Stocks vs Nanninga

Coast News columnist and 2008 Encinitas city council candidate Bob Nanninga wrote this article for his Observations from the Edge column on May 31st harshly criticizing the NCTD,

Death by a thousand cuts is the best way to describe the plight of bus and rail service in the land of sprawl and crawl.

It boggles my mind how with the price of gas firmly ensconced at more than $4 a gallon, parking in coastal communities damn near impossible to find and commuter rail ridership up, North County Transit District, or NCTD, is cutting service as it struggles to make ends meet and contend with $34 million in debt.

A devolution of public transit in San Diego County seems like a case of criminal neglect or purposeful mismanagement.

Read the entire column online: County’s mass transit off track

Mayor of Encinitas Jerome Stocks is up for re-election this year and he wrote this scathing letter criticizing the Coast News and their "columnist".

click images for large view

To Tow or Not to Tow?

Soul Steps

Reader Robert Tempchin e-mailed this great photo of the Stone Steps mural painting before the tile replica went in. I preferred the painting but the tiles make more sense maintenance wise.

The present tile mural.

Stone Steps 1975.

Bottom 2 images from www.californiacoastalimages.com

Meet Sheffo

Meet and Greet with Encinitas City Council Candidate Joe Sheffo Scheduled for Tuesday, June 10


Event will be held 7PM on June 10 at the Encinitas Community Center

ENCINITAS – Joe Sheffo, candidate for Encinitas City Council, will hold a meet-and greet on the evening of Tuesday, June 10. The event will be held at the Encinitas Community Center and begin at 7:00 pm.

WHO: Joe Sheffo, candidate for Encinitas City Council

WHAT: Meet and greet

WHEN: Evening of Tuesday, June 10, 7:00 pm

WHERE: Encinitas Community Center Room 140, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive (Off of Balour)

www.sheffo4council.com

SHEFFO URGES NCTD BOARD TO POSTPONE HIRING NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UNTIL AFTER NOV

Hero Leucadian Fights to Keep 760

NCT.com REGION: Code war -- Leucadia man launches drive to keep 760

Article excerpt:

ENCINITAS ---- As North County prepares for yet another new area code, one Leucadia resident is saying enough is enough.

"It seems arrogant to me that a nonelected body would impose this decision, which will cost millions of dollars," said Scott Chatfield, who has started an online petition drive to ask the Public Utilities Commission to reconsider its April 24 decision to change North County's area code from 760 to 442.

With no publicity so far, about two dozen people have joined him to lobby the commission, he said.

The 442 area code will be introduced in October for Borrego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Julian, Oceanside, Pauma Valley, Camp Pendleton, Ramona, San Marcos, Valley Center, Vista, and Warner Springs.

Both the 760 and 442 area codes will coexist until April 2009, then only the 442 area code will work in North County.

Chatfield, who has a background in radio and runs a small recording label, has created the Web site www.Keep760.org to pressure the commission. He doesn't dispute there is a need for more area codes because of a growing population and an increasing number of cell phones, fax machines and other devises.

But he does disagree with the commission's solution to the problem.




http://www.keep760.org/

Cottonwood Creek Environmental Film Festival this Saturday

Saturday, June 7
10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
La Paloma Theatre
471 S. Coast Hwy. 101
Sunday, June 8
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Encinitas Library
540 Cornish Drive
Cost: Saturday: $5 per film, $20 festival package; Sunday: free
Info: 760-943-1950

www.cottonwoodfilm.org

West Nile Virus in Encinitas

10news.com Five More Birds Test Positive For West Nile Virus

NCT.com REGION: Birds test positive for West Nile virus

signonsandiego.com Five more birds have West Nile virus

Watch a video about when West Nile Virus appeared in the USA for the first time in 1999, click here.

F & G

Encinitas Prop F
Pass: 4852 / 56.38% Yes votes ...... 3754 / 43.62% No votes

total votes-8606

Encinitas Prop G
Fail: 5581 / 64.66% Yes votes ...... 3050 / 35.34% No votes

total votes-8631

NCT.com: ENCINITAS: Tourist tax leading in early returns

*According to Smart Voter.org prop G did not pass because it did not get the required two-thirds approval. source

The idea of taxing short term rentals may have well originated on this blog as a compromise instead of banning short term rentals outright. I support taxing short term rentals, but as usual the devil is in the details. I did not like the details of prop F.

This excerpt from the NCT.com article sums it up for me,

Prop. F would levy an 8 percent transient occupancy tax on short term vacation rentals --- units that rent for 30 days or less --- with that money going into the city's general fund. Prop. G would add 2 percent tax on the same short term vacation rentals, but would earmark that amount for beach sand replenishment.

Tourists who stay in other types of lodging in the city ---- including hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast inns ---- already pay a 10 percent transient occupancy tax. Eight percent of that money goes into the general fund and 2 percent is used for sand replenishment.

Supporters of Tuesday's ballot measure said the funding is important to the economic health and aesthetic appeal of the city.

"... We are a tourist destination and the sand is integral to the local economy," said Andreen, adding that the early returns appeared to show that voters understood that message.

Kevin C, president of the Encinitas Taxpayers Association, said before the election that he opposed the measures. He said the city should have lowered its existing transit occupancy tax to 8 percent, then included that to include short-term vacation rentals.

In my opinion, double digit taxes are just plain evil.

When your friends Skip and Buffy come to visit and you put them up at the Leucadia Beach Inn at $155 a night, you have to pay an extra $15 bucks. So if they stay Friday and Saturday you just subtracted $30 bucks from your wallet that isn't going to the local restaurants or boutiques. Oh well, it's only money.

Of course, the short term beach rentals can fetch up to $5000 a week in Encinitas. It's still unclear just how many short term rentals there are in town and how much revenue they generate every year, but they are definitely going to be a cash cow for the city. I sense a city staff raise in the near future!

Throw your Birkenstocks in the air, it's the Encinitas Environment Day

EED.org

Hall Park Mediators Presentation, did you go?

NCT.com: ENCINITAS: Mediators present Hall property report

"We have leadership that pitted us against each other. Every day this park is not built, every day it costs more to build," said Bob Nanninga, a member of the parks and recreation commission when the property was purchased by the city. "As someone who has been in the process from the beginning, it has always been divide and conquer. We need to stick together and get this park built."

I say, for now just make the Hall Park simple open fields where the kids can run around and play tag and stuff.

Moonlight Beach, Grassy Park instead of Sand?

Today we are voting on local props F & G. Prop F will tax short term rentals and prop G will allocate 2% of that tax to Moonlight Beach summer sand replenishment.
Encinitas Prop F and G Roundup

I was thinking the other day, maybe that money should go to maintaining a mini-park at Moonlight Beach instead of that itchy sand they truck in. I think it would be nice to have a green area between the lifeguard towers.

Bob Nanninga 2008 Encinitas City Council Run Press Release

Nanninga for Encinitas

PRESS RELEASE

June 1, 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: observations@cox.net

760.840.0838

Bob Nanninga to officially announce Encinitas City Council bid Thursday June 5, 2008, 11:00 AM

ENCINITAS – Bob Nanninga, candidate for Encinitas City Council, will hold a press conference at Leucadia Roadside Park Thursday, June 5th. 11:00 AM to give a statement of intent and answers questions from residents and local media.

WHO: Bob Nanninga, candidate for Encinitas City Council

WHAT: Press Conference

WHEN: Thursday June 5, 2008 11:AM

WHERE: Leucadia Roadside Park

Citing a need for change and a shift in direction well-known downtown businessman, freelance and environmental activist Bob Nanninga is actively seeking one of three open seats on the Encinitas City Council in the November 4, 2008 municipal elections.

“The one thing all Encinitans have in common is the fact we all live in Encinitas. It is on this common ground we should come together to ensure progress and prosperity is possible for all residents.”

A 3-term Parks and Recreation Commissioner, and founder of Encinitas Environment Day efforts, Bob Nanninga is co-owner of the successful E Street Cafe in downtown Encinitas, professional actor and art educator for Encinitas based non-profit Class Act.

“Vision requires long term thinking. It’s time for Encinitas to shift it’s focus from a 20th century farming and floriculture community to a 21st century ecotourism destination. It’s time to plan for progress, and the preservation of Encinitas’ character and community in order to maintain the high standard living we now enjoy.”

Those interested in attending can also visit the campaign web site www.nanningaforencinitas.org for details.

ENCINITAS: Nanninga announces bid for City Council

Choo Choo!

click image for large view

Did you see the incredible old steam engine pass through Leucadia today? It was pretty awesome. The train was immaculately restored, just beautiful. My crappy snapshot doesn't do it justice (taken from Karina's taco shop).

It was funny to see so many camped out along the train tracks waiting for the train to come by when usually the cops hassle you for being near the tracks.

Did you notice how much better this train's horn is than our daily trains? Why can't Amtrak and the Coaster use that horn? It sounds like a train should, like part of Blue's song, not like the end of the world.

If you have better photos feel free to e-mail them to me.

Official website of the Santa Fe 3751 steam locomotive, click me.

Choo Choo Looky Loos,

The OC visits our Hwy101

The OC Register has a story about traveling north county's stretch of Hwy101, here is the part about Leucadia:

LEUCADIA

Driving south, you can follow the old 101 route inland or cheat a bit like me and stick to the coast as the road wraps past the towering gray hulk of the Encina Power Station. Despite the lure of the sand and sea, I am always happy to get past this stretch and pull into Leucadia, my favorite spot on the entire drive.

Officially a neighborhood of Encinitas, Leucadia has a coastal funkiness, some of it endangered. Many of the area's signature 100-year-old eucalyptus trees are being torn out, leaving a little less shade on the streets named after Vulcan and other ancient gods.

For those in the right mood, there is no better place to stay on the highway than the Leucadia Beach Inn, a 1920s, Spanish-style court hotel that has been lovingly restored. The simple tile-floor kitchenette rooms, too near what used to be a not-as-busy highway, are clean and freshly painted.

"We're the number-two rated hotel in the area on Hotels.com, after La Costa," bragged the desk clerk as he handed me a brochure. With a base price of $69 a night, you won't confuse this with the luxury resort nearby, but the bills won't look the same either.

Nearby is Bamboo2U and Tikis Too, selling hand-carved Polynesian god tikis. Better yet, buy a lime-green or orange Adirondack-style wood lifeguard tower chair like the ones displayed on the shop's roof.

Pannikin Coffee and Tea is housed in a retired 1888 Santa Fe Railroad Depot painted bright yellow. On this visit, "Opae E," a gentle Hawaiian song sung by the late, great Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, is playing. A place that picks you up, then eases you back down.
OC Register Hwy101 story.