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Fatal traffic collision

Early this morning the City of Carlsbad Police Department responded to a traffic collision involving three vehicles on Faraday Avenue, east of El Camino Real. Initial evidence and witness statements indicate a Mazda MX-5 was traveling eastbound on Faraday Avenue and lost control due to its excessive speed and the rain. The Mazda crossed into the westbound lanes and was struck by a Honda and Toyota.

Upon arrival, officers located the collision and reported a Mazda MX-5 on fire. The Carlsbad Fire Department extinguished the vehicle fire and provided medical care to the Honda Accord's and Toyota Corolla's occupants, who were transported to hospitals. The occupant of the Mazda succumbed to injuries at the scene.

The identities of the drivers have not been confirmed, and the investigation is ongoing. The Carlsbad Police Department is asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Traffic Accident Investigator Cpl. Matt Bowen, 442-339-2282, [email protected].

It looks like our bout of rainy weather is ending for now, but please continue to drive safely and mind your speed at all times. It’s the number one cause of collisions in Carlsbad and something that can be easily avoided if we all do our part.

Traffic policies, signal evaluation to be discussed

You’ve likely been seeing a lot of road construction and other changes to our streets lately. We have expedited several projects due to the local traffic emergency, but most were already in the works. Back in 2015, the City Council adopted a new plan for how streets will be designed (and how existing streets will be redesigned). The changes are based on a “complete streets” state law that requires street design to consider all modes of travel, not just cars.

On Monday, city staff will present an overview of these policies to the city’s Traffic & Mobility Commission, along with an evaluation of a new “hybrid-pedestrian” signal at the corner of Valley and Tamarack, which is a main route to three area schools.

Traffic & Mobility Commission

April 3, 4 p.m.

Carlsbad City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive

Watch online 

The Traffic & Mobility Commission meets on the first Monday of each month and is a good place to learn about projects in the works and provide input. 

The agendas and agenda packets are posted on the commission’s webpage. You can sign up to get notified about upcoming meetings and look at the agendas online. Members of the public are welcome to provide input via email or make comments at the meeting in person.

Celebrating Earth Month in Carlsbad

One of the five key priorities in the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan is environmental sustainability. From our beautiful lagoons, seven miles of beaches, rolling hills and natural habitat preserves, Carlsbad residents are reminded every day about the importance of a healthy environment. So, when April comes around, Earth Month is just one more opportunity to show our appreciation. 

The city is proud to sponsor events and programs throughout the month of April aimed at improving our planet and our own backyards. 

Earth Month Celebration

Saturday, April 15

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pine Avenue Community Park

3209 Harding St.

For the first time, this event will also feature a community compost and mulch giveaway in the Senior Center parking lot. The compost and mulch, provided by Republic Services, are made from the organic waste collected in green compost carts. The event will also include:

• Family-friendly activities
• Sustainability-focused booths
• Live music
• A kids’ bike rodeo

Shred and Recycle It!

Next weekend, we’ll host one of our biannual shredding events where you can shred sensitive documents in an environmentally sensitive way for free. There are still spots remaining if you’d like to sign up. This event is popular and tends to fill up quickly, but we will host another shred event in November for National Recycling Day.

Saturday, April 8

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Register (only a few spots left)

After you register, you’ll receive more details including a location map.

Find our full Earth Month schedule on the city’s website.

Let's all read together, Carlsbad

Also in April, we are bringing back our annual Carlsbad Reads Together program, where the whole city gets to become one giant book club and connect through a love of reading.

This year’s featured book is, “The Line Becomes a River” by Francisco Cantú

We have also chosen books for teens and young readers so they can join in:

• Teen selection - “Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story” by Lilliam Rivera
• Children's selection - “Bright Star” by Yuyi Morales

Visit the library website for details on how to check out the books and to learn more about the fun Carlsbad Reads Together programs scheduled this month. There’s everything from a story walk to a comic book design class to a genealogy session on Mexican roots.

You can also register for our virtual event with author Francisco Cantú on April 27.

An Evening with Francisco Cantú

Thursday, April 27 at 6 p.m.

Zoom Virtual Event

Cantu will discuss his book "The Line Becomes a River" followed by an audience Q&A. Registration is required. Register in advance.

Showtime @ The Schulman

Continuing with our commitment to enrich our community with arts, this week’s Showtime @ The Schulman installment features LITVAKdance, a contemporary, modern dance company based right here in North County.

LITVAKdance

Saturday, April 1

Doors open at 7 p.m.

Curtain at 7:30 p.m.

Schulman Auditorium

1775 Dove Lane

The group is committed to sharing diverse stories through the medium of dance that reflect the human experience. Showtime @ The Schulman performances are a great way to experience the arts and connect with other art lovers in our community. Seating is first come, first served.

Celebrating our first community garden

In 1983, Harold E. Smerdu met with Carlsbad Mayor Mary H. Casler to propose the city create a public space for residents to tend to community garden plots. This weekend, members of the City Council, Smerdu's daughter Patrice and other community garden enthusiasts will gather to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of what is today known as the Harold E. Smerdu Community Garden.

Carlsbad has since gone on to create two more community gardens, one at Calavera Hills Community Park and one at Pine Park. A fourth is under construction at Stagecoach Park in South Carlsbad. Plots take a little patience due to high demand. You can get more information about Saturday’s event, which is open to the public, and community gardens in Carlsbad at carlsbadcommunitygardens.org.

Get involved: Upcoming meetings

The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, April 4, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council chamber. Some of the topics to be discussed include:

• Awarding a contract to replace sewer pipes on Kelly Drive
• Approving a policy giving priority to sewer and water service connections for proposed developments that include housing for lower-income households, in accordance with state policy
• Approving two replacement items to be purchased for the Police Department from federal grant funds: a LIDAR speed measuring device and narcotics detection training for a K-9 team
• Releasing the city’s claims on an estate that will have provided more than $886,000 to the library to buy history books
• The results of the city’s annual financial audit for the last fiscal year
• Approving two federally required plans on the city housing agency’s policies and requirements
• Declaring a local emergency to make immediate repairs to a sinkhole on Haymar Drive
• A report on city finances, funding challenges and potential funding options

A link to the full agenda and staff reports is available on the city’s website.

These city meetings are also taking place next week.

April 3, 4 p.m. -- Traffic and Mobility Commission

April 5, 5 p.m. – Planning Commission

April 6, 3 p.m. – Senior Commission

April 6, 6 p.m. – Arts Commission

Downtown street closures for Carlsbad 5000

Finally, if you plan to visit downtown Carlsbad or the beach this weekend, be aware that several streets will be closed Saturday and Sunday for the Carlsbad 5000 race and events.

You can find a full list of street closures and more information on the city’s website.

That’s all for this week. Whether you’re planning to stop by the Carlsbad 5000, go to one of the weekend’s Padres games or take it easy and soak up the sunshine closer to home, I hope you have a wonderful, safe weekend.

Scott Chadwick