Five Down, One To Go

At its June 9th meeting, the 22nd DAA Board of Directors (the Fair Board), narrowed its consideration of a Fairgrounds site for the City of Del Mar to use for at least 61 units of affordable housing to a single site – the Surf and Turf RV Park located just east of Jimmy Durante Blvd. – eliminating all other potential sites that had previously been identified by the 22nd DAA from consideration. A formal Board action is expected at the August 2026 meeting to effectuate these decisions, but the June discussion was clear where the Board is headed.  

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Editorial: Council Quals

An important election to restore the Del Mar City Council to its full 5 members is coming this fall. The two winning candidates will help fill the void left by the resignation of former Councilmember Dwight Worden and the frequent 2:2 voting deadlock that resulted.

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Artful Library

New to our Del Mar Library: art displays. The inaugural show features framed posters created by internationally known artist Françoise Gilot for “SYMPHONY AT SALK” concerts 1996-2023.The show is sponsored by the Salk Institute, the Del Mar Foundation, and the library.   When Françoise Gilot

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Feed the Kids – Step Up: Snack Food Drive

Del Mar residents, in partnership with Amigas De Tias Immigrant Support and Encinitas 4 Equality, will hold a food collection drive on Saturday, July 4th from 8 to 9 A.M. at the Del Mar Civic Center Plaza at Camino del Mar and 11th Street.  

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Commentary: War On Science

As a young scientist, I spent 6 years working in a laboratory at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), first as a Fellow and subsequently as a Senior Investigator. My laboratory was just down the hall from Dr. Tony Fauci’s, who soon

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CSIDE

A new coastal boutique, CSIDE, has opened with collections of local and well known designers. Owner Laurel Goldstein offers breezy clothes and accessories. 1555 Camino Del Mar, #325. 858-209-3097. July 2026 In Brief

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New Digs for Dum Dum

A Mojave Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is and has been a Del Mar resident for 60 years. His ancestors’ descendants lived around the southwest, west of the Colorado, for millions of years. This tortoise is a turtle; it belongs to the land-dwelling family of Testudinidae,

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A Stray No More

Hi! You don’t know me yet, but I’m a female calico cat (a very cute one, I might add), and I just moved to my forever home in Del Mar! Let me tell you my history – which isn’t much, I’m afraid. I’m very well

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Blue Gum Gone

Taking down our Blue Gum Eucalyptus tree was not an easy decision.   It was a heartbreaking decision to remove our tree, but scientific evidence and expert advice supported it. Since September 2024, we kept a steady vigil on the health of our Blue Gum

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DMF: Thank You!

In last month’s column, we shared the lineup for the 2026 Summer Twilight Concerts. This month, we would like to say THANK YOU! to the sponsors and DMF donors whose generosity help bring these concerts to our community. The 2026 Summer Twilight Concerts sponsors are:

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Del Mar Community Connections

Meet the New Chief and Learn to Prepare for Wildfires On Monday July 6 at 11am, DMCC and Solana Beach Community Connections will welcome new Fire Chief Bret Davidson at Del Mar Town Hall. He’ll be there to meet the community and make a presentation

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Letter to the Editor: No to Citizen Voices

June 12, 2026 – Alice McNally   Two public hearings, no opportunity to state one’s case!   The Edison Community Engagement Panel, is anything but engagement.   My colleague Nina Babiaz and I registered for the June 4th CEP meeting on zoom.    My name

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July 2026
Volume 23, Number 6


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In Brief

TORREY PINES’ NARROW ESCAPE

Last late May, fire scorched and blackened sections of more than 18,300 acres of Santa Rosa Island, an ancestral Chumash land with cultural ties going back more than 13,000 years, and the only other location favored by the rare Torrey Pine outside of our own area. Though some pines were burned, many remain, according to reports, largely intact. Known as California’s Galapagos, the rugged and remote Channel Island is home to some 46 plants and animals found nowhere else on earth—including the island fox and deer mice that evolved into separate subspecies on the island. In time, Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists will evaluate the extent of the damage, the stability of soil, water, and future threats to cultural and natural resources to begin the process of recovery.

 

REMEMBER GARY WILSON (1951 – 2026)

Through a distinguished 37-year career in San Diego County, Gary Wilson served as an educator, principal, and superintendent.  He is perhaps best remembered as the deeply beloved principal of Del Mar Academy of Arts and Science as well as Torrey Hills and Ocean Air Elementary Schools, where he led from 1992 to 2009.

 

 


 

Lilli Del Mar getting set up for opening. Photo: Julie Maxey-Allison
Cats napping between undergrounding jobs on Crest. Photo: Julie Maxey-Allison

 

Bluffs work goes on. Photo: Julie Maxey-Allison