May 17, 2018

FEATURED THIS WEEK

Escondido Real Estate Deals Praised by San Diego Business Journal

The San Diego Business Journal conducted their “Best Real Estate Deals of 2017” competition where the staff scored upscale residential, office, life sciences, industrial, and tourism developments in the region. The entries were not “biggest real estate deals” but rather a project’s impact to the community, economic impact, creativity, and overcoming obstacles. Escondido had two notables:

1. “Finalist” - Health Care Category: Palomar Health Outpatient Center
2. “1st Place Winner” – Best Industrial Purchase Category: Exeter Industrial Park
3. 

Mayor Abed Meets with President Trump in Washington

On Wednesday, Mayor Abed met with President Donald Trump at the White House. He was among more than a dozen California officials who met in Washington for a roundtable discussion about California’s immigration policies.

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Sanctuary-California-White-House-Roundtable-Lawsuit-San-Diego-Kristin-Gaspar-Escondido-Sam-Abed-482794211.html

Downtown Tree Update

The planned facelift of the downtown medians is moving along as scheduled. And the Escondido Creek Conservancy pointed out that the removal of the trees has revealed a long hidden natural treasure. Read more here: https://escondidocreek.org/news/eucalyptus-removal-reveals-escondido-landmark/

City Staff Receive STEM Champions Award

The City of Escondido was recently recognized by the San Diego County Office of Education as a STEM Strong Champion for the efforts of Community Services staff members Emma Melchor and Michael Illich. Emma and Michael are Recreation Specialists in the After School Education and Safety (ASES) program and co-facilitators of the North County Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Communities of Practice group. They were honored for their exemplary efforts and commitment to providing students with high-quality STEM learning opportunities in expanded learning programs.

MAGEC in the Park coming to Kit Carson

MAGEC (Museums & Arts Growing Escondido Culture), Visit Escondido, and Patio Playhouse Plays in the Park are proud to present the inaugural MAGEC in the Park Family Event and Preview Show on Saturday, June 9th at the Kit Carson Park Amphitheater. This family festival, running from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. is designed to bring youth teams together to create cool art and showcase Escondido's Arts and Culture, and is free to all participants!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-diego/article/Play-Learn-And-Experience-The-Wonders-Of-The-Arts-At-The-Inaugural-MAGEC-In-The-Park-Patio-Playhouse-Preview-20180502

FEATURED THIS WEEK 

Comprehensive Approach Produces Results!
This week several local news outlets highlighted the City’s creative and effective outreach to tackle homelessness in Grape Day Park. The collaborative work of our Rangers, Public Works staff, Attorney’s Office, Code Enforcement staff, Police, and City leadership has been imperative to this success. 

• Union Tribune 
• KUSI 
• CBS 8 

Seniors Danced the Night Away at Park Avenue Community Center
On Saturday, May 5, the 7th annual Sr. Senior Prom, “A Night Under the Stars,” was held at the Park Avenue Community Center. The night was enjoyed by both high school and older adult seniors. The night included entertainment by Calico Ridge, complimentary corsages and boutonnieres, delicious snacks, and a special performance by the Helping Hands youth. The highlight of the night was the crowning of the prom King and Queen, Lee & Laura.        

FEATURED THIS WEEK

City Laboratory Receives Certificate of Excellence
The City’s Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility (HARRF) Water Reclamation Plant Laboratory is Certified by the State of California through the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP). The laboratory provides testing for Drinking Water throughout the City, as well as for wastewater, recycled water, Escondido Creek water, storm water, and plant process control samples. Part of maintaining certification by the State is to analyze “blind” or unknown samples annually for analytical testing to ensure quality and accurate results. In the latest State Study, the HARRF Laboratory staff achieved 100 percent Acceptable results in all 69 parameters it tested. This achievement is a demonstration of the superior quality of the HARRF Laboratory staff.

The 3rd Annual Summer Kick Off Event
Over 150 attendees enjoyed a variety of activities, trail exploration, and Recreation class demonstrations. The goal of this free community event is to showcase our robust Recreation programs and camps, give parents the ability to sign up on-site for summer programs, and highlight our community partners, including several youth sports organizations, the Fire Department, and the Bookmobile Reading Express program.  The existing trail system was also highlighted with the unveiling of a new park map the includes NEW trail names. 

Live Well Escondido!
Escondido is Live Well San Diego's newest partner! The City is thrilled to be part of the collective positive impact of promoting healthy living in our beautiful city.

Thank You Girl Scout Troop #4034 of Escondido!
The Troop has been working with Community Services Department to achieve the goal of helping people easily navigate the trails of Kit Carson Park.  The purpose of the project was to develop trail names, distances, and a new trail map system in order to enhance trail users’ experience and exposure to the amazing terrain located in Escondido. After more than 8 months of planning, coordination, design, and implementation, the trail names, signage, and map are completed.  The Girl Scout Troop will receive their Silver Award for this sustainable community project that has gifted the Escondido community and Kit Carson Park users with years of enjoyment on the trails.
Download the trail map at www.recreation.escondido.org/kitcarson.aspx and enjoy the trails!

Escondido Disposal Leading the Way in Sustainability
Since 1967, EDCO has embraced the concept of “Zero Waste” as their goal and has committed to continually strive to be a leader on this path. View EDI’s 2017 Sustainability Report by clicking here. 

FEATURED THIS WEEK 

Escondido’s Award Winning Students
Escondido students from schools across the City were recognized at this week’s City Council meeting for their creative recycled art! To view all the entries, including the winning art work, visit the City’s Recycling Division’s Facebook or Instagram. 

Stone Brewing Named “Facility of the Year”
The California Water Environment Association has awarded Stone Brewing – Escondido the coveted P3S* Facility of the Year in Southern California. The award recognizes high performing leaders in the areas of waste management and pollution prevention. Read more here: Link 

Good News About Escondido’s Unemployment Rate
Escondido’s unemployment rate has dropped below the county average to 3.1% this month. This and other regional economic indicators are included in the San Diego Regional EDC’s “Economic Pulse.”

Scooter Competition Attracts International Riders
The City’s Sports Center hosted the 3^rd Annual SoCal Spring Scooter (SSS 2) Competition on Saturday, April 21, 2018. The event was a huge success with 94 scooter riders competing in a total of 6 skill divisions from beginner to pro categories, over the course of the 8-hour competition.  International riders from as far away as New Zealand participated in our PRO Division that was won by Wyatt Anderson of Arizona.  2^nd place- went to Raymond Warner of Murrieta, CA, and Jauwan “Juju” Smith of Nevada took 3^rd place. 

Grand Avenue Median Facelift Project Begins Next Week
Over the past few months, city staff members have been working with private sector stakeholders and the Downtown Business Association to come up with a plan to beautify the medians along Grand Avenue. Several of the medians are no longer able to accommodate attractive, permanent landscaping due to an overgrowth of the existing tree roots. This has resulted in the need for constant, short-term replanting just to maintain minimum appearance standards. 

As part of the plan, the City will be removing the eucalyptus trees in the medians and planting new, drought-tolerant trees and plants. The Downtown Business Association has committed to investing grant funds they received from the county into the project. Plans for beautifying the medians in this semi “short term” effort are consistent with the Transnet grant application approved by city council on February 14, which will involve a much larger and longer term project. 

Tree removal work along Grand Avenue will begin Monday, April 30 and take approximately four days to complete. The entire project from start to finish (including tree removal) will take approximately eight weeks. The work schedule will not disrupt Cruisin’ Grand, the Farmers Market or the May 20 Street Faire.