Last week, I had the honor of attending the graduation ceremony for the City of Escondido’s Neighborhood Leadership Program. 20 graduates received certificates and can now count themselves among the 150 alumni of this important program.

The eight-week Neighborhood Leadership Program is offered free of charge by the City’s Neighborhood Services Division, in partnership with Community Housing Works. Participants range in age from teens to grandparents, all with the common goal of wanting to gain leadership skills and make their neighborhoods better places to live.

We are all very busy, and it’s not easy to commit to volunteering our time. However, the investment of time into this program has achieved overwhelmingly positive results in our neighborhoods, and graduates set positive examples for their younger siblings, children and grandchildren.

The program teaches participants how to  identify their existing talents and resources to create positive change in their community, how to strengthen interpersonal communication skills and how to effectively use technology as a practical and innovative tool to communicate and connect with people. In addition, they develop lasting friendships with their fellow participants.

The Neighborhood Leadership Program is held annually each September. If you are interested in the program, contact the City of Escondido’s Neighborhood Services Division (760) 839-4057.

The City has received inquiries from special event organizers, food truck owners and the general public as to whether or not food trucks can operate within the City of Escondido. Currently, food vending vehicles that serve hot foods prepared in the vehicle are not permitted in the City of Escondido on either public or private property.

Food trucks are not a new concept, but they are gaining popularity and changing the way they have traditionally operated, from selling unique gourmet dishes to advertising through social media.  In the past, food trucks would drive into an area, sell food within 10 minutes and move on to another location.  Trends today include food trucks selling from one location during lunch and dinner hours, as well as participating in special events.

City staff will hold a meeting to gather input from the public about this topic on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 6 p.m. in the Mitchell Room at City Hall, 201 N. Broadway.  Public hearings on this topic will be held by the Planning Commission in early 2013. For more information go to http://www.escondido.org/food-truck-study.aspx

In March 2012, Huanglongbing (HLB), a plant disease considered a death sentence for California citrus, was discovered in Los Angeles, putting homeowners on high alert. While not harmful to humans or pets, once a citrus tree is infected with HLB, there is no cure and it will die. The disease can be spread by a pest called the Asian citrus psyllid, and the pest has been found near the city of Escondido. The best way to protect citrus trees from the disease is to control the psyllid population. Help protect your backyard citrus trees by:

•  Inspecting citrus trees for signs of the pest and disease each month or whenever watering, spraying, pruning or tending trees.
• Calling the California Department of Food & Agriculture hotline at 1-800-491-1899 if any suspicious pests or symptoms of HLB are found. 
• Not bringing any plant material into California from other states or countries and not moving citrus plants out of quarantined areas, because they might be carrying psyllids or be infected with HLB.
• Only buying citrus trees from reputable, licensed California nurseries.
• Drying or double bagging plant clippings before placing in green waste recycle bins to avoid moving psyllids and HLB-infected plant material.
• Cooperating with agriculture officials on detection and suppression efforts of the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB.

For more information and to find out what to look for, visit www.CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org.

On Saturday, October 27, the new Maple Street Plaza in Downtown Escondido will transform into a cheese-lover’s paradise. “The Wedge” artisanal cheese celebration will feature a free street festival, live music and a beer and wine garden, plus 30 tasting locations inside shops and restaurants along Grand Avenue and beyond. Bring your appetite and sample some great gourmet food, local wine and craft beer. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the newly constructed Maple Street Plaza, this is a great time to do it. The plaza features hand-crafted masonry, an interactive water feature and dozens of artistic details that are fun to discover. The Wedge goes from 2 – 6 p.m. Don’t delay! Ticket prices go up the day of the event! To purchase your “Wedge Passport” go to http://wedgeescondido.com/

And that evening after The Wedge, don’t miss the Recycled Materials Runway event at the Escondido Municipal Gallery, featuring edgy, eco-friendly fashions. This annual event always brings new and exciting energy to Escondido’s art scene and showcases young, up and coming designers’ creativity in weaving recycled materials into clothing designs. Proceeds help fund programming at the Escondido Municipal Gallery, operated by the Escondido Arts Partnership. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7:15 p.m. To purchase tickets go to www.escondidoarts.org .