Ride Together with Waze Carpool
The Caltrans and SANDAG Build NCC team and SANDAG iCommute have partnered with Waze Carpool to help you make the most of your commute during Interstate 5 construction. Through Aug. 1, 2019, Waze Carpool is offering $2 flat rates for carpoolers traveling to or from one of these areas. Drivers will be compensated up to $15 per ride. Learn how to sign up on the Build NCC website.
Beach Safety Measures
The Carlsbad Fire Department recently took delivery of a personnel watercraft and second lifeguard truck to bolster the department’s lifeguard program. The personnel watercraft will give lifeguards an additional tool to use for water rescues, especially during busy times of the year and/or days with larger surf. The second lifeguard truck will our full-time lifeguards 24-hour response capability.
Carlsbad Music Festival
This weekend marks the 16th annual Carlsbad Music Festival, a celebration of “adventurous music by the beach.” The Parks & Recreation Department recently permitted the community event which starts Friday, Aug. 2 and continues through Sunday, Aug. 4, featuring creative music performances in outdoor and indoor spaces throughout the Village.
Carlsbad Triathlon
The City of Carlsbad partnered with Renegade Racing to host the 38th Annual Carlsbad Triathlon on July 14. Over 700 athletes participated in a swim, bike, and run along the Carlsbad Coast on a course that stretched across the city from Pine Avenue to La Costa Avenue. The big finishers were Michellie Jones of Carlsbad who claimed her 14th Carlsbad Triathlon title this year, finishing first place in the women’s division, and Mauro Cavanha of Los Angeles finishing first place in the men’s divisions. Participants ranged in age from 14 to 78, competing in 30 divisions. Special thanks to the dedicated volunteers who worked side-by-side with event staff to make this event a huge success.
Digital Portfolio Boot Camp
This week, the IT Girls Club, volunteered to host a Digital Portfolio Boot Camp at Pine Avenue Community. Volunteers included retired tech industry professionals guided the teens to develop and explore their skills in website design and coding. Participants built and published their own personal websites with themes ranging from how to find a job as a teenager to all about cats. Guest speakers from Walmart Labs shared their experiences and provided valuable advice on succeeding in the tech field.
Care ‘n Share Toy Drive
Carlsbad Library Staff hosted collection boxes for the Care ‘n Share Toy Drive again this year. When added to the donations collected at the Fairgrounds, they distributed over 12,850 donations to 8 local organizations serving health & welfare needs of children in the region. Thank you to all city staff who donated!
Alga Norte Lifeguards Offer Free CPR Training
During scheduled swim lessons on July 15 and 16, Alga Norte lifeguards offered free CPR and choking victim first aid classes. The lessons provided parents and guardians the opportunity to learn and practice basic lifesaving skills at the same time their children were learning water safety skills.
Crime Fighter of the Quarter
CSO Dee Dee Spangler was chosen as Crime Fighter of the Quarter for consistently demonstrating an exemplary dedication to duty and a desire to go above and beyond. On more than one occasion, Dee Dee was instrumental in identifying a suspect in a crime case. Recently Dee Dee recognized a crime trend involving the same suspect. Dee Dee was able to positively identify this suspect and collect all the cases together to make sure the suspect was held responsible. Dee Dee’s efforts have resulted in the identification of several criminal suspects that might otherwise have remained unknown if not for her diligence, attention to detail and commitment to her duties. Thank you, CSO Dee Dee Spangler.
Talented Teen Dancers Perform
The Teen Talent Shows continued with a dance competition on Thursday evening in the library’s Schulman Auditorium. Eight teens performed five routines for an enthusiastic audience. The talent shows conclude on Aug. 8 with performances featuring more talented teens on musical instruments, doing comedy and more. Know a talented teen? Contact ashleigh.hvinden@carlsbadca.gov to sign up!
Author Talk in the Schulman Auditorium
On Saturday, four acclaimed authors spoke about and signed their latest books for an audience of 60 in the Schulman Auditorium. Attendees were invited to escape to Iceland with Tory Bilski as she shared her personal story of riding wild horses every summer in Iceland, journey to Malibu with Janna King in her latest Seasonaire’s novel, hear about writing an edge-of-your-seat thriller from Kaira Rouda and curl up in a cozy bookstore with the always charming, quirky and entertaining Abbi Waxman.
Education in Leadership
Nine members of all ranks from the Carlsbad Fire Department were privileged to receive a distinguished visitor opportunity aboard the CVN Nimitz. Off-duty personnel visited with command staff and sailors while experiencing life aboard a US Navy Air Craft Carrier. Fire personnel brought home and shared lessons in command, teamwork and camaraderie. As they say aboard the Nimitz, "Teamwork, a tradition".
Three New Motor Officers Join the Traffic Team
Congratulations to the Police Department’s newest motor officers, Officers Jucenas, Orona and Clement. The trio graduated from a two-week Los Angeles Police Department Motor Academy. At the academy, Officer Clement won awards for the “Monster” and the “TT” challenges. Officer Orona won the award in the “Top Gun” chief’s challenge. All three officers placed in the road course challenge. The academy is not an easy feat. The officer’s success is due in part to the excellent pre-academy training they received from Officers Maud and Bentley. Well done all.
Teen Gardening Summer Camp
Campers discovered there’s no such thing as having too much fun during their new weekly gardening activity at the Pine Avenue Park Community Garden. Explorer and Counselor In-Training campers received a gardening lesson where they didn’t hesitate to get their hands and feet dirty to cleaning up the garden beds. Not only did they learn how to prepare the soil for plants, they also received a tour of the community garden and learned all about the different vegetables and fruits growing there. The campers used some of the mint leaves they harvested for a mint infused lemonade to enjoy after their hard work.
The Explorer and Counselor In Training camps are designed for children from 10 – 15 years old, who want to discover beyond the basics, and possibly prepare to become a camp recreation leader for the City of Carlsbad when they turn 16.
Aloha Plunge Aloha Plunge was a huge success this past Saturday, where over 500 people enjoyed a warm evening in a cool pool. Attendees had the chance to play Hawaiian themed games inside and outside of the pool such as tiki toss, luau duck collector, sea creature races, a tropical bounce house, miniature golf and a limbo contest. Themed treats were available for purchase, like tropical snow cones and Hawaiian style pizza. The night also included a Polynesian dance show where participants could learn to hula.
Save the Date!
Our annual employee Health Fair will be held at Zone 5 Park (across from the Faraday Center) on September 25 from 11 am – 1 pm. Join us for lunch, generously provided by our Carlsbad Firefighters. Get the answers to all your Open Enrollment questions and speak directly with representatives from the health plans offered. Don’t forget the raffle prizes! It’s always informative and guaranteed to be a good time. Open Enrollment will be held from September 16 through October 3, information will be distributed in late August.
Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (Respectful Workplace Training
Thanks to the incredible commitment and cooperation of all City staff, Human Resources was able to complete 35 in-person and online training sessions combined for over 1,300 part-time and full-time employees. Not only is it valuable to have this training to promote the awareness of maintaining a respectful and harassment free workplace, it is also required by the State of California. This was a true team effort by all City employees and it demonstrates that we are united in ensuring a healthy, safe and comfortable environment for everyone to work, live and play in.
Coming Soon! New Timekeeping System!
For the last eight months, the Finance and IT departments have been working diligently on an upgraded timekeeping system called SumTotal, which will replace CyberShift. The new application will be going LIVE on August 19th. SumTotal will provide staff easier timesheet management, including the ability to see future vacation accruals. Supervisors will have a streamlined way to manage and approve their assigned staff’s timesheets. Watch your emails in the next few weeks for upcoming training opportunities.