by The Editors on August 26, 2007
Carlsbadistanians who thought today would be a great day for a morning stroll got a surprise at 9:30 AM when the skies opened and it began pouring rain (.3 inches) monsoon style. What we thought was bombs going off on base was actually thunder and lightening. Steam floated up off the streets and most ran for cover. Of course the Weather Underground said there was only a 20% chance of rain this morning. Guess they were 80% wrong on this one. The guy crossing Grand Ave. at Roosevelt was one of the few, the proud, the prepared. Who carries an umbrella in Carlsbadistan in August?
by The Editors on August 26, 2007
The bridge that takes The 5 over Carlsbad’s Batiquitos Lagoon is 42-years old, and last week Caltrans workers Xing Fang and Kenneth Vo took a closer look at it to make sure it’s safe. According to the San Diego Union Tribune it’s something Caltrans does every two years.
In its most recent inspection, in 2005, the west side of the bridge received a sufficiency rating of 97. The east side was given an 86. A bridge receiving a rating of 50 or less, and designated as “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete,” qualifies for federal replacement funding. . . Last week, Fang and Vo spotted what appeared to be a new problem: heavy erosion near one of the bridge’s footings.
Fang said this didn’t pose any “immediate danger,” however, they would work with Caltrans to come up with a solution. You know, because we don’t any bridges falling down especially when they carry 212,000 cars a day through Carlsbad.
[Link: San Diego Union Tribune]
by The Editors on August 26, 2007
Ray Patchett, 59, has been Carlsbad’s city manager for 20 years and last Tuesday (Aug. 21, 2007) he announced that he will be retiring from his $220,683 a year position. North County Times writer Barbara Henry reviews his career and speaks with many who knew him and will miss him, several who won’t miss him refused to comment on the record. We think you can put us in the “we’ll miss him” category.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on August 25, 2007
Having been watching the chaos in Agua Hedionda Lagoon since someone mentioned it to us last week, we find it very hard to believe that this doesn’t happen more often, what with all those PWCs buzzing around and around in that tiny corner of the lagoon:
A 13-year-old was flown to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego after a collision Friday [Aug. 24, 2007] of two personal watercraft at California Water Sports in Snug Harbor Marina, according to officials. . . The boy’s watercraft was bumped by another, causing pain to his back, firefighters said.
The boy was flown to the hospital via life flight, however, his injuries were not that serious according to The North County Times. The helicopter was simply used because traffic was so bad on The 5.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on August 24, 2007
When Dave Bindra, 22, tried to get into Carlsbad’s Ocean House Restaurant and Grill on July 27 wearing a turban, he was stopped at the door because of rules against do-rags, beanies and other “head wear associated with street gangs,” according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
. . . when he explained to Ocean House manager Steve Town that his turban was not a do-rag, but a religious expression that he never removes in public, Town said, “ ‘Beanie, do-rag or turban, you still have a towel on your head and you’re not going in.’ ” . . . Town denies he made the “towel” remark and said Bindra and his friends were denied entry because they were being aggressive.”
Bindra was told the same thing at the Coyote Bar. Then the religious man and his friends went back to the Ocean House and got into a yelling match with management. Now, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund has complained to the US Justice Department and a San Diego law professor thinks Bindra might have a strong case. . . The story has even been picked up by The Times of India.
[Link: San Diego Union Tribune]
by The Editors on August 23, 2007
We’d hoped that the winds would continue all week and thwart Canada’s chances at building the world’s tallest Lego tower at the Canadian National Exhibit. But that didn’t happen.
Unfortunately the winds didn’t co-operate so we couldn’t get the boom operators up and then we waited all day on Tuesday and unfortunately the winds were even higher on Tuesday,” said John Lotenfoe from Lego Canada, who had been helping oversee construction. . . Luckily for us today we were able to get the boom up there and set ourselves a brand new world record,” said Lotenfoe.
The new record is 29.03 meters only .45 of a meter taller than the record previously set at Carlsbad Legoland at the beginning of summer. But Canada won’t be able to gloat for long. The next record is set for Oslo, Norway in May of 2008.
Kind of makes us want to do our own version and mess up their whole PR campaign. If you have a couple hundred thousand Legos laying around, please let us know.
[Link: 680 News]
by The Editors on August 23, 2007
Bonnie Cha is a senior editor at CNET.com. On her blog Miss Direction she uses, then writes about GPS devices. This weekend (August 24-26) she is hitting the road and heading for Carlsbad with the TomTom Go 270 GPS as her co-pilot.
My friend Kristen just moved there with her fiance Mike, so I’m going to visit their new crib and hit the waves at Tamarack and Moonlight Beach (you’ve been warned San Diego surfers; steer clear of the girl with the yellow surfboard). I’m looking forward to paddling out in warmer waters, enjoying the sunshine, and good times with friends.
Bonnie says she’ll be blogging the whole trip. So if you’d like to see what a NorCal tech diva thinks of Carlsbad and surfing Tamarack check her blog out right here. We’ll keep you posted as well.
And Bonnie, if you read this, leave a comment and we’ll go out for a surf.
[Link: c|net.com]
by The Editors on August 23, 2007
We mentioned on Tuesday that Carlsbad based trading card giant Upper Deck had pulled out of their $416 million bid to purchase the Topps Co, Inc. That of course caused Topps’ stock to tumble 7% and made them a little angry according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
In a statement, Topps said the cancellation of Upper Deck’s $416 million offer was proof that the proposal had always been a “sham.” . . The New York company, which also owns the Bazooka and Ring Pop brands, said it would hold Carlsbad-based Upper Deck accountable for all “damages suffered by Topps and our stockholders.”
The Topps board was hoping to be purchased by an investment group led by former Disney head Michael Eisner.
[Link: San Diego Union Tribune]
by The Editors on August 23, 2007
We don’t golf. In fact, just last night we tossed our old clubs in the dumpster, but that doesn’t keep us from understanding how having great irons can change your game.
Carlsbad’s TaylorMade Golf has just introduced a new iron called the Burner XD, which is likely designed to make the people who just bought the popular Burner driver feel a little less satisfied with their current sticks.
“The phenomenal distance and overall performance of the Burner family of metalwoods, especially the Burner driver, has had golfers clamoring for a Burner iron,” said Sean Toulon, TaylorMade executive vice president. “That’s because Burner metalwoods are so compelling, from both a performance and personality standpoint. We believed that if we applied that same Burner formula to an iron, we can deliver incredible performance. Great news. The wait is over. The new Burner XD iron is here.”
These would probably be perfect for The Crossings.
[Link: World Golf]
by The Editors on August 23, 2007
Sometimes we have to ask ourselves if the crew at the Carlsbad Convention & Visitors Bureau is on the program. Their latest press release, designed ostensibly to bring tourist dollars into the city, hinges entirely on how great the fall bird watching is here.
Let your wild side take charge and come to Carlsbad on San Diego’s beautiful North Coast when birding is at its best. . . In the fall, Mother Nature fills the sky with voluminous white clouds and the migratory birds begin long flights to winter homes. A vital sanctuary along the migratory path and a winter destination is Carlsbad’s Batiquitos Lagoon, one of the few remaining tidal wetlands on the southern California coast.
We’re David Allen Sibley fans too, but is hiking around the lagoon with binocs really that big a vacation drawn for Carlsbadistan? Follow the link for the entire release.
[click to continue…]
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