their capacity or allow too many new establishments, said Scott Carter of Leucadia, who owns a downtown Encinitas real estate business. “You want the new blood in our area; it vitalizes, enriches what we have — but at the same time, you don’t want to lose what you have,” said Carter, referring to the quality of life prized by residents. “Somebody has to step up and say ‘No.’ You have to take a stand,” said Carter. “Is there

GARDEN continued from page 2

ture,” said Elizabeth Taylor, a member of the Encinitas Community Garden Committee, a nonprofit heading the project. Planning Director Jeff Murphy said community gardens aren’t permitted by right on the land. As such, the city stipulated the minor-use permit to mitigate potential traffic, dust and odor issues. A use permit is the mechanism to review the project and address potential concerns, he added. Murphy noted that

If he runs and loses, he’ll remain on the council because his seat expires in 2016. So far, only Alex Fidel has announced he’s running for mayor. He did not respond to a request to comment. Fidel has criticized water fluoridation and what he sees as the militarization of the Encinitas Sheriff’s Department. Residents will directly elect a two-year mayor for the first time in November. Previously, a council majority chose the position, but that changed when Proposition K passed in 2012. The council seat, which is a four-year term, and mayoral filing period starts July 14 and ends Aug. 8. Visit the city’s website at ci.encinitas.ca.us for information about requirements to enter the race. room for both? You betcha. But not at the pace and volume (bar and restaurant owners) want to do it.” One of the first tasks for the new code enforcement officer, said Murphy, the planning director, will be to compile a list of phone numbers for residents to call when they have a problem with an alcohol-serving establishment. In some cases, such as a fight, it might be appropriate to call 911 for police assistance. In other cases, residents will be directed to call city code enforcement so their complaint can be checked out the next day. “(Residents) are experiencing problems, but not calling. But if there is a situation with unruly, noisy behavior, give us a call. So we can investigate with the bar owner and see what’s going on,” Murphy said.

garden organizers were given a choice more than a year ago: complete a minor-use permit or go in front of the Planning Commission for a ruling on whether community gardens are in fact agriculture. Neither option was pursued, he said. Councilwoman Teresa Barth said she initiated the agenda item to hopefully propel the garden forward. “It’s about finding a solution — and that’s what we’re here to do tonight,” Barth said.

www.encinitasadvocate.com

PAGE A24 - JUNE 20, 2014 - ENCINITAS ADVOCATE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1

'HO 0DU %' %$ ‡ Mid-century modern with unmatched oceanfront privacy.

5

Rancho Santa Fe %' %$ ‡ Gorgeous estate with guest house & equestrian potential.

2

5DQFKR 6DQWD )H %' %$ ‡ Architectural Digest beauty with showstopper panoramas.

6

5DQFKR 6DQWD )H %' %$ ‡ Elegant residence on 9th fairway of Morgan Run Golf Resort.

3

5DQFKR 6DQWD )H %' %$ ‡ Sophisticated Italian Villa with golf views in The Bridges.

7

6RODQD %HDFK %' %$ ‡ Cool & contemporary oceanfront unit in Del Mar Beach Club.

4

Santaluz, 4BD/4.5BA ‡ Newly completed singe-level custom on 1.36 private acres.

8

5DQFKR 6DQWD )H %' %$ ‡ Designer showplace that is sure to impress in The Lakes!

858-756-2444

INFO@WILLISALLEN.COM

WILLISALLEN.COM

C O RO N A D O | D E L MA R | D O WN T O WN | L A JOLLA | P OI NT LOMA | RANCH O S ANTA FE

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.