Coming to you one day early this week due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday. As a result, not much new to report on the COVID front (county data comes out Wednesday evenings), but lots of other updates as we head into the holiday:

• What happens if you don’t use a turkey fryer the right way
• How to keep a plumber off your Thanksgiving dinner guest list
• 3 ways you can prevent holiday-related crimes
• Tell us how COVID affected your parks and recreation priorities
• Proposed City Council district maps are almost ready
• New genealogy resource just in time for family gatherings
• City holiday service schedule (trash delayed Thursday and Friday only)
• Next week’s public meetings
• A holiday tradition returns

COVID-19 update We are entering the holiday season with Carlsbad’s case rate better than the county’s, which is slightly more than the state’s. All are much lower than the national average case rate.

• New hospitalizations and ICU capacity are below the county’s triggers.
• About 75 percent of Californians 5 and up are at least partially vaccinated.
• Here in San Diego County, that number increases to 82%

This is all very good news, but not a reason to forego health precautions, especially if you are traveling or gathering indoors. General guidance from the California Department of Public Health includes:

• Get vaccinated. It’s the best way to protect others
• Keep gatherings small
• If everyone at an indoor gathering is fully vaccinated, masks are optional
• If your guests are unvaccinated or you don’t know their status, plan gatherings that are small, short and outdoors
• Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when social distancing is not possible, when you might be around unvaccinated people, especially indoors, and when around older individuals or people with medical conditions
• When gathering inside, ventilate well. Open doors and windows, run HVAC systems, and install high-quality air filters.
• Check local conditions. Take extra precautions when local levels of virus transmission are high.
• Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms and stay home if you think you could be contagious.

For those of you who are traveling, here is a link to a map showing the level of transmission throughout the United States.

Since county metrics haven’t been updated as of this writing, here is a link to where to find that information. It’s normally updated on Wednesday evenings.

3 ways to prevent crime over the holidays Carlsbad is one of the safest communities in the region, but that doesn’t mean we can become complacent. The holiday season can bring new opportunities for crime if we let it:

 1.      If you’re shopping in-person, be aware of your surroundings. Lock your car and don’t leave personal items inside it. Shop with a friend when possible – there’s safety in numbers. 

2.      If you’re buying gifts online, make sure the websites you’re visiting are reputable. Check to see that the URLs start with “https,” meaning your personal information will be encrypted. Use a credit card, not a debit card.

3.      If you’re shipping or receiving deliveries, track your packages so you know when they’ll be delivered. Try to schedule deliveries for when you’re sure you’ll be home. Sign up to receive delivery alerts when possible.
Find more shopping safety tips on our Police Department website. 

Did Covid change your Parks change your parks and recreation priorities? In February 2020, the city asked for community input on an updated blueprint that will guide priorities and proposed investments in parks and recreation for the next five years. Then came the COVID lockdowns, and the project was put on hold.  Now we are starting back up and want to know if what we heard pre-pandemic still holds. Or, have our community’s priorities changed over the past two years? Please consider attending one of two upcoming virtual public meetings where we’ll share what we heard and ask for feedback. Both meetings will be Zoom webinars, so you can participate without your camera on. We will ask for input through on screen polls and chat. Thursday, Dec. 9, 6 to 7 p.m.

Register Saturday, Dec. 11, 10 to 11 a.m. Register If you have friends and neighbors interested in parks and recreation, please encourage them to attend too!

Proposed City Council district maps coming soonIn just a couple of weeks the first proposed maps showing potential new City Council district boundaries will be available for review.

• The Independent Redistricting Commission will discuss the first set of maps at its Dec. 16 meeting, which is open to the public.
• The maps will be posted to the city’s website at least three days before the meeting.

New online mapping tool also just launched, for those who want to propose maps for consideration. We already had a few different ways to create maps, but the new tool is the most in depth, allowing you to get more information about the areas you are selecting as districts.
Whether you want to create a draft map or provide input on maps created by others, (including the city’s professional demographer), I encourage you to get involved in this process. The City Council district boundaries chosen by the independent commission will be in place for 10 years, until the next Census. 

Family visits leaving you curious? City’s genealogy resources can helpJust in time for holiday family gatherings, the City of Carlsbad has launched a new resource that lets you research your family history, thanks to the North San Diego County Genealogical Society.

• Carlsbad’s libraries already have one of the largest genealogy collections in Southern California.
• Find My Past, the latest addition, includes genealogical records from the United States, England, Ireland and New Zealand plus other smaller record sets from around the globe.
• You have to use it on site, and it’s available at all three city library locations.
• Get more details about all our genealogy resources on the library’s website.

City offices and services schedule over ThanksgivingCity offices will be closed at 2 p.m. Wednesday and all day Thursday and Friday, in observance of Thanksgiving. A full holiday schedule for city services is listed below:

• City offices: Closed at 2 p.m. Wednesday, all day Thursday and Friday
• Emergency services: Regular service
• Trash pickup: Delayed one day, if normal trash day is Thursday or Friday
• City pools: Closed Thursday; Friday regular hours except for Monroe Street Pool, which is currently operating on limited hours, 3 to 7 p.m.
• Libraries: Early closure at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Closed Thursday and Friday
• Community centers: Closed Thursday and Friday
• Senior Center: Closed Thursday; open Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Leo Carrillo Ranch: Closed Thursday; Friday regular hours

Get involved: Upcoming meetingsThe next City Council meeting is Dec 7. The agenda will be posted on the city’s website by the Friday before the meeting. In the meantime, these city meetings are happening next week:

• Dec. 1, 3 p.m. – Planning Commission
• Dec. 2, 6 p.m. – Arts Commission

Get more information about boards, commissions and committees.

Holiday At The Rancho Dec 4th

Holiday at the Rancho Dec. 4If you’re looking to get into the spirit of the season, stop by our Holiday at the Rancho event Saturday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park. Tickets are $10 per person, kids under 3 are free.        

• The holiday movie, Rise of the Guardians (rated PG), will play on the giant movie screen under the stars.
• Tree lighting happens at 5:45 p.m.
• Enjoy arts, crafts, holiday shopping, cookie decorating and more.
• Family photo opportunities will include a cabana fireplace scene, holiday themed trees in the stable and a holiday themed photo booth (sorry, Santa is staying at the North Pole for this event to ensure he’ll be ready for the holidays).
• We will be following all COVID-19 health precautions, including requiring masks inside the Hacienda and stables and encouraging social distance outdoors.

That’s a wrap for my special Thanksgiving edition. Even though this year has had its challenges, here in Carlsbad, we have so many reasons to be thankful. Most of all, I am thankful for you. Our community members have shown time and time again just how much they care about this city and each other. We have something very special here, and it is something we have all created together.

City of Carlsbad | 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008