I’ve been asked to run a prominent reminder about keeping small pets indoors at night so they don’t become a coyote victim. Please, please beware of coyote attacks, even if you aren’t anywhere near a wildlife area. This recently happened to a friend, here’s his story (slightly edited for privacy): (more…)

I just went to a meeting about the proposed I-5 freeway connectors to SR-56, and heard quite a lot from the people of Del Mar who may be heavily impacted by the project. Some of these people could lose their homes, depending on the alternative selected. That’s huge. On the other hand, if nothing is done, cars will use the Carmel Valley streets to bypass the current mess down at Carmel Valley Road and El Camino Real. This impacts me, as the local streets will become impassible. It’s not as bad as losing a house, but it’s a real problem. Del Mar and Carmel Valley are divided by a huge freeway, but somehow we need to come together as a community and find a solution that works for everyone.

Finally, the Del Mar Highlands Town Center (the Ralphs center) has a website! The site has pages for Shops and Restaurants, News and Events, and general Center Information. Go to the Town Center Website for details. Don’t forget the Piazza Carmel Website (the Vons center), which has been available for some time and has details on shops, events, etc. at Piazza Carmel.

Consumer Reports has a List of Things To-Do when you turn your clocks back, including the usual (replace smoke detector batteries, etc.) The list includes some different items, like updating your disaster plan and getting rid of hazardous materials. Also, in the comment section I see a reminder that smoke detectors that are older than 10 years should be replaced. That’s right, your smoke detectors only have a 10 year lifespan (even with new batteries.) After that, they should be replaced with new ones.