Local News

August 9th, 2007

Insurance Commissioner Poizner Announces $65.8 Million Rate Reduction at GEICO’s San Diego Facility

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced his approval of a 10.8% rate reduction in GEICO’s personal auto insurance policies while visiting San Diego last Friday.

GEICO’s 70,000 policyholders in San Diego and 436,000 policyholders statewide will save $65.8 million as a result of the rate reductions approved by Commissioner Poizner.

Commissioner Poizner will also announce that GEICO has filed to become 100% compliant with the Department’s auto rating factor regulations one year earlier than the mandated deadline. Under these regulations, rates will be based primarily on three factors: driving record, number of miles driven, and years driving experience. Under old regulations, rates were heavily influenced by other optional rating factors, such as marital status, gender, and zip code. GEICO’s timely compliance with the auto rating factor regulations will help reward good drivers through lower premiums, instead of penalizing them for where they reside.

California Center For the Arts Shows Gains

The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, appears to be making headway in reaching the market, according to Vicki Basehore, President of the organization, in a report to the Center Board of Directors. The Center had 21 “sold out” Art Education Student Performances serving 10,672 students during the 2006-2007 year, as well as 75 groups and 1,628 students receiving Docent Tours and Art Angel Projects. Other Art Education projects included the Literacy Through the Arts project which was launched with “My Story,” wherein 258 fifth-grade students learned through digital photography and language arts.

The museum was also active this past year. It featured 81 artists, 51 of whom were local. The museum currently has a major exhibit . . . The Cultural Fusion Exhibit which features both glass fusion-art, In Character: Actors Acting, a beautiful woven basket collection, and new art work by Shauna Peck.

The Performing Arts, probably the most visible of the Center’s programs, brought some major artists to Escondido. Included were Wynton Marsalis, Vince Gill, Bob Newhart, Kris Kristofferson, and Itzhak Perlman.

More and more organizations are utilizing the Center’s banquet facilities. The had 455 total events with 45,073 meals served to such groups as corporate meetings, trade shows, non-profit fundraisers and even weddings and social events. Meanwhile, there where 86 theater rentals which presented 165 performances and entertained 73,401 persons with youth theater, dance recitals, business meetings, religious services, ethnic celebrations and fundraising concerts.

Four community events, which were free to the public, were offered for the 4th of July celebration, the Summer Pops Concert, the Holiday Tree Lighting and Military Band Concerts.

Vicki Basehore, President, California Center for the Arts, Escondido

“Diamond Is Forever” Concert A Success

Approximately 250 patrons attended the “Diamond is Forever” concert at Kit Carson Park Amphitheater this past Saturday evening.

Jack Campbell, Executive Producer of the Plays in the Park series said there would likely be a profit amounting to several thousand dollars as a result of the turnout. The profit will be split equally between Patio Playhouse, Arts Off Broadway and American Rose Theatre. The concert, starring David J. Sherry, a resident of Escondido, featured the sound, style and feel of the legendary Niel Diamond. By all accounts, the patrons agreed he did an outstanding job (see the Review by The Paper on Page eight, this issue).

Next up in the summer series is “The King and I” which starts tomorrow evening (August 10th) and runs on the 11th, 17th, 18th 24th, 25th and 31st).

Tickets for that show are available for $17 General, $15 for seniors and students, under 16, $7. Sponsored by the Patio Playhouse Community and Youth Theatre, you may get more information at 760.746.6669.

The Plays in the Park concept evolved, Campbell said, because the cost of setting up and taking down lights and sound systems is very expensive. There is an economy of scale in putting on a series of shows back to back and sharing in the expenses by renting the equipment as a group. There is also a benefit to being able to advertise and promote the shows.

“Leadership North County” Presented by CSSMU

A vast area of local issues will be presented and explored by Cal State San Marcos University as part of its Leaderhip North County presentation. Included in the mix are City, County and State Government and Tribal Governance; Energy and Water; Business – Economic Driver, Workforce Development, Small Business, and Agriculture; Education; Camp Pendleton; Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Public Safety and Emergency and Disaster Services; and Health Care and Human Services.

Part of CSUSM’s Extended Studies’ program, this presentation hopes to increase awareness of the issues impacting the region and highlights opportunities where local leaders might collaborate more effectively. This year’s program runs for nine months.Leadership North County 2008 will take place from September 20, 2007, to June 19, 2008. All applications are due by Wednesday, August 15.

"The Leadership North County curriculum changes with the current events of the community because program graduates in local leadership positions plan the seminars for the coming year," said Scott Gross, Director Professional Programs for Extended Studies. "As participants discover information that details how their community works, they are generally moved and inspired to become more involved."

Based on the principle that outstanding communities are characterized by exceptional leaders who demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the region in which they live and have clear vision for the future, Leadership North County has engaged citizens of North County San Diego in the inner workings of the community.

“I ran for City Council right after Leadership North County and then ran for Mayor,” said San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond. “I was able to use the knowledge that I gained in the class to give me a better insight and regional approach to problem solving.”

Leadership North County is a comprehensive program that gives current and aspiring local leaders a greater appreciation for the complexities of policy issues and the skills toward effective coalition building and community planning.

“I had only been in the area for about five months when I started so it taught me who does what here in North County and it was a great way to get acclimated to a new area professionally,” Michelle Bromstead , city of Escondido said. “All of a sudden you have 25 new colleagues who you can relate to on a professional level.”

Leadership North County was formerly called Leadership 2000 and was established in 1986 by Fran Aleshire, Ed.D., and Maj. Gen. Marc Moore, USMC (Ret.). The program was carried forward by Cal State San Marcos Extended Studies after the death of Dr. Aleshire and renamed to Leadership North County.

The cost of the Leadership North County program is $1,250. For questions on application procedures, call 760.750.4020, e-mail lnc@csusm.edu or visit http://www.therightcourse.net/lnc.

Are You Eligible To Join VFW?

Have you served overseas during a time of war, insurrection or expedition and are recognized with a medal or campaign badge from the U.S. Government?

You may be ELIGIBLE to JOIN V.F.W. Post 3795.

All Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are welcomed with open arms. The VFW will fight for your benefits that you have earned, and other needy recipients.

For information and/or assistance, contact the VFW Club at 212 West Mission Rd. San Marcos CA. or call 760.744.3795.

Carlsbad Desalination Plant Attracts More Clients

With the addition of a fifth agency, Poseidon Resources, the developer of the proposed ocean-water desalination plant appears to be accomplishing several goals. First, it now has 80 per cent of the plant’s output sold; that, in turn, demonstrates a need within the marketplace, which is something the Coastal Commission looks at when deciding whether or not to grant a permit. Most of the other permits needed have been obtained, according to Peter MacLaggan, Senior Vice President of the firm.

The company will go before the Coastal Commission in November. MacLaggan thinks he will have even more water agencies by the time November rolls around.

The plant proposed to build on the grounds of the Encina Power station property at Carlsbad Boulevard and Cannon Road. The plant intends to pull salt from seawater using filters and reverse-osmosis membranes to produce 50 million gallons of drinking water a day. This translates to about 56,000 acre feet a year.

With the desalination plant in place and operational, the developer says drought is a worry of the past. There will always be salt water to be desalinated and made available to the public.

The hopes of Poseidon and its member water agencies are that the plant will be built and operational by 2011.

San Elijo Hills Residents Not Happy With Town Center Delays

All the folks in this upscale community of San Elijo Hills want is a town center where they can go to get some groceries, buy some knick-knacks, go out for lunch or dinner, do a bit of browsing and shopping . . . rather than drive clear over to San Marcos or Encinitas for the niceties of life.

They suggest the developer speaks with forked tongue in that he’s made promises he never intended to keep . . . or is taking his own sweet time to keep commitments.

Not so, says the developer. The promised town center is coming, he just needs more time.

That’s the problem, say residents. Time keeps getting pushed back and back, further and further. They expected the town center in 2003, and no later than 2007. Now the developer says the target date is 2009. The developer says he wants it to be perfect. And, he says, there are ‘planning hurdles.’ He suggested those hurdles had to do with getting the necessary permits completed after the plans were drawn . . . suggesting to residents that the plans were not completed when the marketing plan suggested they were.

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!

Vista residents are keeping a sharp eye out on the British invasion. It’s not something they fear, however, but look forward to.

Tesco, the British grocery giant, is opening a store in Vista sometime around the end of this year. A ‘Fresh and Easy’ neighborhood market is slated to appear near the intersection of East Vista Way and Vale Terrace Drive. Tesco officials claim the Fresh and Easy market will feature smaller stores with a wide variety of produce and prepared foods.

The threat of additional competition has awakened other ‘big boys’ in the grocery world. Both WalMart and Von’s have announced plans to upgrade their existing facilities within Vista to offer enhanced services and, no doubt, to try and retain their fair share of market with the grocery shoppers.

The new Fresh and Easy market hopes to open in December of this year or January of next year. Other than that, company officials are mum about the overall selection of produce and other products or services they will offer.

Classy Singles Club A New Escondido Venture

For those single folks who are over 35 and looking for other singles to enjoy life with . . . a new Club has formed in Escondido.

They kick things off this Saturday night, August 11th, from 8pm to Midnight at the Metaphor Cafe, 258 E. Second Avenue and Juniper in Escondido.

Called “The Classy Singles Club,” they bill themselves as the fastest growing singles club in North County. For more information call: 760.747.1882.