North County

Breaking News, North County, Valley Center September 14, 2016

Court leaves most of Lilac Hills Ranch opposition ballot statement standing

San Diego Superior Court Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon Wednesday told Lilac Hills Ranch supporters to forget about changing opposition ballot statements. Sturgeon denied the request of Lilac Hills Ranch advocates that opponents alter language in their ballot statement, in effect legitimizing the right of opponents to frame their arguments as they chose fit. “The court supported our concerns about Measure B,” James Gordon of the No on B…

North County, Valley Center September 6, 2016

What’s in a Lilac Hills Ranch ballot opponent argument?

What’s in a ballot measure opposition statement, Lilac Hills Ranch fans, should be settled by San Diego Superior Court Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon almost immediately following a Tuesday, Sept. 13 hearing. The ever-contentious, and litigious, question of placing 1,700 homes and 90,000 square feet of commercial space on agricultural land that is currently zoned to hold 110 new homes and no commercial space in very…

Breaking News, News, North County, Surprising and Strange August 31, 2016

Krispy Kreme Tuesdays bites off more than it can chew at North County mall

 Krispy Kreme Tuesdays Burbank apparently bit off more than it could chew at Escondido’s Westfield North County regional mall last night. When the police and fumes cleared the vast parking lot and its environs, namely freeway feeder lanes and nearby exit/entrances, an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 Southern California vehicular flash mob enthusiasts were gone, if not forgotten. Not so coincidentally, the car show flash mob…

Blogs, Columns/Blogs, North County, Opinion August 16, 2016

Two failings of our government

On the far northern fringes of coastal North County, within a mile or two of each other along Interstate 5, are two shameful symbols of the failings of our government. One is the border checkpoint, some 60 miles north of the border. Immigration reform is badly needed, but nothing seems to ever get done. Meanwhile, our border is so porous that the federal government feels…

Business, North County, Real Estate August 15, 2016

Tale of two master-planned developments

347-home Rancho Tesoro began to take shape this month between Cal State University San Marcos and San Elijo Hills at San Marcos. Meanwhile, 550-home Safari Highlands around Escondido was put on hold due to continued environmental concerns and the need for another round of reports. Rancho Tesoro on the way in San Marcos What once was pristine hiking turf broke ground this month for the…

North County, Transportation August 2, 2016

NCTD: Don’t tread on Sprinter tracks

The luckiest man in San Marcos spooked North County Transit District officials so much they tightened pedestrian trespassing enforcement this week. Meanwhile, the man who got struck by a Sprinter train traveling at 40 mph at the Palomar College Station is still at large after casually dusting himself off and walking eastbound on the NCTD tracks, presumably towards home.  “There’s an increasing problem we are…

North County, Politics July 11, 2016

Sorry Sam: Dave and Kristin headed for supervisor race runoff

Incumbent 3rd District Supervisor Dave Roberts will square off against Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar in November. Escondido Mayor Sam Abed is out. “I’m happy to be past that milestone and am looking forward to the next months ahead,” Gaspar said. Roberts finished first, with 38.79 percent of votes cast (53,108), while Gaspar was in second place, with 34.28 percent (46,939), according to the latest tally,…

North County June 30, 2016

‘Hey Baby, it’s the Fourth of July’

Escondido, San Marcos and the world celebrate the Fourth of July on the 4th of July; that’s a Monday. It’s Birthday No. 240 for the good ole U.S. of A. Here is the official word on how Escondido and San Marcos are celebrating the annual holiday. Escondido: 53rd Annual Independence Day Festival & Fireworks Escondido’s annual Independence Day Festival & Fireworks has become a North…

Agriculture, Business, North County June 19, 2016

Not your grandparents farmers market

There are farmers markets and then, there are (cannabis) farmers markets. At an undisclosed location and time in San Marcos, revealed only to certified medical marijuana card holders through private message, but with a $15 admission price, the San Diego Cannabis Farmers Market “North County Edition” rolled into somewhere for a while Saturday. “We ask that you not give out the location to non-market attendees…

North County, Politics June 15, 2016

Supervisor race not as much about party as it was about the people

Sam Abed was looking forward to an easy win in the June primary to challenge incumbent Dave Roberts for the 3rd District seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The Republican mayor of Escondido had the old guard of the party solidly behind him. He won the official endorsement of the county GOP, and counted in his camp such old-school party republican stalwarts…