In a vote of 3—Terry Gaasterland, Tracy Martinez, Dan Quirk— to 2, the sculpture “Octetra” by internationally known artist Isamu Noguchi, offered at no cost to the city, was turned down at the Monday, May 1 City Council meeting that was set to clarify the procedure for public comment on possible sculptures, a 60-day period previously unanimously agreed upon by the City Council. On Thursday afternoon, April 27, Hershell Price had sent out an email in advance of the May 1 City Council meeting falsely stating that a private citizen not on the Arts Advisory Committee (AAC) led the
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Recent Letters
May 23, 2023 - Robin Vanderlaan
When I read that the City Council had turned down a donation of a sculpture by Isamu Noguchi I thought maybe this wasn’t THE Isamu Noguchi? But then I saw a photo of the Noguchi on offer in the Sandpiper . How is it possible that a town known for it’s mid century design. architects and architecture failed to grasp the significance of this piece?
May 16, 2023 - Art Olson
While travelling in the U.K., walking the rugged coastal landscapes of the Shetland Islands and enjoying the cultural riches of London, our joy was unfortunately disturbed. Watching the recent Del Mar City Council meeting on public art for our Civic Center, my wife and I gasped in disbelief as councilmember and lapsed ballerina Terry Gaasterland politically pirouetted with her two Council cohorts, Tracy Martinez and
Since incorporating in 1959, Del Mar has depended on citizen participation and volunteerism. In fact, we expect it. We have always been fortunate to have an outsized share of expertise in many areas – science, medicine,
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As the City continues to work on a program to place affordable housing at the Fairgrounds, several “scenarios” are being studied that are located on a southeastern site near the Fire Station on Jimmy Durante Blvd.
MoreJie – li!” Without hesitation, I leaped out of the car and followed the warm call from the wooden porch, where my grandma was waiting. In her bright pink slippers, she was bundled up in the
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San Diego County hosts some 25 species of snakes, a few quite rare, and some that are known to be “sustainable” solutions to controlling pests, most specifically our plentiful rat population. Snakes diets include pesky,
MoreAs we scrutinize our lives to minimize our environmental footprint by reducing and reusing, there is an area where our North American culture can benefit from an upgrade. Yes, I am writing about the miles of
MoreArcturus (formally XBB1.16) is a new SARS-CoV-2 variant closely related to the dominant COVID virus Omicron strain. The sequence changes in the virus spike protein appear to convey a transmission advantage, although early reports suggest that
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Solar and wind energy are essential for supplying more electric power to the grid. But there is another obstacle that currently is limiting how much clean energy gets onto the grid. There is a long queue
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My name is Olive and my birthday is April 1, 2014. My first grandson was named Oliver, after me. So I guess it’s a pretty important name. I live on Avenida Primavera. First thing in
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Summer Twilight Concerts are just around the corner, and it’s a great way to hang with family and neighbors – enjoying the music, dancing, picnicking, and taking in a signature sunset over the ocean. This year’s
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The Scoop: Ice Cream Social 2023 DMCC’s Social and Good Times Committee hosted the third annual Ice Cream Social on April 28 at the Del Mar Civic Center. It was another successful event, with 80 people
MoreJune 2023 Issue
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In Brief
Affordability First
On June 5, the City Council is slated to introduce an ordinance implementing Senate Bill 9, a State law enacted in January 2022 that allows a qualifying lot zoned for one unit to be subdivided into two parcels, with up to two residential units allowed on each new parcel. State law prohibits discretionary review of SB 9 applications, but does allow objective development and design standards to be applied. The ordinance “seeks to mitigate SB 9’s impacts to maintain community character in neighborhoods zoned for one dwelling per lot,” according to the City’s website. The Planning Commission reviewed the draft ordinance on May 9, and favored a requirement that the first (or one) “SB 9” unit on any R-1 lot be required to be dedicated for affordable housing; it is unclear whether or how that recommendation will be incorporated into the ordinance.
Blooming Bad
Those stunning displays of spectacular thick bushed yellow flowers, Sahara or black mustards, that carpeted fields after our extravagant winter rains are in fact invaders set to take over territories and potential fire hazards. These non-natives, quick to propagate, kill off our native flowers by crowding them out. Their dried up bushes turn into fuel for fires. How to control the spread of these fatal flowers: detection and prevention and removal. Volunteers?
Rock A Way Beach
