How Do Guns Have More Rights Than Women? Young Activists Lead a March in Del Mar for Abortion Rights
July 10, 2022 - How Do Guns Have More Rights Than Women? Young Activists Lead a March in Del Mar for Abortion
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Pipe Up! Letter to the Editor: Dan Quirk’s Rumination on Homelessness by Anne Farrell
Dear Editors,
Dan Quirk’s “rumination” on homelessness, widely distributed by email last Friday, is pretty enraging and stupid. A commentary in the LA Times on Saturday tells a compelling story of how deeply complex homelessness is, all the failures of government, and the many layers of humanity it takes to get someone off the streets…
July 2022 Print Issue
We moved to Del Mar in 1973 and I quickly became friends with Pat Stroud who then lived a block south on Crest Road. One day on one of our walks on Crest, as cars raced by dangerously close to us, I said, “We need side walks!” Pat explained that “Oh, no, Del Marians like the rural feeling of the road, trees and vegetation not concrete.” Another
MoreWe live in a time when key decisions affecting our quality of life in Del Mar are increasingly made not by our City Council, but by more distant state or regional entities: the State Legislature, State agencies (Housing and Community Development; CPUC,
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It’s that time of year again. The time of year when spending a few hours outside around dawn or dusk inevitably brings annoying, itchy bites from bloodsucking mosquitos. But does it somehow seem worse lately? Well, it just might be. Why you
MoreThink you are paying a lot for your electricity now? Just wait, it could get a lot worse! Last year, a trailer was added to a state bill with no discussion in the legislature, and it was signed by the governor
MoreMembers of the Planning Commission (PC) deliberated carefully to update Del Mar’s rules on construction of ADU’s (Accessory Dwelling Units, sometimes known as granny flats) as required by state housing law. Their task was complicated by having to weave their way through
MoreAfter the Sandpiper eblast on September 11th announcing the FDA approval of new Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID vaccines, we received a response from a vaccine skeptic that included the following sentence: “Nearly everyone that I know who is vaccinated AND double
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Step into the newly opened Inconspicuous Art Gallery to see what you might set your sights on for your private collection. Opened in August, owner/curator James Segal presents an eclectic collection of bold work from the the 20th to the 21st centuries.
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Music has been called the great healer. It also has the ability to unite and inspire us, soothe our emotions, and release stress. Linda Chisari, who has lived in Del Mar with her husband, Frank, for four decades, is intimately familiar with
MoreThe Clean Energy Authority (CEA), the electricity provider for Del Mar, has listed valuable information about how you can electrify your home and same money on their website. Here is the pertinent information. An example of federal tax credits you might
MoreCouncilmember Worden has authored a white paper, “A Reasonable Approach for Managing Short Term Rentals (STRs) in Del Mar,” outlining an approach to short term rentals that he believes is consistent with the Community Plan. He also updates what has happened with
MoreNow’s the time to plant native plants. Planting from late October through November allows plants to develop roots during our short rainy season. Planting indigenous plants will save you money on water, fertilizer and gardening—no lawn to mow or leaf litter to
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Students, parents, and teachers gathered to show their support for marginalized students at the San Dieguito Union High School District Board meeting on Sept. 12. Snapping and murmurs of agreement from the audience filled the air as students and parents spoke
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The 18th annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, Helen Woodward Animal Center’s signature beach event, took place on September 10th at Del Mar Dog Beach. It was a day full of fun for dogs and people of all ages. In addition to seeing
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It seems everyone has an opinion about SANDAG’s proposed rail tunnel in Del Mar. That includes me. My White Paper on the topic is here: https://bit.ly/tunnel-white-paper. But, a fact sheet with the basics might be helpful so you can form your own
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A lively Del Mar crowd gathered at Powerhouse Park on September 17 for DMF’s Community Picnic, enjoying games, face painting, live music, and 12 nonprofit booths with giveaways and interactive displays. Special treats: complimentary Board & Brew sandwiches and Viewpoint beer, plus Del
MoreHooray for the Honorary Committee! DMCC’s 23rd Annual Benefit Gala is on October 7, and we have to share our deep gratitude for the community members who joined this year’s Honorary Committee. Led by chairs Susan and Judd Halenza, they make a
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Del Mar Beaches Make Honor Roll
Heal The Bay’s annual report grades 500 beaches throughout California, giving Del Mar a perfect water score along with fourteen other San Diego County beaches. The nonprofit bases its scoring on the levels of fecal-indicator bacterial pollution in the ocean measured by county health agencies. Our county trailed only Orange County in the number of beaches on the Honor Roll.
Grannies Growth
Del Mar has received 93 applications for Accessory Development Units (ADU), sometimes known as “granny flats.” So far 49 building permits have been approved. By state law, ADUs are not subject to local review or zoning limits. The city cannot track whether these units are actually used for rentals, but the state does count them as new units.
Collectors Covered
When the City was in the process of awarding the new contract for collection of trash, recycling, and organics, many residents provided comments to the City Council offering high praise for Waste Management’s trash collectors. EDCO offered to hire all WM trash collectors assigned to Del Mar, including full credit for the seniority accruing from their WM employment. Of the three WM drivers/collectors who worked in Del Mar, one, who worked in commercial collection, decided to retire, but has a short-term contract with EDCO to train the new driver. The two who worked in residential collection are expected to accept EDCO’s offer. So Del Mar residents can expect to see the same friendly and professional drivers/collectors after July 1, when EDCO’s Del Mar service begins. EDCO’s service will use two-axle trucks for Del Mar, though one of those is not expected to arrive until the end of July.
Fencing Match on the Bluffs
Those interested in the North County Transit District’s (NCTD’s) plan to install fencing its right-of-way on the Del Mar bluffs may need a law degree to follow the convoluted legal proceedings seeking to uphold or challenge NCTD’s right to install the fence. Originally, NCTD filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) seeking a ruling that state law obligations asserted by the City of Del Mar and the California Coastal Commission (CCC), such as State law-based environmental requirements, are preempted by federal law, with respect to NCTD’s fencing plan. More recently, two separate additional legal actions were filed in state court against NCTD: one by Friends of Del Mar Bluffs and Laura DeMarco, and another by CCC. Both cases were removed by NCTD to federal court. On June 2, 2022, the federal judge issued a stay in both of those cases, noting that “the orderly course of justice measured in terms of simplifying issues is served by allowing the STB to determine the preemption issues.” CCC has moved to set aside that stay. Meanwhile, there is no indication when the STB is likely to decide the case pending before it. NCTD’s Matt Tucker stated in a recent STB filing that NCTD will not act to install the fence until after STB rules on the petition pending there.
October 2023 Issue
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Quotable Del Mar
ROSE ANN SHARP
“The Second Amendment is not a license to kill. Gun violence is predictable and preventable. A proven way is to regulate access to military-style assault weapons that have been used in almost every mass murder in America. The 1994 Assault Weapons Ban reduced gun violence by 43%, and its expiration in 2004 increased the number of deaths by 239%.”
— Sandpiper Commentary, “Gun Violence is Predictable and Preventable: You Can Help Stop the Violence”
Del Mar resident Rose Ann Sharp, founder of NeverAgainCA, has been at the forefront of political activism to support gun safety measures, calling on public officials at all levels “to stop playing politics with peoples’ lives and address our epidemic of gun violence.” She is “fearless” in her work to make “our community a safer place for all of us,” according to San Diego Mayor and former 78th District Assemblymember Todd Gloria.