San Diego, CA

When the Old Haunts Get Bulldozed for Much-Needed Housing

Published

1 year ago

December 3, 2024

When the Old Haunts Get Bulldozed for Much-Needed Housing

For more than 60 years, the Carlsbad Village Plaza has been a cornerstone in the community. The shopping center has about a dozen small businesses and has become a hub for locals and a resource that many count on every day, especially seniors.

The plaza is walkable for many people. Some start their day with a treat at the Carlsbad French Pastry Café, opened in 1998 by a French immigrant. They stop at the family-owned DeNault’s Ace Hardware store for a new gardening tool or some lightbulbs, followed by a trip to the Carlsbad Village Pharmacy, which has served residents in the area for the past decade. Seniors and families who are on a budget pick up groceries from Smart and Final. It’s also the only grocery store for miles.

The plaza also includes a laundromat, a local dive bar called the Golden Tee, an antique store, a Mexican eatery, a nonprofit thrift shop and more. Most of the businesses are owned and operated by locals.

But residents are now facing a harsh reality, one they’ve been trying to fight off for the past few years. There’s a plan in place to redevelop the entire plaza into market-rate housing, affordable housing and retail space.

Residents want to preserve the beloved space as is, but city leaders say their hands are tied. State housing laws require cities to approve affordable housing projects to address California’s housing crisis, especially its shortage of affordable housing.

It’s the latest example of an ongoing tension in North County: the need for new housing versus the desire to maintain longstanding community landmarks.

Just South of Carlsbad, along N. Coast Hwy 101 in the Leucadia neighborhood of Encinitas, a towering round wooden sign shows a sailor with a blue parrot on his shoulder, greeting drivers with a salute. Underneath him, red letters spell “Cap’n Keno’s.”

For 54 years, Encinitas residents have looked up at that sign inviting locals into a rustic, nautical-themed bar. Its owner Gerry Sova, now 84, opened the bar in 1970 with winnings from a Las Vegas keno game.

Stepping into Keno’s was like stepping into a time capsule. The large wooden, wrap-around bar seemed to beckon customers for a shot and a beer – cash only, but extremely cheap. Its walls were lined with fishing nets, anchors and other maritime-themed decor that gave the feeling this place might have been washed ashore during a storm.

The large, deep-red leather booths lining Keno’s dining area were one of the most striking features, framing a long dining table in the center of the room surrounded by about a dozen chairs. From above, dim, yellow lighting from vintage-looking ceiling lamps cast a comfortable glow. The room’s message was clear: come, eat, drink and be merry.

There, customers could enjoy a burger, fries and a beer for less than $10, or biscuits & gravy with two eggs and bacon for only $5.49, or perhaps a prime rib for $12, or even a full rack of baby back ribs for just $15.

But the charmingly affordable Leucadia landmark officially closed its doors in September. In its place will be an upscale, mixed-use development with 45 condominiums, office spaces, a restaurant and retail shops.

Developer Adam Robinson of RAF Pacifica Group purchased the land home to Keno’s, along with several other businesses in 2021 in a deal reportedly worth $10.5 million. He also purchased the liquor license and rights to Captain Keno’s. He says he plans to incorporate it into the new development.

Sova spoke about his decision to sell the bar in a video to the Encinitas Planning Commission.

“I would like it to stay the way it is, but, of course, that’s impossible,” Sova said in the video. “We have to face the facts of life …. [My] family will have the money, instead of the problems.”

In San Marcos, residents had a similar soft spot for the Old Restaurant Row. The area, which opened in 1978, was filled with adored restaurants, cafes, shops, a movie theater and more before it was sold by its owner in 2020.

In 2022, the property’s new owner, Elizabeth Papera, teamed up with developer Lennar Homes and unveiled plans to build a mixed-use development on the site. Those plans include 202 housing units, 10,400 square feet of commercial space and a 1.5-acre park that will include a skate park and pickleball courts. City leaders approved the plans in late 2023.

A few of the businesses have relocated to new locations. Others, like 55 Yard Line, an iconic sports bar that operated at the location for 18 years, have closed for good. 55 Yard Line’s owners said they couldn’t find another location they could afford.

It’s a similar story in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad Village Plaza property was purchased by Tooley Interests, LLC in 2021 in a deal worth $23.5 million. The company plans to replace the village with a five-story, mixed-use development with 218 apartments and ground-floor retail. Twenty-seven of the apartments will be set aside for low-income residents.

Many residents have been resisting the project since word first got out about what the plaza could become, signing petitions, holding community meetings and speaking out at city meetings.

“Doing away with the only supermarket in the village and the only hardware and pharmacy will certainly be a hardship to the city’s voters; seniors, those without transportation, tourists visiting the beach and hotels, and the homeless,” wrote Sue and Peter Ladouceur in a letter they submitted to the city’s Planning Commission in July.

“The Denault’s Ace Hardware has been a staple in the community, employing experienced seniors and creating a small town feel that you do not get at Lowe’s or Home Depot,” wrote Paul Miller in another letter to the commission. “I cannot count how many birthday cakes we’ve ordered from the French bakery. I have to add the Golden Tee, a classic watering hole that many of us have spent evenings at. These stores will not return.”

Hundreds of other public comments over multiple city meetings echo these same sentiments. Still, the council approved the project with a 4-1 vote on Sept. 24, citing state housing laws that require them to approve affordable housing projects that meet state standards.

Councilmember Melanie Burkholder, who represents the district that includes the plaza, was the only “no” vote.

It was official. The plaza that residents have known and loved for decades will be gone. And its business owners will be displaced, forced to either relocate or shut down for good.

“The state is bullying us,” Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn said at the council meeting. “But if we stand up to the bully, the consequences are completely unreasonable and could cost us a ton of money in the long run.”

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Miguel Andujar

Published

8 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Miguel Andujar – San Diego Union-Tribune

MIGUEL ANDUJAR

Position(s): Third base, left field, first base
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot / 211 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1.5 million in 2026, with the opportunity to earn another $2 million-plus in performance bonuses; his $4 million guarantee includes a $2.5 million buyout against an $8 million mutual option for 2027.
fWAR in 2025: 1.1
Key 2025 stats: .318 AVG, .352 OBP, .470 SLG, 10 HRs, 44 RBIs, 36 runs, 17 walks, 49 strikeouts, 1 steal (94 games, 341 plate appearances)

STAT TO NOTE

.986 — Andujar’s OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025, the second-highest mark of his career and well above his career .807 OPS against southpaws. Andujar had been below .600 in 2021 and 2022 before jumping to .871 in 2023 and a career-high .995 in 2024.

Up — Signed for $700,000 out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in the international amateur market, Andujar needed two years to get out of the Yankees’ rookie-ball affiliate in the Gulf Coast League and finally cracked top-100 lists ahead of the 2018 season — No. 59 at Baseball America and No. 65 at MLB.com — after reaching Triple-A following a 16-homer season (.850 OPS). Andujar even made his MLB debut as a 22-year-old in 2017 and looked like he’d be a big part of the Yankees’ future after pairing 27 homers and 92 RBIs with an .855 OPS in finishing second to Shohei Ohtani in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018. But a right shoulder labrum tear derailed Andujar in 2019 and Andujar was never able to grab a starting job again in New York. The Pirates claimed him late in 2022 and then the Athletics claimed him after the 2023 season. By then, he’d developed into a platoon player with defensive limitations. Andujar had a .697 OPS in 75 games in his first year with the Athletics and a .765 OPS in 60 games last year when, after missing time with a right oblique strain, he was shipped to the Reds for a minor league pitcher. Andujar went on to hit .359/.400/.544 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 34 games to help the Reds lock up a wild-card spot. He was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the NL Wild Card Series sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.

Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

2026 OUTLOOK

The need for right-handed balance in the lineup was painfully obvious in the Padres’ NL Wild Card Series loss to the Cubs, so Andujar became a target after 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn walked as a free agent. Expect Andujar to get at-bats against lefties as either a DH, first base, third base or left field — the spots he’s been playing in spring training.

ROSTER RANKINGS

1. OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
2. 3B Manny Machado
3. OF Jackson Merrill
4. RHP Nick Pivetta
5. RHP Michael King
6. RHP Mason Miller
7. OF Ramón Laureano
8. SS Xander Bogaerts
9. LHP Adrián Morejón
10. RHP Jeremiah Estrada
11. RHP Jason Adam
12. 2B Jake Cronenworth
13. RHP Joe Musgrove
14. RHP Randy Vásquez
15. INF Miguel Andujar
16. OF Gavin Sheets
17. LHP JP Sears
18. RHP Yu Darvish
19. RHP Bradgley Rodriguez
20. RHP David Morgan
21. C Freddy Fermin
22. LHP Wandy Peralta
23. C Luis Campusano
24. LHP Yuki Matsui
25. INF Sung-Mun Song
26. RHP German Marquez
27. RHP Matt Waldron
28. OF Bryce Johnson
29. OF/1B Nick Castellanos
30. RHP Ron Marinaccio
31. RHP Bryan Hoeing
32. LHP Kyle Hart
33. INF Will Wagner
34. RHP Garrett Hawkins
35. RHP Miguel Mendez
36. RHP Daison Acosta
37. RHP Ty Adcock
38. RHP Alek Jacob
39. INF Mason McCoy

Removed from 40-man roster

OF Tirso Ornelas (designated for assignment)
RHP Jhony Brito (60-day injured list)

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San Diego, CA

San Diego Bishop Is Out of a Job

Published

20 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, a decision announced Tuesday by the Vatican after the bishop was arrested on embezzlement charges. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said last week it had arrested Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta on Thursday at San Diego International Airport as he tried to leave the country, reports the AP. The office said it acted after someone from Shaleta’s church provided a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” Shaleta was being held on $125,000 bail on eight counts of embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime, the statement said. Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday, reports NBC San Diego.

“He was on his way to Germany,” prosecutor Joel Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact that he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties … I do believe that some bail to ensure he shows up is appropriate.” There was no immediate reply to an email sent to Shaleta’s parish, St. Peter Chaldean Church, seeking comment and contact information for his attorney. The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches that allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down.

Leo actually accepted the resignation when Shaleta presented it in February, but an announcement was not made until Tuesday, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the eastern rite Catholic Church in the US in 2017.

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez – San Diego Union-Tribune

GERMÁN MÁRQUEZ

Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot-1 / 230 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1 million in 2026 with a $750,000 buyout on a mutual option for 2027; can add up to $3.25 million in performance bonuses.
fWAR in 2025: 0.3
Key 2025 stats: 3-16, 6.70 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 48 walks, 1.71 WHIP, .317 opponent average, 126⅓ innings (26 starts)

STAT TO NOTE

36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.

Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.

2026 OUTLOOK

Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.

German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)