January 2019

No committee, no problem for Duncan Hunter

Turns out when you’re indicted for massive campaign finance fraud, it ain’t so bad. Having been prohibited by House Republican leadership from ever having another committee assignment — committee work is a major facet of congressional time and power — U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Vape Hut) has a lot more time to do what he loves most, promote vaporizing, hang out with the Bro Caucus…


Boot camp after 60 for great health habits

10 Steps to Turn Around Unhealthy Habits It takes moxie to flip an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy one — particularly for folks over 60. Most baby boomers approach retirement age unwilling to follow basic healthy lifestyle goals established by the American Heart Association, said Dr. Dana King, professor and chairman of the department of family medicine at West Virginia University, referencing his university’s 2017…


How to have productive disagreements about politics and religion

In the current polarized climate, it’s easy to find yourself in the midst of a political disagreement that morphs into a religious argument. People’s religious affiliation predicts their stances on abortion, immigration and other controversial topics, and disagreements about these issues can seem intractable. The seeming futility in arguing about politics and religion may arise partly because people misunderstand the nature of these beliefs. Many…


California Pacific Airlines going nowhere fast

After 10 years of effort, Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport-based California Pacific Airlines finally took flight on November, 2018. It flew high for a whole month before being grounded, kicked out of the state of South Dakota and sued. A long-time pursuit of Ted Vallas, a 97-year-old Rancho Santa Fe businessman with an ambitious plan to pick up the traditionally failing Carlsbad passenger traffic market, the airlines may never…


New Esco leaders duck Jay Petrek questions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: WHILE THE US  GOVERNMENT HAS RE-OPENED FOR THREE WEEKS, THE ESCONDIDO MAYOR AND COUNCIL PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY SHUTDOWN GOES TO DAY 20 WITHOUT ANSWERS. It is Wednesday, Feb. 6. The Escondido mayor, and four council members, have yet to answer, or even acknowledge, they received, the series of questions listed below. These questions were emailed and Facebook messaged to each of them Thursday, Jan. 17,…


Field to Fork: Avos from Carlsbad to Davis

Avocados are all the rage these days. My sons don’t seem to understand their important role when it comes to supplying avocados to the family. Our older lad, who has a house in Los Angeles, has a large back yard filled with successful fruit trees — limes, lemons, grapefruit and two large guava trees. For six months, I pressured him to rip out a guava…


Social change doesn’t happen in a silo

Live Well San Diego: Creating Social Change Through Collective Impact The recent Sustainable Brands conference was a fitting stage to share the success story of Live Well San Diego, a visionary partnership that’s creating measurable progress toward a region that’s healthy, safe, and thriving. While San Diego is known for its beautiful beaches, perfect weather, and an active lifestyle, like much of the nation it’s…


RSF state rep. switches from Repub. to Dem.

If you can’t beat them, join them. State Assemblyman Brian Maienschein went from red to blue Thursday, Jan. 24. Maienschein announced at the State Capitol in Sacramento a switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, saying he had “shifted to the left” on key issues in recent years, specifically citing gun control, immigration, abortion and LGBTQ rights. The old switcheroo changed the state Assembly…


Tale of two diners: Rosie’s in, Vinz’s out

It was the best of times, for Rosie’s Cafe; it was the worst of times for Vinz Wine Bar/Continental Deli. Grand Avenue Escondido’s restaurant scene this week saw Rosie’s get a reality TV show makeover while Vinz Wine Bar and its associated Continental Deli went bye, Felicia. “Some exciting news from our neighbor, Rosie’s Cafe (formerly Champion’s,)” said Andy Granger, also known as Andy the Barber,…


Museum News: Half-price Feb. admission

People who love a deal and want to check out three Escondido and other North County museums are in luck next month. San Diego Museum Council’s Museum Month is back in its 30th year offering 1/2 priced admission to over 40+ museums throughout the month of February. Last year over 30,000 people used the promotion to explore the arts, history and culture in San Diego…