by The Editors on December 17, 2008
Yesterday evening at about 5:20 PM a male pedestrian was hit and killed while walking on El Camino Real near Cannon Road by a 19-year-old Carlsbad man, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A Carlsbad police officer noticed cars ahead of him swerving to miss the man, who was lying in the road. Police said the officer administered CPR until paramedics arrived and pronounced the man dead. . . .Rawson said police are looking for witnesses who may have seen the crash. He said it doesn’t appear speed or alcohol use by the driver were factors. Anyone who saw the crash was asked to call Carlsbad police at (760) 931-2100.
The name of the deceased has not been released by police.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on December 15, 2008
by The Editors on December 13, 2008
Forbes Magazine just released its list of the 10 Most Influential Athletes and Carlsbadistan resident Tony Hawk weighed in at number three behind Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong and ahead of Peyton Manning, Shaq, and several Nascar drivers. Here’s what they said:
This month, Hawk competed in the All ’80s All Day Vert Challenge, his first competition in eight years. Fittingly, the man who won many times during his storied career came out on top again. Hawk’s influence is evident in the popularity of the videogame franchise named after him. The skater also owns his own film and TV production company.
Congrats, Tony. We’re just proud that you call Carlsbad home.
[Link: Forbes]
by The Editors on December 13, 2008
According to a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Carlsbad couple Melanie and Phil Sheridan (both 35) were thinking about having another child (they already have six year old Tyler shown right) but when Melanie lost her job they decided to hold off for a while.
“People tell me not to let money stop us from having a baby, that everything works itself out in the end,” Melanie said. “That may be true, but right now having another baby feels more like a strain than the blessing it’s supposed to be.”
Apparently, they are not alone. “For three-quarters of a century, economic downturns have triggered declines in the U.S. fertility rate,” the article says. Maybe we don’t need that new high school after all. . .
[Link: Minneapolis Star-Tribune]
by The Editors on December 13, 2008

Carlsbadistan’s $74 million golf course continues to miss it’s budeting marks losing ground in nearly every metric, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The course, The Crossings at Carlsbad, was projected to lose $893,428 in 2008, an amount the council approved last year. That loss ballooned to $1.6 million, however, and the budget projects a similar loss in 2009. . . . The course made less money than projected – $6.4 million as opposed to $6.6 million – and cost more to operate – $5.9 million as opposed to $5.6 million.
Next year tax payers may be asked to kick in another $1.6 million. Then again with the economy going south and unemployment growing, people may have a lot more time to golf in the coming year.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on December 13, 2008
The Carlsbad Boys and Girls Club on Roosevelt Street was headquarters today as The Carlsbad Christmas Bureau handed out food and gifts to more than 420 needy families, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Businesses and local residents teamed up to collect the goodies to help the families through its annual “Adopt-a-Family Project. . . The bureau has been helping families through the holidays since 1970.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on December 12, 2008

Hard to believe but Carlsbadistan reportedly has 18,000 fire hydrants and only two crews of two who are responsible for painting them. “We start down here by the Army Navy Academy and we finish up in La Costa,” said Vince, pictured above.
Last time around it took the workers a year and a half to paint them all. This year they’re hoping to get her done by December 2009. Kind of like of our version of the Golden Gate Bridge. . . Thanks, Vince. They look good.
by The Editors on December 12, 2008
Carlsbadistan’s blingiest business, the Gemological Institute of America, announced today that it is cutting 11 percent of his its staff and giving its executive a wonderful Christmas bonus: a 10 percent reduction in pay.
A GIA spokeswoman confirmed the cuts to National Jeweler on Friday, saying that the job cuts were a “last resort” move for the institute, spurred by trying economic times. . . . “Obviously, we’re in a deep recession, and we’re not isolated from the rest of the gem and jewelry industry,” she said. “Anything that happens to them, happens to us …. There are fewer stones going into our laboratories for servicing.”
You know the economy is in trouble with the people who cut the diamonds are feeling the hurt.
[Link: National Jeweler Network]
by The Editors on December 12, 2008
by The Editors on December 11, 2008
We were pretty hyped when we heard that P.F. Chang’s China Bistro was coming to the new Paseo Carlsbad “retail center” across the street from the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, but now we hear that another restaurant has signed a lease (20 years at $6.98 million): BJ’s Restaurant Brewhouse. Really?
Does Carlsbad really need a loud, chain restaurant that serves beer, pizza, and bar food? Aren’t Pizza Port, Karl Strauss, and that place in the Costco parking lot enough? Hopefully, BJ’s is at the opposite end of the mall from P.F. Chang’s.
[Link: San Diego Business Journal]