Del Mar voters will choose two of the four candidates on the ballot to serve on our City Council. Too often in the past, we’ve had uncontested elections, leaving voters with no choice. A contested election is good for democracy, giving us the best opportunity to collectively decide what leadership will best serve our city. And this year, there are real differences between the candidates. The Sandpiper editorial board endorses:
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This year’s Del Mar City Council election may be the most consequential in decades. The new Council will grapple with significant challenges likely to define and shape our community far into the future. Think rail relocation, bluff restoration, sea level rise, affordable housing—and those are just some of the “known knowns,” to use Donald Rumsfeld’s famous framework.
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As of September 21, as we went to press, and just two weeks before ballots are mailed to voters, the Sandpiper encountered online dead ends for key candidates’ websites. Candidate Jeff Sturgis founded Del Mar Woodpecker and Moving Del Mar Forward (MDMF), publisher of Del Mar Woodpecker. He appears to have taken MDMF’s website, forwarddelmar.com, off-line, making
MoreThree at-large seats are up on the five-person Del Mar Union School Board. Current trustees Katherine Fitzpatrick, Doug Rafner, and Alan Kholos are all running for re-election, along with challenger Stephen Cochrane, a special education attorney who seeks a return to the role. Katherine Fitzpatrick is running for her third term, has children attending DMUSD schools, and
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Plants—and people—have had a tough long hot summer 2026. And according to weather forecasters, there are more to come. We in Del Mar, lucky to have enjoyed mellow Mediterranean weather, are in for a climate change. Our future: more “extreme” weather with hotter summers. We are not alone. This year record breaking temperatures were reported around the globe.
MoreThe termination of negotiations between Del Mar and the 22nd DAA (the fairgrounds’ governing board) for an affordable housing site on Fairgrounds property brings the focus back to North Bluff, even as the City looks for new ways to secure a Fairgrounds site. A February 26 Court Date: The case filed in Superior Court against the City
MoreMark your calendar for Thursday, October 8 (10am-2:30pm) for the Surfing and Sustainability Symposium. Bringing together the worlds of surfing and science to confront our most pressing coastal challenges, the symposium will be moderated by Jeff Lehmann and include a rich slate experts speaking on topics including: The Past, Present and Future of Sustainability in Surf Culture An
MoreThe Del Mar Foundation makes grants to local projects and organizations to benefit our community, including promoting civic pride and community cohesiveness. The first nine months of 2026 have proven to be an exceptional and productive year in this regard. Examples of grants made this year are: Del Mar Hills Academy Garden: A DMF grant is bringing
MoreCare to Connect? Sometimes a quick chat or a friendly face is all it takes to make a neighbor’s day so much brighter. In Del Mar, some local older adults face a quiet crisis of social isolation. DMCC is addressing that by recruiting volunteers to join the Connect Team. These volunteers, called Connect Partners, are each matched with
MoreOctober 2026
Volume 30, Number 8
Print Edition
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In Brief
CANDIDATE FORUM
City Council candidates will participate in a Town Hall candidate forum moderated by the League of Women Voters on Friday, October 2, 2026 from 1:00-2:30pm. Candidates have equal time to respond to questions submitted in writing by the audience, and for opening and closing statements.
COMMUNITY PLAN CELEBRATES 50TH
A celebratory mood prevailed at the September 8 Council meeting when four former mayors joined the dais to lead the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the City’s Community Plan. Tom Shepard was a (very young) Mayor in 1974-75 when some 300 residents collaborated with the Council and staff to craft the Plan. The former mayors joining Shepard on the dais to lead the celebration were Hervey “Sage” Sweetwood (Chair of the Planning Commission when the Plan was adopted), and Nancy Fletcher (formerly Hoover) and John Weare, who were both Councilmembers when the Community Plan was adopted. Shepard’s 2022 Sandpiper article, “Community Plan Beginnings,” is online here: delmarsandpiper.org/2022-06-014/
LIBRARY CELEBRATES 30TH
The Del Mar Library is celebrating 30 years in its current building, formerly home to St. James Catholic Church. Friends of Del Mar Library is offering special programming throughout the year. On October 10, two musical acts will perform: a Balinese gamelan chamber ensemble and a Zimbabwean mbira (10:30 am-1pm). An instrument “petting zoo” with instruments from around the world will be also be featured. The special 30th anniversary programs are supported by a Del Mar Foundation grant.
LOUISE KEELING, 1931-2026
A gracious “First Lady” to David Keeling of Keeling Curve fame who inspired warmth, happiness and community in all around her. She was a leader in creating the Community Plan and numerous other groups that contributed to the special character of Del Mar.
SURF’S UP
Surf Del Mar Festival (October 8-11 at various Del Mar venues) will bring together “surfers, storytellers, artists, musicians, authors and filmmakers” to celebrate surfing, its culture, and its history in Del Mar. The festival, organized by the Del Mar Historical Society, includes a film festival, a book fair, a multi-generational surfers’ reunion, a woodies display, a surfing and sustainability symposium, live music (The Mar Dels, Tower 7, Peter Sprague), and much more. All events free. surfdelmarfestival.com
FARMERS MARKET CELEBRATES 40TH
In the fall of 1986, a stalwart group of Del Mar residents established the nonprofit Del Mar Farmers Market: Sharon Fierabend, Alice Goodkind, Marti Kay, Joyce Malone, and Lorraine Rouse. It is the second-oldest certified farmers market in the County. Originally operating on the old city hall’s parking lot, the design of the Del Mar Civic Center included an outdoor parking area west of the parking garage designed to serve double duty as the Farmers Market’s new home, with adjacent enclosed spaces in the garage that support the market’s operations. A share of the market’s profits are donated to local nonprofits and fund scholarships. The Market operates every Saturday, noon-4:00pm.
THANKS MATT FOR 29
Mayor Tracy Martinez presented a proclamation to principal planner Matt Bator on September 8, the date of his retirement, recognizing his significant contributions to Del Mar during his 29 year tenure in the City’s Planning and Community Development Department.
WATERMARK WORK
Construction of the 50-unit Watermark housing project was well underway on September 15, a month after the projected 21-month construction program began.
A NOD TO ITALY
Lilli al Mare, a cafe, with a nod to Italy, getting set for an October opening. The cafe, branching out from La Jolla, offers pastries and food, coffee and drinks. 1202 Camino Del Mar.
