Leucadia Mystery Building

Quail Botanical Gardens changing it's name to San Diego Botanic Garden, why not Encinitas Botanic Gardens?

Read the North County Times story about this name change, click here

My opinion? Not cool at all. I do understand the name change in that we have successfully killed all the quail around here. But, if they want to identify with a location then they should be Encinitas Botanic Gardens. Screw you backstabbers! They say they need to change the name to attract more visitors, then admit in the article last year broke attendance records.

If this name change goes through chalk it up to another FAIL by the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce.

www.qbgardens.org

The San Diego Union Tribune is a strange, strange newspaper

Last week the San Diego Union Tribune ran an op-ed about the Hall Park. It was basically at hit piece aimed at the females on the Encinitas city council. Member Teresa Barth and mayor Maggie Houlihan were blamed for the delays. The anonymous editorial read more like the late night drunken comments we get on this blog than what a major newspaper would run.
Read: A major park, 8 years later

Teresa Barth fired back a nice letter noting the realities of financing the huge Hall Park project, which the UT ran, read it here.

But the UT quickly countered with yet another whiny and anonymous Hall Park op-ed, the very same day! The mysterious and genius editor at the UT claims all the city of Encinitas has to do is contact the city of San Marcos who will tell us how a city with a population of 63,000 and a shrinking sales tax base can build a $20-$50 million dollar soccer park. So simple! Read, A city of parks – or excuses?

Maybe we could also talk to Vista which is struggling to build it's own park and it using a sales tax increase. From the North County Times read, VISTA: Park project moves ahead, but access still in question

I'm not sure why the San Diego Union Tribune has decided to make an effort to scapegoat Teresa Barth for the Hall Park mess. I'm also not sure why they are doing this anonymously. It was editors of major print newspapers who threw a fit about all those anonymous bloggers out there on the internet saying whatever the hell they want that inspired me to stop posting anonymously and start using my real name (which I did within the first year of starting this blog).

Here is the list of UT editors taken from their website:

The U-T Editorial Board

William Osborne
senior editor, opinion

Robert A. Kittle
Editorial page editor

Pat Flynn
Dialog editor

Ruben Navarrette
Editorial columnist

Chris Reed
Editorial writer

There, you now have the names of the people who brought you the Hall Park hit piece. None of this will help build the park and it was all written by the same people who brought us this piece of hard hitting journalism about Del Mar Cougars.

UPDATE: The following was posted in the comments section and I believe it to be legit,

Not everyone will agree with our editorials, and we realize that. But there are two comments in this blog post I would like to address and hopefully clarify:

1. Our editorials are not anonymous. They are the opinion of the entire Union-Tribune Editorial Board. They don't contain a byline because they are not the opinion of one person, but rather they are the opinion of multiple people. The names of the people on our Editorial Board are listed on our Opinion pages.

2. The Editorial Board is separate from the newsroom and does not influence our reporting. Our news stories, e.g. "'Cougars' make tracks to Del Mar," are not chosen, edited or written by the people who write our editorials. Those are separate staffs.

Thanks,
Rob Hopwood
The San Diego Union-Tribune and SignOnSanDiego.com

August 12, 2009 11:04 AM

See also Hall Park Roundup

Tree Tunnels Along the California Coast

Ventura keeps their coastal route shady, with lines of eucalyptus.
A strip of Morro Bay's eucalyptus trees are 98 years old. The locals consider the trees an important landmark.

The City of Burlingame made their 100 year old El Camino Real tree tunnel part of their official planning documents.
The trees are widely accepted as an important asset of the city.

See Also: City of Encinitas Removes Heritage Trees.

Leucadian Greeter?

Apparently we have our own greeter now. His sign reads www.leucadiangreeter.com

The New York Times knows we exist

Leucadia is the last hippie town in America, blah blah blah.
Read the New York Times travel article about Leucadia click here.

Sea Turtle Sighting

Tropical Turtle Photo Credit: Fred Sharples.

Here's another reason to get out and enjoy our town's greatest natural asset. Sea turtle(s) have been seen along the edge of the surf zone, near our reef breaks. Perhaps, the warm water (pushing 70 degrees) has the turtles venturing out from their San Diego Bay hideout.

Leucadia Blvd train crossing continues to muck up summer traffic

Photos from last Saturday. I sat thru 3 light cycles. It was brutal but I didn't road rage. I just chilled out to satellite radio and wondered what will be "the biggest thing ever to happen to Encinitas" as promised by the new chamber of commerce ceo. Good times.

The 2 Chambers and my challenge to them

Encinitas now has two Chamber of Commerce's :

www.encinitaschamber.com

newencinitaschamber.org

Encinitas does not have a multiplex movie theater or a bowling alley. But we do have lots of newly vacant retail space. Get ready, get set, GO.

*By the way, letting the Mac store go into Carlsbad's parasitic shopping center The Forum was a massive FAIL on the part of the ECC. Let's do better than that folks.

MARKETING: Encinitas chamber sprouts competitor
Leucadia Blog: Fresh Chamber CEO

Leucadia Oaks Skate Feature

Nate Sherwood park review posted at skateboard.com:

f/s ollie of myself photo courtesy of Ryan L.

Crop circle.

The Leucadia park is like my friend Ill Bill's tat, it is so bad it is good.

At least the park is not as jacked as this mini ramp I found on the way to the farmers market the other day.

Our Congressman Brian Bilbray on Healthcare Reform

*Astute observers will note his ironic remarks around the 3:30 minute mark.

Two's a crowd?

"It is too fine an artwork to be destroyed—we need to find it a home so it can be enjoyed. Perhaps the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, a school, or a local surf shop might want it. Could you help spread the word and contact me with any takers."
Thanks much,
Jim Gilliam I City Manager's Dept. I City of Encinitas
505 S. Vulcan Ave. Encinitas, CA 92024 I
760.633.2746

Coastal Shuttle Update

The North County Times recently reported an update on the coastal shuttle ridership.

See Also: Coast Cruiser Post

Encinitas "in demonic bondage"

The religilous RickGreene.org blog has a post on Encinitas that includes a quick history lesson and notes the many churches found in our town. However, Rick is very alarmed. He is worried about New Age cultist among other things and describes the famous Self Realization Fellowship as "demonic".

From the blog,

There are churches that love Jesus in this area, and we simply desire to partner with them in the work that God is doing here. However, there are still many people to be reached and a lot of work to do! This city is in demonic bondage and is much like Mars Hill (Acts 17) in that there are many false religions and cults. The New Age movement has a massive influence in the city.

and,

Encinitas is full of false spirituality, religions, and cults: Chapel of Awareness, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito, Seaside Center for Spiritual Living, Christian Science, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and many others!

I believe that we are entering into intense spiritual warfare,