In da Newz
By J.P.(J.P.)
Encinitas has missed an excellent opportunity to benefit from the skills offered by Lisa Shaffer; a resident who holds a

doctorate in public policy and teaches courses on sustainable development at UC San Diego. …

Encinitas has missed an excellent opportunity to benefit from the skills offered by Lisa Shaffer; a resident who holds a doctorate in public policy and teaches courses on sustainable development at UC San Diego. Instead the council majority vote went to the politically correct choice of Caroline Thompson who sits on the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

Encinitas OK’s increased building heights

The Encinitas City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday allowing a performing arts building planned for San Dieguito Academy’s campus to exceed the city’s 30-foot height limit by 10 feet. The vote was 4-1, with councilwoman Teresa Barth dissenting.

The vote clears the school district to build a gymnasium up to 40 feet tall, although no such building is proposed. Classroom buildings, for which plans are incomplete, are capped at 34 feet tall.

“I’m just not comfortable with this request as it’s brought to us,” Barth said. “It’s kind of overkill.”

The gym needs to exceed the city’s normal height limit because cheerleaders are getting taller and taller these days and the girl at the top of the pyramid was bumping her head on the ceiling.

Encinitas reports headway on pedestrian rail crossings

Construction of the Santa Fe crossing is expected to begin late in 2008 and last 12 to 15 months. Other pedestrian crossings are planned at Montgomery, El Portal and Hillcrest streets, and each is expected to cost $5 million (holy crap!)

The crossings would give pedestrians and cyclists a safe and legal way to pass beneath the tracks that cut a 6.1-mile north to south course through the city. Now those cute surfer crossing signs won’t be so ironic (crossing the train tracks now can land you a $1000 ticket).

Sportscaster Lampley to be charged with violating restraining order

In what passes for celebrity gossip in Encinitas two narcissistic nitwits are having some sort of drama that is newsworthy because one is a B grade sportscaster and the other is a gold digger that was declared the hottest babe in California in 2003.