Memorial service held for first Fairest of the Fair

Reigned in 1946
Memorial services were held in San Diego on Aug. 14 for Gloria O’Rear Lakin, who reigned as the first Fairest of the Fair in 1946. Gloria was a San Dieguito High School grad and worked at the Del Mar Drug Store when she was talked into running for the San Diego County Fair crown. The competition with more than a dozen candidates was held at the Del Mar Hotel and decided by an applause-o-meter. It went off the scale when she appeared. As a prize, she and fiancée Bill were married on the “Bride & Groom” radio show in Hollywood. Their marriage lasted more than six decades. In addition to being a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she set the envious example of beauty, poise and personality for young ladies who wore the coveted crown after her.
Rigid plastics recyclableEDCO is now accepting rigid plastics labeled 3 through 7 in addition to plastic labeled 1 and 2. Still not acceptable are Styrofoam, PVC pipe, vinyl siding and plastic film. In its Environmental Times summer issue, EDCO warned that scavenging is illegal for CRV containers like beverage and aluminum cans.
Lunch is served
Encinitas Senior Center at 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive has added a soup and salad bar to its lunch menu on Tuesday and Thursday. Advanced reservations are required and can be made by calling (760) 943-2258. A $4 donation is recommended.
Lousy deal
San Dieguito Union High School District had to return $2.8 million in stimulus gedes becuz it was used for nonapproved but worthy projects. It had to dig into its reserve sock for the cash.
Synthetic surfaces
It wasn’t the Southland racetracks that were gung ho about replacing their dirt tracks with a synthetic cushion. California Horse Racing Board ruled they were essential in order to receive a license to conduct racing. Now they have been a problem at Santa Anita and Del Mar. The surfside course spent in the neighborhood of $15 million for a Polysurface overlay and Santa Anita invested many millions more. Del Mar is satisfied that it’s OK but not Santa Anita where Oak Tree that opens Sept. 29 has threatened to move to Hollywood Park. Solution? Stay tuned.
Names missing
For the first time since 1970 the name of Bud Lewis in C’bad is not on the ballot. Neither is that of San Dieguito Union High Shool board trustee Dee Rich, who first ran 24 years ago. Lewis will complete 24 years as mayor. Both will leave enormous footprints that won’t be equaled soon. Lewis was a Carlsbad High School coach before going into politics and folks are saying he is finishing a winning season.
Smart move
Solbeach electeds have set aside $85,000 to retain a firm that will analyze the announced expansion of I-5 from La Jolla to O’side. Considering that Caltrans is in the driver’s seat on the project it will take experts to review it. Public has until Oct. 7 to respond.
At the helm
Jim Kerr, former editor of Del Mar Times, now has the same post at Del Mar Ink, a new publication that is in its third edition. Stan Jaffe is publisher.
Water bond off ballot
Taxpayers won’t be voting on an $11 bil. water bond in November. Not until 2012, if then. The Governator made the request to delay the vote after taking the pulse of voters and it seems to get worse by the day and there is no thirst for it.
Marketing change
San Diego North Convention & Visitors Bureau based in Escondido has turned over its marketing operation to the Harbor City bureau that has been doing much of the same for the entire county. It will be administered by the three-year-old Tourism Marketing District that derives funds from a surcharge on hotel rooms in the Harbor City.
Wants more juice
Several weeks ago SDG&E announced it was expanding its wind farm operation. More energy available for consumers, of course. It was predicted here at the time that a rate increase would soon follow although SDG&E made no mention at the time. Now the utility company sez it needs a 7 percent increase. It gives as reasons higher insurance costs and more customers.
Signal honor
Tali Rappaport, a third-generation Girl Scout in Rancho Santa Fe, has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, a prestigious honor highly sought nationwide. She completed a three-year, seven-step process to the earn the award.
One-liners
San Dieguito Heritage Museum is seeking good and bad info on lima beans in preparation for its Lima Bean Cook-off and Fair Sept. 24 to Sept. 26 … North County cities are posting their salaries on websites … Surfside City has contracted for an outside firm to inspect lots that may be weed-covered … Solbeach has available for review a revised Land Lease/Recreation Fee Study until Oct. 4 … Five candidates are in the running for two council seats in O’side … Next summer’s County Fair will run June 10 thru July 4 and cars will be the theme … Former longtime MiraCosta College trustee Jean Moreno sez Reform MiraCosta, a watchdog group, is opposing trustee Donald McKinney … Persistent talk that Oak Tree racing in the fall will be moving to the Surfside course in the near future.

Hasta la Vista