I almost spilled my morning cup of coffee the other day when I scanned the Google news headlines and found this little tidbit flashing on my screen: “Soaring pension costs will drive up North County property taxes.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the source was a public radio station in upstate New York, which apparently also has a “North County.” But the more I read, the angrier I became. State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is warning that a steep drop in New York’s state pension fund will likely force local governments to hike property taxes. Mandatory pension contributions are going to jump 37 percent over the next two years, and guess who’s going to have to foot the bill? That’s right, the ordinary citizens of the great state of New York, who sweated, slaved and saved for their own little piece of the American Dream.
Here in California, property owners are less of a target for this public strong-arm robbery thanks to Proposition 13, which keeps our property taxes in check. But, as the saying goes, there but for the grace of God go we…. [click to continue…]
Carlsbadistan’s mayoral candidate Glenn “most independent candidate in America” Bernard, is spending this morning (Tuesday, September 21, 2010) personally reminding patrons of Carlsbadistan’s public The Lossings at Carlsbad golf course to “Please Patronize Private Courses Only.”
So far we have no evidence that any golfers have tee’d off on him. Last we saw, he was peacefully working a crossword puzzle and smiling to golfers as they drove in the course’s main entrance.
Ignoring for a moment that a mid-morning Friday meeting can only be attended by the retired and/or unemployed, it will be a great chance for those who attend to get a better read and the people who’d like to run our lovely city.
Carlsbadistan’s claim to fame in the world of women’s fitness is, of course, Jazzercise. And it appears that two-time Dancing With The Stars Champion Cheryl Burke was in town recently to film a new commercial for the company. Apparently, Jazzercise is Cheryl Burke’s kind of fitness.
The Friends of the Carlsbad Library will be selling off extra books on October 2-3, 2010 as part of their Fall Better Books Sale.
It will feature the best of the best – hundreds of nearly new volumes that have been culled from donations to the Friends of the Library bookstore throughout the year. . . “This year’s selection is outstanding,” said Devora Lockton, coordinator of the event, as she prepared items for the sale. . . The event will offer hundreds of coffee-table books and other fine volumes at a fraction of retail price. They include books on art, nature, photography and history, as well as cookbooks, children’s books and hardback copies of recent best-sellers.
Sale hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2. The sale will continue from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, when all remaining books will be half price. From the looks of that stack of books Kitty McMahon and Devora Lockton are organizing it would appear that there will be enough copies of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code to go around. For the rest of the details, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
A 37-year-old man who Carlsbad Police say “failed a field sobriety test” crashed his car into the jetty at end of the Tamarack Beach Parking lot on Wednesday night September 15, 2010, according to story on SignOnSanDiego.
The officers were on a call at 11:37 p.m. when a Ford Explorer came speeding into the parking lot at the end of Tamarack Avenue, said Carlsbad police Lt. Matt Magro. . . The SUV sped past them and headed toward the jetty at the south end of the lot without slowing, Magro said. It then hit the embankment and went up and over the rocks stopping just feet from the water.
Kind of hard to believe we missed getting a photo of this unnamed off-roader.
“We are putting together a really fun and memorable evening,” said Barbi Nelson, Gala Co-Chair. “Plan on lots of dancing, committee members have secured some truly unique auction items, and we’ve added some special surprise touches. And most importantly, by attending this event you help our community’s kids, as all the proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad.” . . Approximately 500 business and civic leaders are expected to attend the black tie evening, scheduled to be held Saturday, October 16, at La Costa Resort and spa. Featuring dancing to the fabulous sounds of Wayne Foster Entertainment, fine cuisine and spirits, as well as silent and live auctions, the event will be emceed by Jim Laslavic and will honor long-time board member Liz Carnes.
For more details, and for sponsorship information follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Yes, it’s that time of the year again. On October 2, 2010 the Rotary Clubs of Carlsbad will be hosting their 28th Annual Oktoberfestat Holiday Park in the heart of Carlsbadistan and it appears that beer is still on the menu
The event, scheduled from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at Holiday Park, will bring thousands of people to enjoy German food (and beer!), oompah-pah music, and a variety of entertainment for children. (Holiday Park is located between Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive off the I-5 Freeway) . . . The Oktoberfest is organized by the Rotary Club of Carlsbad and the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club. “We are proud to be presenting Carlsbad’s premiere family event again this year,” said Mark Havel, Oktoberfest co-chairman. “The Oktoberfest is put on by volunteers and has through the years raised over a million dollars, of which 100% of the net proceeds are given to local charities.”
Is the California State Parks trying to close those budget gaps by renting out our Tamarack Beach parking lot to out-of-state companies for private parties?
A “corporation from Tennessee” has reportedly flown out their 1000 plus employees to stay at the La Costa Resort & Spa this week. All day Monday and possibly Tuesday they have purchased the right to close the parking lot for their event.
Guess the State of California has to make money somehow. Wonder if this “Tennessee” corporation is going to serve alcohol on the beach at their party? Out of glass containers? You know, in violation of California State Law.
Every hundred years the slumbering residents of Brigadoon awaken for a day to celebrate their unchanging lives, united in the knowledge that if anybody leaves town, their enchanted village will disappear forever.
Last week at the Dove Library, Carlsbad’s 2010 state of the city video (embedded above) gave a hundred local residents their annual reassurance that all is well in their village, and they can keep it that way by not leaving town to shop.
Mayor Bud Lewis explained there’d be no questions allowed from the floor because he didn’t want the event to become an election forum. You could approach staff and council members individually with your questions after the show.
If you have a Carlsbad news story, press release, event, rumor, or scandal that we'd be interested in (and there are a lot of them), please click the link to send them to The Editors.
Or just search the site to see if we've mentioned it before, right here.
RSS Feed-Posts
TK Arnold: The Prop G Thing
by Thomas K. Arnold on September 22, 2010
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the source was a public radio station in upstate New York, which apparently also has a “North County.” But the more I read, the angrier I became. State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is warning that a steep drop in New York’s state pension fund will likely force local governments to hike property taxes. Mandatory pension contributions are going to jump 37 percent over the next two years, and guess who’s going to have to foot the bill? That’s right, the ordinary citizens of the great state of New York, who sweated, slaved and saved for their own little piece of the American Dream.
Here in California, property owners are less of a target for this public strong-arm robbery thanks to Proposition 13, which keeps our property taxes in check. But, as the saying goes, there but for the grace of God go we….
[click to continue…]
{ 2 comments }