The Sandpiper

features

archives

august 2008

August 2008 Issue

$$ for Shores Remain a Priority
August 2008 | by Wayne Dernetz

The Campaign For Del Mar Shores Committee Chair Joe Sullivan says his Committee is working hard to raise an additional $3.5 million in contributions still needed to pay off the debt on the Del Mar Shores site. That debt is in the form of a promissory note approved by the City of Del Mar which, along with $5 million in contributions raised thus far by the Committee, was needed to close escrow last May and complete the purchase of the 5.3 acre site from the Del Mar Unified School District. more>>

Samantha Experiences Raw Africa
August 2008 | by Susan Miller

Samantha Kaplan, a senior at San Dieguito Academy and Del Mar resident, recently took a trip that was very different from most American teenagers' summer vacations. more>>

How Green Is Del Mar?
August 2008 | by Sam Borgese

Historically Del Mar's reputation in San Diego County has been a leader on environmental issues such as the protection and acquisition of open space and in the forefront of efforts on regional projects such as the revitalization of the San Dieguito Lagoon. Given this reputation it is natural for Del Mar to develop its own green vision and to step up once again to lead and become an example of how communities, especially smaller communities, can participate in areas of environmental sustainability. more>>

Wetlands: Car Park or Sanctuary?
August 2008 | by Liz Dernetz

Predating the Coastal Act of 1976, the 22nd District Agricultural Association (Ag District) has used well-documented wetlands at the southern and southeastern edges of its property for overflow parking. Now that the District has undertaken major redevelopment plans for the property, the environmental community wants the District to comply with the Coastal Act and relinquish these wetlands. more>>

Remaining in the Groove
August 2008 | by Bill Michalsky

Two down and two to go and this isn't about the races. We're talking music. We are half way through the Summer Twilight Concert season at Powerhouse Park . No green flashes to report yet, but good music for sure. The series opened with Atomic Groove in June; what a dance band they are; they had many of you up front and moving to their tunes. And then in July we had Midnight Ramblers and their tribute to the Rolling Stones; the park was full and Del Martian Bob Hughes and group had all in a major dance mode. more>>

Cathy's Perspective
august 2008 | by Catherine D.

Summertime in Del Mar calls for a trip to the San Diego County Fair. There
is so much to do: food, rides, and games. What more could a kid want? more>>

Planning Pays Off for TP Bridge
August 2008 | by Mark Whitehead

The seismic retrofit and renovation of the historic bridge at our southern border is expected to begin during the second half of 2009. Full funding for the project, the most costly in the City's history, is expected from federal and state sources. According to David Scherer, Del Mar's Director of Public Works, the City Council will likely be presented with the project's Environmental Impact Report this fall. The environmental process, fortunately, is somewhat simplified because replacement of the bridge is no longer being considered, and retrofitting the existing structure is comparatively modest in any impacts to the environment. Thus, the project enjoys a "Categorical Exclusion" designation from the federal government, and a MND, mitigated negative declaration, from CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act. more>>

July 2008 Issue

Let's Eat Our Yards!
July 2008 | by Mary Friestedt

The price of gas is over $4.50 a gallon, which is making us all feel very guilty about driving even a few miles to pick up fruits and veggies. Ah, but hope is in sight! It is possible to grow many goodies at home with very little effort. We can save gas and eat the best food ever! I propose that we take out our grass and replace it with fruit trees or containers in which to grow veggies. Let me tell you a few stories. more>>

Keep Our Beaches Dry
July 2008 | by Jon Edelbrock

In May, the City Council unanimously voted to ban alcohol consumption on the beach and in our two popular beach-side parks, Seagrove and Powerhouse, through Labor Day weekend. Preceding the Council's decision, tension stemming from large crowds on the beaches and streets had been increasing significantly. Questions regarding the roots of the increase in incidents requiring enforcement seemed to point to most issues being alcohol-related. more>>

Cathy’s Perspective: Differing Ideas about Summer
July 2008 | by Catherine D

Summer is finally here! Teenagers have wrapped up final exams, put an end to a long school year, and headed on to bigger and better things, or so they thought. Like many other students, I am looking forward to a summer full of free time, but my mother has different ideas for me this summer. more>>

June 2008 Issue

A Rising Ocean Affects Us All
June 2008| by Betty Wheeler

Polar bears live far away, but Del Marians share something important with this Arctic species: The prospect of significant habitat change because of global warming. Two-thirds of the world's polar bears are predicted to disappear within 50 years because of Arctic ice decline, say USGS scientists. Jeff Severinghaus, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist who studies ice-core samples to learn what causes abrupt climate change like one that occurred 8,000 years ago, says that best estimates are that global warming will cause sea rise of three feet, plus or minus 18 inches, in the next 100 years. more>>

May 2008 Issue

Glorious Grays in the Garden
May 2008 | by Mary Friestedt

How many of you have practically veered off the road when you have seen gorgeous plants while walking, driving, or riding your bike? This happened to me the first time I arrived in Del Mar ten years ago and saw the stunning plantings of gray gazanias hugging the ground in the median strips on Camino Del Mar and Jimmy Durante. I wanted to just roll around in their sensuous softness. Or how about when you're driving down Montezuma Valley Grade towards Borrego Springs and you see the gray-leafed brittle bushes ( Encelia farinosa) hugging the brown earth or clinging next to a rock? Closer to home, people always ask about the beautiful gray plants at the post office, Dusty Millers. If you are like me, you are stunned by these gorgeous beauties. more>>

Our Original Locavores
May 2008 | by Maryruth Cox

If you walk on the trails in Torrey Pines Extension, you may notice signs of prehistoric man. The dark earth embedded with bits of shell might have been his garbage heap (midden); he might have used the broken rocks scattered on the mesa for hand tools to smash those shells, or to grind seeds for his pinole.

There are 34 recorded archeological sites in the 182 acres of the extension (Archeological Survey of the Extension Area of Torrey Pines State Reserve, by Marla Mealey, 2002). One of these sites has a splendid view of the ocean and Torrey Pines State Reserve, as well as a wild-onion patch nearby and heaps of hand-chopper-sized broken rocks. Here the Kumuyaay camped hundreds of years ago (approx. 700 A.D. to the 1500s) and their predecessors thousands of years ago (5000 B.C. to 400 A.D.). Although none of the sites in the extension has been dated, there is a large village site southeast of the extension, which has yielded dates ranging from 5155 B.C. to 370 A.D. more>>

Cathy's Perspective
Paradise Del Mar, a Dream Come True
May 2008 | by Catherine D

As May approaches, I have been longing for summer vacation. School is coming to an end, the days are getting longer, and the weather is getting warmer. It is almost here, I can't wait. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Much to my surprise, my mother recently expressed an interest in retiring in Kauai , after visiting the area during my Spring break. While most people would consider moving to that tropical paradise a dream come true, I think such a move would be a big mistake. So, for my mother, I have come up with 10 reasons to stay in Del Mar:

Roosters do not wake you at the crack of dawn. In Kauai , there must be two roosters for every man, woman and child. more>>

April 2008 Issue

Confidence Breeds Success
April 2008 | Interview with Janet Bernard, DMUSD Interim Superintendent | by Susan Miller

As has been widely reported in local news, Del Mar Union School District (DMUSD) Superintendent Tom Bishop recently resigned, leaving his position on February 29. Soon after Mr. Bishop's resignation, the DMUSD Board of Trustees appointed Janet Bernard as Interim Superintendent. The Board expects to identify a permanent superintendent within several months, allowing a transition over the summer.

Upon naming Mrs. Bernard in this role, DMUSD Board President Annette Easton stated, “Mrs. Bernard's breadth of experience across a variety of administrative positions will allow her to move seamlessly into this role…Mrs. Bernard's leadership style centers on trust, team building, and empowering others.” more>>

March 2008 issue

A Brief History of the Lagoon by Jacqueline Winterer

		At the end of the 19th century, the San Dieguito Lagoon was a thousand-acre wetland that included salt and brackish marsh, tidal embayments, sloughs and mudflats that were progressively developed for a variety of commercial and residential uses.
(March 2008 Sandpiper) more>>

Crest Canyon Makes Many New Friends by Leslie Wollenweber

		November brought together several residents from the neighborhoods surrounding Crest Canyon with an interest in forming a brand new stewardship group to help maintain this special vegetation community.
(March 2008 Sandpiper) more>>

February 2008 issue

Shores Campaign a Step Closer by Barbara Mandel Pache

Escrow is expected to close on February 28, 2008. It also marks the kickoff of the general community fundraising campaign to garner the remaining $4 million, under the respected leadership of co-chairs Laura DeMarco, Joe Sullivan, and Winston School headmaster Mike Peterson.

(February 2008 Sandpiper) more>>

What to do about downtown blight by Wanye Dernetz
Final part of a series on Del Mar's commercial zone

		Signs of physical blight also are increasing within the CC zone. Many pedestrian areas and sidewalks are cracked and broken. Along portions of Camino del Mar, pedestrians and vehicles compete for the same space. Landscaped medians, installed in the 1960s, need refurbishment. [...] Even the City's own administration facility adds to the blighted appearance of our downtown.
(February 2008 Sandpiper) more>>

December 2007 issue

The Test of fire by Bettina Experton

In the evening of Monday, October 22, Del Mar was just a few hot embers away from a major disaster.

(December 2007 Sandpiper) more>>

Downtown lags in sales tax revenue by Wayne Dernetz

City leaders worry that new offices are replacing retail businesses within the zone and eroding the City's sales tax base.

(December 2007 Sandpiper) more>>