FEATURED THIS WEEK
Spectacular Lights Spread Holiday Cheer
A local  Escondido home was featured on The Great Christmas Light Fight this week. The Peace family home has 36,000 red, green and blue LED lights, a pirate ship on the roof that shoots C02 out 30 feet, a giant projection screen.  For more information, visit the house's official Facebook Page: Peace Family Light Show. 

On the other side of town, the Spence family home features a 20-minute light show synched to music. Read more about the stunning show in their Union-Tribune feature: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/sd-no-greg-spence-holiday-light-show-20181214-story.html

A Commitment to Escondido
At last week’s Installation Ceremony, leaders with Interfaith Community Services presented the Council with “Commitment Cards” containing individual sentiments of how residents plan to commit to Escondido in the coming year. These cards are now placed on a bulletin board in Council Chambers, with additional blank cards available to fill out at future meetings. 

Welcome New Mayor and Deputy Mayor!
The City of Escondido extends a warm welcome to its new Mayor, Paul “Mac” McNamara and Council Member for District 1, Consuelo Martinez, who was also appointed as Deputy Mayor. The Installation Ceremony took place on December 12 in Council Chambers, where both were sworn in along with re-elected Council Member John Masson. We would like to thank Sam Abed and Ed Gallo for their dedicated years of service to the City of Escondido.

2018 Employee Holiday Drive
Each year City employees organize a Holiday Drive to give back to the community. This year’s drive has come to a close, and a total of 414 Souper Sacks and 457 sets of pajamas were collected! Souper Sacks are bundles of nonperishable food items and holiday surprises that are distributed to Seniors at the Park Avenue Community Center during the holiday season. The pajamas are donated to various agencies that provide them to children in need. Thank you to everyone who participated in making the Employee Holiday Drive a success!

2020 Census Count
The U.S. Census happens every ten years and Census data informs how $675 billion is distributed annually among local, state, and tribal governments for programs like:

• Transportation
• Job training centers
• Schools (Title 1 Grants, National School Lunch Program, Head Start/Early Head Start)
• Senior and Foster Care Centers
• Housing (Section 8 housing choice vouchers)
• Medical Assistance Programs (Medicaid, Medicare) 

Escondido stands to gain up to $2,000 in federal funds for every counted resident so an accurate count is essential to maintaining some of the key programs described above.  The 2020 U. S. Census is right around the corner and the federal government is now recruiting for part-time jobs to help get the count underway.  Interested parties can apply online at:  www.2020census.gov/jobs 

Escondido Based Company Renovates Roundhouse Aquarium
Last month, the iconic Roundhouse Aquarium at the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier celebrated its grand reopening after a $4M renovation. Why is a Manhattan Beach destination being featured in the Escondido Weekly Activity Report? Because the aquarium’s water filtration and exhibit renovation was done in large part by Escondido-based Integrated Aqua Systems. IAS is a local aquatic systems integrator and equipment supply company that has been in Escondido since 2011. Located in the industrial area on Progress Place, they specialize in the design, fabrication and supply of advanced water filtration and life support systems in aquatic research, aquaculture and commercial aquatic exhibits.  All of the filters used in the Roundhouse Aquarium renovation were built at IAS’s facility in Escondido, then expertly installed by IAS on site in very tight quarters.
https://abc7.com/roundhouse-aquarium-in-manhattan-beach-reopens-after-remodel/4636634/ 

Digital Petting Zoo at the Library
Showcasing some of the new technology available at the library, the first ever Digital Petting Zoo had a great turnout of 77 people of all-ages. The virtual reality gaming console and the 3D printer drew people in, but they were dazzled by the library's new language learning database, Prounciator, and how computer coding words with simple "raspberry Pi’s." Guests included local educators, and the library is planning targeted technology-centric outreach to this demographic. 

FEATURED THIS WEEK 

Welcome Mayor-Elect McNamara & Council Member-Elect Martinez
Please join the community at the December 12 Installation Ceremony. The ceremony starts promptly at 6 p.m. in the Escondido City Council Chambers. No RSVP is required. https://www.escondido.org/city-council-meeting-2018-12-12.aspx 

New Year, New You!
Energize your 2019 with one of the many classes, leagues, and activities offered through the Escondido Recreation Department. View the new guide here.  

FEATURED THIS WEEK

New Bridge Craned in Over the Escondido Creek
On November 20 the new pedestrian bridge was placed over the Escondido Creek as part of the Escondido Creek Bikeway Missing Link Project. This project fills an existing gap between the Escondido Creek Trail on N. Broadway and the Inland Rail Trail on Quince Street by constructing new bike facilities through the core city area. Read more about the project here.

Over 1,100 Volunteers Lend a Hand in Kit Carson Park
On November 17, The Church of Rancho Bernardo held their annual serve day at Kit Carson Park.  This event is the City’s largest volunteer turnout of the year. The Church brought over 1,100 volunteers to clean, pick up trash, trim plants and trees, plant new trees and spread mulch for nearly 4 hours. This equates to 82.5 weeks of labor saved. It would take two full time employees nearly 10 months to complete this many hours of labor. This one day of service saves our taxpayers over $81,000! Thank you to The Church of Rancho Bernardo for this amazing commitment to Escondido.

Successful Fire Department Partnership with Palomar College
In response to our ongoing challenges recruiting paramedics, the Fire Department recently implemented a partnership with Palomar College’s Paramedic School to fast track selected paramedic students into full time positions with the City. After completing the classroom portion of paramedic school, students must complete a 22-shift (two month) internship assigned to a preceptor assigned on an ambulance. In September of this year three students were selected to complete their internship with our Fire Department. All three students successfully passed their internships and graduated from paramedic school. They have applied for full time positions and are currently in backgrounds. We expect all three to be hired full time in January 2019. 

Pollinator Gardens Pop Up in Escondido
The small space between Evans Tire and the Escondido Creek is more than just landscaping. The Plaza Del Arroyo pocket park is a functioning pollinating garden that is full of bees, beetles, and caterpillars that aid in the overall ecosystem in the area. Read more in the San the Union Tribune article here.