Curtain Call Countdown!

Carlsbad has been waiting patiently to have a first-class performing arts venue in the Village, and now we're only days away from that happening.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next week for this 1/2 page ad that will appear in four issues of the North County Times. Starting Friday (tomorrow), followed by Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, readers will learn that its okay to shout, Bravo! Especially nice, the Thursday edition will carry this ad in all 9 papers published by the North County Times. That's some 30,000 home subscriptions throughout the region.

The wait is nearly over ...

The Ball Is Now Rolling Down State, Grand and Elsewhere!

The Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership (VIP) met last week and immediately dove into enthusiastic discussion on some very exciting programs that are slated to get underway in the Village over the next several months.

Jodie Dickson, owner of the Poached Pear, has taken the lead in creating, "First Fridays of Summer," starting in July and running through September. We'll soon hear more from Jodie about this very new and extremely exciting summer evening program. This could very well be the beginning of an annual seasonal event; go, Jodie!

Introducing a fresh look to banners in the Village caught the excitement of everyone and preliminary work is now underway to see what other cities have rolled out, especially in the neighboring communities of Oceanside and Encinitas. Lamppost banners could be a huge promotional opportunity for everyone. It's worked elsewhere, so why not in the Village?

And, all eyes are on the New Village Arts Theatre, as performers will bring to the theatre on June 23, Sam Shepard's, True West. We hope everyone will jump on board and support this exciting artful addition to the Village.

Previews on June 21 and 22 only $15!

Village Ambassador Bids Farewell

For more than 30 years, Carlsbad resident, Barbara Brill, knew just about everything there was to know about her city. As a local reporter, she brought to life many interesting and, sometimes, unknown aspects about Carlsbad and her beloved Village. Now, as she charts a new course to spend time with her grandchildren in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Barbara will be missed and remembered as one of our dearest friends. Best wishes, Barbara, from your Village friends!

Barbara still maintains her email at, bbrill2@juno.com.

We Have A Name, and More!

This morning, the interim working group chalked up two major accomplishments; creating the name of what this new organization will be called and approving a mission statement. A number of other organizational issues were addressed, such as reviewing existing bylaws of several "main street" organizations, articles of incorporation, budgets, and so on.

The Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership - Carlsbad VIP - is a name that caught the imagination and excitement of all. Can you imagine the marketing and promotional fun that can be had by using, VIP? Having a great name is important, and we believe the name selected absolutely captures the essence of what we are working to achieve.

Crafting a mission statement can often take hours, but in the case of this morning's meeting, we had it completed and approved, even with discussion, in record time! So, here's the mission statement for the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership: "We are committed to creating a vibrant coastal village through collaborative actions that enhance the vitality of our businesses, welcome visitors, sustain the health of our residential neighborhoods, and promote a safe and cohesive community."

The interim working group will meet again, May 31st.

By the way, go ahead and share this Blog with your friends!

The Future Is Now

The familiar wig and baseball card shops have given way to a new mixed-use project on South State Street. No word yet on who the retail tenant will be. If you haven't been by to see what's going on, take some time over the weekend to do so!

With Sleeves Rolled Up, A Working Group Begins!

Following the March 28, 2007 executive summary presentation by Kennedy Smith of the Clue Group before three groups of interested and concerned Carlsbad residents, an interim working group was created to move into the next phase of "transformation visioning" for The Village. Some 15 local residents, each, of whom, bring different and very diverse points of view as members of this interim working group. They will collaborate with Kennedy Smith to achieve an atmosphere of collective action that will eventually lead to the creation of what might be called, a Carlsbad main street organization. These individuals represent local community-based organizations, retailers, property owners, housing & redevelopment, arts and culture, developers, residents and financial institutions.

Members of this interim working group include John Simons, Debbie Fountain, Don Schempp, Mario Monroy, Peter Gordon, Kurt Burkhart, Sandra Holder, Sarah Marquez, Courtney Enriquez, Jodi Dickson, John Prieto, Lance Schulte, Leo Pacheco, Andrea Korogi, Robert Richardson and Robin Young.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 17th. We'll keep you updated, and we hope that you will come to this blog frequently and share your comments along the way!

Stay tuned, and thank you!