See LEADERSHIP page 10

Carlsbad facing a churn in leadership

The voice of America’s

marathonsTransformaTion of downTown oceanside moves inTo high gearBy Joe Tashfor the Seaside Courier

Rudy Novotny announcing the California 10/20

By Marty Grahamfor the Seaside Courier

See OCEANSIDE page 16See TAX page 8

By Joe Tashfor the Seaside Courier

A series of retirements and res-ignations of top elected and

appointed officials in Carlsbad city government – most of them over the past 14 months – is changing the face of city leadership.

In late 2012, City Manager Lisa Hildebrand announced her retirement after a 21-year career with the city, four of them in the top job. Hildebrand’s successor, John Coates, lasted just under a year, resigning in November

after being placed on paid leave due to an unspecified “person-nel matter.” Fire Chief Kevin Crawford was appointed interim

city manager, only to announce in December that he would be leav-ing the city to head the United Way in San Diego.

City Attorney Ron Ball, who worked for the city for 26 years, retired in December

Rudy Novotny, the voice of America’s mara-thons, was trying to protect his instrument.

The 60-year-old Carlsbad resident was driving to another Disney race, the second of seven he’ll announce for Disney this year. This one was the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, where he would talk runners through 13.1 miles from the starting line to the finish.

“I should be sponsored by Halls Cough Drops,” he jokes. “I live on tea and honey and Halls.”

Until 1996, Novotny ran marathons – about 50 of the 26.2-milers. And he wasn’t a plodder; he regularly finished with times under 3 hours. But that year, he was asked to step in for an announcer who couldn’t make it to the microphone, and he has emceed between 300 and 400 races since.

“Now I run a marathon on my voice,” he says.

“With all due respect, it’s a lot harder to talk a marathon than to run it.”

He’s had plenty of practice. He has called the Los Angeles, Long Beach, Carlsbad, Big Sur, Catalina, Orange County, Surf City and Disneyworld mar-

Call it the next piece in downtown Oceanside’s trans-

formation from a backwater into a regional tourist destination.

The 149-room Springhill Suites by Marriott hotel, at 110 N. Myers St., opened Feb. 11 and includes meeting space, a rooftop pool with sweeping ocean views, a new entry into Oceanside’s culi-nary scene with the Hello Betty Fish House, and interior spaces decorated with the works of local artists.

“It’s certainly a great thing for Oceanside,” said Mayor Jim Wood, because it will add to the area’s attractions such as its beaches and the city’s iconic wooden pier. “This is just one more thing and I’m very happy to have them there.”

The hotel was built on a for-merly vacant lot just a couple of blocks from the beach. The project sits within a nine-block master plan area, a blueprint which has the blessing of the California Coastal Commission, said Tracey Bohlen, economic development manager for the city.

One block – adjacent to the pier – was developed several years ago with a Wyndham resort,

Encinitas is looking into rais-ing its sales tax.

The city now collects 8 cents for every dollar of taxable sales and collects about $11.7 million annually through the levy. The City Council at a Feb. 12 meeting narrowly voted to explore raising the rate to 8.5 cents per dollar to fund a variety of civic projects that could include buying the old Pacific View school site and turning it into a civic arts center.

Mark Muir and Kristin Gaspar voted against the idea.

While an 8.5 percent sales tax would have a negligible affect

Idea for sales tax hike taking root in Encinitas

See RUDY page 5

John Coates Farrah Douglas Kevin Crawford

March 2014 On the Internet at www.SEASIDECOurIEr.com Volume 1 – Number 4

“Big waves hurt me, and I don’t like being hurt.”

-Miki Dora

I ’m not sure what the attrac-tion is to big surf. Maybe it’s

the feeling of escaping a near drowning, or the thrill of victory over an object that could destroy you. I mean, I realize that prov-ing yourself to yourself in waves so big that boats avoid them is certainly a rush, but not for me, at least not any longer.

For me and I suspect many of you, waves beyond double over-head are about as welcome as waterboarding (which sounds also sounds like a fun sport until you know what it entails). When surfing becomes torture, count me out.

Of course there are adrena-line junkies who are not happy unless there’s at least a whiff of death, or at least danger, lurking in their recreation. And there is the idea that bigger surf allows more and harder turns, along with higher speeds. I get it. Sort of.

While I can still enjoy waves of consequence, there’s nothing like

gliding on a wave with no thought that it could inflict any bodily harm. Such waves are especially memorable when there’s nobody else around. One of the things I

especially love is how immacu-lately groomed small waves are. It’s like something you’d draw on your notebook as a kid. Or, like going on a first date without the fear of rejection.

I had a few mornings like that last month, before the winter pump was pulled to offer waves over waist high. On one such glassy morning, I found myself alone, watching stingrays, perch and garibaldi drift below my feet, fanned by the eelgrass that had propagated because of the lack of swell.

For a time I rode my 7-foot, 6-inch speed egg, missing the micro tubes through lack of flexibility and practice, before returning to the sand to blow up my surf mat, which turned out to be the perfect vehicle that day. Like a dream, I drifted along on an inflated pillow over rippling turquoise pools while the rest of the world dreamed in black and white.

The waves were short and slow and the rides more resembled that of a classic lowrider than a sleek sports car, but it was

fun, peaceful and fulfilling all on its own – you know, old man thrills. As endorphins circled the aging wagons, I looked to see a battalion of pelicans glide at 30 mph on a cool wave of air. Then, releasing some of the air in my mat, I fluttered on the next wave all the way into the damp sand. This is not the stuff that makes CNN, Surfer Magazine, or even a GoPro video or FaceBook post. This is what peaceful dreams are made of.

I love small waves. I love them. I love them.

Sea Creatures: The Joy of Small SurfBy Chris Ahrensfor the Seaside Courier

The waves were short and slow and

the rides resembled that of a classic lowrider than a

sleek sports car.

COMMENTARY2 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014LOCAL News

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NORTH COUNTY NEWS BRIEFS

Botanic Garden secures $1-million challenge grant

Encinitas is launching a Student Film Festival.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for our student film-makers and I encourage them to take advantage of this oppor-tunity,” said Encinitas Mayor Teresa Barth.

The Senior Division, compris-ing North County high school and junior college students, will create short films in their choice of genres. Accepted films will screen at a special “red carpet” Awards Ceremony on April 6 at 1 p.m. at the La Paloma Theatre downtown. “Best Of” awards will be presented in several filmmak-ing categories.

The Junior Division, for

An effort to build a new edu-cation and events center at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas received a huge boost when The Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Foundation recently pledged a $1-million challenge grant for the effort. In order to receive the money, the Botanic Garden must raise an additional $3 million for the project by Dec. 31.

“This facility will enable us to expand our educational and experiential opportunities, which are currently limited by a shortage of indoor space, thereby allowing more people to experience the wonder of nature at the Garden and bring new knowledge and practices home with them,” said Julian Duval, the Botanic Garden’s president and chief executive officer “We are so grateful to the Dickinson Foundation for their strong belief in the value of this facility

The San Diego Botanic Garden is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale on March 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Besides offering a bevy of plants to choose from, the Botanic Garden will feature a number of speakers in addition to a `Kidzone’ with petting zoo and pony rides.

Further information is avail-able at SDBGarden.org.

Carlsbad has a new charging station for electric vehicles.

The Freedom Station, a ven-ture involving Simon Property Group and NRG eVgo opened in February at Carlsbad Premium Outlets and features a 480-volt direct current fast charger that enables shoppers to recharge their electric cars within 30 minutes or less. The and our ability to make it some-

thing that San Diego County will be proud of.”

The Dickinson Foundation Pavilion would be built next to the Hamilton Children’s Garden. It will provide an enclosed space for expanded educational offer-ings, as well as meeting and event space for up to 400 visitors.

“We are pleased to support the efforts of the San Diego Botanic Garden to create an education and events pavilion,” Martin Dickinson, chairman of The Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Foundation, said in a statement. “We expect that this project will enhance the mission of the Botanic Garden by educating the public on the importance of preserving our natural resources, and it will also provide a new venue for special events and other com-munity uses.”

Film festival set

Encinitas students in grades 1 through 8, will produce short films screening at a “red carpet” Awards Ceremony during the 3rd Annual Encinitas Arts Festival on March 22 at the Encinitas Community Center on Oakcrest Park Drive.

Charging station for electric vehicles built in Carlsbad

Carlsbad Premium Outlets is at 5620 Paseo del Norte, and the Freedom Station is in the park-ing lot between Starbucks and Rubio’s.

“As a top tourism destination and technology hub, located between San Diego and Los Angeles, the city of Carlsbad is the perfect location for a recharg-ing station,” said Mayor Matt

Hall. “With the opening of this eVgo Freedom Station, Carlsbad becomes a top destination for a new audience – electric car drivers – who want to enjoy our beautiful beaches, top notch shopping and dining, and active Southern California coastal life-style. It’s the perfect addition to our world class city.”

Plant sale at the Botanic Garden

SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014 3News BRIeFs

roundabout being built on carlsbad Boulevard

NORTH COUNTY NEWS BRIEFS

The Friends of the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Library is looking for applicants for five $1,000 schol-arships to students living in the 92007 or 92024 Zip codes.

The Friends for the past nine years has awarded scholarships to students from Cardiff, Encinitas, Leucadia and Olivenhain.

Applicants must include a maximum 500-word essay dis-cussing how their own library experiences have affected them; their reasons and plans for pur-suing higher education in 2014; and a description of their special interests and extra-curricular activities. In addition, applica-tions must contain two letters of recommendation from non-fam-ily members, a copy of a public library card, proof of residence in zip code 92007 or 92024, and a copy of their current high school identification card.

Applications are available at the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Library, in downloadable form on the Friends of the Cardiff by the Sea website (www.friendscardifflibrary.org/), and at school counselor’s offices.

The original application and supporting documents should be sent to: Scholarship Panel,

Carlsbad has begun building a roundabout Carlsbad Boulevard and State Street.

Traffic officials say the single-lane roundabout will make it safer for travelers to go through the intersection on a stretch of historic Highway 101 north of downtown, just south of the Buena Vista Lagoon.

“The Carlsbad Boulevard-State Street intersection is our city’s traditional northern gate-way, so it’s a perfect location for the type of project that takes advantage of the cultural and natural resources that make Carlsbad special,” said construc-tion manager John Maashoff. “Located right next to the lagoon, with the ocean only a few hun-dred feet away, the roundabout will stand as a beautiful invita-tion to people entering our city, no matter what their form of travel.”

Construction began on Jan. 6 and should be completed this

Encinitas resident Jon Williams has been selected as the San Diego County Bar Association’s president for 2014.

Williams is a certified appel-late specialist who specializes in civil appeals and writs at both the state and federal levels, and regularly partners with other law firms and trial counsel to handle their complex appellate matters.

Williams last year chaired the Bar Association’s first-ever Court Funding Action Committee and led an initiative to lobby and generate support for more court funding.

Past roles include serving on the board for Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and as president of the California Western School of Law Alumni Association.

Salon Paradigm in Encinitas will celebrate its grand opening March 8 by donating proceeds that day to help victims of child abuse. Customers who drop in from 1 to 5 p.m. can enjoy com-plimentary refreshments, live music and more.

The event will benefit Childhelp, an organization that aids in preventing and treating victims of child abuse.

Salon Paradigm stylists will be on hand to offer bang trims and neck clean ups for a minimum donation of $5. Portions of any retail sale will also be donated and nearby local vendors will be donating 20 percent of their sales that day to help with the

The Master Gardner Association of San Diego County has a new demonstration garden at The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch.

The demonstration garden illustrates a variety of garden-ing techniques and has areas devoted to different types of gardens, including a straw bale garden, a pizza garden, an edible front yard, an elevated garden and drought tolerant native garden.

spring. Maashoff said that the city does not expect to close Carlsbad Boulevard during the four-month project, but work crews will occasionally reduce travel to one lane, with flag crews controlling the lanes. State Street will be closed intermit-tently during construction, with motorists detoured to Grand Avenue.

The city awarded a $1 million

contract to Portillo Concrete Inc. to construct the roundabout. An $800,000 Active Transportation Grant from the San Diego Association of Governments, and money from the city’s Gas Tax Fund are funding the proj-ect. The city has contracted with Dudek, an Encinitas-based engi-neering and environmental firm, to manage the project.

Salon Paradigm fundraiser aids children

fundraising effort.For further information about

Childhelp, visit Childhelp.org. For more information about the event, call Salon Paradigm at 760-633-4400.

Salon Paradigm is at 205 S. El Camino Real, Suite C in Encinitas.

friends of Library offering scholarships

Friends of the Cardiff by the Sea Library, P.O. Box 657, Cardiff by the Sea, 92007, or hand delivered to the Cardiff Library.

All applications, with all sup-porting documentation, must be received not later than April 28, 2014, 6:00 p.m. at the library.

A panel of judges selected from the community will evaluate the applications, essays, and support-ing materials, and will select the top five candidates, who will be notified by May 30.

For further information, con-tact Jenny Paschall, Scholarship Chair, at cardifflibrary92007@yahoo.com, 760-815-5602, or jen-nypas@att.net.

Demonstration garDen planteD

Encinitas resident named Bar Association presidentThe demonstration garden’s

purpose is to show what a home gardener can do in their garden while addressing questions regarding pest-management and basic gardening principles.

The 1,200-square-foot area was designed, built, planted and will be staffed by master gardener volunteers. The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch is at 5704 Paseo Del Norte, just north of Palomar Airport Road and just east of Interstate 5.

Carlsbad Blvd.State St.

Roundabout

Cardiff-by-the-Sea Library

4 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014News BRIeFs

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your bouquet than at The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch®.

With over 50 acres of extraordinary flowers and the Paul Ecke Jr. Family Barn which seats up to 200 guests for outdoor parties and cocktail receptions, it will set the stage for your dream wedding.

We’d love to help add color to your special day! For more information visit TheFlowerFields.com

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Add Some Color to Your Wedding

Rudy, from page 1

Orange County, Surf City and Disneyworld marathons, among others. He’s also announced the Solana Beach Triathlon and the San Dieguito Half Marathon, and on Feb. 16, he announced the inaugural California 10/20 along coastal North County.

It takes a different type of skill set to announce an endur-

ance event, and there is no formal training. Improvisation is the key. And you really have to love being with people. Thousands of them.

Being an experienced mara-thoner helps.

“Rudy’s intimate knowledge of, and genuine enthusiasm for, the sport and the participants are priceless,” said Ellen Larson of In Motion, Inc., organizers of the Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon. “Plus his quick wit sets a fun tone at our events.”

Novotny says he loves what he does because of the people he meets. He is constantly inspired by the runners and spectators he talks to.

“Their stories are as varied and remarkable. These people are doing something bigger than

themselves, they are looking for the bigger meaning of things,” Novotny says. “A marathon will always be a personal challenge – you have to put each foot for-ward – but people have someone in mind.”

Many of the races are for a cause, he points out. Novotny emcees the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure, the OC Marathon is sponsored by the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, and a half dozen more. And there are teams: the Team UP for Autism, the Team ASCPA - American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – that run races includ-ing the Los Angeles and Long Beach marathons..

So the meaning can be obvious. But the runners all have their own reasons and Novotny wants to hear about them.

“We’ve got people who are fighting cancer who just finished chemo and they’re out there running,” he says. “It really rein-forces how strong the running community is, the same with the triathlon community.”

War veterans tell him about a fallen comrade. Moms tell him about a sick child or parent. Men tell him about their fathers and brothers and sons.

“Many people use running to heal or to improve themselves, to tame their demons and to get peace,” he says. “I know what that feels like, I’m a recovering drug and alcohol addict, sober 27 years.”

So he really knows what hit-ting the wall – which happens

between the 18th and 21st mile in a marathon – feels like.

“Having run them gives me a significant edge because I understand the runners and the experience,” he says. “I know their highs and lows and when they hit the dark side. I’m there to get them home, to get them to the finish line.”

Indeed, he says, it’s not what time you finish that’s important, but hitting the finish line.

“Each one of us is a cheer-leader and you never know who you might motivate,” he says. “I don’t care if you’re two hours in front or 2 hours behind – you start the same line, you finish the same line and you’re my brother.”

Novotny says it’s easy to have fun – the runners make it happen.

“I do the Princess half mara-thon, that’s 70 percent female – 19,000 women and 1,000 of the smartest men I know,” he says. “A huge group of them dresses up in frog costumes. Brilliant.”

But all that fun, and all that enthusiasm can take a toll on an announcer’s voice – especially if he forgets his cough drops – as he did one race a few years back.

“I get there and I look in my bag and I have forgotten cough drops,” he said. “I have a pretty good family – I posted to Facebook and all through the weekend, people brought me cough drops.”

“I amassed a huge collection – my friends and family take good care of me,” He added.

“It’s not what time you finish that’s important, but

hitting the finish line”

-Rudy Novotny

SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014 5LOCAL News

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The renaissance of school facili-ties has begun in earnest now

that the San Dieguito school dis-trict has its first fistful of bond money in its pockets.

Voters in November 2012 approved Proposition AA, which authorized $449 million in bonds to upgrade school facilities. The district took out the first chunk of that money and began spending it last year.

Within the past few months the district has installed artificial turf and track at San Dieguito High School Academy and Canyon Crest Academy. It also has improved the heating and air conditioning systems at La Costa Canyon High School, Torrey Pines High School, Oak Crest Middle School and Diegueño Middle School.

This year, however, will be the year we start to see the full impact across almost every campus in the district. What follows is a sum-mary of what the district plans to build at each school before the end of 2014. Canyon Crest Academy

To complement the new track and field installed last summer, the district will install bleach-

ers to seat an audience of 3,000. District administrators say they hope to have the bleachers installed in time for graduation later this spring. The new var-sity baseball and softball fields, adjacent to the stadium, should be finished by mid-August.

Estimated project cost: $20 millionLa Costa Canyon High School

A reworking of the media center (also known as the library) will begin in June. Book stacks will be moved and the layout will be changed so that there are three spaces: a space ideal for individ-ual study, a space for computers and other technology and a larger open space for teaching and group study. Work should be complete by September.

Estimated project cost: $5 million

San Dieguito High School Academy

Athletics will see a boost this year with improvements to sta-dium seating and a remodel of the tennis courts, both expected to begin in March and be complete by October. Construction on a new math and science building should begin in June and be complete by May 2015. Temporary build-ings will be placed on campus to house students while the math and science building is under construction.

Estimated project cost: $22.4 million

Torrey Pines High SchoolThe district hopes to replace the

stadium lights in time for football season this fall. Construction will begin in April on a new weight room and a new science classroom building. Temporary classrooms will be placed on campus to house classes while the science build-ing is under construction, which should be complete by June 2015.

Estimated project cost: $12.7 millionCarmel Valley Middle School

Administrators have ditched the plan to build a mezzanine level above the book stacks in the media center. Instead, some bookshelves will be removed and others will be consolidated along the perimeter to make room for new workspaces for students with laptops and tablet computers. Work on this minor remodel will begin in June and be complete by August.

Estimated project cost: $150,000Diegueño Middle School

The front entry of the school will get a makeover, with signage that will more clearly indicate where visitors should enter the school. The media center will also be remodeled to make more space for students with laptops and tablet computers. Construction should begin in June and be complete by September.

Estimated project cost: $4 million

Earl Warren Middle SchoolWarren Hall, the school’s mul-

tipurpose room since the 1950s, will be replaced with a new “student union” with wireless internet and project workspaces for students. The district will also make improvements to data and technology systems. Construction will begin in June and should be complete by June 2015.

Estimated project cost: $5.9 millionOak Crest Middle School

Work will begin in June to reno-vate the art building so that it has three classrooms instead of two. Access to the athletic fields will also be improved. Construction should be complete by September.

Estimated project cost: $4.6 millionMiddle School Number 5

Last year the district pur-chased land next to Canyon Crest Academy for a fifth middle school. Construction on the class-room building and multipurpose building will begin in August and should be complete when the school opens its doors to students in August 2015. Construction on the school’s gymnasium, food service facility, media center and administration building will begin in November and should be complete by May 2016.

Estimated project cost: $52.5 million

FROM THE CLASSROOMCOMMENTARY

COMMENTARY

LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENdENT

In my fall update I discussed some of the significant

changes being made to stan-dardized testing in California. We, along with school districts across California, are participat-ing in a field test of a modern assessment system designed to help shape teaching and learn-ing in the classroom. Known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress – or CAASPP – these computer-based tests replace

By Rick SchmittSuperintendentSDUHS District

the STAR program. These tests are aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English and math, which the State Board of Education in California adopted in 2010 to describe what knowl-edge and skills students need to be well prepared for college and careers, no matter where they come from or where they live.

Part of the goal of the field test this year is to determine how well individual questions allow students to demonstrate what they know and still need to learn. We are also taking this opportu-nity to see how well our technical capabilities meet the demands of computer-based assessments

and to see what resources our teachers and schools may yet need.

Finally and importantly, this year also gives your student an opportunity to try out the new system; there will not be any student or school scores gener-ated from the field test. Instead, the state will use what they learn from this field test to help ensure a successful full launch of the system in the 2014-15 school year.

Our next step in our transi-tion to Common Core-aligned assessment is to administer the field test to students in grades 7, 8 and 11 from April 7 - May

By Jeremy OgulSeaside Courier

16, 2014. Each school site is developing a plan to adminis-ter the field test during part of that 6-week window. The testing schedule will differ from years past as students need access to computers to take the exam. Testing schedules will be made available on your school’s web-site as they are confirmed. If you want to see what types of ques-tions students will be asked or how the test will be presented, there is a practice test available online at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/practicetest.asp. There are also links on our SDUHSD Common Core website https://sites.google.com/a/sduhsd.net/

ccsscommunity/ for more infor-mation about the Field Test, as well as videos you can watch.

If you would like additional information, please visit the California Department of Education Smarter Balanced Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/smarterfieldtest.asp. If you have any questions regarding your child’s participa-tion, please contact your school principal.

* * *Rick Schmitt is superintendent

of the San Dieguito Union High School District.

6 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014eDUCATION News

Board members from the San Dieguito Union High School District review color swatches and finishes for a new middle school that opens next year.

Plans in the works to save local lagoon

Help may be on the way.The San Elijo Conservancy

is embarking on a long-term proj-ect to preserve the San Dieguito Lagoon, a 915-acre wetland that provides a home and nourishment for more than 700 species of plants and animals. The restoration proj-ect, still in the planning phase, endeavors to maintain the lagoon for the next 50 years, even as sur-rounding infrastructure expands and the sea rises.

The ecological reserve sits on the southernmost point of Encinitas, with Highway 101 running along-side its western edge, and railroad tracks and Interstate 5 hovering above it. Ocean water flushes in and out of the lagoon through an inlet located just south of the San Elijo State Beach campgrounds. The inlet is cleared of sand once a year to keep the water circulat-ing, but when Doug Gibson joined the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy in 1996, the inlet was not main-tained and was blocked most of the time. With its lifeline to the ocean closed, the lagoon suffered.

“We had very poor water qual-ity, we had very low diversity of fish and invertebrate species,” said Gibson, the conservancy’s executive director and principal scientist. “The function of the wet-land, or what you would expect a wetland to have, it just wasn’t there. It lost its identity some-where along the way because infrastructure came and past human uses degraded the area.”

Keeping the inlet clear and other habitat-management projects have improved tidal circu-lation through the lagoon, but the mudflats that are vital to water-fowl and other animals are being overrun by salt marsh plants and could disappear in less than a decade if further action isn’t taken, according to the conservancy.

There currently are three alter-native restoration projects being examined, with the least expen-sive resulting in little change from current conditions and the most expensive moving the inlet south to the middle of the lagoon under

The San Elijo Conservancy hopes to secure funding from the San Diego Association of Governments to help with a lagoon restoration that could cost tens of millions of dollars. Photo by Tom Roebuck

By Tom Roebuckfor the Seaside Courier

a new bridge that would have to be built on Highway 101. A middle option would keep the inlet where it is and would re-capture acres of mudflat habitat. The anticipated price tag of the middle option is between $50 million and $64 million.

Conservancy officials are working on securing the money needed for the restoration. The San Elijo Lagoon restoration could be funded by the San Diego Association of Government’s North Coast Corridor project, a package of highway, railroad and environmental improve-ments. However, there other environmental projects that are seeking funding from SANDAG, and there is only so much money to go around.

“This project doesn’t happen if we don’t get picked to be the proj-ect,” Gibson said. “We know that Buena Vista Lagoon wants to do a project and Penasquitos Lagoon wants to do a project and they are politically putting pressure on the SANDAG board to pick that project.”

Restoring San Elijo Lagoon would involve months of dredg-

ing that would remove large amounts of beach-quality sand that could be used on area shorelines. Gibson said that sand has passed tests by the conservancy and the EPA for any con-taminants. Dredging is expected to produce more than 1 million cubic yards of sand, enough to potentially affect the surfbreak. Gibson said protect-ing the surfbreak is a high priority of the project, and the con-

servancy has been working with the Surfrider Foundation while developing plans to deliver the sand to local beaches.

“We brought in one of their engineers that works up north and he helped devise and develop and make sure that the amounts of materials and where we are putting them wouldn’t have a negative effect, and it might end up having a positive effect over time,” Gibson said.

The conservancy is putting the finishing touches on environmen-tal impact documents, and once that is done the public will have a chance to review the plans and offer input. The documents will then get a final revision, and officials hope to release a final version in early 2015. The current timetable for the project has con-struction beginning in late 2015 or early 2016, and would last for approximately two years.

If all goes as planned and con-struction is completed in 2018, it is estimated that within three to five years the San Elijo Lagoon will be a fully functioning ecosys-tem, a rare find along the coast of California.

SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014 7LOCAL News

For a group of sly cats known as the “Panthers for the

Planet,” every day is Earth Day on the campus of Lincoln Middle School in Oceanside. Classified as an official ASB organization, the club has more than 40 members who abhor trash and waste the way most typical felines despise a pool of water.

“I love nature and want to take care of it. People don’t realize they throw away more than they should,” said sixth-grader Corbin Rojas.

Motivated by the STEM-E (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and recycling efforts of their K-5 neighbors across California Street at Palmquist Elementary School, these devoted Panthers for the Planet recognized an immediate need to get in on the concept of saving the planet. And their cat-like precision focused in on the “E” in STEM-E – as in “E” for Environment.

According to Lincoln Principal Steve Bessant, a waste audit conducted in conjunction with the City of Oceanside through the city’s Zero Waste Program revealed a dramatic need to combat the school’s enormous trash output.

“Once we did the audit, we knew we had to get this program rolling,” said Bessant. “It really opened our eyes to just how much waste was going to land-fills and how much we could be recycling for the benefit of the environment.”

Bessant said that prior to the audit the Lincoln campus regu-larly filled about four standard Dumpsters weekly, all going straight to a landfill. Since then, the recycling efforts have helped divert 68 percent of campus waste

Saving the planet one day at a timeBy Steve LombardOceanside Unified School District

Terrance Carter (center) and fellow Panthers for the Planet club members help organize recyclables from students eating lunch outdoors.

into recycling bins.Such remarkable results can

make for some happy cats, espe-cially longtime Lincoln custodian Randy Martinez.

“The change and the impact of the program is clearly evident,” said Martinez. “The loads of actual trash are so much smaller due to the recycling efforts of the kids.

“With the help of the students, it makes my job easier and allows me more opportunities to connect with them as well.”

Beneficiaries one of the finest school lunch facilities and pro-grams in the county, Lincoln students, with help from the Panther club members, are reminded daily to separate actual lunch waste from a variety of recyclables such as foil, card-board and plastic. Additionally, recyclable bottles with a CRV (California Redemption Value) are collected monthly and the funds are deposited back into the school’s operating budget.

Sixth-grader Terrance Carter, who recently addressed the Oceanside school board to tell trustees about Panthers for the Planet and the club’s desire to help save the environment,

believes it’s all about the “reality of the world we currently live in” and what we must do to leave our guiding footprints, or in this case, paw prints for future generations.

“I’ve been to a landfill and I’ve seen how much space it takes up,” Terrance said. “If enough people continue to dump recyclables into landfills, we’ll have to make more landfills. We’ll then lose more trees to make room, homes will be lost for animals and we’ll still be polluting the environment.”

Added Terrance: “I think of my work as a puzzle. You have to keep telling people where to put their recyclables. It’s like a game to me.”

And with every game, there has to be a starting point.

“Even though it’s just a little bit at a time, it will still help in the long run,” he said. “You have to start somewhere in order to change things.”

* * *Steve Lombard is a communica-

tions specialist with the Oceanside Unified School District. This story was written for and edited by the Seaside Courier as part of an effort to let local residents know what is happening in their schools.

At a recent Encinitas City Council meeting, three of the

five members of our City Council voted to look at the possibility of putting a tax increase on the November ballot to fund civic projects.

Those advocating such an increase claim that with the higher revenue an increased tax would produce they can do more good for the community. They say we can buy more city prop-erty, build more civic venues and improve our quality of life. We can erect a bigger and better lifeguard tower. But the idea of “Let’s tax everyone so that a small portion of our community can benefit” isn’t right or just.

Do our city leaders want a sales tax increase to make the city safer? Do they want a tax increase to produce more jobs? What about paying for more repairs to our infrastructure? What they do want is add tax income to fund projects that will not benefit the community as a whole.

A higher sales tax hurt consum-ers because, with the exception of food, it raises the cost of everything we buy. Having a higher city sales tax hurts our businesses becauses

By Robert Gattinellafor the Seaside Courier

SAY NO TO A HIgHER SALES TAx

it can cause sales to suffer.Instead of raising the sales

tax, why don’t we work on trying to increase sales tax revenue by focusing on ways to increase tour-ism. An influx of visitors would result in more business revenue. When businesses sell more they pay more sales taxes, have the ability to hire more people and those people in turn spend more money, that again, can be addi-tional taxable income for our city.

Cities can’t be allowed to increase a tax just to achieve their dream. A new city park, a proposed art center, adding round-abouts – all well intentioned, but our city should be required to func-tion within the ample taxes it now receives.

What are our choices? More taxes, bigger government and more people on the city payroll or less taxes and less government interference in our lives.

If our City needs more money let’s work on increasing tour-ism, promote new and existing businesses and learn how to live within our fiscal boundaries.

Say no to an increase in Sales Tax!

* * *Robert Gattinella is the presi-

dent of the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

COMMENTARY

Tax, from page 1

on most purchases –consum-ers would pay an extra 50 cents per every $100 of taxable sales – it nonetheless faces an uphill battle. Any such hike would require a two-thirds approval from voters going to the polls.

The blog EncinitasUndercover wrote: “They’d need a 2/3 vote to raise sales taxes on Encinitas families even as city employ-ees are retiring at 55 or 60 on six-figure, set-for-life pen-sions. Good luck with that. The city would have to submit paperwork to the county Registrar of Voters by Aug. 8 to get the measure on the November ballot if it pursues the

idea. A could yield an additional $5 million annually, according to a city report.

Gaspar, though, said “increased taxes should always be a last resort – not a remedy to an unidentified problem.”

Added Muir: “Our council lacks the fiscal discipline nec-essary in producing a balanced budget, so they are reviewing an unnecessary sales tax.”

San Diego, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Carlsbad and Oceanside have sales tax rates of 8 percent. El Cajon, at 9 percent, has the highest rate in the county.

8 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014LOCAL News

TEACHER PROFILE

Julie Kusiak

At first, Julie Kusiak wasn’t sure what she wanted to do

with her minor in education as a student at the University of California, San Diego. That is, until she was observing in her first classroom and the kinder-garten teacher put her to work.

“I loved it. I had so much fun. The teacher that I worked with in Oceanside, she was amazing,” Kusiak said. “She had me work-ing and teaching groups, and it was so much fun seeing them learn new concepts and grasp ideas. And I was teaching them.”

Kusiak, 46, has been teaching for about 23 years and is cur-rently a first grade teacher at Ocean Knoll Elementary School in Encinitas. She’s also the school’s Teacher of the Year.

“I was very honored, but didn’t feel worthy because we have so many great teachers at our school,” she said. “It was a huge honor from my peers and col-leagues at work.”

Part of what she really loves about her work is teaching kids to read and being part of that process with them, encouraging them in doing the work required to attain that skill and then watching their reaction when they realize they can read. It helps that the younger kids, in her experience, tend to be much less inhibited about expressing their excitement about every-thing they learn.

“It’s great to know that you were a part of building a founda-tion for them that they’ll have for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I don’t know how to articulate it except to say that it’s cool.”

The tough part of her job is fitting everything that needs to be done into one school day. Sometimes, Kusiak and her col-leagues will wish the school day was from 8 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. in order to finish it all; but then they realize that would set them and the students on edge. Since Ocean Knoll recently became an International Baccalaureate school, though, there’s been an ability to carve out more time without lengthening the school day. That’s come from integrat-

ing subject. The IB program uses themes, and those themes can apply to more than one subject, so teachers can apply concepts like how the world works to both reading groups and science with material about weather or natu-ral disasters.

“That has been a really great thing for our school and for the kids,” she said. “For me, as a teacher, it’s been invigorating.”

One of the experiences that stands out for Kusiak involved a boy last year who was having trouble learning to read. He was a smart kid, but friends were read-ing at a higher level than he was and his self-esteem was suffering. Until Kusiak found a program to help him. After her training in the program and working with this student, he went from “basi-cally being a non-reader to second grade level by the end of the school year,” she said.

“I’m always willing to try new things and approaches to see what works best with each child. That’s something I’ve learned from the amazing people I work with and that’s something we discuss,” she said. “And it’s fun because it keeps you kind of fresh and on your toes.”

Julie Kusiak is a first grade teacher

at Ocean Knoll Elementary School in

Encinitas

Seaside Courier

SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014 9LOCAL News

Socks just wants a home and a family to love.

PeTs

Cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. They use their claws and toes for balance, stretching, exercis-ing and defense. When declawing is performed, it alters the cat’s ability to walk, use the litter box, stretch, and defend itself. Declawing changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground and, as a result, can cause lifetime pain in the shoulders, back, legs and paws.

Declawing has been referred to as “inhumane and unnec-essary mutilation”. The pain associated with this procedure can be excruciating and doesn’t wane quickly. Sometimes it can last for several weeks and even years. For this reason, declawing cats has been banned in 27 coun-tries around the world. So is it ever justified?

Some veterinarians say that if the claw is damaged beyond repair or has a tumor, removing it is defensible. That makes sense. Others have stated that if the cat’s owner is immunosuppressed due to illness, then declawing is a reasonable precaution-ary measure. To that end, the Humane Society of the United States stated this: “Declawing is not rec-

ommended by infectious disease specialists. The risk from scratches for these people is less than those from bites, cat litter, or fleas carried by the cat.”

And if pain were not a signifi-cant enough reason not to perform d e c l a w i n g , statistics from studies have proven that between 50 percent to 80 percent of these proce-dures result in complications, i n c l u d i n g radial nerve damage, bleed-ing, bone chips that may pre-vent proper

healing, painful regrowth of a deformed claw and lameness. Many pet owners have also stated that the procedure changed the personality of their cat, making him more aggressive, fearful, and less playful.

So what are the humane alter-natives to destructive scratching?

Training is one. If you get a kitten, you can train them early on to use a scratching post. Having scratching posts around your home gives the kitty the opportunity to scratch without damaging your furnishings. Cat trees also offer an alternative to scratching furniture and provide amusement and enrichment for the kitty. You can also try vinyl nails which can be applied right over your cat’s claws. They are made by “Soft Paws” and can be purchased online. Another option is to cover the furniture you want to protect with aluminum foil, plastic, or two-sided tape.

Declawing is not just a manicure. It is a very grave

operation. It is compara-ble to amputating the top knuckle of each of your fin-gers. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights says, “Declawing

generally is unacceptable because the suffering a n d disfigurement

is not offset by any b e n e f i t s to the cat.

Declawing is strictly to provide convenience for people.”

* * *Sari Reis is a

Certified Humane Education Specialist

and the owner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services. For more information you can contact her at 760-

644-0289 or www.missionvalleypetsit-ting.com.

The pain associated with the declawing

procedure can be excruciating and

can last for several weeks, even years.

declawing Cats: Not a Surgery to be Taken LightlyBy Sari ReisOwner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting

www.missionvalleypetsitting.com

Leadership, from page 1

Celia Brewer. Finally, on Feb. 5, City Councilwoman Farrah Douglas announced she would step down from her seat, citing “pressing personal and family commitments.”

The city is now working to fill both the city manager’s post, and Douglas’ council seat.

Mayor Matt Hall - who was elected in 2010 after serving on

the council since 1994 - said the departures were “totally unre-lated” to each other.

“Obviously, our vision stays the same, our goals are the same. Life changes, and you have to deal with the different issues. We have depth in our organiza-tion, we have a totally dedicated organization which is more than capable of carrying out the functions of Carlsbad city govern-ment,” said Hall, who is gearing up to run for a second term as mayor, although he hasn’t yet made a formal announcement.

“For the citizens, it will be seamless,” he said of the transi-tion to a new city manager and council member.

Business leaders are watch-ing closely, and see the turnover as an opportunity for positive

change.John Osborne, incoming chair-

man of the board of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and an executive with AT&T, said he hopes the new city leadership will help make the organization more responsive to both businesses and residents. A recent example of what he called a “cultural shift” was the city’s willingness to speed

up its develop-ment review process to help ViaSat, a digital communications company, build a new facility and stay in the city.

“I think we want to see someone (as city manager) who can implement that cultural change, to have a more responsive city govern-ment,” Osborne

said.Both Osborne and Doug Avis,

chairman of the Carlsbad Village Association, want to see the vacant council seat filled quickly. Douglas’ departure leaves the council with only two members who can vote on downtown issues because Hall and Councilman Mark Packard own property in the area and must recuse them-selves on such issues.

“We just want someone with an open mind and to get them seated so we can go to work and accomplish some of our goals,” said Avis. One pending issue is the proposed establishment of a business improvement dis-trict in the Village area, under which property owners would tax themselves to pay for needed improvements.

As to the recent rapid turnover in city government, Avis said, “It’s time for a readjustment.”

“I see it as a positive. I don’t think the change will continue,” Avis said. “It will make its way and there will be a solid source of leadership and the Village, which is our primary concern, will move ahead again.”

The city is currently evaluating applicants for both city manager and council member, who will serve the remaining nine months of Douglas’ term. The mayor’s office and two council seats are up for election in November.

Each of the six applicants for the council seat will make a three-minute presentation before the council on March 11, and the council will either vote that night or on March 25 to appoint a new council member, Hall said.

The city also has a short list of six applicants for city man-ager after a national search by a consultant. Hall said local gov-ernment officials and Carlsbad council members will conduct interviews, and the goal was to hire a new top administrator by March 1. The city received 50 applications for the position. Coates, the last city manager, earned $220,500 plus benefits for overseeing a staff of 650 with an annual budget of about $120 million.

Hall said he wants the new manager to be “someone with experience, vision and leadership. I’m looking for someone who has led a high-performance city or organization.”

“I think it’s refreshing,” said Osborne. “I like that the elected officials of the city are trying to move the city forward and help the city bring in high-paying jobs and a tax base that helps support city services.”

Socks is a 2-year old, 60-pound, neutered, pit bull who sitting on your lap, taking naps, and giving soft kisses. Socks’s pre-vious owners said they didn’t have time to care for a dog, so they brought him to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

Socks knows basic com-mands such as “fetch,” “fit,” and “shake.” He would be a terrific hiking or running partner, as kennel keepers note he is a bit athletic.

His adoption fee of $145 includes his medical exam, up to date vaccinations, neuter, and registered microchip.

If you are interested in Socks, or adopting any other pet, call 760-753-6413 for more information, or log on to SDpets.org. Rancho Coastal Humane Society is at 389 Requeza St. in Encinitas. Adoption kennels and the cat-tery are open Wednesday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Pet of the Month

Carlsbad has been undergoing an

overhaul in leadership. A City Councilwoman,

fire chief, city manager and city treasurer all

have resigned within the past year.

10 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014

These are some of the wonderful treasures you will find at the Museum of Making Music. Pictured above, is a Story and Clark portable organ from 1908.Photos by Jen Van Tieghem

ARTs & eNTeRTAINMeNT

Out of the Woods Pick of the Month

April 5 – The New Kinetics, Gloomsday, The Frights, and The Nformals at the Casbah. $10. 9 p.m.

This one is worth marking on your calendar for a number of reasons. First off, The New Kinectics will be reunit-ing for the first time since disbanding last summer. The fuzzy garage rock group will be the highlight of the night but the rest of the lineup features rising local powerhouses as well. The Nformals are an energetic post-punk band that pumps up audiences and gets them moving. The Frights are equally fun to watch when kicking in a little surf-pop to fast-paced tunes. And rounding this one out is Gloomsday, which manages to kick out some pow-erful jams with just two members. www.CasbahMusic.com

Music Calendar

S ince 2000, the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad

has invited fans of all ages to learn about the instruments that craft the soundtracks of our lives. The displays lead you through an intimate history of musicians’ tools and you find an incredible wealth of information alongside the instruments them-selves displayed in chronological order.

The majority of the intricate displays are permanent and feature vintage instruments, photos, and even video footage walking you through the vari-ous eras of music. With so much to see and do, the museum is appealing to several genera-tions. For youngsters, it’s an exposure to the widely varying types of music and instruments – some they can even try out with several interactive displays. For musicians and music fans alike, there is a lot to be learned from the history of a piece to the

A history of making musicBy Jen Van TieghemSeaside CourierMusic Writer

influences of world events on the music business.

One of my favorite pieces was the Story & Clark Portable Organ from 1908 used during the silent-film era. According to the museum’s, the organ was played, not for an audience, but for the actors while making the films. The musician selected tunes to set the mood for the scene that was being filmed. The organ fea-

tured at the museum was played for Greta Garbo, Lon Chaney, and Rudolph Valentino.

The museum also features special exhibitions, live per-formances and educational programs. A new special exhibit, “The Banjo: A New Day for an Old Instrument,” opens this month and will be featured until October. This exhibit celebrates the history of the banjo as well as

March 11 – Oliver Trolley, Tyson Motsenbocker , and Rodello’s Machine at Belly Up Tavern. $8-$10. 8 p.m. Oliver Trolley’s upbeat combination of indie rock and pop catchiness has landed its songs on several national television

shows. Tyson Motsenbocker will bring a slightly more mellow side to the night with acoustic strumming and his soothing vocals. Rodello’s Machine has a folk-edge to their music, but toe-tapping rhythms make the group easily accessible and a well-matched fit for this show. www.BellyUp.com

March 15 – Whiskey Avengers at Mr. Peabody’s. Free. 9 p.m. This well-seasoned band blends elements of classic reggae with ska, rock ‘n’ roll and more. The group’s infectious beats are

sure to catch your ear. Deep and raw vocals anchor these tunes – sometimes with catchy pop melodies and other times with quick-paced hip-hop verses – a diverse mixture that will keep you guessing. www.PeabodysRocks.com

March 21 & 22 – The English Beat at Belly Up Tavern. $20 - $35. 9 p.m. One of the most influential bands of the 2-tone ska movement will grace the stage of Belly Up for two nights this month.

Their fast-paced hits from the early `80s are easily recognizable with their blend of ska, reggae, and pop rock elements. Their upbeat tunes with socially conscious messages are as relevant and accessible now as they were 30 years ago. Friday night, The Beat will be joined by southern California tribute band 2 Tone Sounds, which pays homage to the best 2 tone ska bands. Saturday, local band Oceanside Sound System will open the show with their ska rock style. The irresistible beats of this music appeals to generations of fans and is sure to have the dance floor packed. Pre-order your tickets so you don’t miss out! www.BellyUp.com

March 22 – Sara Petite and The Sugar Daddies at Tower 13. Free. 8:30 p.m. Winner for Best Americana at last year’s San Diego Music Awards, Petite manages to pack a lot of power in to her sweet

voice. Bridging the gap between rock, folk and country, her songs are mesmerizing and lively. Don’t let the upbeat pop tinges fool you – her heartfelt lyrics explore love, loss and everything in between. www.Tower13.com

March 23 – The Heavy Guilt Duo at Solace & The Moonlight Lounge. Free. 7 p.m. Members of one of the best alternative rock bands in town take its tunes down a notch with acoustic sets like this. The

results shine a spotlight on percussionist Al Howard’s poetic lyrics. Singer Erik Canzona gives these words life with his stel-lar vocals and charisma. Plus Solace is a great spot to unwind on a Sunday with great music and great food in a relaxing atmosphere. www.EatAtSolace.com

its recent reemergence in popu-lar music.

Special concerts often incor-porate a special exhibit’s theme. Last month’s “Celebrate the Strat” show, for example, cel-ebrated the 60th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster and featured local guitarist and amp builder Jeff Snider.

Regular tickets to MoMM are $8, discounted to $5 for students,

seniors, active military and chil-dren 6 to 18 (5 and under get in free). Special events normally range from $5 suggested dona-tions to $15 ticket prices.

For more information on the museum and upcoming exhib-its and events, visit www.MuseumofMakingMusic.org

Museum of Making Music 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad760-438-5996

SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014 11

COLLEgE PRESIdENT BUILdINg A LEgACY

I ’m a baby boomer … and proud of it! We have changed

the world in many ways. While the jury will probably be out for many years on the positive or negative impact on many things that we have done, I am convinced that there is at least one multi-dimensional gift that we have given that will have a lasting positive impact. We are changing the health care system in America.

Leaving aside the politics of Obamacare, over the next few articles, we’ll take a look at this gift and what it means. Some of the topics we’ll explore are how we are restoring choice to health care across the continuum of life, the rise and importance of self-empowerment, and today, we’ll look at how boomers are re-establishing the linkage between spirituality and health care.

In the Middle Ages, health was seen as not just physical well-being but the wellbeing of body, mind and spirit. The earliest health care providers were also the providers of spiritual care … the religious, priests, nuns and monks. We see this in the early traditions of “hospice” where monasteries cared for the trav-eler, explorer, or knight on the way to the Crusades as well as the sick and dying. Remedies from other lands were brought back and shared.

But with the rise of science, health care increasingly became body care and the physicians became scientists, treating and researching the results accom-plished by an increasing array of “medicines.” In the process, the role of the spiritual in health care was largely lost. Even in the early hospitals of the last century, which were frequently established by religious orders, the physician was responsible for care of the body and the chap-lain, the care of the soul.

However, the traditions of hospice and today’s palliative care have opened the door to an

A look at palliative careBy Helen McNealCalifornia State University Insititute for Palliative Care

COMMENTARY

era in whole person care. Why? Scientific research is demon-strating that care that is focused on the care of the whole person is resulting in better outcomes including greater longevity, increased satisfaction with the care provided and, incidentally, reducing costs. In short, people live longer and better when we attend to them as a whole person who is engaged with their care in all aspects, body, mind and spirit.

This is all good news … and hospital chaplains intuitively understand the importance of the work that they do hand in glove with other health care providers. But health care eco-nomics has meant that there are fewer chaplains today and even fewer professional, board certi-fied chaplains. And, with the emphasis on enabling people to receive more and more of their care in the community, away from the hospital, the role of the community religious profes-sional and volunteers at the local church, synagogue, temple or other place of worship will play an increasingly important role in supporting health.

With this exciting opportunity for partnership in supporting the whole person health of our community comes a new chal-lenge… building new bridges of understanding between spiritual care providers, our community religious professionals, and our health care providers in medicine, nursing and other disciplines. Few community reli-gious professionals are trained in the ways of supporting those with long-term serious illness. Likewise, community health pro-

fessionals are not accustomed to drawing a spiritual advisor into a patient’s health care team. These are not skills that either professional learned in school. This is community change at its hardest and most necessary. Change at the level of individual skill and change at the system level.

We Baby Boomers are known as the generation of change. Together, we can make this change happen at all levels. To advance this work, the CSU Institute for Palliative Care is hosting a half-day workshop on Building Bridges Between Spirituality and Medicine (http://www.csupalliativecare.org/programs/buildingthebri-dge/index.html) on April 30th at San Diego County Medical Society, 5575 Ruffin Road, Suite 250, San Diego. I urge you to encourage both your community religious professional, whatever your denomination or practice, and your health care provider to attend. Visit our website for details.

After all, we Baby Boomers are also known for our “enlightened self-interest.” If your providers, both spiritual and health care, attend … you are the winner as you are strengthening your own chance of getting great whole-person care when you need it.

For more information on palliative care, visit: www.csu-palliativecare.org.

* * *Helen McNeal is the Executive

Director of the California State University Institute for Palliative Care at California State University San Marcos.

The MiraCosta Community College District was facing

more than its share of challenges when Dr. Francisco Rodriguez was hired as superintendent/president five years ago this March. Morale among faculty and staff had seen better days. An anemic economy was forc-ing deep budget cuts. And the college was still recovering from the fallout over the unauthorized sales of plants in the Horticulture Department that led to investiga-tions and lawsuits.

The turnaround, many say, has been remarkable.

“Dr. Rodriguez came here at a time when the college was in turmoil,” said David Broad, president of the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees. “He used his l e a d e r s h i p skills to build a culture of collegiality. He stabilized the college. And he worked closely with the com-munity and the business and civic leaders in the region to build up our reputation and standing.”

Financial order has been restored, enrollment has grown by nearly 25 percent and the number of military veterans and active-duty personnel has nearly doubled since Rodriguez took over. MiraCosta College also has significantly increased the number of online classes while substantially beefing up the number of courses available on Fridays and Saturdays.

And the college is being lauded for responding to the needs of the local business community. For example, the National Tooling and Machining Association, the local career center and representatives of the North County manufacturing indus-try approached administrators

more than two years ago urging the college to do something about the shortage of quali-fied machinists in the area. The Community Services and Business Development Program responded by crafting a new Machinist Technology Program for individuals seeking fast-paced, high-level training for real job skills. In spring 2013, the college, with private finan-cial support from numerous local corporations and the San Diego Workforce Partnership, opened its doors to the new program, which is housed at the Landes Center in Oceanside.

“The business community desperately needed this and MiraCosta College was quick to respond,” said David Nydegger, president and chief executive offi-cer of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. Nydegger also pointed to other areas, saying, “The col-lege hospitality program has been a great help to local hoteliers and the tourism industry.”

Nydegger is one of Rodriguez’s biggest fans.

“I’ve known Dr. Rodriguez since he first came to the college and from the get go I’ve been impressed by his enthusiasm and dedication,” he said. “But I’m probably most impressed by his caring for the students, the faculty, the classified employees at MiraCosta. He cares about the

OPINION

Seaside Courier

See LEGACY page 14

12 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014

Hyper-local community advertising makes sense. Seaside Courier has a circulation of 33,000, mailed to over 27,000 homes and businesses in Encinitas and Carlsbad, cover-ing Del Mar, Solana Beach, Leucadia, Encini-tas, Cardiff, Carlsbad and Oceanside. Where else can you reach an audience looking for content related to their home, neigh-borhood and community in a community newspaper direct-mailed to over 27,000 addresses in our circulation area? An ad-ditional 6,000 copies are distributed from Del Mar to Oceanside at convenient high-traffic rack locations. We make it easy for you to reach this vibrant market in one targeted package. With community newspaper publishing experience since 1995, Mission Publishing Group offers hyper-local news with a combined circu-lation among our four newspapers e x c e e d i n g 100,000 print-ed copies and over 200,000 print and e-readers each month.

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sPORTs

Well, I didn’t win.Not that I was expecting

to. My goal in running the inaugu-ral California 10/20 (10 miles/20 bands) on Feb. 16 was simply to enjoy a nice Sunday jaunt along coastal Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas while seeing whether this venture had the legs to continue.

I’d say promoter Peter Douglass has hit the right notes with this race.

The pros: Incredibly easy access to the start and finish line at the Del Mar racetrack; bands that are more plentiful and at least as good as any I’ve heard at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series; incredible views along the route; great traffic control; an impressive finishers’ medal; a relatively flat course; an abundance of food at the finish; a distance that won’t get you winded; and perfect race weather.

The cons? No free coffee before the start of the race. And a little too much of the course, more than 20 percent, was situated on the fairgrounds itself.

Runners I talked to were pleased. They loved the low-stress atmosphere, the camaraderie and the route, which stretched

COMMENTARY

By David OgulSeaside Courier

up Coast Highway 101 before the turnaround past the Cardiff Kook.

Douglass, a founding member of San Diego-based Elite Racing Inc. who helped launch the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, modeled the California 10/20 after a simi-lar event he started a couple years ago in Austin, Texas. He says 10

milers may be the next big thing in distance racing, and he’s hoping to create a series of 10/20 races across the country.

“It’s a distance that is getting some attention because it’s attain-able but still a challenge.”

Other 10-mile races include the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia,

which attracted more than 40,000 participants in 2012, and the Cherry Blossom Run in Washington, D.C., a race that was originally established as a training sprint for elite Boston Marathoners. Meanwhile, the Crim Festival of Runs in Flint, Mich., has steadily attracted more

than 50,000 participants for years.

The race offered the larg-est prize money purse in the county, with $18,000 for elite and local athletes along with an additional $20,000 in record bonus money. It also sent $30,000 to local chari-ties and raised $100,00 for the American Cancer Society.

Douglass was hoping to launch the North County event in 2013, but put off the inaugural run after Solana Beach officials balked over the timing; Coast Highway 101 was in the midst of a $7-million overhaul.

More than 3,200 runners finished the inaugural run, and I’m happy to report I did not come in last place. My chances of winning dis-appeared when I passed the 4-mile marker, only to see Jordan Chipangama of Zambia and Macdonard Ondara of Kenya flying by me on the return part of the route at mile 8. Chipangama

won with a time of 48 minutes flat – or a pace of 4 minutes, 48 seconds per mile. That was about twice as fast as my run, a respect-able 1 hour, 35 minutes – a pace of 9:31 per mile.

Still, it was my personal best for this course. And I intend to improve upon it next year.

Competitors run 10 miles along the coast with incredible ocean views and refreshing breezes through Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas during the California 10/20 course.

SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014 13

Gardens planted along Vulcan Avenue in Encinitas provide an example of how publicly owned land in Encinitas could be used to grow food for the needy.

Some say landscaping at public buildings, such as at the Encinitas library, could be replaced with vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Photos by Tom Roebuck

college. When you think about Dr. Rodriguez, you think about MiraCosta College.”

Catherine Halmay, presi-dent of MiraCosta College’s Classified Senate, agrees. “Dr. Rodriguez has brought much-needed stability to the leadership of MiraCosta College. He started working at MiraCosta College at a difficult financial time for the district and was very prudent in his decision-making. He gave his word to classified employees that we would get through those times with no layoffs for classified and he kept his word. He makes a point of acknowledging classi-fied and their contributions to the college, every chance he is before them. He truly has an open-door policy to me and to everyone else,” Halmay said.

Psychology professor Edward Pohlert, who serves as vice pres-ident of the Academic Senate, lauded the college president for establishing “a good relationship with the faculty, a collegial rela-tionship. We’re happy that we’re hiring 10 new faculty this year. We applaud him for that.”

Pohlert said another of Rodriguez’s many strengths is in building community relation-ships. “He’ll speak to a class of third graders one day, talk to a business group the next, and then go address a community nonprofit.”

The stakes are enormous. Students who have attended MiraCosta College contribute more than $430 million in added

regional income annually due to their higher earnings and the increased output of area busi-nesses. And MiraCosta College students give back to state coffers every year, contributing an esti-mated $74.1 million in taxable income to the California economy annually.

So what is Rodriguez’s secret?“Dr. Rodriguez truly is the

consummate collaborator,” said Toni Padron, chief operating officer and executive vice presi-dent at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. “He can always find ways to work with other organizations in the community. He is very entrepreneurial in his approach. He’s a forward-thinker who is absolutely fearless in in his embrace of innovative practices. He is constantly working toward building the most outstanding community college in the region.”

Above all, Padron said, Rodriguez is committed to his students. “He’s an advocate for all students, and works to address the needs of a diverse student population, whether it’s members of our military, those in mid-career transitions or recent high school graduates who want to transfer to four-year colleges,” Padron said. “It is evident that Dr. Rodriguez believes that everyone should have the opportunity to achieve success and MiraCosta College reflects that.”

Rodriguez is motivated in large part by his background. Raised by parents who overcame myriad obstacles and financial hardships,

he is a first-generation college graduate, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UC Davis and a Ph.D. in education from Oregon State University.

Rodriguez began his higher education career at the University of California, Davis and his community college career in 1997 at Woodland Community College in the Yuba Community College District, where he served as associate dean of instruction and student services, and execu-tive dean (now titled president). In 2003, he was appointed presi-dent of Cosumnes River College in Sacramento and served in that capacity for six years.

Much still needs to be done as the college implements its 10-year education and facilities plan—the 2011 Comprehensive Master Plan—that calls for the expansion of science, biotech-nology, nursing, and technical health-related careers and job-training programs. As part of the plan, the college will renovate and modernize existing facilities and construct new instructional buildings to provide students with the education and job skills they need to enter the workforce.

“The master plan for MiraCosta College is centered on the needs of our students and community and advances the college’s role in strengthening our region’s economy” Rodriguez said. “It is one of the many ways MiraCosta College is demonstrating that it is a vanguard educational institution.”

Encinitas is exploring the pos-sibility of planting fruit trees

and gardens on public property, with the bounty possibly going to nonprofits that feed the poor.

The concept has been gain-ing favor across the nation, and the City Council recently created a committee that will explore whether such a pro-gram could work in Encinitas. Councilmembers Tony Kranz and Lisa Shaffer will serve on the panel, which will reach out to the commu-nity seeking v o l u n t e e r s willing to help maintain the plants and harvest the food they produce.

The city has plenty avail-able land at parks, librar-ies, community centers and even along-side roadways that could be used grow food to feed the hungry, Shaffer said. But planting would be done judiciously.

“We’re not going to be planting acres and acres of fruit trees. We’re going to have a tree here, a tree there, a garden here and a garden there,” Shaffer said. “We may be able to work it out so that students and volunteers can harvest the stuff and get it to the people that need it.”

Shaffer and Kranz are look-ing for volunteers and experts to decide how the program would work and which plants will thrive in the local climate with minimal maintenance. Shaffer said there is an abundance of local residents who are expert in raising crops, and several already have con-tacted her about volunteering.

The program is not expected to remove existing plants or trees for the sole purpose of replacing them with edible landscaping. However, city crews often have to remove trees for various reasons, and the city plants two trees for every one they remove.

“As we plant new things, we would change our decision making about what we plant and how we maintain it,” Shaffer said. “We have to do it in a way that makes sense, doesn’t cost a lot of money, use extra water and create a big mess. We have to do it intelligently.”

Shaffer and Kranz don’t have to look far to find an urban farm project run by volunteers. Healthy Day Partners is an Encinitas-based nonprofit that promotes environmental educa-tion and healthy eating. Last year it launched the Ocean Knoll Education Farm, which grows food for local elementary schools.

“We have already established the community’s first food forest,” said Mim Michelove, co-founder of Healthy Day Partners. “Anything that grows up and over the fence, the neighbors are welcome to.”

A challenge for the program is choosing plants that can pro-duce food without requiring a lot of water, a point driven home by the current drought that has gripped the state.

“The city should brace for a situation where they can put in landscaping that takes less water during the drought and produces food,” Michelove said. “It’s more productive than a typical shade tree that simply takes water. It’s beautiful and still provides shade and just also happens to be pro-ductive and provides food.”

Michelove predicted that the city will be able to recruit enough volunteers to work on the pro-gram. Organizations may be interested in adopting a tree or garden and spending time out-side, getting their hands dirty for a good cause.

“It’s happening all over the world, it’s definitely a fantastic movement, it definitely brings the community together,” Michelove said. “I think it attracts people to hang out together.”

Legacy, from page 12

LOCAL NEWS

A fruit tree grows in Encinitas

By Tom Roebuckfor the Seaside Courier

14 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014LOCAL News

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Help is on the way for finan-cially struggling, younger

military veterans suffering from mild to moderate traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.

The February opening of the 40-bed Aspire Center in San Diego’s Old Town is one of several new projects for 2014 recently announced by the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. The first facility of its kind in San Diego County, the Aspire Center will serve veterans from across the area, includ-ing 80,000 in North County, with intensive in-patient care. Roughly 265,000 veterans live in the county.

The center officially opened Feb. 17, with patients expected to arrive at the $30 million domi-ciliary no later than early March.

The Aspire Center will pri-marily treat younger veterans suffering mild to moderate traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress who are homeless or are at risk of becom-ing so. The region is home to the largest concentration of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the nation -- 28,000 and growing.

The project sparked contro-versy when announced more than two years ago. Administrators of

a charter school located across the street from the proposed site objected to exposing their stu-dents to veterans going through tough times. The issue went to the San Diego City Council where it won overwhelming support.

The VA is also opening a clinic in Sorrento Valley this summer. The clinic on Sorrento Valley Road will house six primary care teams and serve North County and central San Diego. July is the scheduled opening.

In a poll of patients, VA San Diego came in tied for fourth among area hospitals with an approval rating of 69 percent. The goal is to reach 81 percent, which would place it in the top 10 percent of hospitals surveyed nationwide.

» A new 10,000-square-foot building is planned for VA’s

main complex in La Jolla that will expand clinical services.

»The VA said that 96 percent of veterans are now able to

schedule primary care appoint-ments within 14 days and that 98 percent of veterans are able to schedule mental health appoint-ments within two weeks.

»The Veterans Association of North County recently

signed a 10-year agreement with Escondido-based Interfaith Community Services to house several veterans outreach efforts starting this spring.

This a coup for VANC and its effort to serve a large and growing number of veterans, troops and their families in North County.

Interfaith is a nonprofit that delivers basic needs, social ser-vices, counseling and economic development to North County residents.

Beginning April 1, Interfaith will provide more than a dozen services at the VANC building in Oceanside, including mental health services, transitional housing and homeless court.

To donate to VANC, call: (760) 967-7254.

» Carlsbad psychologist and retired Army officer

Bart Billings has been named a recipient of a humanitarian award given by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, for “decades of work with the military and veterans, includ-ing obtaining the Congressional hearing into the relationship between psychotropic drugs and violence/suicide.” Billings started the first combat stress conference in 1993. This year’s edition will be held in May at Tri-City Wellness Center in Carlsbad.

» San Diego County Supervisor Dave Roberts

said the search is on to find worthy veterans programs to support with grants. Funded under the Community Enhancement Program, dead-line for submissions is March 1 with awards to be announced in June. For more informa-tion, call Wesley Moore at (619) 531-5178.

* * *Rick Rogers is a San Diego-

based reporter who has covered defense and military issues for decades. He can be reached at Rick.W.Rogers@gmail.com.

North County veterans get a boostCOMMENTARY

By Rick Rogersfor the Seaside Courier In other San Diego region VA news:

SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014 15OPINION

Above: City officials say the new 149-Springhill Suites by

Marriot continues downtown Oceanside’s transformation

into a regional draw.Right: A typical room at the

new Springhill Suites by Marriot.

which includes two restaurants. Plans are in the works for addi-tional development, including a beachfront resort on two blocks bounded by North Pacific and North Myers streets, Pier View Way and Seagaze Drive.

That project - by developer S.D. Malkin Properties - was approved by the city and the Coastal Commission, and will include 336 hotel rooms in one or more sepa-rate hotels, timeshare units and meeting space. Bohlen said the developer hopes to break ground within 12 to 18 months.

Oceanside’s downtown will look “very, very different” five years from now, said Bohlen, as the city seeks to bring in economic activity, jobs and housing, while maintaining its unique ambiance.

“We are an authentic surf cul-ture beach community and we have always kept that authentic feel,” Bohlen said. “It’s going to be a destination that people seek out, and they already do, we have visitors from around the world who come to Oceanside. We have a lot to offer.”

As the Springhill Suites open-ing day approached, the hotel staff was undergoing a final round of training with instruc-tors from Marriott International, said general manager Kathleen Maola.

Among the hotel’s amenities are gathering spaces - such as the rooftop pool and lounges with out-door fireplaces - with ocean views, Maola said. About 70 percent of the guest rooms also have balco-

nies with ocean views, she said. Rooms are 30 percent larger than standard rooms in the Marriott chain.

Another attraction will be the room rates, which will be affordable in comparison with other beach resorts in San Diego County, Maola said. Rates will range from $159 to $199 per room through spring and increase from $199 to $299 in summer, includ-ing breakfast.

“It really opens up opportu-nities for resort travel to this

area,” Maola said. “For families that want a beach vacation, that makes it affordable.”

The $40 million Springhill hotel was developed by GF Properties Group LLC, a subsid-iary of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of Colorado. The tribe owns four additional blocks in the downtown master plan area,

and is consider-ing development of another of its blocks within the next year, Bohlen said.

“I think the group that invested in this property obviously saw Oceanside as a diamond in the rough,” said Maola, and that the new hotel should help spur additional investment in the downtown area.

To date, the hotel and restau-rant have hired 120 workers from Oceanside and nearby com-munities, and the project is expected to boost Oceanside’s rev-enue from its transient occu-pancy tax, which is added to hotel

bills, said Bohlen.The hotel’s proximity to the

Oceanside Transit Center allows visitors from Orange County or Los Angeles to take the train south for a “carless vacation,” Maola said. In addition, the hotel is seeking Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, or LEED, certification from the

Oceanside, from page 1

U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally friendly fea-tures, which include the use of locally sourced building materi-als and plants.

Even the décor will have a local flavor. The hotel features the work of artists such as Oceanside-based photographer Myles McGuinness, who special-izes in beach lifestyle and water images. Two of his photographs will be displayed in the lobby, and another will be reproduced in some of the guest rooms.

“By supporting local artists such as myself, Springhill Suites is able to create an authentic atmosphere that is reflective Oceanside environment,” McGuinness said.

Along with development near the beach, Oceanside has a number of other projects in the works, such as a makeover of a five-block stretch of Mission Avenue, a major east-west artery, between North Horne Street and Coast Highway. The road will be narrowed from four to two lanes - and turned into a one-way street heading west - to allow for wider sidewalks with street furniture and new landscaping. That proj-ect is slated for completion this summer.

Also expected to be completed this summer is the Southern California Sports Complex - Oceanside, with 22 sports fields, in central Oceanside’s El Corazon property. The complex will host soccer and lacrosse tournaments and other events, Bohlen said.

16 SEASIDECOURIER.COM — MARCH 2014LOCAL News