New bike lanes from Kook to Swami’s

Fox 5:

Local surfers are frustrated with the idea of altering an area that always struggles with parking.

“What they’ve done is they’ve kind of made a war on surfers. You’re going to see a lot of guys really upset,” said Paul Ambrogio, a longtime Swami’s surfer.

The bike lanes can seem complicated and it may take some time for people to get use to the new system. For example, FOX 5 witnessed a driver driving in the protected biking lane.

Blakespear raising funds for legal defense of her illegal censorship of constituents

Lost Coast Outpost:

A first-term state senator is raising money from interest groups to fight ongoing litigation related to complaints that she blocked critics on social media in her previous job as a mayor.

Sen. Catherine Blakespear, an Encinitas Democrat who was elected to the Senate in November, opened the legal defense fund at the end of January and has raised $17,500 so far, in addition to receiving legal assistance from the California Democratic Party, according to campaign finance records.

Blakespear appears to be the only legislator with an active legal defense fund. The contributions include $12,000 from the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters and $5,500 from the Pechanga Band of Indians, both of which lobby at the state Capitol.

Blakespear declined to discuss the case in depth because it is still active, but she defended using her legislative position to fundraise for her legal bills.

Senator Blakespear appears to be the only member of the legislature who is collecting a legal defense fund.

5/24/23 City Council meeting open thread

 Please use the comments to record your observations.

New multi-million-dollar condos above downtown Encinitas featured in San Diego Magazine

San Diego Magazine:

Taste is subjective, but it’s no secret that established beachside communities, like Encinitas, are resistant to topographic shifts—particularly when height and population density are involved. The question is how to mitigate the fear of change with the necessity of housing in these legacy communities.

Scott M. Maas is the principal architect at Field X Studio, the firm behind the F Street Residences. He concedes that there was accrued ambivalence from both the citizens and the city.

“The Highlands [is] the oldest neighborhood in the city, for sure, and you don’t see a lot of new projects there. It’s very old houses that have been there for a long time, and many people who live in those houses are multigenerational and don’t really like to see the change,” Maas explains.

Encinitas Undercover comments spark criminal investigation

Coast News:

Law enforcement has opened an investigation into a slew of anonymous posts threatening physical and sexual violence against several local women in an online discussion board, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Both law enforcement and residents have reported parallels between the language used in several anonymous posts on the Blogger forum Encinitas Undercover and public Facebook statements by former Encinitas mayoral candidate Jeff Morris.

Sgt. Heather Bruton of the sheriff’s North Coastal Station confirmed they had received multiple complaints of online harassment related to the anonymous posts and continue to investigate the matter.

EU readers are well aware of the recent explosion of abusive comments. We've tried to monitor and moderate, but it's been a herculean task with the time and energy a few people seem to have for posting vitriol.

EU is in contact with law enforcement and will help identify IP addresses.

5/17/23 City Council meeting open thread

 Please use the comments to record your observations.

5/10/23 City Council meeting open thread

 Please use the comments to record your observations.