The Encinitas Union School District is reviving plans to sell or lease the 125-year-old Pacific View School amid opposition from neighbors and members of the community.

The school was officially closed in 2003 because of not enough enrollment and the age and poor condition of the building. For three years, it served as the city’s temporary public works yard, storage facility, and meeting rooms for other area schools.

In 2005, the community rejected plans by the city to develop the site into a medical and dental office building. The community objected to the density of the office building and felt that it was not a good fit with the eclectic character of the neighborhood.

The district is currently working with the city on a renewed application to rezone the site for residential use. If approved, the new zoning would allow up to 42 homes to be built on the site.

Neighbors say that whatever decision is made should include the value of the site to the entire community.

At the Lux Art Institute at 1550 South El Camino Real in Encinitas, art is interactive. Not only can visitors see an exhibit of the current artist’s works, but they can also see the artist creating the art.

The Lux Institute is a contemporary art venue in North San Diego county where people can see “art happen.” The Artist in Residence series focuses on the living artist and the creative process.

The first artist in residence this year is Elizabeth Turk, a native Southern Californian, who brings a new vision to the art of stone carving. Using a chisel, she transforms 400-pound blocks of marble into fantastic and improbable shapes such as collars, pinwheels, and ribbons. While in residence, Turk will be working on a sculpture for her “Collars” series.

Don’t miss Elizabeth Turk at the Lux Institute!

On Sept. 12th, Quail Botanical Gardens celebrated their name change to San Diego Botanic Gardens at their annual fundraiser.

Most attendees were enthusiastic about the name change, but others didn’t see any reason for it.  All hoped it would expand the number of people who come to the garden and who appreciate it.

Julian Duval, President and CEO of the Garden, said that the name change came after much discussion and consideration. “We believe the gardens has proven its worth as a leading San Diego regional attraction, and to that end, the name change will expand the reach of the organization,” he said.

Guests explored the grounds while drinking wine and eating food prepared by 25 of the area’s restaurants.

The garden encompasses 30 acres and includes more than 3500 plants representing more than 15 distinct bio-geographical regions.  Emphasis on conservation education has increased with the opening of the Hamilton Children’s Garden.

The timely new exhibit about fire safety at Quail Gardens teaches us how we can protect ourselves and our homes during this time of wildfires. This exhibit is a partnership between the fire department of the City of Encinitas and Quail Gardens.

The theme of the exhibit is taking personal responsibility and control over the protection  of life and property during a natural disaster such as a fire.

As homeowners, we can make changes to the vegetation around our homes. Succulents around a house can be very good as a defensible fire zone around a property. The exhibit shows a model home using proper landscaping and building techniques such as dual- or triple-paned windows, and boxing the underside of eves and balconies.

The exhibit teaches us to take responsibility for our own safety through native habitat landscaping as a means of preserving water and increasing fire safety zones.

Homeowners and their families should visit this informative exhibit and learn visually about the importance of natural habitat landscaping.