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Encinitas Rotary Club highlights past year’s accomplishments at ‘changing of the guard’ meeting

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Encinitas Rotary Club highlights past year’s accomplishments at ‘changing of the guard’ meeting


At a recent Encinitas “Animal House” Rotary Club “changing of the guard” meeting, outgoing president Dr. Kent Pollock recapped the highlights of the past year, according to a news release. In trying to name his personal favorite, Pollock said in the news release, “It’s really hard to choose the accomplishment that stood out. I fully enjoyed all of it. Bikes to orphanages in Mexico, raising money for Ronald McDonald House, and all of the community service that we did almost weekly. Working together with other community service groups like Community Resource Center Encinitas and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society. Building positive relationships with so many service-oriented people and working together to make our town and world a better place. My experience in Rotary, and particularly as president, has been life changing.”

Pollock, an Encinitas resident, is also a chiropractor and owner of North County Chiropractic on 2nd Street in Encinitas.

Courtesy of Josie Colvin

President-elect Mark Berning hands the Rotary Bell to incoming 2024-2025 Encinitas Rotary Club president Daphne Fletcher.

The club proceeded to “demote” Pollock, who, along with Mark Berning, the new president-elect, passed the “Liberty Bell” to incoming club president Daphne Fletcher. Encinitas Rotary’s 85th president, and fifth woman president, Fletcher is the CEO of Ledge Media and HPN Books, which publishes history books all over the country, including “Encinitas: Our History and People and Tribute to San Diego County Fire Departments.”

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In 2022, while serving as the club’s International Board Chair, Fletcher spearheaded the largest fundraiser in the club’s history: a Rotary International Global Grant that raised $250,000 for maternal health care in Uganda and was a joint effort between more than 15 Rotary Club chapters worldwide. Fletcher was inspired to organize the fundraiser after hearing the story of one of the club’s guest speakers, Jolly Okot, a Nobel Peace nominee who works to educate and empower women in Northern Uganda after surviving the civil war. That same year, Fletcher also headed up a fundraiser that raised nearly $50,000 towards humanitarian efforts for those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. For these initiatives, Fletcher was honored with the Encinitas Rotary Club’s Humanitarian Service Award.

President-elect Mark Berning, who is also on the board of directors of the San Dieguito Heritage Ranch Museum, is the founder and organizer of the Heritage Ranch Haunted Ghost Town, a big annual fundraiser, was awarded the Encinitas Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year a few years ago for his community service efforts.

Outgoing Encinitas

Courtesy of Josie Colvin

Outgoing Encinitas “Animal House” Rotary Club President Dr. Kent Pollock receives a ceremonial gavel plaque at the “demotion” party.

Rotarian Paul Dwork was also recognized for his key role in organizing Merlin’s Magic this past year. The local event, hosted by Dwork AKA Merlin the Magician, features renowned magicians from across the U.S. who regularly perform at Los Angeles’ Magic Castle and other major venues. As with its inaugural show in 2023, which attracted more than 400 attendees and raised over $20,000 for charity and scholarships, this year’s event sold out, prompting discussion about adding a matinee show next year.

Rotary International celebrates its 120th anniversary in February 2025. The Encinitas Rotary Club, founded in 1939, fosters lifelong friendships and drives social impact through numerous local, regional, and international causes. Local efforts include an annual Encinitas Wine Festival that raises nearly $100,000 each year for area charities, a program called Home Team that aids seniors with household repairs, and the preservation of historic landmarks and environmental cleanups, such as those held at Cottonwood Creek and area beaches, and $10,000 towards student scholarships at SDA.

Regionally, the Encinitas Rotary builds a house in Mexico every year through Project Mercy, and internationally, in addition to the Uganda and Ukraine projects mentioned above, $10,000 was raised to light up via solar panels an entire village in El Nido, Philippines, to help school children study at night.

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The Encinitas Rotary Club holds meetings every Wednesday at noon at the Encinitas Elks Lodge, 1393 Windsor Road. The club invites newcomers to enjoy a delicious buffet-style lunch, inspiring guest speakers, and camaraderie. Learn more at EncinitasRotary.org. –-Encinitas Rotary news release

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Padres cap wild game against Braves with extra-innings win

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Padres cap wild game against Braves with extra-innings win


The Padres have a serious issue in their starting rotation.

That reality brazenly slapped them in the face again Tuesday.

And then it became a side story, at least for the night.

That is how crazy things got at Petco Park.

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The Padres beat the Braves 7-6 when Mason Miller worked two scoreless innings and Manny Machado grounded a walk-off single up the middle to score Jackson Merrill in the 10th inning.

“I think the most important part is just how the team fought today,” Machado said. “I think that was impressive, being down four and then coming back and winning that ball game and fighting to the end. I think that shows a lot about the team. We picked up each other. We picked Griff. Bullpen came in and did their job too.”

The game was decided eight innings after the Braves took a 4-0 lead and the Padres took a 5-4 lead.

That is correct. The craziness commenced when for the second time in five games the Padres were part of a runaway inning.

They were on the wrong side of an 11-run inning Friday in Texas when the Rangers responded with six runs in the bottom of the first inning after the Padres scored five at the start of what ended up a 9-7 loss.

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On Tuesday, the Padres came out on top of a nine-run second inning.

Griffin Canning jogged in from the bullpen to start that inning after Wandy Peralta worked a scoreless first as the Padres’ opener.

Canning would get just two outs, allow four hits, hit a batter, walk another and allow three runs before he departed.

His 40th pitch completed a walk that loaded the bases. That drew more than a few boos from the seats and brought Craig Stammen from the dugout.

The game didn’t really get wild until a little bit after that.

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Kyle Hart walked the next batter to make it 4-0 before ending the top of the second on a groundout.

That is how the bottom of the second began for the Padres as well.

And then six consecutive batters reached base, and they scored five runs against Braves starter JR Ritchie.

The comeback began with walks by Xander Bogaerts and Will Wagner before singles by Rodolfo Durán and Sung-Mun Song cut the Braves’ lead in half and a double by Fernando Tatis Jr. got the Padres to 4-3 and got Song to third base.

An infield single by Samad Taylor flipped the lead.

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Song easily scored on Taylor’s grounder up the middle, and when Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón bounced a throw that got past first baseman Matt Olson, Tatis raced around third and beat a throw home by Olson.

The Braves tied the game 5-5 in the fourth and retook the lead in the fifth.

Michael Harris II singled, went to second on a wild pitch by Hart and scored on Ozzie Albies’ double in the fourth. Dubón homered in the fifth off Yuki Matsui, who had come in to get the final out of the fourth and ended up working through the sixth, leaving the bases loaded in that inning.

Jackson Merrill missed a game-tying home run by a foot and instead got a double leading off the fifth inning when his fly ball to right field hit the top of the wall and bounced back to right fielder Mike Yastrzemski.

Merrill finished the inning at second after a fly ball out by Machado and strikeouts by Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts.

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Tatis did not miss a home run as the first batter in the seventh, sending a sinker from Carlos Carrasco 406 feet to center field to tie the game 6-6.

David Morgan worked the seventh and Adrian Morejón the eighth before Miller threw just 11 pitches in the ninth and went back out for the 10th.

“One, we didn’t have a ton of bullpen left,” Stammen said of the decision to have Miller work a second inning . “And he’d been kind of asking me over the course of the season: ‘Hey, I got another one, come on, let me have it.’”

Austin Riley began the 10th by hitting a long fly ball to right field that moved the automatic runner from second to third before Miller struck out Rowdy Tellez and ended the inning by getting a groundout from Eli White.

“It definitely goes a long way,” Miller said, “when you empty everybody out early and you have another game tomorrow, being able to carry two innings there and keep two guys fresh for tomorrow and give us a chance to win again tomorrow as well.”

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Merrill was the runner on second to start the bottom of the 10th after he made the final out in the ninth. Machado walked to the plate against Raisel Iglesias, the Braves closer, who had also worked the ninth.

“Looking for a strike,” Machado said. “He’s a strike thrower, one of the best in the game right now. So just trying to be aggressive on that first pitch, something I can drive. Don’t really need much, just just a base hit to score Jackson. So just trying to hit it hard somewhere.”

No matter the result, the Padres are left to figure out what to do about Canning, whose ERA swelled to 7.38 after he yielded his ninth multi-run inning among the 45 innings he has begun for the Padres this season.

He is but one of the flat tires on the rotation bus.

The Padres got seven shutout innings from Michael King in a 1-0 victory over the Braves on Monday. It was the first time a Padres starter went seven innings since King did it on May 18 and just the third quality start by a Padres pitcher in 24 games.

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The members of the starting rotation, including the two times Canning has worked after an opener and the two times Lucas Giolito has done so, have a combined 4.76 ERA over the past 25 games.

But the Padres figured out how to win Tuesday, just the second time in a month they have won consecutive games.

“Griffin didn’t have his stuff like he wanted to,” said Taylor, who finished 3-for-4 with a walk. “But we fought. We’re going to keep fighting until the game is over. We fought. Got back in the game. Good at-bats, good pitching. And you leave it into Manny’s hands, he’s going to take over and win the game for us.”

 

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San Diego Unified leaders propose policy to limit technology in classrooms

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San Diego Unified leaders propose policy to limit technology in classrooms


SAN DIEGO (CNS) – San Diego Unified School District leaders Tuesday announced an effort to better integrate technology in classrooms and reduce excessive media consumption, to be voted upon by the school board Tuesday evening.

If the Board of Education approves the proposed resolution at Tuesday evening’s meeting, the first changes would go into effect on Aug. 10, the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

The proposed changes include:

— Prohibiting video-streaming platform use such as YouTube on individual devices;

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— Prohibiting non-instructional gaming platform use on individual devices; and

— Removing computer carts from Transitional Kindergarten classrooms, while still allowing for access to devices for students with needed accommodations.

“Technology has expanded educational opportunities for students in ways we could not have imagined a generation ago,” Board President Richard Barrera said. “But our responsibility is to ensure technology serves students – – not the other way around. This resolution takes thoughtful, research-based steps to reduce passive screen time and create more opportunities for students to engage with their teachers, collaborate with their peers, and develop the communication, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives.”

Other facets of the proposal, which would be phased in over the course of the next year, include:

— Developing age-appropriate device usage guidance;

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— Limiting screen time outside established time frames;

— Expanding family resources and parent controls;

— Strengthening digital citizenship instruction;

— Reviewing instructional software annually; and

— Continuing evaluations of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

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District leaders said that while technology remains an important learning tool, excessive screen time and passive digital media consumption can “negatively impact attention, academic performance, sleep, social-emotional development, and overall student well-being.”

The impetus of the resolution is not to remove technology from classrooms, its proponents say, but to instead support diverse learning needs while “creating more opportunities for meaningful human interaction, student engagement, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.”

“One of the strengths of this resolution is that it recognizes these decisions should not be made in isolation,” Board Trustee Shana Hazan said. “Families, educators and community partners have helped elevate this conversation, and their voices will continue to guide this work. Technology remains an important educational tool, but it should never replace the relationships, creativity, collaboration, and human connection that are at the heart of a great education.

“This resolution creates a framework for bringing diverse perspectives together to determine what is best for students at every stage of their development,” Hazan added.

District leaders say if the resolution passes, staff will work with advisory groups such as the Community Advisory Committee, District Advisory Council and District English Learner Advisory Committee to further refine ideas.

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Who’s playing in the World Cup today? TV schedule for June 23

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Who’s playing in the World Cup today? TV schedule for June 23


Here’s who is playing in the 2026 men’s World Cup on Tuesday, June 23.

MORE: 2026 men’s World Cup standings, scores, brackets

World Cup TV Schedule June 23

Group Stage

Group K: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, 1 p.m. ET, 10 a.m. PT, Houston Stadium (FOX, Telemundo, Peacock)

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Group L: England vs. Ghana, 4 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. PT, Boston Stadium (FOX, Telemundo, Peacock)

Group L: Panama vs. Croatia, 7 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. PT, Toronto Stadium (FOX, Telemundo, Peacock)

Group K: Colombia vs. Congo DR, 10 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. PT, Estadio Guadalajara (FS1, Telemundo, Peacock)

Note: Matches on Telemundo and Peacock are in Spanish. 



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