LOCAL GRAD
Ryan Knutzen of Solana Beach graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the College of Letters and Science at University of Wisconsin-Madison in August.
PAGEANT WIN
Carolyn Kirner of Carmel Valley recently won the All American and Mrs. All American Pageants national title as the 2024-2025 All American Lady. She represented California in the pageant.
EYE DOCTOR RETIRES
Dr. Robert Pendleton, an ophthalmologist at Pendleton Eye Center, has retired after working to improve vision health in the community for 37 years.
GOLDEN WATCHDOG
The San Diego County Taxpayers Association honored the City of Oceanside with a Golden Watchdog Award for best private/public partnership for development of the Oceanside Navigation Center, a 50-bed homeless shelter, in partnership with San Diego Rescue Mission.
PUPPY IN TRAINING
Amicus, a yellow and golden Labrador retriever who was sponsored by the University of San Diego School of Law for the last 15 months, is moving on to professional training at Canine Companions Southwest Regional Training Center in Oceanside. He will spend the next six to nine months in training, learning more advanced skills including picking up dropped items, turning on and off light switches, opening and closing doors and more, mastering up to 45 skills as a service dog that will help someone with a disability.
NEW MURAL
Artist Jonny Pucci completed the new Oceanside Transit Center parking structure mural ahead of schedule in late October. His design was selected by the public as part of MainStreet Oceanside’s Art that Excites program, which aims to install up to 10 murals in public spaces throughout downtown Oceanside in collaboration with the Oceanside California Cultural District and the City of Oceanside Arts Commission.
MILITARY FAMILIES
Keeping Kids Connected is searching for active-duty military families with children between 3 and 11 years old to receive a free, personalized adventure story with their parents this Christmas. The gift provides a year-long, chapter-by-chapter story featuring and the child and their parents as the main character. To register a family you know, visit www.keepingkidsconnected.org/register.
COLLEGE CARE PACKAGE
The Alumni Association of The Grauer School prepared care packages for each of the students in the 2024 graduating class including microwave popcorn, hot chocolate packets, Halloween candy, warm socks, Starbucks gifts cards, homemade goodies and personalized notes with encouraging messages from teachers and staff. Once assembled, the packages were mailed across the country and Canada to the former Grauer students.
ZEN CITY
Visit Encinitas recently announced that Encinitas has been recognized as the 10th most Zen city in the United States according to a recent study by mental health services provider Mission Connection.
