by The Editors on April 7, 2009
After close to three weeks on paid administrative leave Carlsbad’s Chief of Police Thomas Zoll is back on the job, but just why he was put on that leave is still a complete mystery according to a story in the North County Times.
City spokeswoman Kristina Rey declined Monday to say what transpired during Chief Thomas Zoll’s leave, including whether there was an investigation and what prompted his reinstatement. . . City officials repeatedly have declined to say why Zoll, 58, was placed on leave on March 18, citing state laws that limit the release of information on a police officer’s performance. . . Zoll said Monday that he preferred not to comment on the situation.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune Zoll said he would have been back last week, but that he said he “went on vacation.”
Whatever it was, apparently it is over for now, and we hope Zoll used his paid leave well.
[Link: North County Times and San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on April 7, 2009
by The Editors on April 7, 2009
It is rare that Carlsbadistan gets a real literary treatment. But, as several readers have pointed out, the April 6, 2009 issue of The New Yorker magazine features a piece of fiction by writer Brad Watson titled Visitation. Watson, who is a creative writing professor at the University of Wyoming, placed his sad story of an estranged, unemployed father visiting his young son right in the heart of Carlsbadistan.
The fictional father and son stay in a local motor lodge (with some Gypsies) and walk the “wide beach at Carlsbad. Carlsbad was far too cool, but what could you do?” While on the beach they watch a military helicopter nearly crash land. Later the two go to Pizza Port for dinner. Here’s how Watson describes it:
The place was crowded with people who’d been at the beach all day, although Loomis recognized no one they’d seen when the helicopter had nearly crashed and killed them all. He’d expected everyone in there to know about it, to be buzzing about it over beer and pizza, amazed, exhilarated. But it was as if it hadn’t happened.
The long rows of picnic tables and booths were filled with young parents and their hyperkinetic children, who kept jumping up to get extra napkins or forks or to climb into the seats of the motorcycle video games. Their parents flung arms after them like inadequate lassos or pursued them and herded them back. The stools along the bar were occupied by young men and women who apparently had no children and who were attentive only to one another and to choosing which of the restaurant’s many microbrews to order. In the corner by the rest rooms, the old surfers, regulars here, gathered to talk shop and knock back the stronger beers, the double-hopped and the barley wines. Their graying hair frizzled and tied in ponytails or dreads or chopped in stiff clumps dried by salt and sun. Their faces leather brown. Gnarled toes jutting from their flip-flops and worn sandals like assortments of dry-roasted cashews, Brazil nuts, ginger root.
Visitation is a great piece of short fiction, but Watson’s story isn’t the only Carlsbadistan reference in the issue: on the back page in the Cartoon Caption Contest (one that we should have won at least once already) Carlsbadistan’s own Ben Russak has a caption (one of three finalists) that we believe will be the winner.
Damn him.
[Link: The New Yorker]
by The Editors on April 6, 2009
San Diego Union-Tribune surfing writer Brad Melekian visits Carlsbadistan’s southern most beach in his latest column and considers the rapid changes that are coming to one of his favorite surf breaks.
As things you can park your car on go, I’d always found this particular patch of sand on the south side of the Ponto Jetties in Carlsbad to be fairly remarkable. . . Of course, it was not remarkable. It was a patch of sand. But it existed – until two weeks ago – as a place where you could park your vehicle, step out barefoot with sand between your toes, climb a small dune and check the surf.
Melekian laments (along with many of us) the changes the Ponto Vision Plan will bring and what he’ll soon see when looking back at the beach from the water. It’s not going to be pretty. Click the link to read the rest.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on April 5, 2009
by The Editors on April 5, 2009
by The Editors on April 5, 2009
Carlsbad Village will hold its Annual Strawberry Festival “Everything Strawberry” at the Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, April 15 and Saturday, April 18, 1-5 pm.
The markets are held weekly at 2930 Roosevelt Street in the Public Parking Lot between Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue . The Strawberry Festival celebration will feature live strawberry cooking demonstrations by Captain Cooks Culinary Academy , as well as our traditional Scavenger Hunt, hot live music and wholesome family fun!
Get the freshest local strawberries at the peak of their season and check out other special strawberry delights! Try the famous homemade Strawberry Shortcake with whipped cream, Strawberry Smoothies, Chocolate-covered Strawberries, Strawberry Flan, Strawberry Jam, Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Fudge and Strawberry Cake. Make sure you get your fresh local strawberries and, of course, enjoy an abundance of other fresh produce, flowers and many fabulous foods and crafts.
Call 760-434-2553 or 760-687-6453 for more information.
by The Editors on April 3, 2009
The Carlsbad 5000 bills itself as the “World Fastest 5K” but San Diego Union-Tribune writer Don Norcross has discovered that on the men’s side at least there hasn’t been a record broken in Carlsbadistan since 2000 when Sammy Kipketer’s ran the race in 13 minutes. Norcross asks the question, “Why the lull?”
“Because the world record was such an incredible performance that it was unfricking real,” said Tracy Sundlun, vice president of the Competitor Group, which owns the race. . . .By comparison, the women have continued taking an eraser to the record book. From 2002 through 2006, women broke the world record four times and tied it once. . . Kipketer’s 2000 mark was stunning, shattering the existing world mark by 12 seconds. Eighteen years old at the time, Kipketer took the first mile out in a shocking 3 minutes, 59 seconds. . . . As Kipketer steadily pulled away from the field, the late Mike Long, who recruited the elite athletes, made a prescient remark aboard the press truck. . . “He’s going too fast,” Long said. “How will we ever break this new record?”
Apparently, getting the fastest runners to race here is just too expensive. What happened to the joy of running?
The race takes place Sunday April 5, 2009 in The Village of Carlsbadistan. And who knows, maybe Maregu Zewdie can pull something out this year.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on April 3, 2009
Carlsbad resident and former newspaper publisher Robert L. Huttenhoff died on March 27, 2009, according to a story in The Salinas Californian. He was 88.
An advertising man when he first joined the newspaper’s staff in 1950, Huttenhoff lived in Salinas until 2001. After stepping down as publisher, Huttenhoff served another year as president of Salinas Newspapers Inc. before retiring in 1985.. . In retirement, Huttenhoff maintained a display of newspaper memorabilia that included his first Speidel paycheck. . . “He really was part of the growth of the industry,” daughter Roni Leonard said. “He was just an advertising sales person, then he was advertising sales director, then publisher. Salinas changed his life. He became way more than he ever thought he would be.”
Huttenhoff, who had just renewed his drivers license this year, had back surgery on March 6 and was in rehabilitation. His death was sudden and unexpected.
[Link: The Californian]
by The Editors on April 2, 2009
We’ve read Carlsbadistan Realtor Jim Klinge’s Bubbleinfo.com real estate blog in the past, but now a lot more people will after Klinge was written up in the LA Times as the “Hunter S. Thompson” of Real Estate.
Rather than downplay the greed and excess that caused the region’s travails, he revels in exposing them. . . . He surveys the wreckage with a pocket video camera, shooting footage of vacant, once-pricey houses turned into eyesores, voiced over with his deadpan narration. Then he posts them on his website, at www.bubbleinfo.com. . . They’re shaky, noisy clips full of coarse images and language. . . “Would you spend a million dollars for that house?” he says in one video, showing a two-story, boxy wreck with the rushing sound of a freeway in the background.
Klinge’s direct approach reportedly allowed him to sell 43 homes last year, most of the customers coming from his blog. While we’re not going to agree with the HST reference, it is refreshing to see a Realtor who at least appears to be involved in the business of selling homes.
[Link: LA Times]
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