News

Carlsbad Names Sarkozy New City Manager

by The Editors on March 7, 2014

Sarkozy Mid-1The City of Carlsbad is happy to announce that they have finally found someone to fill the position of city manager. His name is Steven R. Sarkozy and he’s the former city manager of Bellevue, Washington.

“Since leaving Bellevue, I have cast a wide net, looking at cities throughout the country as well as opportunities in the private sector,” said Sarkozy. “The City of Carlsbad offers an unmatched combination of progressive leadership, outstanding services, financial health and a talented staff passionate about public service. Most importantly, the City Council is united in its vision for the future, and I am excited to be a part of helping to bring that vision to life.”

Sarkozy “resigned” from his former position on May 15, 2013 in what Bellevue “Mayor Conrad Lee described . . . as a mutual decision that was supported by all seven City Council members,” according to a story in the Seattle Times. And when he says he “cast a wide net” he’s not kidding. Two months ago (January 17, 2014) Sarkozy was one of three candidates being interviewed for the city manager position in Irving, Texas, according to the Irving Chamber.

Nice to see the City hire someone from a good neighborhood. Looks like this could be a great fit. For the official word from the City of Carlsbad, please follow the jump.

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DocuFrog Donates $5k To Boys & Girls Club

by The Editors on March 5, 2014

Docufrog
Club CEO Brad Holland accepts a check from DocuFrog CEO Dale Martin.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad received a nice gift from the kind people at DocuFrog in the form of a $5,000 check. The donation is part of their H.U.G.S program.

H.U.G.S. stands for “Help Using Gain Sharing” which is an opportunity for nonprofits to benefit from savings created through reducing wasteful spending and improving document automation within businesses. DocuFrog is aiming to raise $100,000 for nonprofits in 2014, and will provide $25,000 in pro bono services directly to improve document systems for charities. . . “Document management is an industry that requires extensive knowledge of systems and providers, and DocuFrog’s specific knowledge allowed for easy navigation of the landscape, saved us over $27,000 with minimal time spent internally,” said John Malnar, Chief Financial Officer of PayPros.

For the official word from DocuFrog, follow the jump. [click to continue…]

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New Village Arts Goes The Full Monty

by The Editors on February 28, 2014

Fullmonty

This summer, the Village of Carlsbad’s New Village Arts Theater is going The Full Monty with the “smash Broadway Musical hit.” Directed by Manny Fernandes with Choreographed by Michael Mizerany and featuring Melissa Fernandes and Justin Jorgensen. Previews run July 18 – 25,
2014. Show runs July 26 – September 7, 2014. For more information, click the link.

[Link: New Village Arts Theatre]

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Jonathan Miller Named Youth of the Year

by The Editors on February 24, 2014

Jonathanmiller
Pictured (L to R): Dawn and Keith Blackburn, Jonathan Miller, and Club CEO Brad Holland. Photo Courtesy Louise Donahue

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad have named Jonathan Miller (pictured above) as Carlsbad Youth of the Year. Asia Henry was runner up.

The Youth of the Year program recognizes superior leadership skills, academic achievement, obstacles overcome, and outstanding service to Boys & Girls Clubs and the community. Thanks to the generosity of Julie and Matt Harelson and Dawn and Keith Blackburn, Jonathan will receive a $10,000 college scholarship and Asia will receive $1,500 for higher education purposes. . . “Jonathan is a fine representative of the Club; he has been a member for ten years and participated in so many of our programs,” said Club CEO Brad Holland. “He has struggled in the past, and is now making great choices. We are proud of the progress he has made, and that he was selected as our Youth of the Year.” All finalists were interviewed by a community panel including the Harelsons, Patsy Bock of Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Allison Tarter of Toyota and Lexus Carlsbad, and John Cottingham formerly of Life Technologies.

Congratulations, Mr. Miller. Nice work! For the official word from the Boys & Girls Clubs, follow the jump. [click to continue…]

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Hilton Garden Inn Taking Care of Business

by The Editors on February 12, 2014

Hgi BoardroomSure, Carlsbad’s Hilton Garden Inn is a great place to put the in-laws stay when they come to Carlsbad for a visit (it’s close, but not too close), but it’s also a great place for business meetings (especially for those like us who don’t exactly have large offices).

Featuring close to 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, most with a spectacular view of Carlsbad State Beach, Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach is a prime destination for local organizations of all sizes to meet and mingle. The hotel’s newly renovated boardroom, which holds up to 16 people; boasts ergonomic Herman Miller chairs and a flat-screen TV to help streamline big business meetings. A freestanding ballroom, also fully remodeled with plush carpeting and beautiful chandeliers; is equipped to host anything from a casual breakfast gathering to a formal affair for up to 350 people.

If that gets you thinking about your next business function, follow the jump for the official word from the Hilton Garden Inn. [click to continue…]

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Carlsbad Teens Be Seen At Teen Scene

by The Editors on February 10, 2014

Teen Scene

On February 22, 2014 the City of Carlsbad will host it’s 11th Annual Teen Scene at the Calavera Hills Community Center. All ages are welcome. The evening will features a battle of the bands, a neon dance room, and a video game experience.

“The caliber of talent that Teen Scene attracts as well as its high-quality production, professional judges and prizes have made it one of the largest teen events in North County,” said Rachael Shay, special events supervisor for the City of Carlsbad. “The City of Carlsbad is proud to offer this venue for creative expression to its young residents.”

Admission is $5 a person until 4 PM February 21, 2014 and then $8 at the door. Follow the jump for all the official details. [click to continue…]

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Carlsbad City Council’s Douglas Resigns

by The Editors on February 5, 2014

farrah_douglas.jpgCarlsbad City Council member Farrah Douglas announced today that she was resigning for “pressing personal and family commitments.” Her last day will be February 6, 2014. Douglas was elected to a four-year City Council term in November of 2010.

“Farrah made a significant contribution during her time as a Council member, including helping the city be more business-friendly, working to make the desalination project a reality and initiating efforts to bring an institution of higher education to Carlsbad,” said Mayor Matt Hall. “We will benefit from her time here for many years to come.”

The City Council must now decide whether to hold a special election or make an appointment. They apparently have 60 days to figure that out. Follow the jump for the official word from the City of Carlsbad [click to continue…]

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Carlsbad Patch Loses Local Editor

by The Editors on February 2, 2014

Carlsbad Lajolla PtPatch, AOL’s misguided attempt at creating a national network of corporate “hyper-local websites” is nearly over for Carlsbad. Not that we’re surprised. When the site launched on October 8, 2010 we were quoted on the website LostRemote regarding what we thought of Patch’s parent company AOL:

“They are the world champions of wasting money on doomed projects and they will outspend you every time. . . that said, having a company with the visibility of AOL interested in hyperlocal media brings more attention to the whole category and that’s good for all of us right?”

Well, we’re not sure it was good for all of us, but it seems even AOL grows tired of wasting money on doomed projects. On Wednesday, January 29, 2014, Patch’s new majority owner Hale Global reportedly asked AOL to lay off 80-90 percent of Patch’s editorial staff, according to a story on JimRomenesko.com.

Here’s a little of the call that went out from Patch COO Leigh Zarelli:

Hale Global has decided which Patch employees will receive an offer of employment to move forward in accordance with their vision for Patch and which will not. Unfortunately, your role has been eliminated and you will no longer have a role at Patch and today will be your last day of employment with the company. …Thank you again and best of luck.

The downside of this call is that Patch has cut able, energetic local Carlsbad editor Deanne Goodman and rolled her old responsibilities into those of La Jolla and Coronado Patch editor Michelle Mowad (they’re all just generic SoCal beach cities, right?).

Goodman’s last story for Patch (Carlsbad Building North County’s First Roundabout) was posted at 6 AM on January 29, 2014 and later that day her old profile page began turning up a “There doesn’t seem to be anything at this address” response. In fact, clicking on many of the bio links of recent Patch stories ends on a similar page. Guess that’s what happens when nearly everyone gets laid off.

Goodman was able to get one last tweet out of her Carlsbad Patch Twitter account: “After 3.5 years, unfortunately I’m no longer with Patch, please follow me at @DeanneGoodman13.” If you’d like to see what Goodman is up to lately, follow her on Twitter.

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Carlsbad Music Festival Fundraiser: Wu Man

by The Editors on January 31, 2014

Each year the Carlsbad Music Festival brings music (with a capital M) to the Village of Carlsbad in what has become one of the most respected music festivals on the West Coast. To help raise funding for the 2014 event the Carlsbad Music Festival is hosting a benefit on Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at the Carlsbad Inn Village Terrace.

Benefit guests will enjoy a catered reception, silent auction, and performance by Wu Man, world renown Chinese pipa player, Carlsbad resident and 2013 Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year. . . Recognized as the world’s premier pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music, Grammy Award nominated musician Wu Man has carved out a career as a composer, soloist, and educator giving her lute-like instrument – which has a history of two thousand years in China – a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. Through numerous trips to her native China, Wu Man has premiered hundreds of new works for the pipa, while spearheading multimedia projects to both preserve and create awareness of China’s ancient musical traditions. Her adventurous spirit and virtuosity have led to collaborations across artistic disciplines allowing Wu Man to reach wider audiences as she works to break through cultural and musical borders.

Tickets can be purchased at www.carlsbadmusicfestival.org for $75 each or a pair for $125. [click to continue…]

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Veggie Grill Grand Opening In Carlsbad

by The Editors on January 17, 2014

Pix Visit

Carlsbad is getting a new vegetarian, fast-casual, chain restaurant when Veggie Grill celebrates their grand opening on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 965 Palomar Airport Road (in the Northeast corner of the Costco parking lot). The new location (in the mini-mall where Pat & Oscars used to be) will be the company’s 23rd restaurant and they’re giving out a few gift cards to celebrate the opening.

. . . the restaurant will thank every guest in line between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Jan. 22 with a $20 Veggie Grill gift card. Additionally, one lucky guest chosen at random will win “Veggie Grill for a Year.” . . . “Consumers are more aware of the nutritional benefits of clean eating than ever before and they’re looking for dining options offering delicious food they can feel good about,” said Greg Dollarhyde, Chief Energizing Officer for Veggie Grill. “The support from the San Diego community has been instrumental in our mission of giving guests a new way to eat well and engage in an active lifestyle.”

We’re not fans of chain restaurants nor fast-casual order-at-the-counter spots, but all-veggie food is all good (plus they serve “locally-produced craft beer and wine). So there’s that. For the official word from Veggie Grill follow the jump. [click to continue…]

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