November 2009

Snake Captured In Batiquitos Lagoon

by The Editors on November 30, 2009

Burmese-Python T352Two hikers who were cruising the shores of Batiquitos Lagoon in the shadow of the Four Season’s Aviara spotted a five-foot long “Burmese python” today, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Troy Keenan (pictured right), a volunteer for the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, was working in the foundation’s nature center at the west end of the lagoon when the hikers reported their find. . . “I kind of tiptoed into the pickle weed and saw it stretched out,” Keenan said. He grabbed the snake’s tail, put his baseball cap over its head and grabbed the reptile behind its neck. In a few moments, the python was in a trash bag and animal control was on its way. . . “It got my adrenaline up, let’s put it that way,” he said.

Good thing they got it when they did as Burmese pythons will eat anything and can live almost anywhere. Ever heard the story from the Florida Everglades about the 13 foot python that tried to eat a six foot long alligator? It didn’t go well for either animal.

[Editors’ Note: As a commenter has pointed out, the snake in the above photograph is a boa constrictor and not the much more dangerous “burmese python” as reported by the Union-Tribune.]

[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]

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Marie Callender’s Sewage Pie Shutdown

by The Editors on November 30, 2009

Carlsbad’s Wastewater Division today Carlsbadistan’s Marie Callender’s manager Juan Garcia to shut down the restaurant or the water would be turned off after a Thanksgiving Day diner smelled sewage in the kitchen, according to a story in the North County Times.

Problems for Marie Callender’s began when newly-minted Carlsbad resident Pete Dimiceli smelled sewage as he sat down to order his Thanksgiving feast at the restaurant on Thursday night. He’d moved to the area three months ago after moving from Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn. . . . “I got up —- y’know a New Yorker —- I got up and talked to this guy Michael, he said, ‘No, one of the bathrooms backed up,'” Dimiceli said. “I take three steps, look right into kitchen. As sure as God made apples, there was sewage on the floor.” . . Dimiceli said the spill ran approximately 15 feet in length and seemed to be about 3 inches deep. He said waitstaff had to slosh through the puddle in order to bring people their food. He got up and left, and promptly registered a complaint with the Department of Environmental Health.

Does this mean no more “sewer pies” for dessert this week?

[Link: North County Times]

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Carlsbad’s New Mrs. Southern California

by The Editors on November 30, 2009

Msc TaraintCarlsbadistan’s Tara Hooper, owner of Tara’s Hair Studio on State Street was crowned Mrs. Southern California 2010 at The Grand Long Beach Event Center on Sunday November 15, 2009.

In addition to being a wife, mother of one, homemaker, and business entrepreneur, Tara devotes her spare time to making a difference in her community. . .“I still can’t believe I was crowned Mrs. Southern California 2010,” said Tara Hooper, “What an honor to be part of a Justin Rudd Production. The venue was chic, fab and glitz. Photographers were everywhere, and I felt famous even if it was just for the evening. But the best part is I get to help promote the causes that are important to me.”

Hooper will be launching a “Purple for Prosperity” hair ribbon campaign on December 17 at the Carlsbad High to help raise funds for Women’s Outreach Club at Carlsbad High School. Follow the jump for the rest of the details. [click to continue…]

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Legoland Tree Lighting Just Got Hotter

by The Editors on November 30, 2009

Landry Sommers-1

At first we were bummed that our reality TV dreams of a Legoland Christmas tonight had been shattered like a champagne flute on the sidewalk as reality TV stars Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott announce that they’re canceling “due to illness.” Then we realized that things couldn’t be better (at least for the dads in the crowd).

The good news is that Legoland’s substitute tree lighter will be that saucy ball of mom hotness, former Miss USA Ali Landry who most of us know as the Doritos Girl. Landry’s partner on the Lego hearth will be Mad Men actor Rich Sommer (who plays Harry Crane on the best show ever to be on TV). It’s so nice when the second string is better than the starters.

The Legoland treelighting begins tonight (November 30, 2009) at 5:30 followed by a performance by The Jumpitz, Santa’s arrival, and then some holiday fireworks. The tree lighting honors the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. The festivities are included with regular park admission which costs a whopping $65 for adults, $55 for children 3-12. For a family of four that’s only $240. “Tis the season, indeed.

[Link: Legoland]

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Drinking Water Costs: Desalination vs. GWRS

by The Editors on November 29, 2009

Garry Brown, executive director of Orange County Coastkeeper compares the difference in water cost between a Ground Water Replenishment System operating in Orange County with the cost of water per acre foot from Poseidon Resources proposed Carlsbadistan desalination plant in an editorial for the Daily Pilot.

The total cost of the highly treated [GWRS] drinking water is less than $800 per acre foot. . . We know that ocean desalination is used throughout the world. The costs per acre foot range between $2,000 and $3,000. There is certainly no reason to believe it can be done for less money in Southern California.

He goes on to point out that the only other desalination plant that Poseidon has built went “$40 million over budget, five years late, and has never produced the promised amount of water. In fact, “Poseidon had to be removed from plant operations and replaced by a public agency.” Oddly, the Tampa Bay plant isn’t even listed on the “our experience” page of Poseidon’s website. The only desal plants they list are the as-yet-unbuilt Carlsbad and Huntington Beach facilities.

All of this makes us ask this question: is Poseidon’s real business making drinking water or simply using the promise of water as a means of extracting money from public agencies?

[Link: Daily Pilot]

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Tamarack Parking Closure

by The Editors on November 27, 2009

We’re not sure exactly what this means yet, but the Tamarack parking lot being closed from November 30 to December 5, 2009 probably isn’t good.

Is this the end of free parking?

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Paul-Luc Ronchetti: Carlsbad’s New Vert Star

by The Editors on November 27, 2009

Vert T352Carlsbadistan vert skater Paul-Luc Ronchetti, 16, got a little well-deserved coverage in the San Diego Union-Tribune yesterday in a story by Glae Thien.

Turning pro this year was a natural step for Ronchetti, given his showing on the Free Flow circuit. With his amateur title last year, he qualified for the last stop on the Dew Tour and placed ninth. . . .“This year, I started off on a low point, and I just kept skating and getting into the competitions, and slowly it got better,” Ronchetti said. “Definitely, each contest gave me more experience each time, and that gave me more confidence.”

Ronchetti finished 13th on the Dew Tour this year.

[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]

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Cherished Voices: Giving The Gift Of Stories

by The Editors on November 27, 2009

HultgrenWhen Carlsbadistan resident Heather Hultgren (pictured right with her family) realized that her parents couldn’t be around every night to read bedtime stories to their grandson, she decided she could fix that problem and launch a web business at the same time according to a Dave Good story on SanDiego.com.

Using technology that Hultgren says wasn’t available two years ago, a CherishedVoices.com subscriber is able to dial a toll free number and record a personal message, tell a story, or read from one of the books in the Cherished Voices library. . . “You have up to an hour to talk,” she asks. “You can share whatever is in your heart.” . . Hultgren then edits the recording into the finished narrative.

Hultgren then puts the recording on a CD and ships it with the book that was read directly to the child for $49.95. Which is much cheaper than a cross-country flight.

[Link: CherishedVoices via SanDiego.com]

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Candlelight Vigil For Kenneth Gram Tonight

by The Editors on November 27, 2009

GramFamily and friends of Carlsbad High School graduate Kenneth Andrew Gram, 22, will gather tonight (November 27, 2009) at Moonlight Beach, in Encinitas for an “informal celebration and vigil for peace” from 7 – 10 PM.

Gram was visiting friends in Annapolis, Maryland last week when his body was discovered by police on a sidewalk at 2:20 AM Wednesday, November 18, 2009 with multiple stab wounds to his neck and upper back, according to a story in the Baltimore Sun.

The North County Times reports that Gram was walking alone at the time of the attack.

At about 2 a.m. on Nov. 18, one day before he was supposed to come home, Kenneth got into a argument with his girlfriend and decided to walk by himself to a nearby diner, his father said. . . . Police found Kenneth’s body shortly afterwards about two blocks from a housing project . . . He still carried his cell phone and his money. John Lee, the Annapolis detective handling the case, said the investigation is ongoing.

Gram’s sister Danielle is the co-founder of the Carlsbad-based Kids for Peace.

[Links: Baltimore Sun and North County Times]

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Happy Thanksgiving Carlsbadistan

by The Editors on November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving 09

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Carlsbadistan.com. We hope your day is filled with family, food, friends, and thoughts of appreciation that we all live in the most beautiful city on God’s green earth.

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