rancho santa fe

RSF: Dukakis, mansion nightmare, B. Black

Dukakis speaks at Fairbanks Ranch Michael Dukakis, 83, former governor of Massachusetts and 1988 Democratic candidate for president, spoke recently to the Rancho Santa Fe Democratic Club where I am VP for programs. Congressman Scott Peters was there. Also Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and new husband Nathan Fletcher, a likely candidate for supervisor in 2018. Inspired by the recent election of Donald Trump, a capacity crowd…


Don’t expect Lake Hodges Dam overflow

In a rainy season, Lake Hodges Dam last overflowed in February-March 2011 — it also overflowed in February 2005 — but despite the record rains this season, it looks to be standing tall and holding firm. The lake was at 75 percent capacity as of last week, according to the  City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department that has owned and operated the reservoir and dam…


Heaven’s Gate survivor 20 years later

A former Heaven’s Gate member is looking back on the time he spent with the cult 20 years after dozens of its members committed suicide together at Rancho Santa Fe. The man, who goes by the name Sawyer, told Inside Edition that he spent 18 years with the cult, reaching the rank of “overseer” before leaving in 1994. He recalled his conversations with the leader of the cult,…


Unlikely RSF resident, WorldstarHipHop founder Lee ‘Q’ O’Denat dies at age 43

“Q was a brilliant businessman who championed urban culture, ultimately creating the largest hip-hop website in the world. But more than that, he was a devoted father and one of the nicest, most generous persons to ever grace this planet.” — WorldstarHipHop statement While legendary hip-hop and street fight website entrepreneurs might not be one’s first guess for ultra-sedate Rancho Santa Fe residency, WorldstarHipHop founder Lee…


Heaven’s Gate and other ‘cult’ architecture

Religions have inspired some of the great architecture of human history. Reims Cathedral. The Blue Mosque. Angkor Wat. But what about those faiths that aren’t exactly major? Or are controversial? Or aren’t religions at all? Since many fringe religious groups tend not to mesh well with society, they often take to the country. In the process, they sometimes employ innovative planning strategies, as is the…


Gaspar outraises Roberts in D3 supe bowl

Kristin Gaspar, the Encinitas mayor who is running for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, raised nearly three times as much money from individual donors as her opponent, incumbent District 3 Supervisor Dave Roberts, during the latest three-month filing period, financial disclosure forms show. Gaspar collected a total of $145,290 between July 1 and Sept. 24, compared to just $54,904 for…


Too close to Rancho Santa Fe

Depending on who is telling the story, Darryl L. Hronek is either building storage for the business on his property or being harassed by a vindictive neighbor who is using the county’s code enforcement unit to get at him while he builds a tennis court. “The neighbor gets the other neighbors whipped up and tells them who to call and what to say,” Hronek said….


Crashed cars, shootings and stolen art

Del Dios vehicle plunge A woman was seriously injured after her SUV plunged nearly 300 feet down a canyon along Del Dios Highway near the Lake Hodges dam Wednesday night, authorities said. Del Dios Highway was closed in both directions between Camino de Estrellas and the dam for several hours while a tow truck retrieved the vehicle and CHP officers investigated the crash. Witnesses told…


Sorry Sam: Dave and Kristin headed for supervisor race runoff

Incumbent 3rd District Supervisor Dave Roberts will square off against Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar in November. Escondido Mayor Sam Abed is out. “I’m happy to be past that milestone and am looking forward to the next months ahead,” Gaspar said. Roberts finished first, with 38.79 percent of votes cast (53,108), while Gaspar was in second place, with 34.28 percent (46,939), according to the latest tally,…


Meet the new Vons, same as the old Vons

Forgive the deja vu feeling at Rancho Santa Fe Road and San Marcos Boulevard, but Vons is back in town. The once-and-future store has made a dizzying and stomach-returning journey from Vons to Haggen to Albertsons and back to Vons over the course of two years. Blink, and blink again, at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 16 as the old Vons re-opens as — ta-da —…