Homeward Bound: Memorial Service Set for Thomas Northcut
- "Home is the place where you feel happy." -- Salman Rushdie
9/4/2010 - If you live in Solana Beach, you’ve probably driven or walked past him dozens of times as he sat quietly with his dog at the corner of Lomas Santa Fe and Highway 101. Most of us thought he was homeless, but according to his friends, Thomas Northcut was “not a ‘homeless guy’ as you would think.”
“He never panhandled or asked for help,” says Sam George, a lawyer who served as Northcut’s social security recipient and visited him every week. “He lived that way by choice.”
Sitting stoically near the Veteran’s Memorial on Plaza Street, Northcut called Solana Beach his home for the last 16 years and treasured his freedom dearly. He described himself as a Navy veteran who served on a gunship in the early 1970s and suffered a concussion when a gun exploded. read more...
Cash-Back Program Encourages Locals to “Shop Solana First”
8/16/2010 - As if there weren’t already plenty of reasons to “shop local,” Solana Beach residents now have another incentive. A new program from BuxBack (www.buxback.com) will reward consumers with cash back when they shop and dine at participating local merchants.
The program (which is endorsed by the City of Solana Beach, Solana Beach Chamber of Commerce, Cedros Design District, Highway 101 Merchant Association, Lomas Santa Fe Plaza and Solana Beach Towne Centre) requires no coupons, “check-ins,” or special passwords for participation. Consumers simply register their credit/debit card at the BuxBack website and enjoy automatic cash-back rewards on their account whenever they shop or use services from BuxBack merchants. read more...
Solana Beach Toddler Quarantined with Measles
8/13/10 - San Diego County public health officials have alerted residents to a case of measles in a 20-month-old child who lives in Solana Beach. Because the disease is highly contagious, the child has been quarantined at home, and officials have advised residents to check a list of locations where exposure may have occurred earlier this month.
Potential for public exposure to measles due to this case occurred at Paper Paper, 142 South Solana Hills Drive, Solana Beach, from approximately 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Aug. 4; CVS Pharmacy, 683 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4; Del Mar Horse Park, located at Via de la Valle and El Camino Real, Del Mar, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 5; Costco, read more...
Caltrans Grand Plans: Paving the Way for I-5 Freeway Expansion
7/17/10 - Earlier this month, Caltrans issued its draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the expansion of the I-5 freeway along a 27-mile stretch from San Diego to Oceanside. Although the 1,000-page EIR describes five different alternatives, the most significant would add four HOV lanes (possibly toll lanes) plus two general-purpose lanes and (in some areas) auxiliary lanes in each direction. The estimated cost for that option is over $4 billion. (Click to enlarge diagram)
To inform local citizens about the proposal, Caltrans has scheduled a series of public workshops, including an August 24th meeting in Solana Beach. The details of that event became a hot topic of discussion at this week’s Solana Beach City Council meeting. read more...
Gloom & Boom: Gray Skies and Good Vibrations at Fiesta del Sol
6/8/2010 - Despite the gloomy skies and cool breezes, this year's Fiesta del Sol sizzled with hot performances by a variety of bands, drawing an estimated 50,000 people to the streets of Solana Beach. Attendees came on foot, bikes, shuttle buses, Coaster trains and cars to drink in the atmosphere (and beer and wine), and enjoy the free blues, rock and reggae music booked by the Belly Up Tavern. See Slide Show read more...
City of Solana Beach employees agree to salary and retirement benefit concessions
5/27/10 - The Solana Beach City Council unanimously approved an agreement last night with a City employee group that will have a positive impact on the City's financial position for years to come.
Under terms of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding, employees agreed to a two-year salary freeze and higher employee contributions to the CalPERS retirement system. By 2011, these employees will be paying the full "employee share" (8 percent) of the CalPERS contribution. The agreement also includes reduced retirement benefits for employees hired after July 1, 2010. read more...
Wonder Walls: New Mosaics Illuminate I-5 Interchange
5/12/10 - Whether you're a daily commuter or a first-time visitor, you're bound to notice the new mosaic walls being installed at the I-5 underpass on Lomas Santa Fe.
After years of work by Caltrans to reconfigure this busy interchange, the finishing touches are now being applied in the form of four mosaic tile collages that are designed to reflect the unique identity of Solana Beach. See Slide Showread more...
Time Travelers: Historic Train Steams Through Solana Beach
5/3/10 - Dozens of railfanners gathered at the Solana Beach train station this weekend to catch a glimpse of a vintage steam locomotive (the Santa Fe 3751) on a special trip from Los Angeles to San Diego and back. This "mountain type" engine was designed and purchased by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1927 to handle the steep grades of the Southwest, with a 5,000 horsepower boiler that burned coal (later converted to oil).
In the early 1950s, the locomotive handled runs between LA and the Del Mar Racetrack, and pulled the last steam powered passenger train from San Diego in 1953. read more...
4/29/10 - Award-winning winemaker Adam Carruth had good reason to pop the champagne last night. After a long hearing before the Solana Beach City Council, he won approval for his new “working winery,” Carruth Cellars, located in the heart of the Cedros Design District.
Using the finest California-grown grapes, Carruth will crush, press, barrel, age and bottle his wines in a 1200-square-foot space that will also feature wine tasting and read more...
Recent Scuttlebutt Headlines
Town Hall Meeting Sets the Stage for I-5 Expansion Battle
1/15/10 From Oceanside to La Jolla, the I-5 freeway is one of the most scenic and vital corridors in the state, traversing several coastal lagoons in San Diego's North County... read more...
City Council Chronicles
1/29/10 A few highlights from this week's Solana Beach City Council meeting:
1/29/10 Some say "eagle." Some say "seagull." Either way, most of the visitors at Fletcher Cove seem to approve of the new bird sculpture that was recently installed near the park entrance... read more...
Acacia Avenue Flooding Puts Focus on Storm Drain Capacity
3/1/10 Their alleyway gets flooded every time a hard rain falls, say Acacia Avenue residents, "but this year was the worst." Several homeowners... read more...
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