California

Meet the California family whose house becomes a magical pumpkin palooza

Published

1 hour ago

October 12, 2024

Meet the California family whose house becomes a magical pumpkin palooza

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. – Some people go overboard with Halloween. Nathan and Jodie Fillhardt readily admit they’re among them. They actually embrace the notion.

Every year around this time, the Fillhardts drive several times from their home in Scotts Valley, just north of Santa Cruz, to Bob’s Pumpkin Farm in Half Moon Bay, a two-hour roundtrip. Over the course of those visits they load up on more than 150 of Bob’s best and biggest – at a cost of $1,000 to $3,000 – and they’ll spend days carving them for the elaborate decoration of what their neighbors call “the pumpkin house.’’

The tradition began nearly 15 years ago before they had their daughter, Elizabeth, 8, and has continued to grow, becoming a bigger family celebration than Christmas. After carving 173 pumpkins last year, the Fillhardts are shooting for 200 this fall.

“We load up the back of our car every weekend starting the last week of September,’’ Nathan said. “Every year we try to beat last year’s record. The first year we started with like 20 pumpkins and the next year about 50 and …’’

“Are we going to ever try to get to a thousand pumpkins?’’ Elizabeth says, jumping in. Her parents respond that would take quite a bit of help from the neighbors.

It’s not out of the question. Jodie said their subdivision of about 250 houses and several cul-de-sacs draws more than 1,000 trick-or-treaters, and most neighbors embrace their presence, handing out candy from the driveway instead of constantly opening and closing the front door.

“The entire neighborhood really gets into it, so much so that the weekend before Halloween the neighborhood gets together and hands out awards to different houses for different styles,’’ she said. “We always get the pumpkin award.’’

Half Moon Bay, a coastside enclave of 11,000 less than 30 miles south of San Francisco, offers small-time charm, breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and a wealth of surfing and hiking opportunities. In the fall it gets transformed into a pumpkin paradise that draws tens of thousands of visitors to its mid-October festival, capping a week that starts with a contest featuring 2,000-pound-plus pumpkins.

That’s all well and good for the Fillhardts, who often have lunch downtown before heading back home. But the object of their desire is the abundance of large orange gourds at Bob’s Pumpkin Farm, the only patch they visit among the numerous options in town.

“We’re here for the pumpkins,’’ Jodie said, “not for all the festivities.’’

Source link

Click to comment

California

What is Prop 2? The California measure looking to borrow money to repair schools, colleges

Published

9 hours ago

October 11, 2024

Press Room

What is Prop 2? The California measure looking to borrow money to repair schools, colleges

FRESNO, Calif. — As voters cast their ballots, they will decide whether the state should borrow $10 billion to build and repair public schools and community colleges.

“Every student in the state deserves to be in a classroom that’s worthy of being educated in,” Yuri Calderon said. He is the Executive Director of the Small School Districts Association.

Proposition 2 would directly impact the campuses Calderon represents — those with less than 2,500 students.

“They are the vast majority of school districts in the state of California,” Calderon said. “They are – over 65% are small.”

Calderon says those schools are often overlooked and underrepresented in state funding and grants because urban schools are better equipped to apply for the money.

“That’s why these provisions are in this bond measure to ensure at least a portion of those funds end up in our rural and small communities,” Calderon said.

The state would distribute Proposition 2 money through matching grants, requiring districts to contribute from local funds.

The prop would not automatically raise taxes, but the state will need to find about $500 million a year to repay the loan.

“It’s just that these school boards are not living within their means,” Francisco Alanis of the Libertarian Party said.

He points out the bond measure will cost taxpayers much more than the proposed $10 billion. Interest will cost $8 billion over 35 years.

“To repay this bond, it’s going to increase property taxes, and I’m not just talking about homeowners,” Alanis said. Renters, as well.”

Proposition 2 goes before voters as Calderon says some school facilities are in poor shape.

“When you see places that don’t have clean drinking water, that they don’t have a sewer system that’s fully operational, that their bathrooms look like worse than a bus station bathroom … These are schools here in California,” Calderon said.

Alanis says Proposition 2 is an expensive ask that is unnecessary in the first place.

“School districts have an annual budget. So, if these repairs were really needed, these repairs should be budgeted in their annual budget,” Alanis said.

Proposition 2 comes four years after voters rejected a $15 billion bond proposal for schools in 2020. The last time voters approved borrowing money for schools was in 2016.

For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Source link

California

Northern lights make rare appearance in Southern California sky

Published

17 hours ago

October 11, 2024

Press Room

Northern lights make rare appearance in Southern California sky

The northern lights were visible in parts of Southern California

03:08

The northern lights made an appearance in Southern California skies Thursday night, and there are hopes that the sky may glow with green,red, and purple hues again Friday night.

The aurora borealis was visible in skies across parts of the United States, and locally the show could be seen from the San Diego County mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains.

Northern lights captured in a photo near Barstow by Firephotogirl on X,

Firephotogirl

The strong geomagnetic storm that created such a show has subsided, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but some parts of the U.S. may again see the northern lights tonight

Northern Lights captured by Friends of Big Bear Valley’s livestream Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam.

Friends of Big Bear Valley

It’s very rare to see the natural phenomenon in Southern California, and forecasters at the Space Weather Prediction Center said the storm was a category 4, with category 5 being the most severe level — and it’s still passing overhead Friday.

The aurora was visible in Southern California recently, in May, and that storm was a Category 5. Forecasters say the northern lights have been so intense lately because of where the sun is in its 11-year solar cycle, calling it a solar maximum.

Chances to view the northern lights are most possible just after sunset or just before sunrise, NOAA said. The aurora is not visible during the day. Dark, cloudless skies with little artificial light provide the best viewing experience.

Julie Sharp

Julie Sharp is a digital producer at CBS Los Angeles. She is a South Bay native and majored in print journalism at Cal State University Long Beach.

Source link

California

Southern California theater actor shot to death during trip to Mexico

Published

1 day ago

October 11, 2024

Press Room

Southern California theater actor shot to death during trip to Mexico

Stage actor from Temecula killed during trip to Mexico

02:16

A trip to Mexico that a brother and sister bonded over ended tragically when 23-year-old Isaac Lopez was shot to death.

His family said he was killed while driving in Rosarito. He was a beloved actor with the Old Town Temecula Community Theater.

“I know a lot of people in this community have been affected by this,” Jared Kramarsky said.

Kramarsky, a tech assistant at the theater, said Lopez was part of a tight-knit community of artists.

“It means I’ll never get to see him on stage again or get to know him deeper,” Kramarsky said.

Lopez’s sister said he was visiting Ensenada for her vow renewal. He was shot on his way back home. His sister said his car veered into a ditch. Then a man came over demanding money and wallets. Lopez’s boyfriend and cousin were also shot but survived.

“My heart goes out to his family,” Kramarsky said.

The U.S. State Department offered its condolences to the family too.

“We can confirm the death of a U.S. citizen in Rosarito, Baja California,” officials stated. “We offer our sincerest condolences to the family for their loss. Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment at this time.”

A month ago, the State Department issued an advisory telling Americans to exercise increased caution when traveling to Mexico and reconsider traveling to Baja due to crime and kidnapping. Lopez’s sister believes her brother was targeted because of his California license plates.

Nicole Comstock

Nicole Comstock is an Emmy-nominated reporter at KCAL9 and CBS2 News. She joined the team in June 2018, and covers breaking news at night in the Inland Empire, where she was raised.

Source link