News

Former Carlsbad Mayor Frazee Dies

by The Editors on January 27, 2009

Former Carlsbad Mayor and state Assemblyman Robert Frazee has died of an apparent heart attack while on a South Pacific cruise with his wife he was 80 years old, according to a story on 10news.com.

He was first elected to the Carlsbad City Council in 1972, before becoming the North County city’s mayor in 1974. In 1978, he was elected to the state Assembly, where he represented North County and part of Orange County until his retirement in 1994.

According to the North County Times “At 80, Bob Frazee was a North County institution, a designation few would dispute given his nearly three decades of accomplishments in public service at the city, regional and statewide levels.”

Carlsbadistan’s beach from Pine Street to Tamarack was named after Frazee. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

[Link: 10news.com and North County Times]

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Chestnut Couple Died of “Chop Wounds”

by The Editors on January 22, 2009

2Bodies195-1According to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the elderly couple who were found dead in their home on January 18, 2009 in their Chestnut Ave home died of what are described as “chop wounds.”

The county Medical Examiner’s Office hasn’t released the identities of the victims but said the wounds were on the man’s neck and chest and the woman’s head and neck. The wounds were classified according to the type of instrument used, investigators said.

Police have still not found their “person of interest” but the investigation continues, according to the story.

[Link: San Diego-Union Tribune]

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Elderly Man And Woman Found Dead In Carlsbad

by The Editors on January 19, 2009

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Details are still emerging in the 2700 block of Chestnut Ave, in the rolling hills of Carlsbad East of El Camino Real this morning as Carlsbad Police continue to investigate the death of two elderly people. Three people were in the home when police arrived Sunday night, two were dead, and a third was “not arrested and was not injured” and was “cooperative with us,” according to Carlsbad Police Sgt Mickey Williams in an interview with San Diego 6 News.

A volunteer with the Carlsbad Police Department who was on the scene this morning, however, told neighbors that the two had died from gunshot wounds and that the third person had been “taken to the hospital.”
2Bodies2Neighbors gathered at the corner of Chestnut and Ames Place trying to make sense of the whole scene. “This has been going on since 1 AM,” said one woman who lives across the street from the couple.

The 2700 block of Chestnut has been closed since 5:30 AM and a mobile Carlsbad Police Crime scene unit along with four other vehicles is parked in the street outside the well kept home.

The deceased, reportedly a 90-year-old man and 78-year-old woman, were not well-known in their neighborhood, however, some remembered seeing the woman on walks either carrying her small dog or reading a book. “We know the people in most all the houses on the street, but we didn’t know them,” said one woman. “We were just talking about how we’ve never really seen people coming in and out of that house.”

“Are we in danger? I have children here,” another woman asked the volunteer officer. She was told that there is no danger, and that the Carlsbad Police have a car description and license number of the suspect in this case.

Another mentioned that this neighborhood has had its share of news lately. “You know that kid who was involved in the wreck that killed the mother and her baby lives just one block away,” she said.

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[Monday, January 19, 2009 3:15 PM Update: Carlsbad Police Sgt. Mickey Williams again spoke to reporters at the scene and said that the third person was approximately 70 years old, lived in the home, and had been in the home with the bodies of the deceased for “several days.” Williams said investigators did not have to look very hard to find bodies once they began the search and that bothy were found in one room of the house.

WIlliams reiterated that there was no evidence of a robbery and that Police did not as yet have any motive. When asked if “murder suicide” had been ruled out Sgt. William’s said, “We have not ruled it out, but that is not the way we are investigating the case.”

We overheard crime scene investigators discussing whether “experts” needed to be brought in. A heavy set older man who was seen walking out of the home wearing a mask seemed to believe the “experts” were unnecessary.

As of 3:15 PM the medical examiner had still not arrived at the crime scene and Chestnut is still closed.]

[Tuesday January 20, 2009 8:00 AM Update: a Carlsbadistan News Tipper emailed to say that he “watched the two bodies being removed from the 2719 Chestnut Ave. home last night at 9:54pm and 9:57pm. The Coroner’s White Van left the scene at 10:04pm with the bodies inside.” Chestnut Avenue was still closed at 8:00 AM and the Crime Scene Investigation truck was still parked in the street.

9:00 AM Update: The large white Carlsbadistan crime trailer has now left the scene. The black CSI truck remains in front of the home with several black and white police cars. The detectives are working with coffee cups in hand and must be tired from working round the clock for nearly 40 hours. Carlsbad Police report the street should be reopened later this afternoon or this evening.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 7:30 AM Update: According to a Carlsbadistan News Tipster, “Sometime late last night the Carlsbadistan Police Department’s mobile command center, the black CSI truck, police cars, detectives, police officers and security guards left the crime scene at 2719 Chestnut Avenue and all yellow tape was removed. Chestnut Avenue was reopened to traffic as if nothing had ever occurred at the home. . . .As I drove by the home this morning, all looked normal. One small car was parked in the driveway.]

Further News Linkage:

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Two Bodies Found On Chestnut

by The Editors on January 19, 2009

According to a story on San Diego 6, Carlsbad Police have discovered the bodies of two people while doing a search of a home on the 2700 Block of Chestnut Sunday evening.

Police were sent to the home . . to check on the welfare of the residents. When they got there, they talked to a person at the house and then discovered the two bodies. . . . Investigators have not indicated how the two people were killed, but investigators got a search warrant after the discovery and “are still searching for weapons,” according to Carlsbad Police Sgt. Mickey Williams.

[Link: San Diego 6]

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Legoland Wants To Build A Hotel

by The Editors on January 19, 2009

They’ve been planning it for a while, but Legoland parent corporation Merlin Entertainment Group Inc. is going to ask the Carlsbad Planning board to make changes to the required parking requirements and let them build a hotel on the Legoland property, according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.

Plans call for the three-story hotel to include a 14,383-square-foot restaurant, 11,051-square-foot retail space, a 6,364-square-foot bar/lounge, an outdoor pool and a water play area. It’s proposed to be built in two phases, with the first phase containing 175 hotel rooms.

Legoland has been a good neighbor to Carlsbadistan, however, this kind of expansion often results in the “Disneyfication” of the local city. First the attraction is promoted to city leadership as bringing new customers to local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, then slowly the park builds out all the ancillary businesses itself keeping all the revenue in the park and siphoning the life out the local tourist economy. As anyone who has driven through Anaheim knows, it can get pretty ugly.

We hope the planning commission considers the ultimate ramifications of this request, before making any decisions..

[Link: North County Times]

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Good Night Beach. . .

by The Editors on January 18, 2009

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In Carlsbadistan tonight at about 6 PM it looked a little something like this. . . jealous? (Click image to see in full color)

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The Bachelor Gets The Lego Treatment

by The Editors on January 15, 2009

Img300 BachelorLegoland California will be the star player in an upcoming episode of the shockingly demented and wrong ABC Television show The Bachelor as single dad Jason Mesnick brings one of his fluzzies (and her daughter) to Carlsbadistan for a day at the park.

This is the first time the family theme park in Carlsbad opened its gates privately to allow Mesnick, Stephanie and her daughter, Sophia, to enjoy the more than 50 rides, shows and attractions featured at LEGOLAND California. . . They were also treated to a secluded picnic in Pirate Shores and a special birthday party for Sophia in Miniland U.S.A., the heart of LEGOLAND California where nine cities are replicated out of more than 22 million LEGO® bricks.

Private day at Legoland? So maybe they didn’t close the park down to rebuild the aquarium after all? The show airs Monday January 19, 2009 on ABC TV. If you don’t mind polluting your brain, tune in. For the rest of the details, follow the jump.
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Half As Many Carlsbad Bank Robberies In 2008

by The Editors on January 14, 2009

According to reports from the FBI there were actually four less bank robbery incidents in Carlsbadistan in 2008 than in 2007, according to a story in the North County Times.

Carlsbad saw the most significant decrease in robberies in 2008 —- just seven heists compared to 15 the year before. . . .”Of those 15, five of them were by one bank robber, the ‘Impatient Bandit,'” said Carlsbad crime analyst Fiona Everett. “Right there, if you just eliminate that one guy, then we’re almost even, with 10 in 2007 and seven in 2008.”

Still seems like a lot to us.

[Link: North County Times]

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North County Times Proclaims Its Ignorance

by The Editors on January 12, 2009

More proof that the North County Times has its head way up it’s own . . . well, you know: In a “roses and raspberries” piece they gave the City of Carlsbad a “raspberry” for “its attempt to use the proposed $1 trillion federal economic stimulus to build a skate park.” Here’s what they said:

Funny, we are under the impression that this money is supposed to go toward infrastructure projects. You know, things like interstate highways, ports, bridges, airports. Projects that might actually benefit the country as a whole, not just serve parochial —- and comparatively insignificant —- interests.

Since it appears the editors of the paper don’t understand much of anything: The Alga Skatepark (swim complex and park) is Carlsbad’s number one project and any money the City Council can find should be used to build it as soon as possible. To say that skateboarding and a place for kids to learn to swim is a “comparatively insignificant interest” in North County is just plain ignorant.

Then again, with the way the newspaper business is going currently, we probably won’t have the North County Times to worry about for much longer.

[Link: North County Times]

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Where To Dump Your Christmas Trees

by The Editors on January 4, 2009

While we traditionally keep our Christmas tree around until well into the middle of January, those who like to start the new year fresh can dump off their used tannenbaums at any one of these locations according to the Sign On San Diego:

Drop-off sites at Calavera Park, 2997 Glasgow Drive; Poinsettia Park, 6600 Hidden Valley Road; Stagecoach Park, 3420 Camino de los Coches; Fire Station No. 1, 1275 Carlsbad Village Drive; and Palomar Transfer Station, 5960 El Camino Real.

[Link: Sign On San Diego]

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