About 11,000 students are expected to head back to Carlsbad schools Wednesday, the same number as two years ago. But this year they’ll be greeted by nearly 60 fewer teachers and a school year shortened by three days. High schoolers will find their classrooms bulging with an average of 39 classmates (NCT, June 28, School Trustees adopt $77M budget).
The school district was forced to cut spending by $7 million over the last two years. It will only get worse if Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative fails to pass. If that happens, school officials say, the school year may shrink by as much as three weeks.
It’s a lose/lose proposition for students: larger classes and less learning time. The ones hurt most will be those who need more individual attention. The test score achievement gap shows they’ll be from low income families, the ones already being left behind. [click to continue…]
Carlsbadistan’sJazz In The Park shuts it down this year with crowd favorites Johnny Polanco Orchestra as the final show in another great summer of Carlsbadistan music on August 24, 2012 at Calavera Hills Park.
As the fearless leader of the ultimate West Coast Latin party band, Polanco, who hails from the Caribbean by way of New York, serves as multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger. Over the years the group has solidified its reputation for a sound described by Latin music chronicler Lina Lecaro as “the kind of infectious, rhythmic, multilayered Latin music that makes even the most timid wallflower abandon all restraint and give it a whirl on the dance floor.”
If you haven’t made it out to a 2012 Jazz in The Park this will be your last chance. Show begins at 6 PM. Calavera Hills Park is located at 2997 Glasgow Dr. in Carlsbad.
The Rapha-Focus Cyclecross team had 12 bike frames and 37 Easton wheels stolen from their Sprinter Van in Carlsbadistan last weekend (August 11-12, 2012), according to a story on Velonews.com.
Thieves. . . made off with 12 [54cm Focus Mares Carbon CX] frames painted in the U.S. national champion’s custom lay-up, as well as 37 Easton wheels. The theft occurred between 6:30 p.m. on Saturday August 11 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday August 12.
No forks were taken. So if you see anyone with more than their fair share of custom painted carbon frames please contact Officer Sheldon Berg at the Carlsbad Police department (760) 931-2100. We don’t want anyone getting away with stealing bikes in Carlsbad. Seriously.
Perennial Carlsbadistan blues performer’s Ruby & The Red Hots return to TGIF Jazz In The Park after missing the 2011 season Friday evening August 17, 2012 at 6 PM at Calavera Hils Park.
TGIF audiences have a special affection for this sultry North County singer, and she returns it with real feeling. Statuesque Ruby looks and sounds equally at home with a smooth-as-silk ballad or a blazing blues rocker. Backing her up, The Red Hots absolutely sizzle with horns that growl and purr, propulsive drumbeats and gripping guitar play.
Remember: low-back chairs, bug spray, and plenty of wine and cheese to share with your neighbors are always a good idea at Jazz in the Park. Calavera Hills Park is located at 2997 Glasgow Dr. in Carlsbad.
Carlsbadistan gets a taste of pure African rhythms as Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars rise up to kick off Jazz In The Park’s run at Calavera Hills Park.
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have risen like a phoenix out of the ashes of war and enflamed the passions of fans across the globe with their uplifting songs of hope, faith and joy. The band is a potent example of the redeeming power of music and the ability of the human spirit to persevere through unimaginable hardship and emerge with optimism intact. From their humble beginnings in West African refugee camps Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and matured into one of Africa’s top touring and recording bands.
Remember: bring chairs, snacks, drinks (to share with your neighbors). The music begins at 6 PM. Calavera Hills Park is located at 2997 Glasgow Dr. in Carlsbad.
The Big Easy comes to Carlsbadistan’sJazz in The Park as Madame LeRoux & Krewe (plus Euphoria Brass Band) put a little Zydeco groove down in Poinsettia Park on Friday evening August 3, 2012.
MADAME LEROUX & KREWE will rock you right on into “Fat Tuesday” with their extensive experience and endless enthusiasm to deliver a rousing, rollicking, heart thumping’, foot stomping’ musical gumbo y’all won’t soon forget! With a sound straight out of Louisiana’s dance clubs, Bourbon Street, bayou festivals and backyard crawfish boils… this is the party you’ll want to throw!
Ohhhhh weeeee, this sure am good. . . Music starts at 6 PM. Poinsettia Park is located at 6600 Hidden Valley Road in Carlsbad. Bring a chair, a drink (and maybe some bug spray).
On Wednesday, August 1, 2012 registration will open for the City of Carlsbad’s fall youth basketball program at the Calavera Hills and Stagecoach Park community centers.
Teams will begin hour-long practices twice a week beginning the first week of November. Games will be played on Saturdays—with an occasional weeknight game—starting Dec. 1. . . Fall Hoops will teach participants the game of basketball and the value of teamwork and give them a chance to showcase those lessons at weekly games. . . Once registered, all players must attend an evaluation session for team placement. Volunteer coaches will select the teams’ practice times. Spaces are limited so register now!
Mark Twain once said of life’s injustices, “No good deed goes unpunished.” That came to mind when I learned of Carlsbad’s plan to outsource jobs of city workers who sacrificed pay and benefits over the last several years to help the city survive the Great Recession. Carlsbad not only survived, it prospered on the backs of those worker bees.
The city council voted Tuesday night to seek bids from contractors to outsource all parks maintenance services. A consulting firm was paid $102,000 for a report claiming contractors could save the city $1.7 to $3.68 million each year.
What’s wrong with this picture? Ninety-six percent of city residents rate parks maintenance “good” or “excellent.” But city officials are now ready to risk that level of citizen satisfaction by replacing those responsible for it with lower-paid workers hired to enhance the profitability of a private contractor.
The consultants compared Carlsbad’s yearly parks maintenance cost per-acre, half of which is currently contracted out, with that of three regional cities that outsource all landscaping services. Only one, at $5,464 per acre, was lower than Carlsbad’s $6,572. The other two spent $10,353 and $10,104. [click to continue…]
In a move that would seem to be just the beginning of a push to reduce the number lower-paid City of Carlsbad employees, the Carlsbadistan City Council last night voted to “pursue outsourcing of all parks maintenance work” according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.
The move came just a few weeks after city-hired consultants issued a report showing the city could save between $1.7 million and $3.68 million by outsourcing all parks maintenance work, including tree-trimming, lawn mowing, irrigation system repairs and weed prevention. . . Council members emphasized that the ultimate decision to outsource wasn’t happening Tuesday night —- their move simply starts that process and will give them more data on potential cost savings.
According to the story, outsourcing the park maintenance could affect 48 dedicated, skilled City of Carlsbad workers. Hopefully, the council will remember that our parks look as great as they do because we have people who care working on them. All outsourcing does is take our public funds and channel them directly into the hands of private corporations who profit by not paying their workers a living wage. It also pushes accountability further and further away. On the other hand, think of all the money the City could save if it outsourced all of its administration functions?
Practices are one weekday evening per week and games are on Saturday’s at either Calavera Hills or Stagecoach Community Centers. Practices start in November and games in December, with the season ending mid-February. Our leagues are designed for fun, learning, and sportsmanship. Training is also available.
All coaches must pass a background check and get fingerprinted before participating. Contact Grant Titus at grant.titus@carlsbadca.gov or 760-434-2971 for more information. Deadline for indicating interest is October 15th.
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Carlsbadistan’s Jazz In The Park shuts it down this year with crowd favorites Johnny Polanco Orchestra as the final show in another great summer of Carlsbadistan music on August 24, 2012 at Calavera Hills Park.
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The Riehl World: Budget Cuts & School Reform
by Richard J. Riehl on August 23, 2012
About 11,000 students are expected to head back to Carlsbad schools Wednesday, the same number as two years ago. But this year they’ll be greeted by nearly 60 fewer teachers and a school year shortened by three days. High schoolers will find their classrooms bulging with an average of 39 classmates (NCT, June 28, School Trustees adopt $77M budget).
The school district was forced to cut spending by $7 million over the last two years. It will only get worse if Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative fails to pass. If that happens, school officials say, the school year may shrink by as much as three weeks.
It’s a lose/lose proposition for students: larger classes and less learning time. The ones hurt most will be those who need more individual attention. The test score achievement gap shows they’ll be from low income families, the ones already being left behind. [click to continue…]
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