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. 

FEATURED THIS WEEK 

Escondido’s Library Wins Statewide Award for an Outstanding Program
Congratulations to Escondido Public Library for winning a California Library Association PR Excellence Award for their Read Local, Shop Local! program! This ongoing program allows anyone with an Escondido Public Library card to receive discounts at many participating Escondido businesses.

Holiday Lighting on Grand Ave
Thanks to a partnership between the City of Escondido and the Escondido Downtown Business Association, festive wreaths and lights on the median poles along Grand Avenue will once again welcome shoppers to Downtown Escondido this holiday season. The décor and lighting will be installed overnight on November 21, just in time for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. 

Small Business Saturday – Shopping Fun in Downtown Escondido
On Saturday, November 24 support your favorite local spots and find new ones! Small Business Saturday celebrates and helps you discover the unique and surprising small businesses in historic downtown Escondido. Start your day by visiting one of the two Welcome Stations to enjoy a special treat and pick up a Shop Small Map, shopping bags, flyers and special offers while supplies last. https://visitescondido.com/small-business-saturday-escondido/

City Hosts Training for Regional Code Enforcement Officers
The City of Escondido hosted the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers (CACEO) Module 1 Basic Academy course this past week at City Hall. This academy course provides the basic building blocks of the Code Enforcement profession for Officers who are beginning their careers in this field. 

FEATURED THIS WEEK

Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Escondido Utilities Department and Anaergia have unveiled the new Escondido Bioenergy Facility at the HARRF (Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility.) Biogas is produced in the sludge digesters and is composed of mostly methane and carbon dioxide.  The Escondido Bioenergy Facility uses biogas as fuel for two natural gas engines. These engines drive electrical generators which produce 1.2 megawatts of renewable energy.&nbsp

Pay Off Library Fines with Canned Food
The holidays are coming, and Escondido Public Library is getting into the giving spirit with its annual Food for Fines program! From November 26 through December 31 Food for Fines offers patrons the opportunity to clear up to $20.00 in fines from Library accounts by donating non-perishable, nutritious, pre-packaged food. Each food item counts as $1.00 toward reducing fines. The food is donated to Escondido's Interfaith Community Services and distributed to local needy families. All donations must be given at the Customer Service Desk. Last year, 1,590 pounds of food was donated.