Editorial: We’re Local and Here to Stay

In the past twelve months 127 local newspapers in the U.S. have shuttered, averaging about 2.5 closures per week. The consequences are profound, particularly in terms of civic engagement and weakened government accountability.

Not so here in Del Mar, where a group of Sandpiper writers, editors, and more than a hundred donors are rededicating ourselves to bringing you stories about everything Del Mar. Our mission is to support the Community Plan, more specifically covering the natural environment, the structural environment, the human environment, and very importantly, our government function. There is much to celebrate about this special town and there is much to work on to continue to get better.

There are more than enough stories to tell about our bluffs, the beach, the lagoon, our tree canopy, and our beautiful gardens. We place special emphasis on energy conversation and how to live our public and private lives more sustainably on a threatened planet.

What we build and what we drive means we bring you stories about traffic on our pedestrian streets, human scale housing development, protecting views, infrastructure, and how to accommodate housing for different income levels.

We can never have enough space to tell you about all of the interesting, creative, and accomplished citizens of Del Mar. We focus on all levels from teens to seniors. We respect the many dedicated, skillful city employees who do so much to keep our city well run. We regularly feature small businesses who support our community. And we always save space for our almost-human and beloved Del Mar dogs.

Perhaps our most important responsibility is to shine a light on the workings of our elected Council members and their appointees. Our watchdog responsibility is to monitor government activities to hold officials accountable, increase transparency, and help residents stay informed about decisions that affect their lives. We advocate for more ways for citizens to be involved in improving the community. It is important to dig a little deeper than official press releases usually cover. Covering government can occasionally become contentious with elected officials but we persist in giving readers as much factual material that we can dig out.

The Sandpiper comes out monthly, can also be read on our website, and sends alerts about important issues during the month, all produced by people, not AI. We welcome your feedback whether for publication or not. The more we know about Del Mar, the more we appreciate living in this very special community.