High Fire Risk. Stay Alert.
As of Wednesday Cal Fire reported that more than 8,700 firefighters are battling 3 large wildfires in California, with out of state resources continuing to arrive. These wind-driven fires have burned more than 225,000 acres, destroyed thousands of structures, and impacted more than 224,000 individuals. A high risk of significant fires continues due to low humidity, dry fuels, and a high pressure system that continues to produce warm, dry conditions through at least Friday. With these current, extreme fire conditions throughout the state, don’t wait to evacuate! You should already be prepared to go! If you see fire approaching, don’t wait to be told to leave.
Firefighters Deploy to Ventura Fire
This week firefighters were deployed to the Hill Fire and then reassigned to the Woolsey Fire in Ventura County. The crew was assigned to structure defense and perimeter control. To date the fire has burned over 98,000 acres and is 57% contained. 57,000 structures remain threatened, with an estimated 500 destroyed. Over 3,900 fire personnel are assigned to the Woolsey Fire, made up of cooperating agencies throughout California as well as neighboring states. 3 injuries and 2 civilian fatalities have been reported. 83% of all National Parks Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area has been burned. For more information on closures, as well as current information on all fires burning can be found on the following link http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2282.
Carlsbad Senior Center Honors Military
Last Friday, the Carlsbad Senior Center and United States Marine Squadron Vipers 169 celebrated Veterans Day and the Marine Corps Birthday at lunch. The luncheon, attended by more than 155 people, featured the “missing man table”, patriotic music, and Marine Corps birthday cake. The Marine Corps’ birthday is Nov. 10 and was established 1775. The birthday tradition includes a flag cake which is presented, then sliced with a sword. The oldest Marine present cuts the first slice, then passes the sword to the youngest Marine present, which symbolizes the transfer of experience from Marine to Marine.
Marines celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday no matter where they are stationed or in what conditions they are currently living. By tradition, they celebrate this day regardless of whether they are at home or in some inhospitable climate, halfway around the world. Luckily for the Vipers 169, they were in Carlsbad. The City of Carlsbad adopted Marine Squadron Vipers 169 in December 2016 and the Senior Center regularly collaborates with them on special projects such as the Viper baby booties being knitted by the Senior Knitting Club as gifts for service families’ little ones that will be given as gifts over the holidays.
The oldest Marine present was Carlsbad’s finest, 94-year-old Walt Travis who served in World War II. The youngest Marine at the luncheon was 19-year-old Nick. The luncheon was an intergenerational experience with active service men and women with Senior Veterans honored together.
Rhythm & Blues Take Centerstage at Front Row Fridays
Last Friday, an audience of 160 experienced the distinctive musical stylings of Missy Andersen and her accompanist/husband, Heine Andersen. Until recently with a move to New Mexico, this local duo presented a spirited evening of rhythm & blues and soul selections that captivated a diverse audience with their talents and humorous insights. Showcasing Missy's gospel-tinged vocals and Heine's Blues & Americana inspired guitar work, crowd-pleasing selections included an inspirational version of Marvin Gay’s What’s Going On and a rousing finale with Jackie Wilson’s Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher. Front Row Fridays, presented on the second Friday of each month, offers experiences in a variety of performing arts genres, with each artist offering insight into their world during these engaging, free events. On Friday, December 14, a piano duo will perform a seasonal and festive repertoire.
Police Department Identifies Suspect in 11-year-old Jodine Serrin Murder
The Police Department announced that through recent advancements of DNA matching technology and with the assistance of genealogical experts, investigators were able to match DNA evidence with that of the suspect, David Mabrito. Jodine Serrin was murdered on Valentines Day in 2007. Investigators have been working continuously to find a suspect in the murder. Investigators used advancements in technology as they became available to help them move closer toward the suspect and ultimately identify him as David Mabrito. Investigators also found that Mabrito, a single male transient, died from suicide in 2011.
Batiquitos Lagoon Resiliency Plan
Representatives from academia, state and federal agencies, lagoon foundations, and environmental consulting firms convened on Nov. 13, 2018 to continue work on the Batiquitos Lagoon Resiliency Plan (BLRP). The BLRP is a multi-year project that will develop scenarios outlining the potential implications of increased temperatures and sea level rise within the Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Reserve, and provide adaptation strategies that incorporate climate change uncertainty into current and future management priorities. The project is funded through a grant from the city’s Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee fund.
Participants included representatives from Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of San Diego, University of California Santa Barbara, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, San Elijo Lagoon Foundation, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Foundation. Rosanne Humphrey and Mike Grim from Environmental Management represented the City of Carlsbad. The final resiliency plan will not only benefit Batiquitos Lagoon; it will provide a guide to assist managers for other lagoons in southern California address the challenges of climate change adaptation in wildlife and habitat conservation.
Federal Aid Reimbursement for Emergency Repairs to Carlsbad Boulevard
Last week, after many hours of work by staff in Public Works and Administrative Services, the city received nearly $700,000 dollars in federal aid reimbursement for emergency repairs to Carlsbad Boulevard. This is nearly 100 percent of total expenditure. In December 2015, during an El Nino event, severe storms produced destructive tidal-surge wave action with higher than normal tides. The conditions resulting in the need for declaring a local emergency for repair and stabilization of Carlsbad Boulevard. Staff determined the westerly roadway shoulder along southbound Carlsbad Boulevard, north of the Encinas Creek Bridge, had been compromised and the integrity of the roadway was at risk of failure. Staff implemented protocols to ensure the safety of motoring public, bicyclists and pedestrians by closing the number two southbound lane of Carlsbad Boulevard at this location. City staff met with representatives from Caltrans, California Coastal Commission, and Army Corp of Engineers in the field who agreed with the assessment and supported the need for immediate stabilization of the roadway. The Governor declared a State of Emergency. Temporary rock revetment was installed at the toe of slope/roadbed of Carlsbad Boulevard at a length of approximately 550-feet. The temporary repair was completed on May 2016. Staff will continue to monitor the existing revetment every 5-years and evaluate options to pursue a permanent repair via a coastal development permit by 2023. This is an excellent example of interdepartmental teamwork and perseverance.
Poinsettia Lane Completion – Community Engagement
“The City of Carlsbad’s public works department held a public education workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at Aviara Oaks Elementary School to discuss the completion of Poinsettia Lane. Approximately 50 local residents attended the workshop, which started with a presentation by Senior Engineer Craig Williams who discussed the history, safety and sustainability, and proposed timeline for the project. Following the presentation, facilitated discussions were held with several break-out tables to obtain residents’ observations and feedback about current traffic patterns in their neighborhoods. Questions and concerns about the extension of Poinsettia Lane were also addressed. Table facilitators documented this information and a summary of the findings will be used as part of the traffic study currently underway. Email addresses from all attendees were collected and will be used to update residents on this project as it moves forward.”