To coincide with the upcoming redesign of the City’s website, we are seeking input on creating a new logo and branding color palette. The first part of this process is identifying potential iconography that can be utilized in the new logo design. Please take our survey below by May 5. We appreciate your input!
San Diego is the new epicenter for migrants and illegal immigration.
Last week alone, Border Patrol apprehended over 9,000 illegal border crossers within the San Diego sector. This surge in illegal crossings has propelled San Diego to the unfortunate position of leading all nine southern border sectors in April, a trend unseen since the 1990s.
Since October 1st, the San Diego sector has witnessed a staggering 214,855 apprehensions, representing individuals from over 75 countries across the globe. Moreover, the closure of the processing center has led to over 37,000 migrant drop-offs in the past two months alone. This doesn’t account for the frequent occurrences of boats washing ashore, averaging three to four incidents weekly.
Human smugglers have identified California, particularly the San Diego border sector, as the path of least resistance for illegal immigration. Border Patrol has inadvertently become the ‘Uber’ for migrants entering San Diego County, and the County is the travel agent.
The recent allocation of $19 million in federal dollars will not solve the crisis, as the money will not be used to protect the border but only allow for more concierge service to get migrants to their destinations across the United States. We have laws set in place, but currently, the federal government is not upholding them.
Compounding these challenges is California’s sanctuary state status, which prohibits law enforcement from cooperating with immigration officials, hindering our ability to address these issues effectively. Even if local law enforcement were to respond swiftly to incidents such as boats arriving on our shores or breaches in border fences, state law prevents them from coordinating with immigration authorities.
This glaring loophole in our system poses significant risks to public safety and exacerbates the strain on our resources. We urgently need federal support and comprehensive reforms to manage this crisis and safeguard our communities.
So, how can you help? Contact your federal representative and tell them you want to fix the chaos at the border. The President and Congress has the power to do something, but they need to hear from you.
Darrell Issa
48th District
https://issa.house.gov/contact
Escondido Phone: (760) 304-7575
Mike Levin
49th District
https://levin.house.gov/contact/email-me
Oceanside Office Phone: (760) 599-5000
Scott Peters
50th District
https://scottpeters.house.gov/email-me
San Diego Phone: (858) 455-5550
Sara Jacobs
51st District
https://sarajacobs.house.gov/forms/writeyourrep/?zip5=91941&zip4=
San Diego Phone: Phone: (619) 280-5353
Juan Vargas
52nd District
https://vargas.house.gov/contact/legislative-comments
San Diego Phone: (619) 422-5963
San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond
https://www.supervisorjimdesmond.com/
San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond · 1600 Pacific Highway, #335, San Diego, CA 92101, United States
On April 19th, The Classical Academies celebrated their 25th anniversary. Since its inception a quarter-century ago, the organization has partnered with parents to prepare lifelong learners to think, communicate, and achieve. Founded in 1999, The Classical Academies has grown from a single campus..
OCEANSIDE — A changing of the guard will see new leader atop MainStreet Oceanside.
Rick Wright, the chief executive officer, finally calls it a career with the nonprofit and handed the reins over to Gumaro Escarcega to lead the downtown business association into the future. Although Escarcega technically took over on Jan. 1, Wright stayed on for a transition period, which was supposed to be until June, but left earlier this month knowing the organization is in good hands, Wright said.
MainStreet Oceanside is a nonprofit comprised of downtown businesses, he said, and works to lift up downtown, advocates for small business, development and much more.
“He was always my go-to person when I was stuck,” Escarcega said of Wright. “We always solved issues together and now I’m trying to find this transition and moving forward by supporting local businesses and my staff.”
Since the organization’s founding, it has grown to a staff of 32 with a $3.8 million budget and has worked tirelessly to enhance downtown Oceanside and promote small businesses. Some of their work includes two farmer’s markets, beach services, membership, advertising, annual events (Taste of Spring, Taste of Oceanside), the Independence Day parade and the award-winning shop local program during the Christmas season, Property Business Improvement District (PBID) and much more, Escarcega said.
“These are all revenue-driven operations,” he added. “We have the parternship with the city, like Gatekeeper, which is a security service in downtown. The city has been very generous on this program because they fund most of it now.”
Join us Thursday, May 2 from 8-10 AM at Starbucks- 465 Hacienda Dr Vista Meet Sheriff’s Deputies and crime prevention specialists from the Vista Station to talk about issues in your community.
James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece… and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching.
The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.
Rated PG for some suggestive material.
Doors: 6:30 P.M., show starts at 8 P.M.
Free parking on site. Learn more about the venue.
The City of Carlsbad is seeking an artist or artist team to develop a site-integrated work of art that will be placed in the center of a new traffic circle located in the Barrio, the city’s first residential neighborhood, dating back to the early 1900s.
The city has already begun the community engagement process for the new public art, and prepared a summary report that includes some of the common themes heard so far. This input is reflected in the call for artists qualifications as the permanent public art should reflect the Barrio’s neighborhood identity and cultural and historic heritage. The community will continue to be engaged during the development of the new artwork.
At a glance
Call for artists qualifications released April 26, 2024
Submission deadline June 24, 5 p.m.
Budget not to exceed $110,000
More information
The city’s Art in Public Places Program integrates art and the vision of artists into the development of public settings by collaborating with local, regional and nationally-known artists to include the values and history of the community into their work. Stay updated with project updates by joining the email list.
Questions
Email arts@carlsbadca.gov
La ciudad de Carlsbad se buscan artistas para nuevo arte público permanente en el Barrio
La ciudad de Carlsbad está buscando un artista o un equipo de artistas para crear una obra de arte que se instalará en el centro de una nueva rotonda ubicada en el Barrio, el primer barrio residencial de la ciudad, que data de principios del siglo XX.
La ciudad ya comenzó la conversación con la comunidad sobre el proceso de creación de la obra de arte pública, y preparó un reporte que incluye algunos de los temas frecuentemente mencionados hasta ahora. Estas ideas y temas están incluidos en la convocatoria para calificaciones de artistas ya que la nueva obra de arte necesita reflejar la identidad e importancia histórica y cultural del Barrio. La comunidad continuará siendo consultada durante el proceso de creación de la nueva obra de arte.
En breve
Convocatoria para calificaciones de artistas publicada el 26 de abril de 2024
Fecha límite de presentación 24 de junio a las 5 p.m.
El presupuesto no debe exceder los $110,000
Más información
El Programa Arte en Lugares Públicos de la ciudad integra el arte y la visión de los artistas en el desarrollo de áreas públicas al colaborar con artistas de renombre local, regional y nacional para incluir los valores y la historia de la comunidad en su trabajo. Manténgase al día con actualizaciones sobre este proyecto agregando su correo electrónico a la lista.
Preguntas
Correo electrónico arts@carlsbadca.gov
The Wild Raccoons, Oceanside High School’s esteemed robotics team, wrapped up their season in a spectacular display of skill and determination at the World Championships held in Houston this month.
Despite facing stiff competition from across the globe, The Wild Raccoons showcased their prowess, finishing the season with an impressive record of 17-16. Their commendable efforts earned them a notable World standing of 1459 out of 3474 participating teams.
Competing amidst a field of 600 teams and against the backdrop of a bustling crowd of 50,000 attendees from various corners of the world, The Wild Raccoons demonstrated resilience and sportsmanship throughout the event.
In a thrilling turn of events, the championship saw the triumphant alliance of teams hailing from Israel, Missouri, and Pennsylvania emerging victorious over a favored all-California alliance, captivating spectators with their strategic maneuvers.
Beyond the statistics, The Wild Raccoons’ journey to qualify for this prestigious event after just five competitions stands as a testament to their dedication and skill, marking a monumental achievement for the team.
As the season draws to a close, Oceanside High School proudly celebrates The Wild Raccoons’ outstanding performance and looks forward to continued success in future endeavors.
By TR Robertson
Friday night, Vista High School Dick Haines Stadium was the scene of a special event for the cadets of the Vista High School Air Force Junior ROTC Program, under the directions of U.S. Air Force Colonel (Ret.) Vincent J. Lostetter, Jr. Lostetter is the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor for the Unit. The event, known as Pass-In-Review, involved the Change of Command Promotion for the Unit, Awards Presentation to Cadets, honoring graduating Seniors and a Military Pass-In-Review for invited dignitaries, family members and guests.
An Open House was held prior to the ceremony where cadets provided a tour of their new classrooms recently opened in the large facility that was just completed. Cadet Airman Basic Destiny Peak, a senior, met this reporter at the entrance to the new classrooms, showing and describing the various simulators students are trained on including a small Cessna reconstructed as a Project Aircraft Simulator. The aircraft also won a ribbon at the San Diego County Fair in the student section awards program. The next room, adjacent to the simulator room, was offices for the Cadet Commander and for Colonel (Ret.) Lostetter. A large classroom was the next room where the cadets meet throughout the day according to their daily schedule. The Junior ROTC program also has access to the massive newly completed weight room for Vista High School.
Charles Thompson, Vista PE Instructor, was in the weight room. Charles said this weight room has been a project for him for the past few years. Once the weight room had been completed, no plan was made for new equipment for the room. Thompson said he was able to furnish the weight room through a series of grants. He was able to acquire $70,000 from a grant from the LA Chargers, a $20,000 mini-Cal Grant and $50,000 from the 21st Century organization. Thompson also said he was able to get a few days off from his normal instruction to build all of the stands for all of the equipment in the large weight room. He said he practically lives in the weight room, offering his free time for the room to be open for those interested. He also said the Cadets use the weight room as part of a PE program of their curriculum.
Moving to Dick Haines Stadium, the ceremony began with an introduction by Master of Ceremonies Cadet Dakota Benner of the proceedings and what those in attendance would be seeing. Numerous dignitaries in attendance were introduced, some of which included Vista Unified District Superintendent Dr. Matt Doyle, Assistant Superintendent Christine Olmstead, Vista Unified School Board Member Cipriano Vargas, Vista Chamber of Commerce representative Kent Leithold, Channel 10 News journalist Jared Aarons, and Vista High School Principal Megan Ratliff. A number of other special guests for the evening that would be taking part in the awards presentations were also introduced. Colonel (Ret.) Lostetter spoke informing those in attendance about the Junior ROTC program, stating the Vista Air Force Jr. ROTC branch is one of 892 units involving 121,000 Air Force Cadets. The current Vista Air Force Junior ROTC program has 91 cadets. The award-winning program has been in existence since 1995 and CA953 will soon be receiving a Distinguished with Merit Award for 2024. The Vista High School Air Force Junior ROTC is the only program with an aviation program offered for the cadets. Lostetter said the Vista Cadets had been involved in 250 community events accumulating a total of 7,800 service hours. He said their pride and dedication was an inspiration and he was proud of their development in turning into citizens of character. The Colonel (Ret.) finished by thanking the senior cadets for their dedication to the program.
Colonel (Ret.) Lostetter next introduced the Guest of Honor, Colonel (Ret.) Patricia Battles who was the guest speaker for the ceremony. Colonel (Ret.) Battles has a diverse military background and had many duty stations during her career. She spoke to the cadets about leadership and its responsibility in their lives. She said she wanted them to be able to recognize the difference between followership and leadership and to be able to tell the difference between a good leader and a bad leader. Colonel (Ret.) Battles said it takes teamwork to complete any mission and she wanted them to take the opportunity to always step out and be a leader. Colonel (Ret.) Battles finished by telling them they all will go through various phases of life, learning something new along the way. She wanted them to always use their leadership skills to achieve success.
Next on the Agenda was the presentation of National and Unit Awards, announced by Chief Master Sergeant (Ret.) Donna J. Goodno. The Chief Master Sergeant read the Vista Junior ROTC cadets winning the awards and the dignitary presenting the award. Each cadet came up to receive the award and receive congratulations from Colonels (Ret.) Lostetter and Battles and Vista High Principal Ratliff. A list of the National Awards, recipients and presenters is listed at the end of the article.
After the Awards Presentation the Junior ROTC Unit went through a New Commander Promotion and a Squadron Change of Command. Taking over as the new Commander for the squadron is Cadet Lt. Colonel Juan Blancas from Echo Company. Blancas received his new rank from Colonel (Ret.) Lostetter helped by Blancas’s parents. Following this a ceremony was held that recognized the Change of Command going from the former Squadron Commander Cadet Lt. Colonel Alondra Ryes to Cadet Lt. Colonel Juan Blancas.
The Vista High School Air Force Junior ROTC Cadets were then dismissed to the field to form their companies of Alpha, Charlie, Delta and Echo. Colonel (Ret.) Battles took part in this from the viewing platform as the cadets went through the ceremony involving March On, Formation of Parade, Officers Center, Presentation of Command, the National Anthem and then a final Pass-in-Review to those in the stands. Assisting in this time-honored celebration as Adjutant was Cadet Hannah Peralta, whose tremendous voice repeated orders to the squadron and also a drum line from the Vista Band. The drum line consisted of Isiah Altamirano, Nick Bursvold, Joseph Gonzalez, David Inzunza, Jay Mendoza and Geovanny Ramos.
The overcast evening held off until the very end of the ceremony when a light misty rain fell as the Junior ROTC Officers and Squadron Passed-In-Review in front of the stands and the dignitaries with Colonels (Ret.) Lostetter and Battles acknowledging the cadets. A tremendous amount of work went into this celebration and the Vista High School Air Force Junior ROTC Cadets and their leadership are to be congratulated for their accomplishments and the presentation those in attendance witnessed.
National Award Recipients:
We are thrilled to extend a warm invitation to you for our upcoming Stakeholders’ Day celebration at Guajome Schools, marking our 30th anniversary. The event will be held on Saturday, May 4th, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Anticipating a turnout of well over a thousand attendees, this occasion promises to be a memorable celebration of our school’s journey and achievements. As a vital member of our local business community, we cordially invite you to join us for a special tour starting at 10:00 am.
During this tour, Kevin Humphrey, the Superintendent of Guajome Schools, will showcase some of the innovative initiatives and impactful projects underway at Guajome. Moreover, he will discuss potential opportunities for collaboration between our organizations. Topics of discussion will include sponsorship and advertising opportunities, as well as potential workforce partnerships and pipelines.
Your presence and insights would be invaluable as we explore avenues for future collaboration. Kindly RSVP to Dawn Voss at vossda@guajome.net to confirm your participation in this community celebration.
We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this milestone celebration with you.
