Three For Two: Three Candidates for November’s City Council Race

It looks like Del Mar will have a lively City Council campaign this fall with three candidates (so far) running for two seats. With an early August filing deadline, the field could become bigger. The campaign season began unusually early this year, when Meghan Spieker filed a Candidate Intention Statement with the City Clerk on February 22, followed by a filing indicating she had raised more than $2000 as of April 17. Jeff Sturgis jumped in next with an April 22 Candidate Intention Statement, followed by an April 23 filing by incumbent Terry Gaasterland.

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Editorial: E-Bikes Eek!

Del Mar’s E-bike situation is out of control. Replace Del Mar with any other city, and you realize we have a California-wide challenge.   Sales of electric-powered bicycles (E-bikes) and motorcycles (E-motos) have exploded in recent years.

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New Covid Pill

The May 13th issue of the journal Nature reported that a new pill containing the antiviral compound ensitrelvir was effective in preventing transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,

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AI, Say You’re Sorry

Artificial intelligence now writes apology texts, performance reviews, and love notes in seconds. It even acts as a “confidante,” holding hands and comforting seniors with a tone that sounds remarkably real. But as these tools slip into

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SNAP Up, Please

June 6th, 11 A.M. to Noon 11th Street at Camino del Mar   Del Mar residents are stepping up as food insecurity surges across our region, driven by the rollback of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

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Shorebird Shortage

On a gray morning, a low-tide beach walk, the sand was sans shore birds, any birds. Within the hour, one sandpiper searched the wet sand for a snack, a single seagull settled down into a dry sand

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Roving Teen Reporter: Is College Worth It?

For generations, students have assumed that attending a university and receiving a bachelor’s degree would guarantee entry into the job market. In recent years, that assumption has begun to look faulty.   According to National Public Radio,

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Community Gardens Celebrated

On a sunny Saturday morning, Del Mar came alive with the sights, scents, and stories of its public gardens as the Del Mar Garden Club hosted its first-ever Community Gardens Day on May 9th — a date

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DMF: Summer Twilight Concerts

Well, the sun is out, school classes are finishing, and plans are being made for summer!  Del Mar Foundation’s Summer Twilight Concert Series will again grace the stage and lawn of Powerhouse Park for four dates this

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DMCC: Volunteer of the Year

At DMCC’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event on May 1, Larry Brooks was recognized by the Board for his dedication to his neighbors and his go-getter spirit as they presented him with the 2026 Volunteer of the Year

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June 2026
Volume 23, Number 5


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In Brief

BECKY’S BACK

Rebecca “Becky” Bartling has been appointed interim CEO of the Del Mar Fairgrounds, replacing fired CEO Carlene Moore. Bartling has a long history with the fairgrounds, where she served as Chief Operating Officer from 2006 to 2015. More recently, she was CEO of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds until her retirement in December 2024. She has agreed to serve as interim CEO until at least September 2027 while a nationwide search for a permanent CEO is conducted.


SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

Both the Del Mar Union School District and San Dieguito Union High School District hold regular elections every November of even-numbered years. Elections are staggered so that two or three seats are on the ballot every election year. In both DMUSD and San Dieguito, three of the five seats will be up in the general election this November.

 

The filing deadline for this election is August 7, 2026.

 


 

“No Kings” Protest. May 1st, Camino Del Mar. Photos: Julie Maxey-Allison
Honor Bar (Hillstone Restaurant) progress. Photo: Julie Maxey-Allison
Queenstown Public House, opening late May (as of press time). Photo: Julie Maxey-Allison
Lilli – new coffee shop coming soon. Photo: Julie Maxey-Allison