Cross country: Canyon Crest standout Carlie Dorostkar won the state Division I girls state championship in decisive fashion.

It may have been the 2019 opener for the Torrey Pines girls soccer team but senior captain Tatum Lenain showed that she was already in mid-season form Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 3, scoring a pair of goals to lead her Falcons to an impressive, 3-1, victory over Orange County powerhouse Mater Dei in the first match of the annual Butch Lee Memorial Tournament (hosted by Cathedral Catholic).

Each year the Miracle League of San Diego honors high school seniors who have volunteered their time for at least three years.

Torrey Pines varsity field hockey was perfect in Avocado West League play and garnered All League First Team honors for Gracie Jimenez, Faith Choe, Philine Klas, and Stella Mikolajewski, and All League Second Team honors for Erin Poe, Hailey Dewey, Leilani Llamas, and Smila Klas.

No. 1 ranking caps magical year for Falcons

The Cardiff Mustangs youth soccer players had a chance to take the field at Pechanga Arena before the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League opened their season Nov. 24 against Turlock.

Volleyball The Torrey Pines volleyball team won its first state championship in school history as the Falcons concluded a season of dominance with a decisive 25-11, 25-23, 25-14 victory over Marin Catholic of Kentfield (Marin County) in the Open Division title game on Nov. 23.

One thing had always eluded them.

Teams from the Del Mar Heights corridor claimed a treasure trove of cross country riches at the Saturday, Nov. 23, CIF Championships in Balboa Park.

The Navy Bombers won the DMCV Sharks B4 Championship on Nov. 10.

Carmel Valley resident Lisa Corbosiero’s company Hi Tech Honeycomb is located down the street in Kearny Mesa from the Polinsky Children’s Center.

Carmel Valley native and cake decorator Lisa Altfest appears on Netflix’s “Sugar Rush,” a Christmas-themed spin on the competitive baking show, creating cookies, cupcakes and a stunner of a Christmas tree cake on a time crunch with Roanna Canete of Coronado’s Gluten Free Baking Company.

Every Monday since March, a group of seniors at La Costa Glen in Carlsbad has been making toys out of wood, to be distributed to North County children who might not otherwise not receive any gifts during the holiday season.

From the first model train his father brought home in 1954, Cardiff resident Bob Shultz now has a collection of about 100 train sets in his home that have delighted local children and other visitors for years.

Queen Bee Market, the popular bi-annual shopping event, has partnered with The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank to host a food and fundraising drive during the winter market held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8.

MeLD Boutique owner Melanie Giokaris and business partner and mom Kim just celebrated their one-year anniversary in the Cedros Design District in Solana Beach.

Over the years, I’ve attended many holiday parties, and hosted even more. I’ve appreciated all festive offerings, and while I would never turn my nose up at a jar of caviar or good bottle of wine, the gifts I’ve enjoyed the most came from creative minds and loving hearts. A particularly memorable one was a forest green ceramic planter filled with fresh sprouting seasonal herbs, including rosemary, sage and thyme, potted in an edible soil of crumbled dark chocolate brownies. These whimsical treats can be tailor-made to accommodate the dietary restrictions of the host (low cholesterol, or gluten-, lactose-, tree nut-, or sugar-free), and preferences (mild, hot, smoky, crunchy, sweet, savory, or vegan). You will need some simple supplies like Mason jars, cruets, clear gift bags, decorative tins, ramekins, twine and labels. Now let’s get this craft party started!

Mason’s “The Winter Soldier” has generated rave reviews

Years ago, my aunt hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for 20 people. She prepared a turkey feast from scratch and it was delicious. The next day, 18 of us had a date with the toilet bowl and were queasy for days. The only two who weren’t impacted were the vegetarians. We were all stymied and started asking questions trying to deduce the source of our illness. Remember the board game “Clue”? Well, Mrs. Peacock poisoned Mr. Boddy with a contaminated turkey leg in the dining room. Turns out that Auntie left the unwrapped, partially frozen turkey on the counter to thaw overnight, so the vegetarians were unscathed by her “fowl” deed. Here are some cautions to help keep your dinner guests healthy, happy and free from harm.

Del Mar ballerina Remy Loren earned top placement at the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition.

Village Church’s Village Community Chorale, with an 80-voice choir, soloists and San Diego Symphony members, will add to this year’s Christmas celebration in Rancho Santa Fe by performing all three parts of Handel’s “Messiah” Dec. 8-9, starting at 7 p.m. both days.

Local artist Margot Wallace will host a gallery opening Dec. 1 from 2 to 5 p.m. at her new gallery and studio in Rancho Santa Fe.

“Nails have been a path to artistic expression for thousands of years,” reads a sign at the entry to Oceanside Museum of Art’s supersized exhibition “Tiny Canvases: The Art of Nails.” Farther along, there’s a sign about the history of nail adornment, mentioning “manicure kits dating as far back as 3200 BCE in the tombs of Babylonian soldiers.” Babylonian soldiers? Who knew? Jan Arnold did. She’s the co-founder and style director of Creative Nail Design (CND), the company that co-produced this stunning display of nail art, which opened in October and continues through Feb. 9, 2020.

For more than 40 years, a hardcover book with a red cover, filled with handwritten observations and details about a long-ago adventure, sat nearly forgotten on a shelf as the book’s owners, retired Superior Court Judge Marshall Hockett and his wife Debbie, pursued careers and raised a family.

Pacific Social replaces Westroot Tavern, which Cohn took over last June and gradually revamped over a five-month period

With Thanksgiving approaching at gigabit speed, we’re all gearing up for the big day with a main course of stress, and side dishes of angst and doubts about menu choices, modes of preparation, presentation (and dinner guests). To help make this feast a delightfully memorable one, I’ll now take your questions and offer cooking tips.

The holidays come in rapid succession this time of the year, and most of people enjoy breaking out the decorations and adding a little festivity to the season.

When the League of Amazing Programmers opened 13 years ago, you could say it was a bit before its time.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for recognizing the magnitude of mental health issues in our present-day society.

How does a guy from the deep South end up opening a café in San Diego?

For more than 10 years, Chhokar Law Group has been customizing estate planning for its clients.

Clients can also keep track of their project through an app

Estate Management Group deals with ‘financial fears’

You could say Beth Gottfried was born with the organizing gene.

North County now has a one-stop shop when it comes to healthcare.

Color Counter, the new “go-to” location for a quick hair color fix, has become one of the busiest tenants in Carmel Valley’s One Paseo.