November 2009

Should Taxpayers Subsidize Poseidon?

by The Editors on November 26, 2009

Poseidon DollarsThat’s the question San Francisco Bay Guardian writer Rebecca Bowe asks in one of the best stories we’ve read about Poseidon Resources plans for their desalination plant on the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon.

“Aside from doing nothing about conservation and continuing to require huge amounts of energy for transmission, these plants also have no real community benefit, minimal job creation, and, most importantly, a questionable success and effectiveness,” members of Service Employees International Union Local 721 wrote in a letter to the Metropolitan Water District, Southern California’s water wholesaler. “We believe we can conserve more water by installing waterless urinals across L.A. County than we would obtain from the proposed desalination plant.”

Those who think they know what this desalination plant is all about should click the link to read the rest of this story.

[Link: San Francisco Bay Guardian]

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Talent Manager Lois Zetter Dies

by The Editors on November 26, 2009

Lois Zetter, 70, a former Hollywood talent manager died in Carlsbad November 17, 2009. Zetter, who co-founded the LeMond/Zetter Management in Los Angeles represented actors like John Travolta, Patrick Swayze, Mickey Rourke, Mark Harmon, and others according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter.

Zetter began in show business as an actress, singer and comedian in New York, with roles in stage productions of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” As a second career, she became an art expert and dealer. . . Survivors include her husband, Walt Unterseher, and a brother, Bruce Zetter. Donations in her honor can be made to Fraternity House, a care facility for men and women with AIDS, in Vista, Calif., or to the Lois Zetter Theatre Arts Scholarship Fund at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.

Most recently she operated The Zetter Collection a Carlsbad-based art business specializing in “outsider art.” Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

[Link: The Hollywood Reporter]

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The Lossings Needs More Money

by The Editors on November 26, 2009

Thelossings-Tm-TmAs if The Crossings Lossings At Carlsbad golf course hasn’t already cost the people of Carlsbadistan enough, KemperSports Management, the private company the city pays to run the golf course says they aren’t “hitting budget projections this year and will need and extra $150,000 to cover,” according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.

That’s in addition to the original subsidy of $1.79 million that the city contributed at the start of the year, the financial report states. . . Next year’s operations at The Crossings at Carlsbad course also will require a substantial city subsidy. In the golf course’s 2010 budget, which the City Council will be asked to approve Tuesday, operators are asking for a $1.76 million city subsidy. . . Mayor Bud Lewis said Wednesday he hadn’t seen the financial figures yet, but was “sorry to hear” that the course needed more money this year. He said he would probably vote to grant the budget requests.

Of course he would. No pool. No skateboard park. But sure, keep spending millions of dollars every year on a golf course that continues to lose money. Epic! This whole issue is getting so absurd that it’s almost impossible to speak politely about it.

[Link: North County Times]

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Santaland Is Coming To Town

by The Editors on November 25, 2009

Santa 01The New Village Arts Theatre is presenting essayist David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries December 10-23, 2009. The hilarious one-man show stars San Diego actor Daren Scott and is based on an Sedaris’ essay about the time he spent working as a Christmas Elf in Santaland at Macy’s department store.

The New York Times called the play, “A delightfully thorny account of working as a Yuletide elf at Macy’s. Priceless observations, both outrageous and subtle. Destined to hold a place in the annals of American humor writing.”

Tickets are only $20 and available online or by calling the box office at (760-433.3245).

[Link: New Village Arts Theatre]

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Thanksgiving Dinner Out in Carlsbadistan

by The Editors on November 25, 2009

Carlsbadistan Tg

The warm November days in Carlsbadistan often mean that come holiday time, those inland relatives are quick to make the trek to the beach. If hosting isn’t your thing, do what we’re doing this year and go out. No cooking. No cleaning. No problems.

While you can always head on over to Don’s Country Kitchen, Tip Top Meats, or The Claim Jumper for an old fashioned Turkey dinner, take a look at the list of restaurants offering a special Thanksgiving Day menu (Thursday, November 26, 2009) if you’d like to step it up a notch and let someone else do the cooking.

Giving thanks with family and friends this year just got a whole lot easier. Follow the jump for all the details:
[click to continue…]

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Reality Stars Plug In Legoland Christmas Tree

by The Editors on November 25, 2009

Img300 Oxygen TorideanFew things are sadder than former TV stars forced to sell-out their private lives by staring in reality TV shows. That said, it’s nice that Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott (stars of the reality TV show Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood) care enough about getting free admission to Carlsbadistan’s Legoland California theme park that are willing to actually do some work, i.e. plugging in the annual Legoland Christmas tree.

The couple and their children, Liam and Stella, will be joined by one of the hottest children’s entertainment groups, The Jumpitz® for a special holiday performance with an appearance by Santa himself! . . . After the 30-foot-tall LEGO tree is lit, fireworks light up the sky and snow showers Park guests from above kicking off LEGOLAND California’s month-long Holly Jolly Holidays presented by Western Dental.

The holiday extravaganza begins at 5:30 PM Monday night, November 30, 2009. Us? We’ll probably just catch the fireworks from the lower parking lot of the Carlsbad Sheraton.

[Link: Legoland]

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Here and Elsewhere: The Ivanffy-Uhler Gallery

by The Editors on November 25, 2009

WilliamsIn conjunction with Carlsbadistan’s Thursdays On The Coast the Ivanffy-Uhler Gallery is presenting an opening night reception for their latest show Here and Elsewhere on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 5:30pm.

The opening comprises over 30 landscape paintings by local and regional artists (including Toni Williams “Near Idyllwild” shown at right) and includes an appearance by singer-songwriter Gabrielle Brisson, at the piano, performing her original works.

The show runs through December 28, 2009. Admission is free and everyone is invited to attend.

The Ivanffy-Uhler Gallery, 565 Grand Ave, Carlsbad

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Ease Into Thanksgiving With Jaimie Muehlhausen

by The Editors on November 25, 2009

Nov25We all know what it can be like to be home for the holidays so what better way to get out of the house the night before Thanksgiving that to spend it with Jaimie Muehlhausen of the Small Pox Mountain Boys and Flogging Molly’s Matt Hensley tonight (Wednesday, November 25) along with guitarist Dave Quillen from 7:30 – 8:30 at Hensley’s Pub on Tamarack and I-5.

Following Muehlhausen’s set San Diego blues legend Robin Henkel will play from 9:00 until 11:00. Come on out for a Thanksgiving Eve full of good music and good times. It will help when Thursday morning rolls around. Trust us.

[Link: Jaimie Muehlhausen]

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Carlsbad’s Give Thanks Walk For St. Jude’s

by The Editors on November 21, 2009

Claire Devins-1
Councilman Matt Hall with Joe Devins, Claire and her sister Amelia.

On November 21, 2009 Carlsbad was one of 40 communities around the US that took part in the Give Thanks Walk to support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The walk was held at the Westfield Plaza Camino Real. TK Arnold was there and kind enough to contribute photos and the following details:

Carlsbad was selected in large part because of little Claire Devins, who was barely 2 when diagnosed in November 2006 with a deadly form of brain cancer with just a 10% survival rate. The doctors at Children’s Hospital in San Diego gave the Devins family–Joe, Liz and four other kids–little hope, but while at the mall to show Baby Claire what was then the new carousel she saw a sign for St. Jude.

The whole Devins family went to Memphis and stayed for six months while Claire underwent cancer treatment. She’s now cancer free and the whole family credits St. Jude with saving her life, all at no cost to the family. Lots of the Devins’ friends from the St. Patrick Parish School community came out to help with the walk, and Councilman Matt Hall came out to present Liz and her family with a proclamation from Mayor Bud Lewis declaring November 21 Claire Devins Day in the city of Carlsbad.

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Aptera Founder Just On Vacation

by The Editors on November 20, 2009

Xprize-Aptera-470-0309Carlsbadistan based electric car maker Aptera’s founder Steve Fambro tells Popular Mechanics that contrary to rumors quoted on Wired’s Autopia blog, he was not ousted “in a boardroom showdown,” he’s simply on vacation until the end of the year.

“I think some people read into this situation a little further than they should have, ” Fambro says. “Some folks were let go, and since they hadn’t seen me around—they put two and two together and made a fairly large and incorrect assumption,” he says. “Since I started Aptera, I’ve had like three or four vacation days. One of them was after receiving a 2008 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award in NYC. So I need to take some time, and come back in the beginning of the new year.”

Great. We hope Mr. Fambro enjoys his vacation.

[Link: Popular Mechanics]

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