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]
by The Editors on January 18, 2009
In Carlsbadistan tonight at about 6 PM it looked a little something like this. . . jealous? (Click image to see in full color)
by The Editors on January 17, 2009
The master model designers at Legoland have created the entire 56th Quadrennial Presidential Inauguration on the steps of the Capitol in Miniland U.S.A. inside the park.
President-elect Obama, his family, Vice President-elect Joseph Biden and his wife Jill, President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and wife Lynn, along with former President George Bush Sr. and Barbara Bush have all been created out of hundreds of LEGO bricks. More than one-thousand mini-figures in all were created to show Park guests what the real inauguration in Washington D.C. might look like.
It really looks amazing. Luckily we have until May 25, 2009 to check it out. (Click the photos to see them full-size).
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by The Editors on January 17, 2009
Carlsbadistan City Councilman Matt Hall took the anti-powerplant message to the Encinitas City Council this week pleading with Encinitas to join Carlsbad in opposing the new NRG Power plant that is set to belch 900,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas into the air of North County, according to a story in the San Diego Reader.
Obviously, tourism is a big concern for us, as it is for everyone on the coast. I can’t express enough what a landmark this is going to become. When you drive down the road, you’re going to be 65 feet away from these big iron structures. You’ll be able to tell people, ‘When you see the big iron structure, it’s three ramps south and to the right to get to [your] hotel.’ This whole region has a buy in on what we do with our coastline.”
We can’t agree more.
[Link: San Diego Reader]
by The Editors on January 17, 2009
Longboarders could catch a few waves this morning, but the rumored swell has still not arrived. A couple divers said there was a pretty strong surge and visibility wasn’t very good. So maybe the waves are a little closer than we think.
by The Editors on January 16, 2009
We’ve always known that Carlsbadistan’s hills were loaded with high-tech gaming companies, but now a few of the founders of High Moon Studios have started their own game company in downtown Carlsbadistan and they’re going to focus on games for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Game industry vets Chris Ulm, Farzad Varahramyan, Emmanuel Valdez, Rick Olaffson, and Paul O’Connor — all past founding members of High Moon Studios — have banded together to create Appy Entertainment. Along with Executive Producer Steve Sargent and Lead Programmer Marc-Antoine Argenton, they’re bringing experience gleaned from creating console games like Ready 2 Rumble, the Oddworld series, Darkwatch and The Bourne Conspiracy to Apple’s small screen.
Appy’s games will reportedly be “quick and habit forming.” And that sounds great to us. Being rabid iPhone users we’re hoping they let us test a few of the games before they go public so we can go to our appy place before anyone else.
[Link: Appy Place]
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by The Editors on January 16, 2009
Former Carlsbadistan-based artist Randy Laybourne will be premiering a new collection of 20 20×20 inch pieces in a show at Swiv Tackle Circus in Oceanside, California tomorrow night (January 17, 2009) from 6 – 10 PM. The evening will features music by DJ Blackass and friends and Stone Brew will be served.
We know it’s in Oside, but do yourself a favor and check it out.
[Link: lookforwardtothepast.com and swivtacklecircus]
by Richard J. Riehl on January 16, 2009
Those of us of a certain age may remember “Geraldine,” the late comedian Flip Wilson’s alter ego, who loved to say, “The devil made me do it!” when she did something wrong.
I thought of her when I read about how Barratt American’s president, Michael Pattinson, explained why his Carlsbad-based homebuilding company went bankrupt last month. According to Pattinson, his bank was the devil that made him do it, canceling his line of credit and seizing control of all his North County projects.
“What upsets me is that a company that I was loyal to was not loyal to me,” Pattinson sniffed. “But we’re big boys. We know what goes on in this world, and what goes around comes around. I’ve got my boxing gloves on, and I’m up for the fight. I’ve lost Round One, but there’s 14 more rounds to go.”
Pattinson’s pugnacious vow to rebuild his empire, without remorse over the $10.9 million he owes his 11 creditors in San Diego and Riverside counties, is astonishing.
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by The Editors on January 15, 2009
Legoland 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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by The Editors on January 15, 2009
Encinitas-based environmental and engineering consultant Frank Dudek has been named the honorary chairman of the Carlsbad Boys & Girls Club’s 57th Annual Golf Classic Sponsored by TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company to be held at the El Camino Country Club in Oceanside on March 23, 2009.
Frank Dudek, president of Encinitas-based environmental and engineering firm Dudek, has been named as the event’s honorary chairman. He recently served on the executive board of the Greater San Diego After-School All-Stars and is involved in several other community organizations. Dudek has been involved in the Carlsbad community from a business and charitable perspective for the past 25 years. Dudek joins several local business leaders in assisting with the tournament.
For all the details follow the jump.
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