FEATURED THIS WEEK

Fencing Tournament at East Valley Community Center
The City and the San Diego Fencing Center hosted the National Super Youth Circuit Fencing Tournament at the East Valley Community Center last week.  This tournament was held for children between the ages of 10 and 14 and drew a crowd of over 600 participants and their families to Escondido and the surrounding area. This was the second fencing tournament the EVCC has hosted and the San Diego Fencing Center is already working with staff to organize another tournament later this year.

Escondido Police and School Officials for School Safety
In the wake of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Escondido police and school officials announced a collaborative effort to ensure the safety of Escondido campuses. This includes public, private, and faith based schools. Virtually every aspect of school safety is being re-evaluated. This includes physical site security measures (fencing, gates, doors, and controlled access points), training, adding a School Resource Officer, and encouraging the reporting of suspicious activity.

Report It! App Tutorial Video
A handy tutorial video is now available for Escondido’s Report It app. This app is an efficient way to report problems that need to be addressed in our City. Watch a short tutorial video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1g0xParNQE 

FEATURED THIS WEEK
Escondido Students Turn Trash into Art

Look closely – nearly all of the materials used to create these amazing art pieces were headed for the trash or recycle bin. Kindergarten through 8th-grade students throughout Escondido participated in the 26th Annual Earth Day Poster Contest – these are the 30 finalists. The City-sponsored contest culminates in a City Council ceremony on April 18th, where students, their families and teachers find out who the winners are, meet the mayor, and enjoy a reception under the dome afterward. To see all of the entries, please visit the City of Escondido Recycling Facebook page

Visit Escondido!
Escondido is featured in About Town magazine’s Spring issue. The 3-page spread called “Hidden Treasure: Escondido offers numerous ways to pass the day” is featured in all 5 of their covers throughout the county. http://abouttownmagazines.com/2018/03/hidden-treasure/

FEATURED THIS WEEK 

City’s Planning Department Wins Big!
City of Escondido has received two 1^st place (Award of Excellence) awards from the San Diego Chapter of the American Planning Association (SDAPA).  The first of these competitive awards came in the Implementation Award category for our CEDS Implementation.  The City also won SDAPA’s Outreach Award for our innovative youth outreach program developed as part of the public outreach campaign for the South Centre City Specific Plan.  

Dine Out Escondido! Gives Back
Local restaurants that participated in the 2018 Dine Out Escondido! committed to donating $1 to the North County Food Bank’s FOOD 4 KIDS Backpack Program for every DOE special they sold during Restaurant Week. This year $2,228 was collected for this program that will provide will provide food for a year to approximately 12 kids in one of our local elementary schools!

FEATURED THIS WEEK 

New Store Hires Local
HomeGoods opened their 23,907 square-foot store earlier this month at 1352 West Valley Parkway.  They hired 65 Escondido residents to work in their store providing locals with the opportunity to work in the community in which they live. 

Escondido’s Stone Brewing is in the Top 10!
The Brewers Association just released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S. based on beer sales volume. Escondido’s Stone Brewing is listed as #8 on the list of craft breweries (up from #9 the previous year) and #18 on the list of overall breweries. Stone is the only San Diego area company to be listed in the top 50 overall, which is quite a feat considering the size and scope of the region’s beer industry. For a complete list and map of top 50 breweries nationwide, visit https://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/brewers-association-releases-2017-top-50-brewing-companies-by-sales-volume/ . 

City Program & Staff Recognized as STEM Champions  
This week the City of Escondido ASES (After School Education and Safety) Program was notified that they will receive the STEM Strong Champions Award, from the San Diego County Office of Education. This countywide event recognizes local after school program providers that offer extended learning opportunities to students through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).  These extended learning programs are designed to have a significant impact on student understanding and achievement through engagement and exploration as well as the ability to explain, elaborate and evaluate.  

Additionally, program staff Emma Melchor and Michael Illich will be recognized, as being instrumental in the creation and design of the program. This distinguished honor recognizes the collective impact the City has on the community through recreational and enrichment programming. The awards event will be held on Friday, May 11.