by The Editors on May 14, 2008
The Carlsbad-based fish taco restaurant chain Rubio’s announced their first quarter 2008 results yesterday and while revenues rose 2.9% for the quarter comparable store sales decreased by 3 percent and the company actually lost $745,000.
“Our first quarter results are indicative of the overall challenging macroeconomic environment, and in particular, higher gasoline prices and the weak housing markets in Arizona, Nevada and parts of California. Over the past several months, we have undergone a vigorous assessment of the opportunities to better leverage our resources and gain efficiencies in our cost structure, while continuing to focus on delivering unique products and an unsurpassed guest experience. Notably, we reduced our corporate support staff by just over 10% at the end of April and have several initiatives underway to lower food and labor costs while maintaining the integrity of our brand. We believe this balanced approach will better position us to achieve our profit goals in the near term and still execute our longer term strategy,” said Dan Pittard, Rubio’s President and CEO.
Sounds like Dan is blaming everything but the food. We’re slowly learning that if your only big idea is to reduce production costs, you might want to re-think your business strategy entirely.
[Link: PRnewswire]
by The Editors on May 14, 2008
The Lowbrow Bandits who hit the JCPenny at Westfield Plaza Camino Real Mall last Friday after robbing a Pennys in Laguna Hills only 90 minutes earlier have amassed close to $2.5 million dollars in gold over the past 18 months according to a story in the LA Times.
As the price of the precious metal continued to zoom to more than $1,000 an ounce, the thieves’ activity increased until they had stolen about $2.5 million worth of gold jewelry from 11 JCPenney stores throughout California. . . . “It’s a strange series of crimes, to target only JCPenney stores,” said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “Then they steal only the gold and don’t even touch the more expensive jewelry.”
They might not be so lowbrow after all.
[Link: LA Times]
by The Editors on May 14, 2008
Teachers from two local unions will rally today at Holiday park from 4 to 5:30 PM in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s education budget cuts.
Members of the Carlsbad and Oceanside teachers associations have arranged for speakers and music at the event, which will mark the statewide “Day of the Teacher,” organizers said.
If you support education get out and support the teachers.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on May 14, 2008
They really don’t have any control over what NRG does with their Encina Power Station does with their equipment, but that didn’t stop the Carlsbad City Council from “opposing the proposed addition,” according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.
Carlsbad’s council hopes with its vote Tuesday to emphasize concerns the city has about the project in advance of the state’s hearings. City officials have raised questions about air quality, visual blight and other issues, but their main emphasis has been that the entire Encina site ought to get out of the power-generating business. . . . At Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Matt Hall called the nearly 100-acre site one of the best pieces of land along San Diego County’s coastline. Councilwoman Julie Nygaard said the future of the area was of keen interest to many people in Carlsbad.
We’d be happy seeing the power plant go as long as they leave the smoke stack standing.
[Link: North County Times]
by The Editors on May 14, 2008
The Museum of Making Music will be honoring music legend (and Beatles inspiration) Ravi Shankar at their Evening Of Note fundraiser on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at The Crossings clubhouse at The Crossings-at-Carlsbad.
The evening opens with a reception featuring performances by Kamau Kenyatta and the San Diego Youth Symphony & Conservatory String Quartet. Following the reception, the gala program—emceed by Marty Levin, NBC 7/39 News Anchor—includes special performances by the Patnaik Sisters Indian Dance Troupe, Peter Sprague & Fred Benedetti, youth cello prodigy Nathan Chan and a special commemorative presentation for the honoree, Ravi Shankar.
Tickets are $100 per person (or $1200 for a table of 12). Proceeds from the evening support the museum’s ongoing educational outreach programs, workshops, performances and exhibitions.
[Link: Museum of Making Music]
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by The Editors on May 11, 2008
The City of Carlsbad has paid $105,000 to settle a lawsuit brought on by Robert and Liliana Rees after they were roughly arrested at their home during a birthday party in December of 2006, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
According to the suit filed in federal court, dentist Robert Rees was shot with a Taser several times, punched and had his arms and wrists twisted by Carlsbad police Officers Gerry Ellsworth and George Zavala. . . . Rees’ wife, Liliana, was arrested on suspicion of resisting and obstructing an officer after she photographed the incident and tried to open the door of a police car to take a photo of her husband, the lawsuit said. She said she was slammed against the car. . . A charge of resisting arrest was dismissed when Robert Rees pleaded guilty to a loud noise violation. The criminal case against his wife was dismissed. . . . As part of the settlement, which the City Council approved in a closed session April 8, the couple agreed to drop the lawsuit against the city.
Sounds like money that could have been better spent on a new skatepark.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on May 11, 2008
We made fun of some bandits on April 4th for robbing the Sears jewelry department. Now, it appears that the same men may have come back and hit the JCPenny’s at Carlsbad’s Westfield Plaza Camino Real.
The break-in at the JCPenney department store in Carlsbad’s Plaza Camino Real Mall was reported at 4:12 a.m., said a Carlsbad Police Department dispatcher. . . .he break-ins are believed to be part of a yearlong string of nearly a dozen similar burglaries recorded statewide, including one last month in El Cajon.
The rising price of gold can make some people do crazy things, huh? Pennys is offering up a $20,000 reward so ratting out their friends could be even more lucrative way for the lowbrow bandits to make even more cash.
[Link: Fox6.com]
by The Editors on May 10, 2008
We often wonder what the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau does. Not because we think they don’t do anything, but more out of plain, simple ignorance. For instance, where is the Carlsbad Convention Center? But we’re wandering from the point: The new Carlsbad Travel Planner has arrived.
The vibrant 40-page magazine-style Guide is filled with helpful information such as lodging accommodations, restaurants, shopping, local attractions (LEGOLAND, Leo Carrillo Park, The Village), outdoor fun, special events (Carlsbad 5K, ArtSplash, Village Faire, Carlsbad Marathon) and, of course, directions on “how to get to the beach!” Stunning photography and directional maps provide the perfect complement to this year’s Guide.
The CCVB printed 80,000 copies of the guide proving that at least in Carlsbad people still believe in the printed word regardless of the fact that most of the planners will probably sit in boxes all year. If anyone notices an increase in business based on their advertising in the planner, please let us know.
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by The Editors on May 9, 2008
According to a story in Aviation Week , the Cessna CE-510 that “ground looped” McClelland-Palomar Airport on April 19, 2008 was as a result of landing too fast, too far down the runway. Apparently the pilot. . .
. . . crossed the runway threshold 15 knots fast and landed close to the middle of Runway 24, according to a preliminary NTSB interview with the pilot.
Once the pilot realized he couldn’t stop the aircraft on the remaining runway, he intentionally ground looped the aircraft to stop it before it ran off the west end and down a steep ravine. . . . During the flight, the right PFD began to flicker and the autopilot disengaged.
The pilot reported that he was “fatigued by the workload associated with coping with the system” and he banged up California Natural Products plane.
[Link: Aviation Week]
by The Editors on May 9, 2008
Don’t get too up in arms yet. While the state of California has approved turning the Tamarack Surf Beach Parking lot into a “fee lot” which could cost $8 a day, they are not putting the metering in until they meet with the City of Carlsbad, according to a Barbara Henry story in the North County Times.
. . . state officials will meet with the city of Carlsbad to see if the city will pay to keep the lot free, said Brian Ketterer, superintendent of the state’s parklands in northern coastal San Diego County.
If the city puts up the money that the parking charge would have generated, then the state won’t install the fee device in the 120-space lot at the western end of Tamarack Avenue, he said.
The problem is that that state wants in excess of $200,000 from the city. Mayor Bud Lewis is reportedly “not optimistic.” Unless, of course, we all mention how important it is to all of us who use it.
[Link: North County Times]
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