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Birthday Observations

Observations from the Edge
Robert T. Nanninga
Coast News
September 10, 1998

 

Folks I am writing this on my birthday, and boy am I happy. I love this time of year. Today I reached the ripe old age of 35, and you know what that means...Yes Ladies and gentlemen, I am now old enough to be President. Personally I'll settle with being Al's running mate. I can see the bumperstickers now, Gore and Nanninga 2000.

As far as birthdays go this is shaping up to be pretty cool one. Class this morning, home for the soaps, Miso soup for lunch, and then off to get a tattoo. Wait it gets better. After getting home from the ink session, I am pleased to find a message from Tom Morrow. Boom, I am off to the KOCT studio to take part in Mr. Morrow's Journalist Roundtable. Live television on my birthday, I was in Bob Heaven.

This birthday party featured J. Stryker Meyer of the North County Times and Deputy Mayor Terry Johnson and Colleen O'Hara of the Oceanside City Council, who are actually really nice people. And now I am off to Las Vegas for the long weekend complete with The Star Trek Experience, Roller Coasters and a pilgrimage to The Liberace Museum. Fear and loathing Leucadian style.

But before I go congratulations to the coastal North County candidates who have received an endorsement from the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club. Such an endorsement shows that these candidates are most aware of the environmental challenges that face their communities. In the past all of these individuals have been active in protecting the environment.

Del Mar's Mayor Mark Whitehead who has repeatedly shown his concern for the quality of life for all residents of Del Mar, has also worked for years to protect and restore The San Dieguito Lagoon. It is no wonder why the people he was elected to represent consider him a Green.

Dennis Holz of Encinitas, has much to show for his time in Encinitas, the most impressive is his role of saving the beautiful Indian Head Canyon from the developers at city hall. Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down to speak with Mr. Holz, It seems the only thing we disagree on is the ill-considered Proposition R. But hey, you can't win them all.

For those of you who haven't figured it out, I'm opposed to this TOT money grab for the sole reason no one is documenting how this money is going to be spent. More than likely it will end up in the general fund as everything else usually does. But Dennis is very Status Quo on this issue and that should win him votes.

Robert Payne of Carlsbad has received the Sierra Club's endorsement a second time because he is a voice in the wilderness asking for managed growth in a city that has no qualms about turning it's self into Anaheim South. If you have problems with that analogy just try walking five blocks in any direction from Disneyland...you'll see. Candidate Payne will eventually sit on Carlsbad City Council, hopefully sooner than later, having to restore native habitats is much easier when there is something left to restore.

Mary Azevedo of Oceanside is addressing traffic issues through the initiative process. The Sierra Club is wise in it's choice of Candidate Azevedo because of her willingness to ask questions regarding pollution levels in the Loma Alta Creek and The San Luis Rey River. Go Mary.

I have to admit that I am almost feeling optimistic. Regionally voters are actually being given a choice. Imagine that. It feels so good to have a candidate that you want to see elected. The choice is no longer the lesser of two evils. As a Leucadia voter I know how important that is. Maybe this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

O.K. now for the bad news. What is up with this idea to narrow Highway 101 through downtown Encinitas? The reason I ask is because I have only seen one design rendering, although there are alternative design options. It's not that I'm against reducing traffic, that should be done with public mass transit. I'm just against strangling one business district in favor of another. Even a non-capitalist like myself can see this could easily turn into financial homicide.

Does any one else find it odd that as soon as they started widening Leucadia Blvd. and connecting it through, the folks at Encinitas City Hall also have started talking about narrowing Coast Highway. I know that Home Depot is a jewel in the City's crown, but must all roads lead there too? If you ask me the Eckes have played the city like a fiddle.

What was that story about Nero?

 
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