by The Editors on November 18, 2008
The pension plan that makes working for the City of Carlsbad so attractive may not be around after 2010 if Mayor Bud Lewis has his way, according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.
The mayor said his rough proposal calls for decreasing retirement benefits that the city will eventually pay to any city employees hired after 2010 —- employees hired before then wouldn’t be affected. . . . Instead of a “3 percent” plan, the new city employees could end up with a “2.5 percent” or a “2.7 percent plan,” he said. . . . In Carlsbad, general city employees are eligible for a “3 percent at 60” plan, meaning that if they retire at age 60, they receive an annual pension equal to 3 percent of their highest yearly salary, multiplied by the number of years they were employed by the city. . . .Firefighters and police get the deal at age 50.
Many cities are finding that cost of pension plans can get extremely costly down the road. In some cases contributing to the city filing for bankruptcy protection. That is apparently not the case in Carslbadistan, however, those is want the good pension plan better get on with the City before 2010.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on November 16, 2008
Today, at 4:10 AM a white man in his early 20s, wearing shorts and a dark T-shirt robbed the Tamarack Beach Resort, punched a women in the face, and fled in her car according to a story on 10 News.com.
The woman was in the back office of the Tamarack Beach Resort at 3200 Carlsbad Blvd. at about 4:10 a.m. when she heard the robber come into the room, Lt. Jay Eppel said. . . . When the victim, in her 60s, turned in the direction of the noise, the robber punched her in the face and forced her to the floor, Eppel said.
The man took cash and fled in the woman’s 1998 Saturn SLR2 plate number 4BPV789.
[Link: 10News]
by The Editors on November 16, 2008
The last couple days have been perfect for tidepooling at Taramar. The sand was nicely firm for riding bikes. We dropped on to the beach at the Power Station and rode south to the pools and had the place to ourselves. It was beautiful.
by The Editors on November 15, 2008
This may be terrible to say, but we don’t expect all that much from the TV media in Greenville, Mississippi. Not even from WABG “Delta’s #1 News Station.” That’s why it didn’t come as that big a surprise to find that the ABC network affiliate had “borrowed” one of our photos and used it in the header of their corporate website.
The photo ran in a story we posted on September 18, 2007 about KNSD reporter Rory Devine covering Carlsbadistan’s new entertainment regulations.
Not only did WABG borrow the photo from us (and cropped out the Carlsbadistan logo), but they cut Rory Devine right out of the photo out as well and then Photoshopped their logo on the front of a KNSD’s live truck.
We don’t know which is more embarrassing, the fact that they hijacked a photo, or that WABG doesn’t have its own live broadcasting truck. But then why would they. They’re the “Delta’s #1 News Station.”
Special thanks to a group of “Internet friends” who somehow figured this all out.
by The Editors on November 12, 2008
Tomorrow, November 13, 2008, at 10 AM join us as Carlsbadistan along with millions of Southern Californians will be taking part in The Great Southern California Shake Out, an earthquake preparedness drill organized by a collaboration of nonprofit, business, government and education partners within the Earthquake Country Alliance.
Just as with anything, to act quickly you must practice, practice, practice. In a big earthquake, there may be very little time to protect yourself before strong shaking knocks you down or drops something on you. Most earthquakes have a sharp jolt a few seconds before the strong shaking, and we need to Drop, Cover, Hold On immediately when we feel the jolt. By practicing we will act quickly, rather than waiting to see if the earthquake will be large. If it is, it may be too late to protect yourself.
How ironic would it be if there really was an earthquake tomorrow at 10 AM? Everyone would be prepared. Follow the link to sign-up and get more info.
[Link: The Great Southern California Shake Out]
by The Editors on November 12, 2008
Carlsbadistan’s trading card giant Upper Deck has reportedly laid off 60 employees: 40 at the Carlsbad office and 20 in Las Vegas according to a story in the San Diego Business Journal.
Spokesman Terry Melia confirmed the layoffs . . . and provided no further comment. . . . According to Hoover’s, Upper Deck had 400 employees last year, and revenue of $60 million.
Merry Christmas. Sorry, seems like we’re saying that a lot lately.
[Link: San Diego Business Journal]
by The Editors on November 12, 2008
Practitioners of what we like to call the SoCalChris flavor of Christianity who also snowboard and skateboard (and we know there are a lot of you in Carlsbadistan) will be stoked to check out the film Created To Create.
Created to Create is the story of a group of unwitting teenage skateboarders and snowboarders that when faced with the question “Why were you created?” yell back loud and clear. Professional skateboarder Christian Hosoi leads you through ten years with this band of boarders as they travel America doing what they were created to do.
The film which profiles Boarders For Christ premieres Monday November 17, 2008 from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at The North Coast Calvary Chapel, 1330 Poinsettia Lane, Carlsbadistan, CA 92011. The free show will also feature live music by Caleb Jude Green.
by The Editors on November 10, 2008
The City of Carlsbad is expected to approve a $718,169 bid by McCarthy Building Companies Wednesday night to move the arsenic-laced dirt from the Carlsbad High School football field, according to a story in the North County Times.
Clean-up work is expected to start Nov. 24 and take less than a week. Once the soil is removed, work is expected to start on a new stadium on the campus. . . . District officials expect to be done with the renovation work in 2011.
And to think: our parents always said there were better things to do than spend our days digging in the dirt. If we’d known we could make three quarters of a million dollars a week hauling dirt we never would have wasted time learning to type.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on November 10, 2008
Today, Carlsbad’s Wu Man, 43, was announced a winner of the annual United States Aritist Fellowship.
Wu Man is an internationally renowned pipa virtuoso. The pipa is a lutelike Chinese instrument that has a two-thousand-year history. Wu studied a classical style of pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, receiving the first master’s degree in that instrument. She immigrated to the United States in 1990, at the age of 25. Wu performs traditional pipa music and also interprets specially commissioned works by composers such as Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and Tan Dun. She has performed as a soloist with many orchestras and is a principal member of Yo- Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project. Wu was the first Chinese musician to perform at the White House. A.C.
United States Artists (USA) is a grant-making organization dedicated to supporting America’s finest living artists working in in a diverse array of disciplines. And to think, Wu lives in Carslbadistan. We are proud to see our Village associated with such talent. Even if we don’t exactly know what a pipa sounds like.
[Link: United States Artists via LA Times]
by The Editors on November 10, 2008
We’ve always seen it as a big hole in the ground off the side of the 78. But to some who took a tour of the quarry on Saturday November 8, 2008, there’s more than meets the eye, according to a story in the North County Times.
“This creek is just amazing,” Michael Taliana said, looking down at Buena Vista Creek, as it gurgled over granite rocks just west of El Salto Falls. “If they clean this up, this could be a beautiful place for families. This could be a beautiful place to make a park.”
Officials from Hanson Aggregates (like Ann Gunter, pictured) showed how much work the company has already done to save the area and explained what the options are moving forward. For the rest of the story (and there is much more to this than a park, a creek, and a quarry), click the link below.
[Link: North County Times]
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