Also in This Issue:

D E L M A R ’ S C O M M U N I T Y J O U R N A L

Volume 19, Number 5 June 2014

N E W S • F E A T U R E S • O P I N I O N

Amanda Burden. Google Images.

Books Behind Bushes page 17

Whatayathink, Del Mar? JUNE 9 pages 8-9

Cutting Edge Cuisine page 4

Ted TAlk: OpeNINg MINds TO OpeN spAces Sherryl Parks | City Council Liaison to Shores Committee

It is a proven fact that the quality of open space is what makes cities work in the 21st Century.The Council recently called for volunteers to help advise us in planning the Shores Park. Fortunately we received over 20 applications so an interview to select our advisors became necessary. To ‘jump start’ the group, and get them thinking outside the conventional ideas of what a park would look like, I requested that all interviewees watch the TED Talk by then Director of the New York City Department of City Planning, Amanda Burden, “How Public Spaces Make Cities Work.”

I saw some similarities between our very small city and NYC. Both cities are built out, yet we continue to attract more residents and visitors. How best will we accommodate people, giving them the high quality of daily life they expect in Del Mar?

Amanda Burden came to planning for NYC having studied animal behaviors. She studied what works to put living beings at ease. She walked hundreds of neighborhoods in NYC to ‘get a feel’ for the places that could benefit from making them more livable. She managed to rezone over 100 neighborhoods to allow different uses. She encouraged seating, green patches of vegetation and simple access for both pedestrians and bikers. Her best known projects include the High Line Park (which was an abandoned railway line) and the Brooklyn Water front. She framed these open spaces to be destinations and not simply somewhere folks needed to walk through to get somewhere else!

My motivation for having our advisors take a look at the 20-minute TED Talk was to get them thinking in a broader way about this park space. Our 3.4 acres of land can be a place with a brand new look and feel. Technologies, landscaping, and architects have fresh ideas for us to consider before we lock ourselves into old ways of thinking. We have creative minds on the committee, but they needed permission to think outside the box.

The response from those who viewed the TED Talk was positive, in fact many were excited to get started. The first meeting of SAC will be June 11 at City Hall Annex at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend but you might want to view the Ted Talk first: www.ted.com/talks/amanda_burden_how_public_spaces_make_cities_work

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 2

Editorial

leTTers TO The edITOr • The Sandpiper welcomes readers’ letters and articles. • Material submitted must include the writer’s name,

street address, and phone number, and should not exceed 500 words.

• Material selected to be published may be edited or shortened.

Send to: The Sandpiper, Box 2177, Del Mar, CA 92014; or editor@delmarsandpiper.org

The Sandpiper is published by the Del Mar Community Alliance, a not-for-profit corporation. Its purpose is to advocate the Del

Mar Community Plan, to foster informed public and government decision-making regarding issues affecting the community of the City of Del Mar, and to encourage a social and political climate

favorable to the protection of the community character of the City of Del Mar and its environs.

Chuck Newton Circle: Rosanne & Joel Holliday, Carol Kerridge, Beth Levine & Henry

Abarbanel, Diana Marquardt & Rod Franklin

Publishers’ Circle: Jeff Barnouw, Darrese & Sam Borgese, Mary Ann & Bud

Emerson, Priscilla Fawcett, Nancy Fisher & Mike Salt, Chuck Freebern, Lynn & Charlie Gaylord, Maryka & George Hoover, Pat

JaCoby, Louise Keeling in memory of Dave Keeling, Larry Schneiderman, Jane & Steve Voss,

Nancy and John Weare

Editors’ Circle: Penny and Buck Abell, Vava Anderson, Anthony Corso, Sandy & Bram Dijkstra, Mary & Jeffrey Friestedt, Susan & Judd Halenza, Lee Haydu, Linda & Jerry Hirshberg, Shirley King & Art Olson, Vernie & John McGowan, Bill Michalsky, Suzi Resnick & Stan Marks, Gloria Sandvrik and Harold Feder, Rose Ann and Ira

Sharp, Chic & Joe Sullivan, Sarah Dubin Vaughn, Molli and Arthur Wagner

Editors: Sam Borgese, Tony Corso, Dave Druker, Bud Emerson, Ann Gardner, Shirley King, Art Olson, Sandi Weaver, Betty Wheeler.

Webmaster: Virginia Lawrence. Editor Emeritus: John Kerridge.

All staff members and writers are unpaid volunteers. Thispublication depends upon the contributions of readers like you.

Make checks payable to Sandpiper, Box 2177, Del Mar, CA 92014

BeyONd The cOcOON

As our basements get bigger does our outside involvement get smaller? As landscapes are scrapped to make room for our own tennis courts and pools, do we lose our larger community vision? As we focus more on our own haven do we care less about what’s happening outside the boundaries of “olde Del Mar?” Do we really care if One Paseo clogs I-5 and ruins community character for Carmel Valley as long as we can beat the traffic home, as long as we can walk across 101 and down 15th street to the beach enjoying our low scale village? Do we really care if we have to drive to other communities for our groceries at Whole Foods in Flower Hill, drugs at CVS in the Heights, theatres in La Jolla Village, hardware at Ace Hardware in Carmel Valley or Dixieline in Solana Beach? Has it become o.k. to simply enjoy our little haven of quiet away from all that other development? We have our quiet library, our friendly Post Office and our Starbucks, plenty of restaurants and of course the Powerhouse and lots of parks. What else matters?

The Sandpiper diligently covers development outside

respecTed NeIghBOrs Bud Emerson | Klish Way

Del Mar’s state-approved housing element calls for 21 new “affordable” housing units, seven of which will be proposed for the new Watermark Specific Plan. Some community members have expressed concern about how affordable housing will impact our community. What some may not know is that Del Mar has been supporting affordable housing for decades through the Rental Assistance(RA) program managed by Del Mar Community Connections. Below are anonymous profiles of the participants in that program, already respectable members of our community, likely very typical of those who will occupy the 21 new affordable units.

Resident 1: Single mother and her school-age son, (8yrs) live together. She has lived in Del Mar since 1987 and was approved for the program in January 2011. She is receiving SSI and SSA benefits. She volunteers at her son’s school and helps her landlord with part-time work

our boundaries whether it is the expansion of I-5 with even more traffic lanes or One Paseo with eight and ten story buildings. When it looked like Le Bambou might be kicked out because of new owners at the Heights Shopping Center the Sandpiper intervened because Le Bambou, even though not technically in our borders, was indeed a neighbor worth saving. But maybe that is the exception; it is easy to say “that’s change,” and our caring does not stretch to Carmel Valley across I-5 and the Sandpiper should stop wasting print on informing readers about ‘outside development’ even asking readers to not only care but take action. Maybe it is enough to care just about what’s happening here in Del Mar.

Some of us get this question: “How much did you pay for your house and how much is it worth now?” Is this the only question worth asking and answering? It appears to be our new gold standard. Not increasing traffic or urban development elsewhere; only the quiet and increasing property values here. Let us know if our regional reporting is relevant and we hope any trend toward cocooning does not find us retreating even further into our personal spaces at the expense of community involvement.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 3

PIPE UP

pAss ON pOlyTrAck

Shirley King’s article about polytrack could have been written 5 years ago -- I was a big proponent of polytrack at the time -- now experience tells us that is is a failed experiment. Please look at the attached picture on the cover of the horse racing magazine. Note that only one leg is on the ground supporting a 1200 pound horse going up to 40 miles per hour -- that’s how they run. On dirt, the hoof slides forward and the downward impact is mitigated. On polytrack the hoof does not slide so we have a different set of more injuries to the suspensory system that are often career ending.

Polytrack was not designed for the heavy use it receives in DM where the track is used both for training and races. In Europe, where polytrack was first introduced, the horses train on the “gallops” which are grassy undulating open fields. Polytrack holds up under their weather conditions and race meets are relatively short. But here, the material has broken down and the chemicals have leached into

the substrate causing small rocks to surface that are very dangerous to horse and rider. The problem with dirt is it that it is hard to achieve the right mixture of clay and sand that will be consistent during rapid changes in moisture -- big problem for DM, but Joe Harper has put a lot of effort into figuring out the correct ingredients and the horsemen are raving about the dirt at Los Alamitos.

The cards continued to be shuffled as a result of Hollywood’s closing. Pomona has now petitioned orse the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to close and DM is the obvious venue for the relocation of the major Southern California sales event -- think sales tax -- think pavilion that can double as a place for arts and music. Also, Craig Fravel, who was the DM Throughbred President and

now the head of the Breeders Cup, has made some brilliant moves with NBC to promote the Breeders Cup and horse racing on the national and international scene.

Carl Hilliard, Crest Road

to earn variable income. She also volunteers in for a local non-profit.

Resident 2: Single woman lives with her father. She needs a live-in caretaker due to a work-related accident. She was approved for the program in February 2013.

Resident 3: Single woman has been in the RA program since March 2004. Initially she lived with her son and daughter. In 2009 she and her son lived together, but in July of 2009 he moved out of the apartment. She is employed full-time in Del Mar.

Resident 4: She has been in the RA program since June of 1990. She receives supplemental security benefits retired from part-time employment in Del Mar in 2009.

Resident 5: He has been in the RA program since June of 2000. He is disabled and receives social security benefits.

Resident 6: This family has been in the RA program since November of 2012. They live with their three children. Part-time employment and disability income contribute to their income.

Resident 7: Single woman has been in the RA program since December 2010. She is a retired engineer. She receives SSI benefits.

Resident 8: Single woman has been in the RA program since December 2011. She receives veteran benefits and a disability pension.

respecTed NeIghBOrscontinued from page 2 MOwINg dOwN pOlluTION

Shirley King | Avenida Primavera

There is a high price associated with that sweet green scent of just-mowed grass. Many of us enjoy smelling those green leaf volatiles (GLV) even though the grass is shrieking from its injury. Distress and recovery are overwhelming the grass when it realizes that it has been chewed not by a gentle cow but by a greasy lawn mower - gas-powered tends to predominate in our neighborhoods.

The GLVs trick our neurons into believing that having a lawn is such a ‘green’ thing. But on the contrary that green pollution in addition to the emissions of the mowers are being cooked by the heat and sunlight to make more smog-forming ozone. And the hum of the engines adds annoying noise pollution that we are conditioned to tolerate.

The hard facts are that even the new generation of gas powered lawn mower produces such significant emissions in the form of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides in one hour of operation as 11 new cars each being driven for one hour – adding 5% to the nation’s pollution. And to increase the problem in our nation are the more than 17 million gallons of fuel, mostly gasoline, that are spilled each year while refueling lawn equipment - trickling down our driveways and streets. This is more than all of the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez.

Unless we are mowing our own lawns (not likely), our landscaping services bear the burden of our yards. Most use gas mowers as a well-worn practice in attending to multiple households in a day. Our gardeners want to

continued on page 7

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 4

Ask Doctor Rich

Ask dr. rIch!Rich Simons | Upper East 11th Street

Every month, Rich Simons answers readers’ most perplexing questions.

Photo illustration Art Olson

Q – I hear they are talking about tearing down our current City Hall and replacing it with something a bit more. . . well, modern. What do you think of this? – d.h.

Thank you for asking, because I feel strongly about this. It saddens me – yes, saddens me - when people begin to speak of abandoning old friends, institutions and, yes – buildings - that have served them well over the years. The edifice in question here has been a friend to our city for many, many years, housing a primary school initially, and then becoming our seat of government. And let’s face it: what we are talking about here is one of our city’ most iconic landmarks. Oh, it may not have pre-colonial balustrades or crenellated sconces, but it is one of the few examples we have remaining of the WWII-era California renaissance movement. The brick façade framing the front entrance defines the era, and the brick pillars may be among the few standing since the 1971 San Fernando earthquake.

And c’mon - let’s get serious now. While the Taj Mahal Del Mar is being erected, from where will our city government be operating? Are we going to pack all our city personnel into buses, like we did with our children that sad day long ago, and truck them to a place far, far away? I’m sure many of our readers had children in that school and remember the trauma when they had to be removed. How do you think our staff will respond to being rudely uprooted? Does this mean that we must now whole-heartedly support One Paseo just to have temporary office space?

And do you remember the last time you moved? All your possessions got packed into unmarked cardboard boxes,

right? And wound up stacked in you new garage and it was years before you could find anything?! Can you imagine what a disaster that would be for our city archives? I mean – looky here, currently everyone in City Hall knows where all the documents are, right? Building permit forms are all tucked under Adam’s desk, minutes of City Council meetings are in the broom closet, over to the left. And so forth and so on.

Of course, as you know, the current building does not occupy the entire lot, nor does the new one need to. So I strongly suggest that the city does what it should have done long ago – build a three-story parking garage on the site so that for at least a little time we don’t have to listen to all the moaning about Del Mar’s lack of parking!

Okay, okay, I have heard a few negative things about the plumbing. So if you want to retrofit the bathrooms so you can get a monotonously perfect flush every time, do what you must. But I warn you – if you do, City Hall will never be the same again.

cA$h MOBAt Torrey Pines Gourmet - a new food specialty shop with local and around-the-world ingredients and tools to change your ordinary meals into a culinary creation.

1011 Camino del Mar (at the corner of 10th St)

Saturday, June 14, 2014

11 am to 12 noon

Bring $20 and buy all of the fixin’s to make a meal fit for a King to honor the father in your life for Father’s Day. And even pick up a silver platter to serve the master of the day.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 5

dMTV preseNTs Tamara’s sacred Journey Tibet Luana Karr | DMTV

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to take a “magical mystery tour”? To leave your daily life behind and embark on a journey of self-discovery?

Well, viewers can live through the unique journey that local producer Tamara Peterson experienced when she decided to document her own trip to Tibet and surprised herself in what she discovered. “From the profane to the profound.”

Tamara states as she narrates her magical journey to Tibet, which included a visit to the turning wheel of Dharma, through the pungent smells of Yak butter tea to the East back alley Lhasa Markets. Of course no adventure to Tibet

is complete without a visit to the Cave retreat of Guru Rimpoche – other wise known as the Fortress of Solitude.

In asking Edward Hermosa Kramer what’s the difficulty in editing this type of documentary, the Emmy Award winning producer said, “The great mystery was how to turn a life changing, extraordinary experience into a compelling story.

How to get past the classic self -delusion that because it’s the first time I edited with someone else totally

shooting footage of his or her own journey. It makes a story that will intrigue for more than 3 minutes. Tamara really allowed herself to share her transformation into a much deeper awareness of herself in the world and in this life, even if it was just momentary and in context. It was quite moving

to see her so strong spiritually as the editing process exposed social and physical vulnerabilities she was becoming acutely aware of during her trip.”

You can get pulled into the mesmerizing sounds and visions that is Tamara’s Sacred Journey to Tibet on Del Mar Television Foundation’s channel 24, airing June 1st at 9 a.m., June 7th at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. & simultaneously live streaming on your computer.

sONgs gONe wrONg Testimony of Dr. Donald Mosier, City Council Member, May 12, 2014, Washington, D.C

Senator Boxer, Senator Vitter, Members of the Committee of the Environment and Public Works

The shutdown of the Unit 2 and 3 nuclear reactors at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) on June 7, 2013 was viewed a victory for the City of Del Mar as well as nearby cities from Los Angeles to San Diego, all of which had been concerned with the safety of their citizens. The declaration of victory was premature, however, since we now realize that storage and disposal of the radioactive waste at SONGS during the decommissioning process has numerous challenges, and that the risk of a nuclear accident that would impact the more than 8 million residents within a 50-mile radius is only slightly diminished. Here are some of the challenges:

1. All fuel rods since SONGS began operation in 1968 are still on site. They account for more than 4,000 tons of radioactive waste with almost 90 times more radioactivity than released in the Chernobyl disaster. Much of this adioactive waste is in spent fuel pools, not safer dry cask storage.

2. The two spent fuel pools at SONGS were designed to hold 1,600 spent fuel assemblies, but currently hold over 2,600. Overcrowding and storage of high burn up fuel assemblies has already caused problems; for example, in 2007, South California Edison (SCE) reported to the NRC that Boraflex neutron absorbing panels at the SONGS Units 2 and 3spent nuclear fuel pools had deteriorated to the point where it was doubtful they could prevent criticality that could lead to a fuel rod fire as happened at Fukushima.

3. The switch to high burn up nuclear fuel with higher uranium concentrations results in fuel assemblies that generate more heat and must remain in spent fuel pools for longer times before transfer to dry cask storage. How much longer is unknown.

4. The higher heat and radioactivity of high burn up fuel assemblies may lead to degradation of metal cladding during dry cask storage, and no current dry casks have been demonstrated to be suitable for storage of high burn up fuel for 20 years or more. Safe dry cask storage is not assured without significant design improvements.

5. Onsite storage at SONGS continues the risk of earthquakes from nearby faults (see Figure1), accelerated corrosion from the salt air environment, and terrorist attacks on the softer targets of spent fuel pools. The twin dome containment vessels are no longer protective.

In short, SONGS is a terrible site for a semi-permanent nuclear waste repository projected to last for 60 years or more. When fuel assemblies can be moved to safe dry cask storage and when those casks can be safely transported to waste repositories are critical questions that need answers as soon as possible. The Department of Energy needs to use funds collected from ratepayers to sponsor research into these questions.

The City of Del Mar believes that local and state governments need more input into decommissioning

procedures. The NRC essentially leaves it up to SCE, with only token input from the utility-appointed Community Engagement Panel. The concept that all of the challenges facing safe decommissioning take place in the absence of any meaningful federal, state, or local regulation is mind-boggling. Security and evacuation plans are already being dismantled by SCE without notification of any authorities. The safety of our citizens is the highest responsibility of elected officials, yet SCE has made 8 million citizens less safe without any public comment.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 6

Community Services group photo 2013, hung in Beach Safety Center.

Adam Chase, Del Mar Park Ranger; Liza Rogers, Administrative Assistant; Pat Vergne, Community Services Director and Chief

Lifeguard. Photo Nancy Fisher.

There FOr us Nancy Fisher | 24th Street

If you live in or around Del Mar and plan to surf or swim at the beach, get married at the Powerhouse, or just park on a city street, Del Mar’s Community Services Department will somehow be involved. They’ll also be in on it if you plan a birthday party at the beach, a memorial service at the park, attend surf or volleyball camp, become a Junior Lifeguard, or get stung by a jellyfish. Oh - and if your hot air balloon, carrying a party of eleven, gets swept out to sea and drops into the water, they’ll rescue you and then recover the balloon, basket, and unopened champagne!

Led by Community Services Director and Chief Lifeguard Pat Vergne, the department is charged with five major responsibilities:

Lifeguard Services: The lifeguards, whose numbers range from 12-75 (depending on the season and including part time) are responsible for maintaining public safety on Del Mar’s 2.3 miles of shoreline. They have training in defibrillation, intubation, cliff rescue, scuba rescue, swift-water rescue, and many are EMTs. Although there have been deaths due to natural causes, no one has drowned in a guarded area since the inception of Del Mar’s Lifeguard Services.

Parking Enforcement: Parking Enforcement Officers, led by Parking Lieutenant Eric Sandy, monitor parking meters, parking zones, and assess citations for accuracy before sending them to a processing service for enforcement. There are two full-time employees and up to twelve part-time employees, depending on the season, and several of the lifeguards are cross-trained to be Parking Enforcement Officers if needed. In addition to managing Del Mar’s parking, the department coordinates with outside organizations for special events such as the La Jolla Half Marathon, the Helen Woodward Surf Contest, the Bocce Ball Tournament, and the Susan Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.

Park Ranger Operations: Del Mar’s Park Ranger, Adam Chase, works closely with Community Services to augment the responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Department. He is a former lifeguard, a trained law enforcement and emergency response officer, and a sworn peace officer. Along with Community Services, he responds to critical situations and cross-trains with regional law enforcement and fire/rescue agencies.

Facility Use Permits: Liza Rogers, the department’s Administrative Assistant, ensures that any group of 25 or more are properly permitted to hold an event

TeAM TerrIFIc Nancy Fisher | 24th Street

Eric Sandy has been with Lifeguard Services since 1972, when he was hired by lifeguard legend Gardner Stevens. Two years out of the Navy, he was studying at San Diego State when his roommate asked him if he’d like a part-time job. “Not unless I get paid to go to the beach,” he replied. “I was kidding”, he adds, “but my roommate wasn’t!”

Eric’s title? He can’t remember for sure, but thinks it was something like Animal Regulation Officer. “It should have been Roving Ambassador,” he explains, “because we all just did what had to be done. There wasn’t much to do in the winter, and we knew all the dogs in town, so if one got lost we’d drive it home in the lifeguard jeep.” His current title is Community Services Parking Lieutenant, and he heads a crew of two permanent and up to twelve part-time employees who oversee all aspects of parking enforcement in Del Mar. His favorite part of the job is working with such a high-caliber crew. “It’s extremely stimulating to work with these people, and,” he adds, “I’m not counting widgets every day!”

Administrative Assistant Liza Rogers (pronounced Lisa), who’s been with the department for six years, had been a lifeguard for both the City of San Diego and San Clemente State Beach, and had also spent time as an insurance agent. Oddly, this turned out to be the perfect background for her current job of ensuring that all events held at the beaches, parks, and city facilities are properly permitted

at The Powerhouse Community Center, Seagrove or Powerhouse Park, The Shores property, or the beach. This includes weddings, memorials, corporate events, birthdays, barbeques, and more. In addition, she works closely with the Friends of the Powerhouse, the Del Mar Foundation, Del Mar Community Connections, the Del Mar Village Association, the Garden Club, the City of Del Mar, the Historical Society and other local organizations to plan their many events throughout the year.

Enforcement of all City Regulations as They Pertain to the Parks and Beach: This includes, among other things, enforcing Del Mar’s regulations regarding dogs on the beach and alcohol consumption.

continued on page 7

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 7

avoid the worry about recharging a mower or buying an extra battery pack. It is too bad because on May 3rd the County of San Diego’s 15th Annual Lawn Mower Exchange Program traded in 600 working gas mowers for brand new cordless, rechargeable electric mowers capable of mulching or bagging for as little as $99.

Our gardeners may not be so willing to surrender their gas mowers for ones with new technology and the performance uncertainties for their businesses. Then perhaps as a consumer of this service, we can help to ease them into this decision and at the same time offset the environmental costs. We can purchase an electric mower to keep on hand for our gardeners to use. Small corridors of grass do not require a powerful machine. The new electric reel mowers are quiet, lightweight and have the power assist when needed. And they are reasonably priced. For larger lawns the new battery-powered mowers are made for the big jobs with an hour of power. They have few maintenance issues, store vertically, no emissions or spilled gas, and your neighbors will love you for the quiet.

Let’s reduce the greenhouse gases in our own backyards by helping our gardeners make the adoption to the emission-free mowers. Let’s help them reduce their emission exposures. So remind them next spring to trade in their guzzlers at the County’s “Mowing Down Pollution” (first Saturday in May).

MOwINg dOwN pOlluTIONcontinued from page 3

and insured. In addition to that paperwork, she handles all booking, bids on repairs, requisitions, and ordering of supplies and furniture for city facilities. When asked how she feels about her job, she answered “are you kidding? I love this job! Pat Vergne is the greatest. He’s not a micro-manager, he trusts his staff to do the right thing – plus I get to surf!” She’s extremely proud that her son, also with the department, was last year’s Lifeguard of the Year.

Pat Vergne, in turn, is very proud of his staff. As the Community Services Director and Chief Lifeguard of 15 years, Pat’s strategy is to “hire good people, let them do what they do best, and manage chaos. I’m very proud that my crew is the best of the best.”

Also hired by Gardner Stevens, 33 years ago, Pat began as a lifeguard and now manages a crew of up to 75 full and part-time employees when the work load triples in the summer months. Although he swam and played water polo in high school, he didn’t set out to follow this path. “It wasn’t until several years into it that I realized my job had become a career and it’s been fun every day.”

Having seen it all, Pat and Eric agree that their most memorable rescue was on a Valentine’s Day several years ago when a hot-air balloon, carrying a party of eleven elegantly dressed guests, was blown about a mile offshore and dropped into the ocean. With the help of rescue boats, and the cooperation of Solana Beach, the Sheriff’s Department, the Fire Department and the Coast Guard, all were saved – including the balloon, its basket, and a few bottles of unopened champagne with which they celebrated!

Note: photo of Eric Sandy 1972 on page 12.

TeAM TerrIFIccontinued from page 6

lOcAVOres delIghT Bulgur wheat salad Leslie Robson | Lois Lane

Ingredients: (Serves 4 - 6)

2 C bulgur wheat

2 C boiling water

1 C mint, finely minced (Schaner, Ray’s Subtropical)

1 C parsley, finely minced (Ray’s Subtropical, Schaner)

1 C basil, finely minced (Blue Heron, Schaner, Ray’s Subtropical)

1/2 C red onion, finely minced (Schaner)

1/2 Meyer lemon, juice only (Bernard Ranch, Rancho Mexico, Schaner, Ray’s Subtropical)

1/4 C olive oil (Freskos)

1/2 t ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 C halved cherry tomatoes (Valdivia, Blue Heron, Ray’s Subtropical, Schaner)

1/2 C lightly toasted pine nuts

1 C fresh (or frozen) peas, steamed or boiled 5 minutes (Valdivia, Blue Heron)

Optional: add 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced

Directions:

Place bulgur wheat in large bowl and cover with boiling water and let stand about 1 hour. When water is absorbed, add the herbs, onion, lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings. Gently toss to mix well. Chill 1 hour. Before serving, toss again with tomatoes, peas and cucumber. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts over salad and serve.

wOrMs delITeget a voucher

The City of Del Mar has partnered with Dixieline ProBuild to offer compost bins at a discounted rate.

Upon qualification, vouchers will be mailed with 2-4 weeks. If the worm bin is selected, an additional voucher will be provided; good for 1 pound of red wiggler worms. Details at City Hall.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 8

Civic Center Conversations

PHASE 1 of Winterer’s two-phase proposal. Sketch Jacqueline Winterer

Note: Former Council Member Jacqueline Winterer addressed the Council on May 19 with a two-phase proposal that puts City Hall on Camino Del Mar, adds Plaza space and limits

commercial development. Below are notes from her Council presentation.

Phase 1.Funding: City Budget.

Starting from NE corner of the City Hall site at Camino del Mar and 10th and moving clockwise, elements will be:

• Keep Existing City Hall operative until new City Hall is built. Major cost savings if the administrative functions move only once. There is great urgency for the City Council to go forward with the building of a new Civic Center: health and safety of the staff, staff retention etc..

• Tear down the storage building: the area will serve as construction equipment site. Workers cars and equipment park here, off the streets.

• Build a 10,000 to 11,000 sf City Hall that has a meeting room large enough to hold Council meetings until phase 2 is implemented, andunderground Parking.

• Keep the existing TV studio/Council chambers operative until new council chambers are built.

Phase 2.Funding: Public-Private part of project.

While Phase 1 is implemented the community conversation continues on what should be part of phase 2.

After City Hall built in Phase 1, starting from NE corner, moving clockwise:

• Build a café-bakery-outdoor terrace (example Café Secret, Champagne Bakery) with or without underground parking

• Build New Council Chambers on SW corner

• 4 town homes at NW corner to provide revenue to pay for council chambers.

• Parking under council chambers needs exploring: cost?

• North of council chambers (between the town homes and council chambers), if and when funds are available, this might be the site for a theatre, exhibit hall whatever the community visualizes that can work here.

clOck wIse phAsINg: Two phases Jacqueline Winterer | Ocean View Avenue

The Del Mar City Council is encouraging ideas from the public about the proposed Civic Center — including open mike at every City Council meeting from 6:30 to 7:00 pm. To help that process, the Sandpiper is soliciting ideas from the public for the next several issues. A second is presented below. Publishing these ideas implies no endorsement by our editiors. Our

goal is to broaden the community conversation. We hope to hear from more readers soon.

IdeAs due JuNe 9 Bud Emerson | Klish Way

Mark your calendars for June 9! A critical date for public participation in a major community undertaking is June 9( see announcement on this page).

We are almost half way through a two year process to replace the current run-down city hall. Much work has been done to give the public important information to help make smart choices. So far work plans have covered site analysis, space planning, construction cost analysis, potential public-private partnerships, highest and best use analysis, and financial feasibility assessments. This material will be available for citizen consideration in the workshop.

The outcome of this workshop will enable the community to begin the important design phase scheduled for June-January.

The construction phase is now planned for January 2015-January 2016.

The diagram below depicts all three phases graphically. New cost estimates from the May 19th meeting and the Planning Director’s memo detailing all 3 phases can be found on www.delmarsandpiper.org.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 9

Civic Center Conversations

sIdewAys TO cITy hAllTom McGreal | Stratford Court

wOrkshOp 2 ON JuNe 9

As we travel around we’re always observing how communities function, how people live and inevitably looking at how other communities grapple with problems similar to ours. Our most recent trip included two such observations.

We flew to Santa Rosa, CA destined for the City of Sonoma. Once in Sonoma square, all roads run directly into a large green park with beautiful plantings, the shade of old deciduous trees and a magnificent stone City Hall right in the center of the park.

Back in 1894, the City decided to create a centerpiece for its community. Although we’re clearly beyond the days when communities can build stone City Halls on eight-acre parks such as this, let’s hope Del Mar can be as proud of our proposed City Hall in the future.

We continued on to Napa tasting fine wines, enjoying great restaurants and spending time with our family. Napa is a city of 76,000 with a booming tourism industry built around the popularity of the vineyards. We were particularly impressed with the abundance of free parking on the city streets and in the many small lots located around the downtown area. They offered free 2 and 3-hour parking and all day parking. Downtown Napa also has a public / private garage with two levels of free parking near the riverfront. As tourists we found the parking experience convenient and enormously welcoming. We decided to contact the Napa City officials in the hope that we might learn some lessons from Napa’s parking strategies.

We learned that back in the 1970s as Napa was redeveloping its downtown area the City made a conscious decision to remove all parking meters, acquire open lots for parking and build a parking garage in cooperation with the County and several downtown businesses. The City believed that tourism and local business could flourish if they made free parking available.

OpINION: Monty Woolley, 19th StreetThe English name for public land held in common where villages hold events for the Community is called ‘Commons.’ In a recent letter to the Editor, Jacqueline Winterer asked “Is that dream dead?” The answer is no - the Leeger/Watkins plan for a Community Center is exactly that. A plan organized around outdoor courtyards and plazas to serve as a public gathering place. The plan features a Public Plaza large enough to accommodate our Del Mar Farmer’s Market and multiple Community social and cultural events. The City will retain 100% ownership of the land. Over 80% is exclusively for the City Hall/Chambers and Public Plaza. 20% is available for

lease for resident serving shops and restaurants that will enhance services for our Community and offset some $3 to 5 million dollars of the City’s estimated $9 million dollar stand alone cost without the retail and restaurant. Finally after 35 years, an affordable plan for a much needed City Hall/Chambers and Public Plaza.

Parking is to be provided in a single level, easy in - easy out parking garage to meet all parking codes thus preventing back up into residential neighborhoods.

Finally, an efficient, affordable, user friendly Community Center with courtyards and plazas for Community interaction. A very special place for all residents to enjoy. The Commons concept is very much alive and doable.

It’s been a success, but like all growing and developing areas, parking continues to require constant attention. In fact, this year the City of Napa has embarked on a comprehensive parking review to determine how to keep pace with new development and seasonal demands.

We put our Napa City contact in touch with Kathy Garcia, Del Mar’s Planning and Community Development Director, when we learned that Napa is hiring the same parking consultant that Del Mar has hired to help with our comprehensive parking assessment.

Maybe Napa and Del Mar are facing similar challenges, but it sure feels like Napa is approaching the task from a starting position that Del Mar would envy. Free abundant parking sounds like a great outcome.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 10

During the ceremony four or five groups of schoolchildren attended independant workshops as part of their regular school curriculum.

Photo Ann Gardner

shOrT TAkes ON FIlM Ben Nyce | Via Latina

Do you watch many documentaries? Few of us do, preferring the escapism and fantasy of fiction film. If documentaries are a neglected area of our film culture (with the exception of PBS’s “Frontline”), the fact remains that many directors began in documentaries.

“Finding Vivian Maier” has been playing to growing interest at Landmark’s La Jolla Village. It’s a fascinating study of a wonderful still photographer who apparently wished that her work remain unseen. The director John Maloof was a real estate agent looking for photos to use in a local history project he was writing. He went to an auction and purchased a large carton of photos but found they were of no use for his project. But luckily he had a good eye and noticed their fine quality. He bought more boxes of the photographer’s work and went on a search for the creator. The documentary is a narrative of his search with plentiful examples of the images. Sometimes the camera doesn’t linger long enough on a particular image but this only sharpens the eye’s appetite for more. The shots mainly depict urban street life in Chicago and New York: frolicking kids, bums, workers at play, crime scenes. Amazingly, photography wasn’t Vivian Maier’s main work. She was a nanny who moved from time to time to a new family always carting her increasingly large number of cartons with her.

Maier called herself a spy. Holding her boxlike Rolliflex at waist level she was able to shoot without being noticed. We often see her shadow overlapping the image or reflected in a window or mirror. She had Cartier Bresson’s quickness in capturing the precise moment, Wegee’s fascination with the macabre, Kertesz’s sense of the abstract, Robert Frank’s feel for the American grain. Her portraits of street people are spontaneous and true. You can see her work online but the documentary captures her mysterious nature. She’s a major photographer who nearly went unnoticed.

For home viewing Agnes Varda’s “Vagabond” is a piercing and disturbing look at one young woman’s decline, shot in a documentary style. The film begins with Mona (Sandrine Bonnaire) dying in a ditch during a freezing winter

BIrdwINg BOOked Ann Gardner | Via Latina

You can now visit the Birdwing, San Dieguito River Park’s beautiful new open-air classroom off Via de la Valle just east of I-5. Go either on your own or attend one of the free public programs already scheduled every weekend through July. Topics range from Trail Runners Boot Camp, Sky Hunters and Wildlife Tracking to Coastal Hikes and Yoga on the Beach. Some are for adults, some for children, and others for the whole family. Go to www.sdrp.org for the complete schedule and more information. Some 300 River Park supporters including volunteers, donors, designers and contractors, neighbors, staff and groups of school children took the path from the San Andres trailhead to celebrate the Birdwing ribbon cutting on May 13. County Supervisor Dave Roberts spoke of the thriving River Park, now just past its 25-year mark and looking forward to the next fifty. Former Supervisor Pam Slater Price recalled the early efforts to win Southern California Edison’s mitigation project, the largest in the country, that has spawned the restoration of fallow former farmlands into a “Grand Canyon” of river habitat, fish and bird reserves as well as hiking, bicycling and equestrian trails from Del Mar to Julian. Park off San Andres and go see for yourself!

in Southern France. She’s been a hippie, a drop-out with a stubborn determination not to work or even nourish herself. Her nonconformity is both admirable and self-destructive. Varda shows her encounters with a vivid cross section of French society: an old farmer who envies her freedom, a goat herder and his family who live off the land and finds her irresponsible, an Algerian who works in the vineyards whom she loves, a tree specialist who tries to find out why she is the way she is, a young man of good bourgeois character who is deeply unnerved by her behavior. This study in the absurd leaves an impact long after it is experienced. It’s one of the greatest films from France in many years. You can get it from Netflix.

Nyce taught literature and film at USD and is author of “Satyajit Ray” and “Scorsese Up Close.”

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 11

An abrupt transition in scale? Photo Ann Gardner

Courtesy Tracy Weaver & John Wilcox

BIgger BeTTer? Ann Gardner | Via Latina

The Torrey Pines Community Planning Board representing our neighbors in Del Mar Heights and Del Mar Terrace grappled with property rights versus community character at their last meeting and in the end voted 9-3 in favor of community character. That’s putting it simplistically but the discussion around whether or not to send a Community Plan Focused Update request to Councilmember Sherri Lightner’s office initiated the discussion and the different viewpoints.

Specifically, the word McMansion in the Residential Element of the request caused one Board member to ask: “What does this word mean; I have never heard of it?” It was explained that the term applied to the size of remodeled homes that created “an abrupt transition in scale” and were not coming before the Board for consideration of impact on the surrounding neighborhood. This issue needs to be addressed as a part of a Community Plan Update, Board Chair Dennis Ridz stressed. Several disagreed arguing that remodeled homes upgraded the whole area and besides property owners had a right to build in accordance with the regulations without further restrictions or review. It is simply part of change in an older neighborhood, like updating appliances they suggested. Others wanted to find a way to protect smaller homes from the loss of light, privacy, views and community character and that Board review was one way to do that.

The discussion highlights the difference between Del Mar and other communities, in this case the City of San Diego. In the Heights and Terrace standard residential lots are 5,000 sq. feet with a Floor Area Ratio of 50% or an allowed building space of 2500 feet. In these two communities there is no further review by its Planning Board if it is a remodel with two exterior walls (another 50% rule) left standing. In Del Mar the standard residential lot is 10,000 Sq. feet with a FAR of 25% or the same building space as a lot in the Heights on a lot half the size. In Del Mar there is also Design Review which almost always involves consideration of primary views but also preservation of the natural environment, privacy and light .

The question then is does Del Mar’s zoning restrictions and design review negatively impact property values or, in fact, does consideration of community character and preservation of its aesthetic values add to property values?

whAT sells? dM real estate Blazing hot Tracy Weaver & John Wilcox / Powerhouse Properties, Camino Del Mar

The buzz on the street among agents is that Del Mar, unlike some of our other high-end neighborhoods, is the place to buy or sell! We have seen some explosive sales activity so far this year, and here’s a quick breakdown of how this year is stacking up compared to last year (which was a good year itself):

• Just looking at Old Del Mar single family detached homes, right now we have a very dynamic and healthy balance of inventory with 30 active properties, 11 properties in escrow, and 33 sold properties since the beginning of the year.

• Last year at this time we had just 15 sold single-family detached homes.

• The average sold price so far this year is running at $3,067,000 compared to $2,516,000 for this same time last year…that is an increase of about 20% in sales price and double the amount of volume

There are probably a lot of reasons for it, but the biggest is and always will be that Del Mar is a gorgeous place to live and call home, and they aren’t making any more coastline! Also, compared to some of our surrounding neighborhoods like Rancho Santa Fe and even Carmel Valley, quite a few people are in the market right now to downsize and simplify; many families with school-aged kids are seeing them go off to college, and that dream of having a home by the sea in Del Mar is now a more viable and pressing option and reality.

We’ve also seen a number of ocean front sales so far this year, a strong indicator of the market and the overall demand for coastal living. When it comes to pricing, it’s all about establishing the trigger point: that strike zone positioning where a property is priced even just a tad below where indicators might suggest, thereby creating a sense of excitement and urgency. That happened for us just recently with a listing in the beach colony neighborhood, which sold in less than a week with multiple interested parties and closed in six days above asking price.

Here’s to a nice steady warm trend – in the market and the weather -- as we head into the high season!

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 12

1972. Back Row (left to right): Eric Sandy, Vern Rye, Bob Mauer, Grant Larson, Joyce Hoffman, Jack Ross. Front Row: Bill McConachie,

Jim Lischer, Captain Gardner Stevens, Dan Jago, Brad Smith. Photo courtesy of the Del Mar Lifeguards.

On May 13 at the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the Birdwing Open-Air classroom the ribbon almost didn’t survive the hot East

wind. By the close of the ceremony, the Del Mar Fire Department was already heading out towards Black Mountain and the earliest wildfires.

Photo Virginia Lawrence.

Suzi Resnik, Tensia Trejo, Annie Duval at Hilton Doubletree, Tempe, AZ. Photo by Barbara Tabach

del MAr lIFeguArds

BIrdwINg sOArshIsTOry speAks Suzi Resnik | Crest Road

Bravo! Bravo! Cheers resounded throughout the meeting room. An audience member representing the University of Nevada Las Vegas stood up and said, “Can we come to Del Mar for next year’s annual meeting?” Four representatives from the Del Mar Historical Society’s

(DMHS) Oral History Project: Tensia Trejo, Annie Duval, Rob Healey, and myself as moderator, had just completed a 90-minute presentation on our oral history project: “An Update on a Community Model “at the 2014 Southwest Oral History Association (SOHA) annual meeting “The Courage to Ask and the Courage to Tell.”

Tensia kicked off the presentation with an overview of Del Mar‘s history and the genesis of the Del Mar Historical Society. Rob’s visuals including photos of our seaside paradise and of times past drew “oohs” and “ahhhs.” Annie traced the history of the Oral History Project beginning with Swede Throneson’s early steps to capture the history of our community with amusing tales such as the original DMHS office perched on top of the roof of the Kockritz (Stratford Square) building, not a very accessible location for viewing historical artifacts or reading and listening to oral histories.

She described working with the Del Mar Library to house our oral history binders and catalogue our stories in the San Diego County Library system. She noted that the original interviewer team of Don Terwilliger and Suzi Resnik was formed in 1995 and continue to work together with Tensia, the album expert, continuing to produce them. Annie discussed her oral history interviewer experiences - particularly with Jock Jocoy and Pat Welsh. She described the digitization of all our oral histories and plans to post them on the DMHS website.

Rob discussed the use of new technology in our current projects and credited the City of Del Mar, Lynn Gaylord, and recently the Del Mar Foundation for funding that furthers our projects using new modalities. He showed how we developed a “script” working with Jan McMillan, former mayor of Del Mar, so that her additions and changes could be seamlessly integrated into the audio portion as well as into the transcript.

We explained the Beach Stories Project, an idea created by Lynn Gaylord and developed into roundtable sessions by Susie Good Stevenson, who grew up on the beach and reached out to groups of old-timers to discuss what life was like then. Rob illustrated how we can record up

to eight voices with our new audio equipment identifying each speaker. A photo was shown of Larry Brooks, our DMHS President with Lauren Bridges, volunteer who has made enormous contributions to further DMHS for the future.

I concluded by emphasizing that the role of our oral history project is to foster discussions focusing on historical developments using a community roundtable idea - and that by sharing perceptions from the past - new thoughts and conclusions may emerge, and old divisions healed.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 13

Photo Ann Gardner

prOJecT prOgress Courtesy Mayor Lee Haydu

San Dieguito River Bridge, the design work on the next phase has begun. The City is working with a contractor to design the next sidewalk project along Camino del Mar from 12th Street to 10th Street. A design is also underway for the area from Jimmy Durante Boulevard at San Dieguito Drive to the Del Mar Plaza, and features a narrowing of the northbound vehicular lane to create space for the sidewalk on the east side of the roadway and limit the height of any necessary retaining walls. Also, the City Council directed staff to study and seek public input on installation of a roundabout at the intersection of Jimmy Durante Boulevard and San Dieguito Drive.

Both designs will provide for intersection improvements for better pedestrian access and crossings and install sidewalks along the public right-of-way on the east and west sides of various areas along these blocks. This next phase of the Sidewalk, Street, and Drainage Improvements is expected to greatly improve pedestrian access and parking along the business corridor.

The City Council also approved replacement of a portion of the temporary-looking gray rubber trash receptacles at the beach street ends and the Powerhouse and Seagrove parks. During the Beach Colony Community Conversations that occurred in February 2014, a recurring theme was to add recycling receptacles to the beach street ends and parks, as well as a request to replace the temporary-looking gray rubber trash receptacles where feasible. There are approximately 110 rubber trash receptacles in these locations. The City Council authorized replacement

sTuck ON NO Ann Gardner | Via Latina

Despite almost 600 signatures and numerous letters, the Coastal Commission biologist has not changed his mind about removing the Boardwalk along the San Dieguito River beginning at Jimmy Durante Blvd., and the Commission District Manager has informed the River Park that an amendment to Phase II of the Fairgrounds wetlands restoration permit would be required to keep it as a permanent use. The Boardwalk, according to the Commission was approved as an interim use only, and is not part of the approved wetlands restoration plan Phase I now taking place on the Fairgrounds South Overflow Lot (SOL). The Commission is supporting the biologists position that the walkway introduces human disturbance to the habitat particularly birds in restored wetlands - despite testimony and examples to the contrary.

The statement that “birds are especially sensitive to activity that is above them…”according to Dr. Philip Pryde, Past Chair, San Diego Chapter of Audubon Society, “is an overly-broad generalization and is not necessarily correct in the context of water birds. Far from maximizing disturbance to the habitat, properly constructed boardwalks (such as the River Park Boardwalk) can provide a useful protective service. I have visited (similar) sites…and have seen for example Clapper Rails and other wetland birds saunter beside and under boardwalks quite unconcerned about visitors above,” he wrote to the Commission.

“We appreciate (there are) questions for each of the respective parties and would recommend we meet in the near future to discuss and respond to any identified issues. We will commit our staff resources to resolve this matter in an expeditious fashion and support the completion of the SOL restoration work,” the District Manager said in her May 23rd letter. See our May article and if you haven’t already done so, you can still sign the petition at www. delmarsandpiper.org/#boardwalk.

of up to 40 and asked staff to reach out to partners in the community to help fund replacement of additional receptacles. If you are interested in participating with funding or would have suggestions on placement, please contact the City. The new trash cans will be installed this summer.

TAke A TurN city Advisory committee Vacancies

Interested in volunteering in your City? The City of Del Mar invites its residents to volunteer on a board or commission to provide input in a variety of areas. The City is currently soliciting for interested persons to fill the following committee vacancies:

Business Support Advisory Committee

Two (2) Vacancies - 1 hotel owner/operator and 1 retail establishment owner

San Dieguito Lagoon Committee

Two (2) Vacancies - Committee Members

Interested citizens should complete a Citizen Interest Form and submit it to the City of Del Mar’s Administrative Services Department.

Visit www.delmar.ca.us/347/Committee-Vacancies to complete the form and see the deadlines. Forms should be submitted to the City of Del Mar, Administrative Services Department, 1050 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 14

From left: Dianne Jacob, District Two County Supervisor; Dave Zilo, Solana Beach City Council; Dave Roberts, District Three County

Supervisor; and Don Mosier, Del Mar City Council.

Top of parking structure level with Townsgate Drive. Graphic courtesy Donahue Schriber.

rIVer pArk weIghTINg Ann Gardner | Via Latina

At its first meeting after San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer approved just one more year of funding for the San Dieguito River Park unless certain issues were resolved, the Park’s Joint Powers Agency (JPA) on May 16 considered the issues, agreed on some but left most on the table including Faulkner’s number one issue: non-weighted voting.

Del Mar and Solana Beach, along with the four other jurisdictions that border the 55 mile long park stretching

from Del Mar east to Volcan Mountain: San Diego County and the cities of San Diego, Escondido and Poway are members of the JPA. Each agency contributes financially to the operation of the park and their representatives meet regularly to set policy, approve a budget and staffing, plan acquisitions and land uses in the coast to crest resource. When the JPA’s 25 year old agreement came up for renewal this year the City of San Diego revealed that they had “a number of issues” with the arrangement and even suggested that the City might leave the JPA and assume management of the land within its jurisdiction.

This came as a shock to Park supporters who are celebrating 25 years of accomplishments including lagoon restoration, habitat conservation, historic structure rebuilding, 65 miles of trails and last month the opening of an open air classroom east of I-5. At stake is not only San Diego’s $254,000 annual contribution but regional management of approximately 50% of the land.

Under the agreement each agency is to contribute an annual fee based on the size of its jurisdiction: San Diego City and County each contribute $254,000; Escondido and Poway contribute $107,000 and Del Mar and Solana Beach $49,000. The JPA uses non-weighted voting although the City and County of San Diego have two representatives on the Board compared to one each for the remaining four smaller jurisdictions. San Diego is requesting a weighted vote to mirror the contributions. This would result in San Diego and the County’s vote weighing 31% compared to the current 21%; Escondido and Poway votes would be worth 13% and Del Mar and Solana Beach votes 6%. Leaving aside implementation questions, JPA members seemed more concerned about the loss of what, they say, has been consensual decision making for one based on

financial contributions. “Support for the Park goes beyond money contributions” one member noted citing the large number of volunteers and donors from the North County area. Supervisor Dianne Jacobs compared the River Park collaboration to the recent regional response to wildfires that broke out in North County. “People did not (stop and) ask what are we getting for our money?” “A weighted vote diminishes the influence of smaller members; it would create a power shift,” another member commented.

The Board did agree to: correct potential misrepresentation of individual Board member votes, mediate billing for specific San Diego services and create a subcommittee with the City to work on clarifying the remaining issues. “We are struggling to figure out the issues, “JPA Chair Roberts said. In the meantime to avoid the automatic termination of the JPA on June 12th if all six agencies do not sign the renewal agreement, the remaining five agencies have signed an Extension Agreement for another fifty years although only two signatures are required.

hIghlANds ZONes OuT Ann Gardner | Via Latina

A new below street level parking structure is planned for the Del Mar Highlands shopping center at Del Mar Heights Road and El Camino Real just east of I-5. It will be located off Townsgate Drive behind the current Jimbo’s/Barnes and Noble wing of the shopping center. Additionally the center will add a second story and expand Jimbo’s and the Cinepolis Cinema, displacing the current Barnes and Noble store. Kindercare will be relocated to the Townsgate Drive street level with no interruption in service. The expansion is the completion of a plan approved in the mid-1980s and will add 80,000 square feet of retail and 600 parking spaces (in three levels) to the current location. The owners, Donahue Schriber, have solicited feedback via surveys and the Carmel Valley Planning Board on what the community would like to see as part of the expansion. In response to B&N customers’ concern management said they would like to incorporate the book store into the expanded center in another location. The Planning Board has emphasized their interest in giving Townsgate Drive more of a “main street” ambiance by adding pedestrian connections between the Center and the Recreation Center, Solana Pacific Elementary School and Library across the street and are involving the City of San Diego in those discussions. Renovations, starting with the parking structure, theater expansion and KinderCare relocation,is expected to begin later this year with the center remaining open through the complete renovation in 2017.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 15

exTrA cOpIes OF The sANdpIper are available at: City Hall, the Library, the Del Mar Community Building, the Powerhouse, and

the Carmel Valley Library; The Gym at Del Mar on Jimmy Durante Blvd; the Solana Beach Library and the Solana Beach Community Center.

del MAr cOMMuNITy cAleNdArhighlights for JuNe 2014

This month’s calendar was compiled by shelby weaver, a Torrey pines high school Junior.

Del Mar Farmer’s Market: Every Saturday, 1-4 p.m. City Hall parking lot. Purchase fresh, locally grown produce, flowers eggs and many other products.

Del Mar City Council: City Council Meetings, Monday, June 2nd and Monday June 16th, 6:00 p.m, Del Mar Communication Center

DMCC: The Lunch Club @ Rendezvous, Monday, June 2nd, 11:30-1:00 p.m. - Reservations & prepayment required. 858-792-7565 or dmcc@dmcc.cc

DMVA History Committee Monthly Meeting: Tuesday, June 3rd, 5:00 p.m. 1104 Camino Del Mar

DMF First Thursdays: Thursday, June 5th, Josh White Quintet “Exploring the Boundaries of Collective Improvisation.” Del Mar Powerhouse Community Center, 7:00 p.m. We are sorry, but this series is currently sold out. To be added to the waiting list for the 2015-16 season please visit delmarfoundation.org/Cultural.html#tickets

Del Mar Library: Vegan Cooking Demo with Lisa of Be Vegan, Saturday, June 7th, 1:00 p.m.

DMF: DMF Talks: “Cross Border Economy” featuring Dr. Mary Walshok, Associate Vice Chancellor dor Public Programs and Dean of Extension Studies at UCSD. Del Mar Powerhouse CC, Monday, June 9th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

City Of Del Mar: City Hall Planning Workshop, Monday, June 9th, 6:00 p.m @DM Communication Center. Discussion of City Hall/Civic Center Project

DM Planning Commission: Monthly meeting, Tuesday, June 10th, 6:00 p.m. 240 10th St.

DMF: Cultural Arts Committee Meeting, Wednesday, June 11th, 8:30 a.m., Del Mar Powerhouse Community Center

DMCC: Van trip to The Women’s Museum of California, Friday, June 13th from 11:00-3:00. No-host lunch and docent led tour of the museum at Liberty Station. –“Marching Toward Empowerment-Suffrage and the First Wave of Feminism” is the current exhibit. $8. Reservations required: dmcc@dmcc.cc

Mar Historical Society: An Evening at the Alvarado House, Monday, June 16th, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Garden Section of the Del Mar Fair. Food, drink and live music by Sue Palmer, the queen of Boogie Woogie. Go to www.delmarhistoricalsociety.org for info.

Del Mar Historical Society: Meeting, Tuesday, June 17th, 5:00 p.m., 225 9th St.

DMF: First Summer Twilight Concert at Powerhouse Park featuring Rockola and the Magical Youth Orchestra at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday June 17th . Opening with Josh Damigo at 6:00 p.m.

Del Mar Library: Sparkles the Clown Magic and Bubble Show, Wednesday, June 18th, 10:30 a.m. Summer Reading Challenge Program. Entertainment for everyone

DMVA: Design Committee Meeting, Wednesday, June 18th, 11: 00 a.m. DMVA office, 1104 Camino del Mar #1

Del Mar Library: PJ Story Time—wear your PJ’s to the library for story time! Wednesday, June 18th, 6:30 p.m. 24th, 10:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

DMVA: Annual Summer Solstice Celebration! Thursday, June 19th, 5:00-8:-00 p.m. Powerhouse Park. Food tastes and Beer and Wine plus Silent Auction. Tickets available online or at DMVA office: $75 each

DMF: Summer Resident Book Club, in collaboration with the Del Mar Library, DM Library Community Room, Saturday, June 21st, 10:00 a.m. The first book announce shortly.

DMCC: La Jolla Shopping Trip on the DMCC van, Monday, June 23rd, 9:30-1:00 p.m. Reservations required: #858.792.7565 or dmcc@dmcc.cc

Friends of San Dieguito River Valley Board: Meeting, Monday, June 23rd 7:00 p.m. at The Annex, 1054 Camino del Mar

Design Review Board Meeting: Wednesday, June 25th, 6:00 p.m., 240 10th St.

DMF : Board Meeting, Thursday, June 26th, 8:00 a.m., Del Mar Community Building

Del Mar Rose Society: Monthly meeting, Thursday, June 26th, 6:30 p.m., 1658 Coast Blvd.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 16

Powerhouse Park.

John and his many admirers at Powerhouse Park.

TrAckINg: News updates

watermark Over the past several months the proposed Watermark Specific Plan has been further evaluated and refined based on community feedback. Led by two local businessmen, Don Glatthorn and Tony Cassolato, this proposal is for a cluster of residential units on the corner of Jimmy Durante and San Dieguito Road. The Plan will include seven affordable units, four of which will be deeded to Del Mar Community Connections. During the past six months they have been engaged in an extensive analysis of the slope impacts

and compliance with the BCS overlay, meeting with all staff department heads on technical issues, and getting feedback from neighbors and other citizens about how to proceed. In May they finally closed escrow on the transaction, which gives them unfettered ownership of the property. Their plan now is to re-engage the public, laying out what they have learned and how they are intending to redesign the proposal and soliciting feedback from the entire community. Included in their process will be a 3D web site that will demonstrate from a street level view how the residential units will be laid out. The website will be set up to encourage viewers to give specific feedback. The time frame is yet to be determined.

lifeguard pay The city is not able to review pay rates for part-time lifeguards until they take a vote among themselves to determine if they want to be represented by a union or not. The voting results will be clear in June.

Vons work to startWest of I-5 the Del Mar Heights shopping center's "cosmetic renovation" is expected to begin this month with a completion date of "before the holidays." Donahue and Schriber who also own and manage the Heights location are in the process of evaluating tenants for the vacant store fronts including the former credit union bank building.

permit Fee reductionThe City Council approved a fee reduction for minor design review permits to "make minor development permits more economical, incentivize permit filing, and improve the user's experience with the City's Administrative Design Review (ADR) process". Planning Director Garcia said, "the proposed fee structure revision would separate the collection of the ADR minor and major fees into two segments based on whether the application review proceeds with or without a public hearing and the associated increased administrative costs of staff time.”

cOughlIN’s legAcy Photos courtesy Jill Coughlin

John Coughlin, who passed away on April 24, 2014, donated countless hours building his signature benches and tables for our public areas - Seagrove Park, Powerhouse Park, City Hall, Crest View Rim, Shores Park, the US Post Office, San Dieguito River Park. Many of his benches were dedicated as memorials, and now his generous work stands as a memorial to him and his gift of volunteerism to our thankful community.

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 17

Photos Virginia Lawrence

JuNe 2014

“Milvotchkee, Visconsin” @ The 10th Avenue Theatre

Complimentary tickets to attend a powerful new play about a woman experiencing various stages of dementia—described as “a comedy about a tragedy”—are being offered by Del Mar Community Connections for the June 22 performance.

Produced by the Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company at the 10th Avenue Theatre in San Diego, the play, “Milvotchkee, Visconsin,” looks through the lens of the character Molly as she journeys along new pathways of memory loss and dementia and finds hope in her new life. The story involves her fight for dignity against the insensitivity of overburdened health professionals and a well-meaning but sometimes self-serving family who attempt to help her.

The complimentary DMCC tickets are on a first come first serve basis. Participants may choose to attend the event on their own, or join a group on the DMCC bus for a no-host lunch preceding the play. The matinee performance starts at 2 p.m. The van outing is scheduled from 11:30 to 5 p.m. A $5 donation for the van ride is suggested. Call 858 792-7565 to reserve a ticket.

“Marching Toward empowerment” @ the Women’s Museum

The story of women’s suffrage in the late part of the 19th Century and early 20th Century--actually the centerpiece of women’s equality in the United States--is vividly depicted in the current display, “Marching Toward Empowerment—Suffrage and the First Wave of Feminism” at the Women’s Museum of California.

The exhibit humorously answers the question, “what were the Suffragists wearing on their feet to do all this marching?” with a small collection of turn of the century shoes and boots. Clothing of the time, political buttons, sashes, pamphlets and other paraphernalia round out the visual elements, including a letter from Susan B. Anthony to California Suffragist Alice Park.

DMCC is sponsoring a van trip consisting of a no-host lunch and docent-led tour of the museum, located a Liberty Station, on Friday, June 13, from 11 to 3 p.m. The museum entry and tour is $8. Reservations are required by calling 858 792-7565.

BOOk cOrNer little Free libraryVirginia Lawrence | Caminito Del Rocio

Little doesn’t do justice to the new Little Free Library in Del Mar; minuscule would be more apt. Made of wood, it has “two stories” (to quote the April 24th Del Mar Times). Its footprint must be approximately one and a half square feet, and the two stories are just two book shelves inside a wooden box with a glass-fronted door and a wooden swivel latch. It has no address – merely a location at the intersection of Stratford Court and Stratford Park Circle. No phone – but you can leave written notes. No opening hours, days, nor even an onsite librarian. According to the DMT, the owner, Kate Zimmer, got the library for her birthday last year. Something like a rural delivery USPS mailbox, it’s perched on a stilt set in a large blue ceramic pot planted with succulents. The 30-book collection is in excellent condition. Still, there is nothing here to eclipse, let alone challenge, the Del Mar Library resources.

More about the location – the Little Free Library is at the intersection of Stratford Court and Stratford Park Circle inside the private Del Mar Woods condo complex just to the south of 4th Street. Stratford Park Circle itself leads into a gated section of the complex; the Little Free Library is located in a bank of shrubs just outside the gates. Once you abandon the idea that you are hunting for a building, the LFL’s blue pot and an array of bright notes and flowers make it easy to spot.

This little library is all about community and sharing. No library card is required, though if you take a book it is suggested you leave one. One of the books has a note in it identifying a Must Read. There is a notice tacked on the left outside wall of the library describing a lost cat, and a bag of plastic tacks so the people can post other notices.

A big advantage for those who value their exercise: there is no parking for anyone inside Del Mar Woods except residents and their guests, so you will have to park on Stratford Court to the north of 4th Street – a minimum 0.2 mile hike to the library. For residents of Del Mar Woods, however, the location is ideal. This writer spoke to a resident out for a stroll who said he checks the collection every day.

The first Little Free Library was built in 2009 in Wisconsin; today there are approximately 15,000 registered Little Free Libraries in the world. www.littlefreelibrary.org

Sandpiper June 2014 Page 18

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First visitors to a revived Adopt-A-Spot. From left: Don Mosier, Rosanne Holliday, Beth Levine, Mary Ann and Bud Emerson.

Photo Joel Holliday

NeIghBOrhOOd AdOpTION Shirley King | Avenida Primavera

The Crest Rim Overlook Trail Restoration project was completed in spring 2008 but was preceded by two years of judicious planning and fund-raising by the Del Mar Garden Club – an accomplished network of community volunteers bringing to life an orphaned public viewpoint. Lane Goodkind, a prominent landscape architect and son of John and Alice Goodkind transformed this neglected area to heighten the beauty of the native terrain – Crest Canyon and beyond. For years now this trail has become an oasis for the walker and a sedative for the flash of car drivers.

Once again, an overlooked and undervalued public space is being rescued by a group of neighboring residents along Crest Road. In 1977 the City acquired this area as part of the Crest Canyon Open Space Preserve. An Adopt-A-Spot application proposed by Rosanne and Joel Holliday and joined by fellow adopters Fran and Nick Frost, Maryka and George Hoover, Suzi Resnik and Stan Marks, Judy and Marc Schuckit will extend the existing trail to the adjacent 85-feet of formerly inaccessible public land.

The applicants persisted with an unusually arduous review process requiring the City Council’s formal approval of the recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Committee to survey the northern property boundary. The land survey and aerial evaluation revealed that the parcel included more area than envisioned in this Adopt-A-Spot application. Now the City’s Public Works Department has installed light weight fencing salvaged from the Post Office sidewalk - sprayed glossy green - two-inches south of the newly designated property line and with three-feet deep plants and trees to help screen the property owner to the north.

By taming the growth within the .55-acre of public land that opens canyon and unobstructed vista viewpoints to the easterly mountains, the applicants will create an

off-road retreat, now a block in length. Several existing elements of hardscape, a concrete path, wooden gate and termite-infested woodpile have been removed to continue the 4-1/2- foot wide decomposed granite trail path. A few new plantings are planned, and irrigation will be greatly minimized as the existing long-established plantings have adapted to little water and will be sculpted to conform to the pathway. Grading is required for the north entrance that will be marked with a yellow blister surface at the

roadside. Adopters will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the pathway. The contractor started work on May 12th.

It is estimated that the costs associated with this refurbishment are about $10,000 – a reduction offset by the cost-saving labor of volunteer hands. To achieve the anticipated June 10th opening, community donations will be needed until the goal is reached. A neighborhood party at the home of Suzi Resnik and Stan Marks and hosted by Fran and Nick Frost on May 9th offered the neighborhood the opportunity to tour this expanding park. The community’s investment in this public space will yield a natural pedestrian plaza that anchors the east corridor of our city.

The Crest Rim Adopt-A-Spot project serves as a model of

maximizing community access to public areas, especially those that increase our appreciation of the unique but fragile landscape in our area. The commitment of these residents to enhance the communal natural assets within our neighborhoods should encourage the rest of us to make the most of what we share.

Donations can be sent to Crest Rim Adopt-A-Spot Project, Attention Joel Holliday, 1230 Crest Road, Del Mar, CA 92014 and made payable to Joel Holliday.