What a magical world the San Diego Botanical Garden in Encinitas CA becomes after sunset! 

After spending a few glorious hours exploring the gardens with my family last Sunday morning, with a particularly long visit to the Hamilton’s Children’s Garden, a true masterpiece in conception and realization, we heard about the Garden of Lights and decided to return later that same evening.

After the sun goes down, the Garden is transformed into a dazzling winter wonderland with thousands of sparkling lights illuminating the Garden for a magical holiday experience. Many of these lights are LED, which are much brighter than regular lights. Adding to the sparkle is the “Poinsettia Garden,” festively decorated with many varieties of poinsettias, and serving the most delicious warm mulled wine.  Two buck Chuck never tasted yummier!

My two kids, my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the numerous activities offered, including a horse-drawn wagon ride, marshmallow roasting, a visit with Santa in a charming holiday decorated gazebo, and live music – all magically illuminated. 

If you haven’t had a chance to visit this spectacular event yet, RUN!  You only have until December 30th.  I promise, this might be the most memorable holiday experience you’ll have – here in Encinitas CA or anywhere!

Being a pet owner most of my life, I love the pet friendly attitude here in Encinitas CA where I live.  However, the issue of off-leash dogs at local parks in Encinitas has recently set off a real dogfight in the community. 
 
Complaints about Sheriff’s enforcement actions for loose dogs in area parks during non-“off leash” hours caused the city council to expand those hours at several local parks.  “Off leash Hours” are the times that dog owners can let their pets roam leash free in designated parks.  The council approved the action on a 4 to 1 vote.

Orpheus Park in Encinitas CA

Proponents of the new hours celebrated the extended hours citing years of loose dogs that have never led to a serious incident.  Opponents say “Encinitas is going to the dogs”.  They feel the extension was unnecessary and hampers the rights and freedom of non dogowners.  Some local residents have even requested that the city consider fencing in loose dog areas to keep kids and loose dogs separate.  Especially residents with small children, who aren’t comfortable letting their kids roll around in the grass because of the amount of dog poop that’s repeatedly deposited there, are up in arms over the expansion.  They are particularly afraid of an incident that might be scary or even traumatizing for a young child.

Courtesy of This Year's Love, flickr

So far, dog lovers have won.  Orpheus, Sun Vista and Viewpoint Parks will begin the new “off leash” hours; 6:00 to 9 a.m. and 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday in Mid January 2010.  Glen and Hawk View Parks will be considered for extension in the spring.  Keep in mind, fines for having your dog off leash where or when it is not legal can cost as much as $445.00!

The City of Encinitas CA is once again on the cutting edge of green technology and energy conservation.  A new “Ice Technology” cooling system has been installed in the Encinitas Civic Center that will reduce demand on the energy grid while saving the city utility costs.

For their innovation, the City of Encinitas has been awarded the international 2009 Renewable Energy Project of the Year by the Association of Energy Engineers. The project also won the San Diego Excellence in Energy Award from the California Center for Sustainable Energy.

It sounds far-fetched, but apparently the new hybrid system will cool the Civic Center by making ice at night during low-cost and low-demand energy use periods.  The ice will then be used to cool the facility during higher energy demand periods during the day.  The cost of this $3.5 million dollar project, which includes 501 solar electric panels, was partially offset by rebates and incentives.  Hopefully, the money was well spent.

We haven’t even caught our collective breath from a failed attempt by the Governor to sell our fairgrounds, and here comes government with another very bad idea.  It seems that the 22nd Agricultural District Master Plan includes a massive expansion project that would adversely affect the area in so many ways.

The new additions would include a 330 room multi story hotel, a 60,000 sq ft health club, and a large convention center.  Along with with all the commercial activities that go along with such a project, they want to add sports fields on the rooftops!  They even want to put a large casino like electronic sign advertising facility events along the freeway.

Finally and probably most disturbing, the 22 Agricultural District actually wants to fill in part of the San Dieguito Lagoon wetlands that we just finished revitalizing.  After all, we can always use more parking lots, can’t we?

This project is wrong for our community. A large hotel and convention center on the Del Mar Fairgrounds will bring more crowds, noise, traffic congestion and bright lights to our community year around.  It will re-damage sensitive ecological areas that were just restored from past mistakes.

Local residents, as well as fans of all the activities that we enjoy at our county fairgrounds, should make themselves heard.  Contact the Ag Board and tell them to get back to their original charter, running the county fair and the Del Mar horse races.

Sometimes, this community really steps up…  Several fellow Encinitans, members of the Saint Mark Lutheran Church in Encinitas CA, truly exhibited the spirit of Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago when they served up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to about thirty five local Marines.  The program to host area Marines is orchestrated by the Armed Services YMCA at Camp Pendleton, which matched 1,100 Marines with local families to celebrate Thanksgiving 2009.

The Saint Mark’s celebration, which is a four year tradition now, served up thirteen turkeys, eighty pounds of mashed potatoes and sliced dozens of pumpkin pies.  Visiting Marines were treated to a great meal, complete with large screen football, family table games and lots of new friends.

It’s a great way to thank these men and women who to step up to defend our way of life, regardless of one’s opinion of the rightness or wrongness of the war…

A rare opportunity to meet Kris Kringle himself at the Kringle Mingle in Cardiff CA. Bring the kids, a camera, and your holiday spirit to the Cardiff Town Center this Thursday, Dec 10th, from 4 pm to 8 pm!