Encinitas, Too Cool for the Cool
By SUSAN GRANT Voice Staff Writer
Monday, June 25, 2007 | Downtown Encinitas can’t be accused of lacking creative flavor. From the mosaic tile trash cans lining the streets to the gold-and-blue domed Self-Realization Fellowship Temple that twinkles with thousands of lights during the winter holidays, the town is filled with color and flair.
"There’s an artist of some kind behind every other door around here," said Barbara Milé, an Encinitas native and former city art commissioner.
The revitalization of the downtown area over the last decade has brought business and tourism to the area. Boutique clothing shops, gardening supply stores and hair salons now fill the city’s downtown area.
However, that boom has also raised rent to the point that the community artists are having a hard time affording gallery space in the very area they helped define. "It works against us in a way because when the town is revitalized, the rent goes up," said local artist Donna Butnik.
Aesthetic and structural improvements made to the downtown area of old Encinitas are part of a revitalization program run by the Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association. More than $23 million went toward the development of new shopping centers, streetscape renovations and art-specific programs such as the Arts Alive street banners. In 2004, DEMA received a Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The association was praised for having "successfully harnessed the community’s artistic spirit to develop an arts niche."
Since 1997, the rate for a commercial space in the popular shopping center The Lumberyard has doubled from $1.50 a square foot to about $3.
Read the whole article here.
Encinitas Commission for the Arts
Encinitas artist are being outsourced to slave children in China who can produce art much cheaper and faster.
DEMA is now taking credit for putting in $23 million dollars to revitalize downtown Encinitas? Whoever gave out that information should have their mouth washed out with soap.
ReplyDeleteThe banners cost were started with city general fund money.
The streetscape was paid for with city money.
The hanging planters were paid for with city money.
The steam cleaning of the sidewalks is paid for with city money.
The maintenance expenses for the sign and the landscaping is paid for by city money and landscape and lighting fees.
DEMA gets $48,000 a year city funded subsidy.
Where does all your money, DEMA?
DEMA has enough money to make $10k charitable donations. What is up with that?
ReplyDeleteIssues like this are completely meaningless in the face of what is about to happen to California.
ReplyDeleteYour head is in the sand if you don’t know about the stated desire to invade AND take over California through mass immigration. 60% of Mexicans have a relative in the USA. http://www.limitstogrowth.org/WEB-text/aztlan.html
One problem with too much immigration at once is that immigrants brings their culture with them. Mexico is very corrupt. Many of LA County’s southern cities are now completely dominated by recent immigrants and corruption is blatant. http://watchourcity.com/
The corruption is fueled by the Mexican mafia. How do they take over? Watch the award winning Full Disclosure. http://www.fulldisclosure.net/Programs/478.php
Call Senator Boxer and tell her to vote to protect America.
SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS AND GALLERIES
ReplyDeletediddo -
ReplyDeleteSUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS by BUYING LOCAL ART!
Director of Art costs the city 84k in Salary and another 40k in benefits. Total liability 120k per year. Is he worth it? Seems like the volunteer commissioners and a secretary could cover the responsibility? What has he actually done for the residents? Is this a position that should be cut?
ReplyDeleteIT IS MY GUESS THAT THE CURRENT ART DIRECTOR IS TIED IN WITH THE REPUB/CHRISTIAN MAFIA THAT INVADED OUR COUNCIL AND STAFF YEARS AGO. THEY ALL CLAIM TO BE ANTI-SOCIALIZM YET HAVE NO TROUBLE FEEDING AT THE SOCIALIST TROUGH. I'M SURE THAT JEROME,DAN AND JIM WILL REFUSE THEIR SOCIALIST PENSIONS.
ReplyDeleteanon 9:30,
ReplyDeleteThe story does not say that DEMA is talking credit for it. It says
"More than $23 million went toward the development of new shopping centers, streetscape renovations and art-specific programs such as the Arts Alive street banners. "
The shopping centers are of course private, the streetscape is of course public, and the Arts Alive banner program was started and is funded by DEMA. The artists and the art association get the revenue from the auction and DEMA does not receive a penny.
The groups buget is over $425K a year with 40K coming from the city.
the rest is from events, merchandise sales, grants, membership,
Anon 10:18
ReplyDeleteWe are not being invaded by Mexicans, we're being invaded by Peasants.
Do you want to help solve the immigration problem?
Stop buying products manufactured in China!
Give the work to Mexico. If you help create a healthy large middle class in Mexico.
The Peasants won't come to USA for work, they'll stay in Mexico and we can Fuck over the Chinese Government at the same time.
I'm convinced that 99% of Americans are Fucking Retarded. And I know the Minutemen shop at Walmart.
Aztlan leaders are Terrorists & should be taken out! Along with most of the Mexican Police & all the families of the Drug Cartel.
Mexico is a Beautiful Country, with Beautiful People.
anon 10:28
ReplyDeleteBetter re-read that article. It doesn't reveal that the improvements were paid for by the city, leaving the readers with the impression that DEMA gets the credit for putting in $23 million dollars.
Clear it up by writing a correction letter to the Voice of San Diego.
I have to agree with Jon P. that somewhere around 99% of Americans are F'ing Retarded. I'm glad I'm the one percent exception. That pretty much means everyone else on this blog is F'ing Retarded. And it shows.
ReplyDeleteEveroyne has something to whine about. Boo hoo. Go play catch with your kid or have a conversation with your wife and stop crying about things, sad sack Turziak.
Peder Norby's $100,000 contract with the city with be approved tomorrow by the city council.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweetheart contract. The city will let him assign the contract to someone else. How many consultants get to do that?
The contract has no restrictions on other outside consulting work.
Good contract for Peder, bad contract for the city.
I agree. Its all about ownership.
ReplyDeleteIf the park is owned by a landlord, the landlord should be able to set the rent for each of the spaces he makes available. The resident have free will to stay or go.
If the residents want to have control of the property, they can band together and buy the property from the property owner.
Seems simple to me. What more is needed to study? Can the City pay me for my concise report?
Woops. Wrong blog topic. Sorry
ReplyDeleteJ.P., did you see Tom's post yesterday about smoking on the beach in Encinitas?
ReplyDeleteA BIG FAT RASPBERRY TO THE ENCINITAS CITY MANAGER, PHIL COTTON, FOR CHANGING THE DAY OF THE CITY WEBSITE POSTING OF THE COUNCIL AGENDAS AND STAFF REPORTS FROM 3:00 P.M. THURSDAY TO FRIDAY MORNINGS.
ReplyDeleteThis means residents will have even less time to study the staff reports.
City Hall is closed every other Friday, so questions on the agenda will have to wait until Monday.
Shame on you, Phil Cotton, for cutting residents' access to the staff reports at 3:00 P.M. on Thursdays.
Phil Cotton is nothing but a shill for the city council. They are all weak and worthless!!! Not a one of them can justify the oxygen they rob from the air we breath!!!
ReplyDeleteBut hey, his moving the staff report to a Friday is his payback to them for the $40K+ pay increase for only 6 months work.
And why is city hall closed on Friday's?? A cheap excuse for a 3 day weekend!! Grey Davis is history and so should his by product of 3 day weekends for energy savings. I'd like to see the energy reduction when closed on Fridays. Do they power down the computers?? Turn off all the lights?? How about the A/C is that turned off also?? IT'S ALL NOTHING BUT A SCAM!!!!!!! Of course the city would need to hire an energy consultant to discover ways to save energy and any savings would be offset by the cost of the OUT OF TOWN consultant!!!
RSPB!!!
Art Director costs the taxpayers too much. Phil Cotton costs the taxpayers too much. 101 Czar costs the taxpayers too much.
ReplyDeleteToo many consultants and "independent contractors" cost the taxpayers too much.
Our Encinitas Municipal Code says that public hearings for property related matters must have 10 days notice. I don't think the City is following its own laws. Or is that only for the pubic hearings noticed by those who are developing a property? The C.P.P.'s? City is inconsistent.
The Brown Act states that there must be at least 72 hour notice for agenda items for regular Council Meetings, INCLUDING closed sessions. If the City wants to have a closed session, they should know ahead of time. 24 hour notice for closed sessions before a regular council meeting is illegal according to state law. One good thing, Council has had less closed sessions, lately.
Seems like our City likes to do the minimum, re posting the agenda items. Did Phil Cotton explain the change from Thursday afternoon until Friday morning?
Thursday posting of notice was better for the citizens.
Once again, RSPB, I've got to agree with you.
The city thought they could sneak the traffic study by with giving the public short notice. They were wrong so they are probably thinking they need to shorten the public's window for discovery.
ReplyDeletePhil Cotton was hired from within for a reason.