Weekend Events
The Parks & Recreation Department has permitted several October events, including two happening this Saturday.
Bring the whole family to the Shoppes at Carlsbad for the annual Carlsbad Walk Like MADD from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. to help eliminate drunk driving on our roadways by participating in the 5K fundraiser for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Celebrate fall’s arrival at Holiday Park. Join the Carlsbad Rotary Clubs for their 37th Annual Oktoberfest & Family Fall Festival from noon to 9 p.m. Enjoy an authentic German dinner, costume contests and musical entertainment, including great dance music and the famed "Chicken Dance!" Children will enjoy the pumpkin patch and pumpkin decorating, inflatable jumpers, face painting, an antique fire truck and more!
National Public Lands Day
On Saturday, Sept. 28, the Parks & Recreation Department celebrated National Public Lands Day with approximately 40 volunteers, city staff and Urban Corps workers. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked side-by-side, while donating 80 hours of community service locally and improving trail conditions along the Rancho Carrillo Trail. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation, National Public Lands Day events generated over 150,000 volunteers nationwide and $15 million in volunteer work at more than 2,000 sites. The City of Carlsbad appreciates all the volunteers and staff that worked collectively to make this yearly event a success.
Parks & Recreation Department Staff Goes Out on a Limb
On Tuesday, Oct..1, at approximately 5 p.m., Parks & Recreation Department staff received a call for mutual aid from the Fire Department. The Fire Department staff was on the scene at a residence on Xana Way where the owner’s cat was stuck in a tree and had been there for more than three days. With the tree in a challenging location in the back of the property, the Fire Department staff was looking for an experienced tree climber to climb this tree and safely extract the cat. Kevin Nolan, Tree Trimmer II, was just the man for the job. Kevin responded to the call and was able to successfully retrieve the cat from the large Torrey Pine tree. This joyful reunion was the result of a great collaboration by the Fire and Parks & Recreation teams – ‘to go out on a limb’ to help a resident in need!
Library Hosts Acclaimed Authors
On Thursday, Sept. 26, the library hosted Carlsbad residents and Drs. Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson for a discussion about their book, The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save her Husband From a Deadly Superbug. Fifty-five attendees were riveted by the presentation as they also learned more about the researchers work at UCSD to save lives around the country.
On Saturday, Sept. 28, the library was honored to host American war hero, founder of the Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot school and author Dan Pedersen at the Schulman Auditorium. Not only were there more than 100 fans in the audience, but we were honored to also host about 20 military veterans. As the veterans gathered together on the stage after the event, the audience gave these heroes a standing ovation in gratitude for their service to our country.
Good Life Lecture Series The Good Life Lecture Series, free health and wellness talks for community members, kicked off on Tuesday. The first talk on probiotics and prebiotics with Dr. Goscienski attracted nearly 90 people. The lectures continue each Tuesday in October from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and will address preventing and treating seasonal colds and flus, mindfulness, medicinal properties of spices and herbs, and more.
Ansel Adams Exhibit at Cannon Art Gallery The City of Carlsbad presents Ansel Adams: Early Works art exhibit at William D. Cannon Art Gallery, at the Carlsbad City Library complex at 1775 Dove Lane. The exhibit features intimate master prints from the 1920s through the 50s depicting Adams’ transition from pictorialism to straight photography and provides a fresh look at this legendary master of the American landscape. All works are from the collection of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg. “Few artists have reached a wider audience or enjoyed more widespread popularity than Ansel Adams. His work is familiar to most Americans who recognize his extraordinary black and white images of the natural world. But rarely do we have the opportunity to see his original photographs, which are being presented at the Cannon Art Gallery," commented Curator of Exhibitions Karen McGuire. "We are excited to bring 42 of these small and exquisite views of the American landscape to Carlsbad as they also serve as a reminder that nature is one of our most valuable resources.”
Library and Arts Supporters Enjoy Night at the Library On Saturday, Sept. 28 evening, more than 150 people enjoyed a Night at the Library, the Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation’s annual fundraiser to support Library and Cultural Arts Department facilities and programs. Attendees enjoyed a pre-show reception, a performance by singer-dancer Elijah Rock, dinner and dessert in the library, and dancing.
New Guest Artist Residency The Carlsbad Cultural Arts Office presents Ken Waldman, Alaskan fiddler and poet, as the newest guest artist in residency with over 10 events in six days in Carlsbad. Waldman has drawn on his 30 years in Alaska to produce poems, stories and fiddle tunes that combine into a performance uniquely his. A former college professor, poet and writer, recording artist, touring fiddler and teaching artist, Waldman brings his artistry to Carlsbad through a variety of programs throughout the city. “I'm honored to be the inaugural solo performing artist in residence for the City of Carlsbad. I've come through previously to play at the Museum of Making Music, so I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. Every event during the week will be fun, inspiring, surprising and different,” says Waldman. The Guest Artist in Residency program is part of the city’s Arts & Culture Master Plan, which serves as a road map to fulfill the vision and continue the growth of arts and culture in the community.
Lizeth Simonsen Honored by Latino Literacy Now As the Library & Cultural Arts Department celebrated Community Outreach Coordinator Lizeth Simonsen’s retirement after 29 years of service, she was also honored as an Espiritu de la comunidad recipient by Latino Literacy Now. Lizeth’s bilingual services work at the Library Learning Center exemplifies grassroots community leaders who have devoted their energies to serving others in need while solving key issues that confront our communities. The award was presented to Lizeth at the Latino Book & Family Festival, featuring keynote speaker, actor and director Edward James Olmos.
Emergency Response for Brush Fire
Fire Department personnel responded to a brush fire on Palomar Airport Road west of Palomar Oaks Way on Friday, September 27. The fire started near the westbound sidewalk and spread into heavy eucalyptus. With businesses threated, second alarm units, San Diego County Helicopter and two CalFire hand crews responded to contain the fire to approximately one acre. Carlsbad Police assisted in investigating reports of possible causes and provided traffic control in conjunction with city traffic engineering, while units contained and overhauled the fire area.
Life Rolls On Event
Members of the Police Department and their families participated in the Life Rolls On event. Life Rolls On is dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to inspire infinite possibilities despite paralysis.
Senior Volunteer Patrol Graduation
The Police Department added four new members to its Senior Volunteer Patrol ranks. Participants attend a two-week academy where they receive training in traffic control, safety, first aid and CPR, ethics, radio communications, traffic citations, gangs and drugs, crime prevention, as well as hands-on driving safety.
Operation Clear Track
During Rail Safety Week the Police Department participated in Operation Clear Track with the Amtrak Police, Operation Lifesaver and 600 law enforcement agencies in 48 states. The mission was to enhance railway safety through education and enforcement. Officer handed out over 150 educational flyers about railroad crossing safety at two crossings in Carlsbad.
Carlsbad Represents: California Fire Chiefs Association - Operations Section
Assistant Fire Chief Nick Ordille was nominated and selected as the Southern Operations Director for the California Fire Chiefs Association - Operations Section. The Operations Section is comprised of fire service professionals representing organizations with varying and diverse service areas, and is a dynamic group committed to maintaining and improving the effectiveness and safety of all-hazard emergency responders. Congratulations Chief Ordille!
Lina Lang Completes Laserfiche Certifications Lina Lang, a Senior Applications Analyst in IT, completed the Laserfiche Gold and Platinum certifications. This rigorous process involved completing 13 classes for over 50 hours of training and passing certification exams and demonstrates that Lina is an expert in configuring, managing and supporting the full suite of functionality provided by Laserfiche. Laserfiche is the new records management system that was recently approved by the City Council and will begin implementation in the coming months.
SumTotal Upgrade
This past weekend, Finance and IT successfully completed a major upgrade to our Time and Attendance system. The upgraded SumTotal system provides a significantly improved user interface as well as new time clocks. It also features integration into our Okta portal which streamlines the process of logging into SumTotal (keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more information on Okta as we work to integrate more applications.) A huge thank you to everyone in Finance and IT that was a part of this project!