CRUISIN’ GRAND CANCELLED TODAY – April 8, 2016 The organizers of Cruisin’ Grand have decided to cancel today’s event due to weather. It’s gonna be huge! No foolin’! The 17th annual Cruisin’ Grand Escondido will open Friday night, April 1 with 700 plus cars and Heaven knows how many thousands of people crowding the streets of the downtown area. They […]

Interfaith ‘uncloses’ its first year-round homeless shelter
Interfaith Community Services has been taking in homeless people for 35 years, but, up until now the shelter operated only during four winter months, December through March. On Wednesday, March 30 the community services agency held a “Grand Unclosing Event” for Haven House, which will stay open throughout the year. The shelter opened as the first one in North San […]
City council: go for the “big vision” for library
Escondido has one of the most expansive and glorious civic centers and city halls of any community its size. If city council members have their way, a new “big vision” library might join those civic buildings in Grape Day park, rather than just apply a Band-aid to the existing library on Kalmia. On Wednesday, March 23 things took a turn […]

Incumbent Supervisor Dave Roberts is a coalition builder
Dave Roberts, 3rd District Supervisor, has been called the energizer who gives the Energizer Bunny lessons. If you look at his schedule you might be convinced that he has an identical twin. Look at his Fitbit and you’ll find a man who logs in sometimes 12,000 steps a day, possibly leaving the Energizer Bunny in his dust. He gets up […]
OCEANSIDE ~ A mother’s story: How to survive premature birth
March of Dimes Walk for Babies comes to North County SaturdayImagine a young woman who has a baby growing in her womb. She is seeing her doctor regularly and heeding the doctor’s advice, taking pre-natal vitamins, exercising, following a recommended diet. She may have even undergone genetic screening that may indicate the possibility of birth defects for the child she is carrying. She passes the early tests, no indications of […]
Escondido City Council: What a bunch of visionaries!
~ EditorialYou got to hand it to the Escondido city council: they know how to dream big. Confronted with the idea of just expanding the aging library, they seemed to have reached the consensus that they want to go big or go home! (see our story, Page 1) If you’ve ever attended a city council meeting in person or on TV […]

Learning the Arts is Academic
School districts in North County recently hit a high note when they were recognized by the California Alliance for Arts Education for enhancing student scholastic experience through robust arts education programs. The results were ‘music to the ears’ of San Marcos, San Pasqual and Vista Unified School Districts when students recently performed at the San Diego Museum of Art during […]
WE ACCEPT LETTERS
The Times-Advocate invites letters on subjects of general local interest from our readers. We try to limit letters to about 400 words and emphasize that short letters make the best read. Please, please, please no handwritten letters, or, if you must, please attempt to print legibly. Please don’t tell us why you are suing your neighbor and if you […]
Home firearm safety, basic handgun classes will be offered on April 10
A monthly 3-hour familiarization and safety class is offered for anyone anticipating the purchase of, or who already own, a handgun. The class is offered Sunday, April 10 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Escondido Fish and Game Association shooting range east of Lake Wohlford. Participants learn the basics of handguns, home firearm safety and responsibility of firearm […]