by The Editors on September 17, 2025
In a sadly misguided effort to curb problem e-bike riders, the City of Carlsbad’s Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission voted September 16, 2025, to recommend that the City Council adopt a minimum age of 12 for riding e-bikes and consider additional actions because, you know, e-bikes are the scourge of our peaceful hamlet by the sea.
We are not fans of e-bikes in general (just pedal your bike, you lazy sod), but ebikes are here, they are useful, they are reducing traffic on our streets and smog in our air, and more importantly, they are getting kids to school in a district that doesn’t believe getting kids to school is important enough to fund school buses.
There are problems, however, with those crazy kids wheelieing down the middle of the street or swerving in and out of traffic that’s stopped at a red light. But banning kids under 12 from riding e-bikes is not going to solve that problem because, as the city already knows, the problem kids are not under 12. The City also knows that the way to handle the problem kids is to have the Police Department enforce all the traffic laws we already have. We don’t need more laws for Carlsbad Police Department to enforce.
Why is a ban on under-12 riders bad? Because there are 8- to 11-year-old kids who need to get to school. Who may live too far away to ride pedal bikes in a reasonable time. This City always seems to forget about the kids who actually need to ride e-bikes to school. Not every kid in Carlsbad has a stay-at-home parent with a brand-new, American-flag-dragging, lifted monster golf cart to chauffeur them anywhere they want to go at all hours of the day or night. And making rules that limit the abilities of people who need to ride e-bikes simply because a few bad kids are causing havoc is missing the entire point.
But that’s what we think. For what the Carlsbad Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission thinks, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on May 20, 2025
The news has been slowly trickling in, and for many of us, it hits a little harder than just another store closing. Rite Aid, a staple in many communities, will reportedly shut the doors on its Vons shopping center location on Tamarack Avenue the first week of July 2025.
While the broader implications for pharmaceuticals and jobs are certainly significant, there’s a particular pang of sadness here in Carlsbadistan, especially for anyone who’s ever been a middle schooler, or raised one.
With the Rite Aid closure, we’re not just losing a pharmacy. We’ve lost something far more precious, something woven into the fabric of Carlsbad youth culture: Thrifty Ice Cream.
For generations of Carlsbad kids, that Thrifty counter wasn’t just a place to grab a scoop. It was the place. It was the post-game ritual, the celebratory stop after a good test, the commiseration station after a tough one. It was where friendships were solidified over double scoops of chocolate malted crunch, where victories were relived, and where the simple joy of childhood was savored, one inexpensive, oddly-squared scoop at a time.
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by The Editors on March 19, 2025
Looking for a fun evening of pirate-themed activities? Join us for the City of Carlsbad’s annual Pirate Plunge on Saturday, March 29, at Alga Norte Aquatic Center, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Pool activities and games
Come dressed in your swimsuit and enjoy a variety of pool activities and games, including:
- Diving for treasure, ship raider races and walking the plank.
- The splash pad will be open for younger children to enjoy.
- Dry activities include a pirate ship slide, a photo op and a treasure hunt, where kids can follow a map to collect hidden treasures around the pool decks.
Additional information
- Skip the lines! Pick up your wristbands at Alga Norte Aquatic Center the week before the event.
- Online presale ends at 5 p.m. on the Friday before the event. If tickets are still available, wristbands can be purchased at the event.
- Food will be available for purchase.
- For safety reasons, only pool noodles and U.S. Coast Guard-approved floatation devices are allowed in the pool.
- Event may be modified or canceled due to weather conditions.
Pirate Plunge
Saturday, March 29
5 to 8 p.m.
Alga Norte Aquatic Center
6565 Alicante Road
Tickets: $15 per person (children ages 3 and under are free but must be registered) Click the link to register.
[Link: Pirate Plunge]
by The Editors on April 26, 2024
Hard to believe that it’s already been more than 25 years since we voted “NO” for a proposed Legoland theme park in our beloved city of Carlsbad, California. But it has. Somethings we predicted happened: Legoland built hotels and restaurants so they could keep more of their visitor’s money for themselves. But others, weren’t so bad. The park is still virtually invisible on its hillside and it doesn’t often cause the traffic jams we were so worried about. So, overall, not a bad addition to the City. Anyway. . .
To celebrate the 25th birthday of the Carlsbad park Legoland is introducing some new costumed characters to what will be North America’s First LEGO® World Parade.
In honor of LEGOLAND California’s 25th birthday, Fire Chief Freya, Scuba Diver, Scallywag Pirate, Lloyd and Hopsy will star in The LEGO World Parade with an all-new original soundtrack that will have visitors bopping along throughout the summer. . . The Parade will be the perfect finale to a day spent riding, climbing, splashing, and building throughout the theme park’s 60+ rides, shows, and attractions.
Sounds like it will be an epic addition to your next visit to the park. For all the official details, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on April 12, 2024
Grab the whole family and come on out for some good old-fashioned fun at the Hot Rods & Cool Treats Carnival on Saturday, May
11, 2024 at Pine Avenue Park, 3333 Harding Street in Carlsbad, California.
We’ll have activities for the young and young at heart, including Can-Knock-Down, Ring Toss, Frog Hopper and more. Enjoy crafts, face painting and a Fun Zone. Build your own sundae at the ice cream bar and vote on your favorite car in the classic car show.
We’ve also got live music covering decades of sounds.
What else you going to do on an overcast Saturday morning in May?
by The Editors on June 10, 2023
The Carlsbad Unified School District is making it more difficult for students to get to school in 2023-24, as well as creating more costly bureaucratic headaches for itself thanks to a new bike and e-bike parking permit program. Next year, only bicycles or e-bikes that have been properly permitted and stickered will be allowed to park on CUSD school campuses.
Students riding a Bike or Ebike must complete an application and attend a Carlsbad Unified School District (CUSD) approved Bike & Ebike Safety Presentation. After completion of this application process, students will then receive a district-issued parking permit sticker (sticker) to be affixed to their Bike or Ebike. Stickers will be issued through each school office. Students who do not have a sticker visibly affixed to their Bike or Ebike will not be permitted to bring their Bike or Ebike onto any CUSD campus.
Bicycle safety education should be a part of Carlsbad school curriculum at every level, however, requiring permits and stickers for bicycles does nothing but make it more difficult for kids to ride a bike to school.
Yes, kids need to follow the rules and be safe on their way to school, but discouraging bicycling to school by adding unnecessary permitting is a huge step backwards for a community of students that is leading the nation in the adoption of alternative forms of transportation. For all the official details, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on April 20, 2023
Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad is pleased to announce that an exceptional candidate has accepted the position of CEO at Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad – Mr. Chad Nelson.
“I am delighted to say that we have identified the person we believe is best prepared to lead us into the future. Chad Nelson’s experience, ability to inspire those around him, and history with the Club make him an exemplary leader,” stated Travis VanTreese, the Club’s Board President. “Having someone that is so engrained in the Carlsbad community is exciting for us, and the long term relationships that he has with people and businesses in Carlsbad will be integral to the Club’s growth.”
A Club kid himself, Chad grew up in Carlsbad. After graduating from SDSU with a BS in Business Management and a lot of hours on the basketball court, he returned to Carlsbad to begin his 20+ year career in the health care industry. He experienced success by building strong teams that work together to achieve each company’s goals. As fate would have it, Chad was looking for a new opportunity to motivate people and make a positive difference when the CEO opening occurred at the Boys & Girls Club.
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by The Editors on December 13, 2022
While it shouldn’t be all that surprising (seeing as Carlsbad seems loaded with members of the “screw you, me-first” crowd) more than 25,000 people actually voted against updating the facilities at Carlsbad’s 40-year-old Monroe public pool. It’s sad that nearly half the voting community didn’t see the need for a good swimming pool facility that can be used by both the community and the students of Carlsbad High School. Thankfully, 26,576 people voted in favor of spending close to $24 million to update the entire pool facility. So it’s going to happen. And to those people we say thank you!
Here are a few of the things we can all look forward to:
• Expansion of pool for larger swimming (50% more lanes) and water polo competitions
• New 8-foot wall with gates along Monroe Street side to reduce sound from the pool
• Larger pool deck with lockers
• New exterior deck showers
• Renovated locker rooms
• More shade structures
• More bleachers
• Larger parking lot
• New entrances including an outdoor option that will no longer require passing through the locker rooms
• Reconfigured lobby, new first aid/administration offices and meeting/event room
• Replacement of pool tile, plaster, piping, pool deck, drainage, pumps and filters
• New building with mechanical room and family restrooms
• Separate mechanical room access for service vehicles to reduce parking lot impacts for users
• Replacement of existing solar water heating system and installation of rooftop solar panels to generate electricity
• Enhancement of equipment storage space
We’re seriously looking forward to the Village finally having a pool that’s as nice as the one at Alga Norte. A place where all of Carlsbad’s kids can learn to swim, cool off in the summer, and develop skills that may help them get a full ride college scholarship. And to those who voted NO, you’ll still be able to use the updated pool anyway. We are a community, after all. If you’d like to stay updated on any and all projects the City of Carlsbad has in the works, click here to sign up for the emails!
by The Editors on November 10, 2022
Visitors to Legoland California can see the sites of San Diego without leaving the Carlsbad, California resort thanks to the addition of America’s Finest City to the park’s world famous Miniland.
“San Diego is one of America’s most beautiful destinations filled with incredible architecture, landscapes and history – making it an obvious choice when selecting the next city to add to Miniland U.S.A,” said President of LEGOLAND California Resort Kurt Stocks. “Our in-park Master Model Builders are extremely passionate about this project, and they can’t wait to collaborate with LEGOLAND Parks fans near and far on the future of this very special addition to Miniland. Each build will provide guests with a deeper connection and understanding of our home city and will encourage our local and out of town visitors to embrace all that San Diego has to offer.”
The San Diego Miniland will be completed in the spring of 2023. So plan your vacation accordingly. For the official info from Legoland California, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on September 15, 2022
It’s that time of year again at Legoland. And the monsters have arrived for the annual Brick-or-Treat festivities.
Brick-or-Treat is included in a general admission ticket and select annual passes. The Halloween festivities begin Saturday, Sept. 17 and continue every Saturday through Oct. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 30. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.legoland.com/california.
For the official word from Legoland, please follow the jump.
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