Happy 5th Anniversary, Surfing Coronavirus!

 April 2, 2020:

Kim Prather, a leading atmospheric chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, wants to yell out her window at every surfer, runner, and biker she spots along the San Diego coast.

“I wouldn’t go in the water if you paid me $1 million right now,” she said.

The beach, in her estimation, is one of the most dangerous places to be these days, as the novel coronavirus marches silently across California.

3/26/25 City Council meeting open thread

 Please use the comments to record your observations.

Encinitas Tesla store targeted in nationwide wave of political attacks

From the Inbox:

Might be a good topic for conversation?

RIP Ian Thompson

The widower of late councilwoman Maggie Houlihan.

I didn't know them much, but from what I can tell she was a gregarious hippie chick who settled here a long time ago and got a job as a bank teller. I don’t know how she got into politics, but she was beloved as a goofy, big-hearted council member, and mourned as she died from cancer.. Ian presented as a well-bred proper English guy. I gather they married later in life. He seemed in good health the last time I talked to him a couple years ago.

Another protest at Encinitas Tesla store

Fox 5:

A protest took place outside the Tesla dealership in northern San Diego County on Saturday as community members rallied against federal funding cuts while protests took place simultaneously across the country.

A crowd lining the street outside the Tesla dealership in Encinitas could be seen holding signs with messages like “boycott Tesla” and “save social security” at 1302 Encinitas Blvd Saturday afternoon.

UPDATE: Apparent vandalism to the cars reported on Facebook.

3/12/25 City Council meeting open thread

Please use the comments to record your observations.

Blackwell owned stock in developer whose project she approved

Coast News:

A former Encinitas City Council member may have violated state conflict-of-interest laws by voting to approve a project from a real estate developer in which she held investments, according to campaign finance experts.

Allison Blackwell, who served on the council as the District 1 representative from January 2023 until the end of last year, cast multiple votes in favor of the Piraeus Point development during her time in office.

Since Blackwell had a living trust set up with a significant investment holding in Lennar Corporation — the real estate developer behind the Piraeus Point — these votes appear to have violated conflict of interest rules set by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), according to multiple former FPPC regulators interviewed by The Coast News.