This week I am starting with some exciting news (Hint: I hope you don’t already have plans for your Friday evenings this summer) and sharing updates on the following topics:
- Avenida Encinas getting better sidewalks, bike lanes
- Celebrating Earth Month
- Spring cleaning? We can help
- Carlsbad Reads Together about to launch
- Dog park construction progressing
- Cybersecurity top of mind
- Finding art in Carlsbad is a walk in the park
- Upcoming meetings
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TGIF Concerts in the Park are back!
It’s official, TGIF Concerts in the Parks, by far our most popular program (dating back to 1986!), will be back this summer, after a two-year break due to COVID. We have the dates and locations set and will be announcing the line up soon:
- June 24 and July 1, Stagecoach Community Park
- July 8, 15 and 22, Poinsettia Community Park
- July 29 and Aug. 5, Calavera Hills Community Park
- Aug. 12 and 19, Alga Norte Community Park
Staff from our Cultural Arts Office is busy putting everything together, including hiring part time crew members to help out. If you know anyone who would be interested in a summer job like this, here is a link to the application.
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Better biking and walking on Avenida Encinas
New sidewalks, buffered bike lanes and more crosswalks are coming to sections of Avenida Encinas as part of a larger mobility project planned in the city. “Mobility,” in case you’re not familiar with the term in this context, refers to a way of thinking about transportation that considers all the ways someone might want to get around, not just by car.
- The improvements are part of a nearly 2.5-mile segment of the Coastal Rail Trail throughout southern Carlsbad.
- Caltrans has awarded the city a $1.77 million grant to help pay for the work.
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You can see and provide feedback on the proposed designs along the southernmost part of Avenida Encinas, from the Poinsettia Coaster Station to Carlsbad Boulevard at the Traffic & Mobility Commission’s monthly meeting on Monday, April 4, at 4 p.m.
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Celebrate Earth Month in Carlsbad
Another event returning this year is our annual Earth Month celebration:
Saturday, April 2, 9 a.m. to noon
Pine Avenue Community Park
755 Chestnut Ave.
Please stop by for family-friendly activities, sustainability workshops, live music, composting classes and more. Or, follow along on the city’s social media channels where we’ll be doing live videos and interviews plus sharing tips for protecting our beautiful environment here in Carlsbad.
The event kicks off a month of activities and programs that will highlight some of our new and upcoming sustainability initiatives and resources you can access to help you live more sustainably too.
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Spring cleaning? The city can help
Speaking of resources, I know for many people spring is a time to clear out things you no longer need and get more organized. If this is you, here are some programs and services to help with everything from bulky items to old paint and computers.
I’ll also take this opportunity to remind you that starting July 1, Republic Services will be taking over as the city’s contracted trash hauler. If you haven’t already received a postcard about changing out your trash carts, keep an eye out for that. If you’re wondering why we are changing contractors, why carts are being swapped or anything else about this transition, we’ve put together a questions and answers page with all of that information.
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Carlsbad Reads Together
Next week is National Library Week and happens to also be the kickoff of our popular Carlsbad Reads Together annual program. We’ll have events all month long centered around our featured book, “The Personal Librarian,” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
I like to describe Carlsbad Reads Together as a citywide book club. The library has a Spanish language selection and a teen selection too. All are available to check out through the Library’s Catalog online.
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Poinsettia Dog Park construction on track
The new dog park being built at Poinsettia Community Park is really starting to take shape, and we’re on track for opening this summer. When complete, the dog park will include:
- An entry plaza with shade structures
- Separate areas for large and small dogs
- Dog agility equipment
- Natural grass surface
- Benches and picnic tables
The project also includes a new restroom and a parking lot with 37 spaces, including four EV charging stations, just south of the pickleball courts.
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How do you know if you’re a target for hackers?
The answer? If you use a mobile phone, tablet, computer or smart device (including cars), you should assume you are a target.
World events have highlighted the importance of cybersecurity even more, so I wanted to share some resources you can use to protect yourselves, your families and your finances:
Here are three easy things you can do right now:
- Make sure to update your devices, apps, and software as soon as updates are available. Turning on automatic updates makes the process easier.
- Don’t click on links or attachments in texts, emails or social media posts unless you can verify they’re legitimate.
- Beware of online requests that seem urgent or ask you for sensitive information, even if they look legitimate. It’s always worth the extra time to verify authenticity first by calling your bank, credit card company or other organizations that are often the target of “spoofed” accounts.
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Finding art is a walk in the park!
Yesterday was National Take a Walk in the Park Day (yes, there sure are a lot of special days, weeks and months!). Carlsbad is lucky to have so many trails – 67 miles in all – but today I want to talk about our parks.
Through our Art in Public Places program, the city’s Cultural Arts Office has integrated artwork through several city parks. Let’s see if you can recognize them:
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Get involved: Upcoming meetings
The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, April 5, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council chamber. Topics scheduled to be discussed include:
- An agreement with the company that maintains the city’s traffic signals to reflect its new name
- An agreement to replace a retaining wall on Park Drive and improve that section of the road
- The purchase of modular buildings for a new temporary Fire Station 7 on Carlsbad Boulevard near Cannon
- Increasing the pressure washing of sidewalks in the Village from four days a week to daily
- Extending the term of a contract to design of a new recycled water storage reservoir at Poinsettia Lane and Black Rail Road
- A contract for city ambulance services billing
- Introducing an ordinance that would phase in a ban on single use plastic food ware at businesses in Carlsbad
- Adopting an ordinance that will give police additional means to address concerns about e-bike safety
- Annexing the Marja Acres development to one of the districts the city uses to help pay for street lighting and landscaping
- Approving the city’s annual plan to provide federal financial assistance to qualifying renters in Carlsbad
- Considering setting up a hotline for city employees to use to report any suspected fraud, ethical issues or abuse of city resources
A link to the full agenda and staff reports will be available on the city’s website no later than Friday evening. You can watch the meeting live on the city’s website or cable TV channel.
These city boards and commissions are also meeting next week (and will be livestreamed on the city’s website).
- April 4, 4 p.m. – Traffic & Mobility Commission
- April 6, 5 p.m. – Planning Commission
- April 7, 6 p.m. – Arts Commission
Before signing off, I would like to recognize César Chávez Day, a federal holiday every March 31 that celebrates this civil rights and labor movement activist, a social justice champion who worked tirelessly to promote the rights and dignity of farmworkers. Agriculture is an important part of Carlsbad’s history and continues today, including the world famous Flower Fields currently in bloom.
Scott Chadwick
P.S. Someone pointed out recently that I’d stopped signing my name on these updates. I think it’s because I felt like I knew you already, forgetting that new people join this list on a regular basis. If that’s you, sorry for the mystery!
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Fun things to do
Quick Links
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CarlsbadConnects app is an easy way to report things that need repair or attention around town, like potholes, sidewalk cracks, traffic light outages, graffiti and code enforcement issues. Submit service requests anonymously or create a free account where you can track progress and see what other people have reported.
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