Home Care In Encinitas, CA

Local residents expressed their opposition to a Trump administration plan for new offshore drilling off the coast of California during a “People’s Hearing” at the Encinitas Community Center on Dec. 4.

Elected leaders and organizations, including the Surfrider Foundation and Oceana, urged everyone in attendance to sign a petition against new offshore drilling.

San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer mentioned the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, which resulted in 4.2 million gallons polluting the ocean. Even though there is still offshore drilling off the California coast, no new offshore drilling leases have been issued in state waters since the Santa Barbara disaster, and there haven’t been new leases in federal waters in about 40 years.

“We built a movement out of that disaster, and here in San Diego, we’ve spent years building a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy future,” Lawson-Remer said. “One that learns from the past instead of repeating it.”

The Trump administration plan includes California in a potential expansion of offshore drilling along the West Coast from 2026 to 2031. A 60-day public comment period opened on Nov. 24 (ending Jan. 23). Doug Burgum, secretary of the interior, said in a statement it will ensure “that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.”

Opponents say it invites more environmental risk without significantly bolstering oil production in the U.S. or impacting markets globally.

“We’ve made huge progress, not just in protecting our environment, but building a more affordable clean energy future,” Lawson-Remer added. “We are not going to go backwards.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin and state Sen. Catherine Blakespear also left video messages in opposition to more offshore drilling.

Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner, who also serves as the chair of the San Diego Association of Governments, added that “our coast is not for sale.”

“We all need to make our voices heard and ensure that they continue to be considered when so much is at stake,” Heebner said.

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Encinitas Historical Society Announces

31st ANNUAL LIGHTING OF THE ENCINITAS HERITAGE TREE

The Encinitas Historical Society, in yearly partnership with the City of Encinitas and support from the Encinitas Rotary Club and the Solana Beach Eco Rotary Club, proudly present the 31st Annual Lighting of the Encinitas Heritage Tree! The celebration will be held at the Moonlight Beach upper parking lot on Friday, December 5 from 4-6 PM. Attendance and parking are free!

The program will feature carols by the San Diego North Coast Singers children’s choir and three Encinitas Union School District school choirs: The El Camino Creek Elementary School Choir, The Flora Vista Elementary School Choir, and The La Costa Heights Elementary School Choir.

For the fifth consecutive year, the local favorite band Free Verse will start the celebration with a medley of holiday classics and join the choirs for the grand finale! Free Verse will be featuring a medley of favorite surf songs to warm up the crowd as they arrive.

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will make their yearly trek from the North Pole, riding in on an Encinitas fire engine with horns and lights blazing, the highlight for the kids!

The Solana Beach Eco Rotary Club will be providing waste disposal and recycling support while joining the Encinitas Rotary Club to help manage the event.

Event T-shirts featuring the Heritage Tree will be available for $20, to benefit the Encinitas Historical Society.

Food and drink will be provided by Epic Eatz.

About the Encinitas Heritage TreeEncinitas’ famed Heritage Tree was a 3-foot Norfolk Pine sapling when two brothers, Peter and John Danforth, planted it in 1952. The tree now soars 91-feet above the corner of 4th Street and C Street, looking majestically down on Moonlight Beach. The City of Encinitas gave the tree its protected Heritage designation in 2011, one of only two trees so protected. Since 1994, long time Encinitas resident Luis Ortiz has led community volunteers in maintaining and lighting the tree. Each year the tree is adorned with LED lights and lit on the Friday preceding the Encinitas Holiday Parade, which is held on the first Saturday in December to officially start the City’s holiday season. The Encinitas Historical Society proudly serves as the Heritage Tree event’s official organizer and host.

About the Encinitas Historical SocietyThe Encinitas Historical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and offering public access to the City’s rich past through its research, library programs, exhibits, publications, and digital resources. The Society is located at Encinitas’ most famous and oldest structure, the Old Schoolhouse built in 1883.

Founded in the early 1980’s, the Society’s initial focus was on preventing the Old Schoolhouse from going the way of so many other historic buildings, victim to some developer’s wrecking ball. Fortunately, they succeeded! Through its long history, the building had been relocated twice. After a sustained and passionate effort, the Society had the building moved back to very near its original site, where it now stands at 390 W F Street. The Society keeps its extensive collection and the building maintained, clean, and publicly accessible, and we are in the midst of a two-year project installing a state-of-the-art, digital archiving system.

Today the Society is overseen by a dedicated Board and staff of volunteers, amongst them, the great granddaughter of the Old Schoolhouse’s original builder, ex-Schoolhouse students, and a descendant of the Danforth brothers who planted the Heritage Tree. Our aim is to serve the community in honoring and preserving the Encinitas heritage.

For more information, please contact Encinitas Historical Society President Carolyn Cope at (760) 942-9066, or event organizer, Jim Filanc at (951) 966-3150.

Blank Slate, a new restaurant concept from San Diego-based chefs Aron and Pamela Schwartz, is set to open in Encinitas at 101 N. Coast Highway 101.

The new restaurant will move into Chiko’s current location, according to a recent liquor license application. While an exact opening date has not been announced, the new restaurant will likely open next year, offering an elevated yet approachable dining experience focused on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Guests can expect thoughtful menus and an emphasis on hospitality, in line with Schwartz’s culinary philosophy.

Aron and Pamela Schwartz are the founders of APS Hospitality Group, a San Diego-based catering and consulting company. They bring years of experience from top restaurants and hospitality venues, focusing on unpretentious, elevated dining and fostering relationships through food. Their new venture continues their approach to fresh, seasonal cuisine and personalized hospitality.

Blank Slate will offer the Encinitas community an opportunity to be introduced to the chefs’ signature style of culinary innovation. This will be an excellent landing space for the concept, offering a full-service restaurant setting for curated dining experiences.

The menu is expected to highlight local produce and seasonal ingredients, reflecting the couple’s commitment to sustainability and quality. While APS Hospitality Group specializes in catering, wine programs, and restaurant consulting, Blank Slate will allow the team to translate their expertise directly into a public dining concept.

The Encinitas location will showcase the duo’s culinary vision, emphasizing Southern hospitality, elevated yet approachable plates, and strong relationships with local producers and artisans. Aron leads culinary direction, while Pamela’s hospitality expertise shapes the overall dining experience, making Blank Slate both a neighborhood destination and a platform for the couple’s continued culinary innovation.