ESCONDIDO AWARDS
•The Escondido Union High School District named Valley High School math teacher Sharon Clark as Teacher of the Year and custodial and grounds maintenance employee Miguel Velasquez as Classified Employee of the Year.
• Additionally, KyXy 96.5 radio station and American Assets Trust honored San Pasqual High School English teacher Karen Jewell through the Tribute to Teachers Program. She was nominated by her former student, Magda Martinez.
• San Pasqual High School Athletic Director Andrew Clark was named the 2024 CIF San Diego Section Athletic Director of the Year. Clark, a former student athlete who graduated from San Pasqual, is in his 15th year as athletic director and 25th year coaching football.
OCEANSIDE AWARDS
• The Oceanside Unified School District named Oceanside High School choir and guitar teacher Leah Ritt and Cesar Chavez Middle School Spanish teacher Luis Casillas as the district’s teachers of the year.
• OUSD named Palmquist Elementary Office Assistant Melissa Hartman and Surfside Academy Campus Supervisor Donald Vivian as district employees of the year.
GREEN FEST
Encinitas Union School District held a successful second annual Zero-Waste Green Fest at Ocean Knoll Elementary, where children showcased educational exhibits and interactive demonstrations aimed at promoting waste minimization and ocean conservation.
POWER AUTHORITY
The Orange County Power Authority hired Encinitas resident Joe Mosca as its new chief executive officer. Mosca has served as interim CEO since June 1 and previously served as the director of communications and external affairs for the power authority.
DEAN’S LIST
Mallory Johnson of Del Mar was named to the dean’s list at Bates College in Maine for the fall semester. Johnson is majoring in sociology and minoring in Hispanic Studies.
SHOE DRIVE
The Soroptimist International of Vista and North County Inland donated over 45 pairs of new and gently used shoes to Vista Deputy Mayor Katie Melendez for her Children’s Shoe Drive.
DENTAL CLINIC
Neighborhood Healthcare, a nonprofit community health organization, and Escondido Union School District have partnered to bring mobile dental clinics to students at all 24 schools in the district.
GREAT JOB
The California Coast Credit Union received the Great Place to Work Certification from the globally recognized employee experience platform. This year, 83% of the credit union’s surveyed employees said Cal Coast is a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.
FIX AUTO VISTA
J & R Auto Body and Paint, Inc. has rebranded into Fix Auto Vista. The shop has served the community for over 17 years and is locally owned by Denisse Barragan, who is running for Vista City Council District 3 this year, and her father, Ruben Barragan.
BAR ASSOCIATION
The North County Bar Association elected Dawn Hall Cunneen as president.
YOUTH PIANO
The city of Encinitas will host the inaugural 2024 Youth Piano Concerto Competition in collaboration with the North Coast Symphony Orchestra. Young pianists in grades K-12 are invited to compete for the first-place prize of a $250 contract to perform one movement of a selected concerto with the orchestra on a Steinway D concert grand piano. For more information, visit www.encinitasca.gov/community/cultural-arts/piano-competition.
