The FAA denied claims Friday by the air traffic controllers union official that the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control facility – the busiest in the nation – is understaffed and has inexperienced personnel.
A man arrested on suspicion of killing his mother in her Solana Beach home is scheduled to be arraigned Friday at the Vista Courthouse.
Bryan Chenhua Chang, 28, was taken into custody without incident at his Los Angeles home Wednesday night in connection with the death of Sherry Chu Chang, said sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Brugos.
The county and six cities are offering residents $75 coupons to spay their cats during the month of February in an effort to reduce the number of unwanted kittens, it was announced Friday.
“We can’t adopt ourselves out of this huge problem,” said Dawn Danielson, director of the county’s Department of Animal Services.
It is currently pupping season for harbor seals at La Jolla’s Children’s Pool, which extends from mid-December to mid-May.
To the delight of seal lovers, we’re heading into “prime time” for seal births at the pool. But pups can and do get abandoned, which happened earlier this week.
Sea World was alerted on Tuesday that a pup had been abandoned at the pool. The marine mammal park’s communications director, Dave Koontz, said Sea World responded.
“We like to wait 24 hours before we do a rescue to give plenty of time for the mother to reunite with the pup,” he explained. “On Wednesday, when the pup was three or four days old, we rescued it.”
People who live, work or commute in the vicinity of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar may see smoke and flames from the direction of the base Friday night as military emergency-services crews take part in a routine controlled burn.
The nighttime training operation is scheduled to begin about 6 p.m. and last for several hours, according to the USMC station’s public affairs office.
By Richard Earnest
Mayor, Del Mar
There have been numerous news articles recently about the 22nd District Agricultural Association’s master plan and about the draft environmental impact report the district prepared to assess that plan’s potential impacts.
The master plan lays out ambitious proposals for developing new and upgraded facilities and uses at the fairgrounds’ property over the next decades. Among these are: a new 330-room condominium hotel, demolition and rebuilding of exhibit halls, maintenance buildings and administrative offices, demolition of the existing Del Mar Fire Station, a train-stop platform and a construction of a new freeway oriented reader board sign.
As is our right and responsibility, the city of Del Mar prepared an extensive letter in response to the EIR. We did so with the help and expertise of an appointed citizens’ committee and our staff. We responded point-by-point to the 4,500-page draft EIR based on facts and on data.
The rain that drenched us over the past week reminds us that we should pay attention to Mother Nature and be ready for her arrival every day. Whether it’s wind or rain or unseasonable heat, there are steps to take that will make life easier when it hits. We’ve touched on issues related to fire safety in the past. Now let’s prepare for this wet stuff because it looks like we’ll see more this year.
Many of us might not give much thought to those large, beautiful trees — especially the elegant Torrey pines — that dot our neighborhoods. But looking at the damage to a house on Rimini Road should give us pause. Of course it could have been worse: No one was hurt when the tree landed partially on the home last Thursday after power storms.
There was also the palm that lost its top on Girard Avenue in La Jolla a couple of days before — again without injuring anyone — and eucalyptus down throughout San Diego neighborhoods and on the golf course at Torrey Pines.
Julian Berchtold, 8, and Shane Berchtold, 11, were moved by Friday night’s telethon for Hope for Haiti NOW, depicting the devastating stories and images coming out of the country after a major earthquake left much of it in rubble. They were so inspired that they decided to organize a fundraiser of their own the next day. Julian and Shane enlisted the help of friends Jack Stoudemire, 11, and Jake Davis, 10, and set up a booth in Del Mar, selling their own books and toys. They also sold apples and oranges. Eventually, they raised $50, all of which they donated to the relief effort in Haiti. ‘Most people just stopped by to donate money and did not even want anything,’ Julian said.
Del Mar Union School District Superintendent Sharon McClain recommended Jan. 20 that the board of trustees buy property for the district’s headquarters. The district has $8.5 million from the sale of the Shores property in Del Mar, where it is currently housed.
The district has until May 2011 to move out of the Shores location, but staff has said that to adequately maintain district services, the move should be made by December. McClain’s recommendation was made a week after the 7-11 Committee delivered its final report to the board. The committee was unable to reach a consensus on a recommendation for where to relocate the district office and maintenance operations.
McClain said that the current real estate market is favorable to school districts and, hopefully, the district would not need to spend the entire $8.5 million. If the district does have money left over after a property purchase, McClain said the remainder could be used to build much-needed childcare facilities at Ocean Air School.
Goal is for June ballot measure
What is a hotel?
That is the roughly $200,000 question Del Mar voters may have to answer come summertime. The city is moving quickly to put a measure on the June ballot that would extend the definition of a hotel to short-term vacation rentals so that it can apply its 11.5 percent transient occupancy tax to this type of lodging.
“The fact that we’re surrounded by communities that already charge TOT means that we’re below the market,” Deputy Mayor Donald Mosier said.
Del Mar currently imposes the tax on hotels and time shares, but San Diego and other coastal cities such as Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside enforce it on short-term vacation rentals as well.
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