Ranch & Coast Magazine has their Best Restaurants 2012 List out, and two of our locals made the cut: Burlap, for Best Bar Scene, and Urban Plates, for Best Fast Casual. Congratulations! The complete list can be found at the Ranch & Coast 2012 Best Restaurants Page.

Congratulations to Manita Singh, a Canyon Crest Academy student who received a 2012 Kyoto Scholorship for Advanced Technology! The grant is administered by the San Diego Foundation, which has a Scholarship Page for Students. You can also visit the Kyoto Scholarship page to find information and applications for next year! Read the full Story at the Carmel Valley News, "Carmel Valley student receives Kyoto Scholarship".

Our local schools are hurting due to state funding reductions, so I'd encourage everyone to support them to the best of their ability. This allows the schools to provide programs that would otherwise not be available. The Torrey Pines High School Foundation has a couple of fundraisers coming up: The casual "A Taste of Torrey" on Sunday, February 26, 2012 at the PAC, and the Foundation's annual gala, "Pump Up The Volume!" on March 31, 2012 at the Belly Up. See the Torrey Pines Foundation Website for complete information.

The Torrey Pines Players will perform Man of La Mancha February 22-25 and February 29 to March 3, 2012. Additional information is available at the Torrey Pines Players web page and online reservations are available at their Reservations Page.

It's time for us to stand up and tell Kilroy that their vision of One Paseo is NOT what we want for Carmel Valley. We're willing to agree to a mixed-use project that is appropriate to the community, but not to the monsterous Urban Mall that they've proposed. We don't want a Los Angeles Infill Project. San Diego is a City of Villages, and we want our Village!

The Carmel Valley Middle School Bobcats placed first in a Regional Science Olympiad Competition at Rancho Bernardo High School. The Carmel Valley News Story says that 1,350 students at 28 different schools competed, and the Carmel Valley Middle School was the first place team. See the full story at the Carmel Valley News Website and visit the Carmel Valley Middle School Website to learn what they're up to now!

The CCA History Bowl Team (pictured Anthony Tokman, Rachel Berman, Eric Nicolas) has qualified for the National Championships in Washington DC, contratulations! For additional information on the High School, visit the CCA Website or the CCA Raven Report Facebook page. And we should always remember that our schools can only provide our kids the opportunity to do such amazing things because of your generous financial help and volunteering! Please consider giving your time or money, you can learn more through either the CCA Foundation Website or the Torrey Pines Foundation Website. I know the CCA Foundation is looking for new board members right now!

JW Tumbles is having a Kids' Night Out on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012 from 5:30 to 9:30 pm. This event, for children 3 to 9 years old, will allow the kids some supervised fun-time, while you get a chance to go out to dinner or a movie. JW Tumbles is located at 12750 Carmel Country Road, and can be reached at 858-481-5576, or carmelvalley@jwtumbles.com.

While our local Recreation Center offers lots of classes for your kids (and a few for adults), the San Dieguito Adult School has a ton of classes for adults. This is a part of the San Dieguito Union High School District (think Torrey Pines and CCA), and classes are offered in many of the district locations. Classes include things like computers, art, financial planning, theater, cooking and more. Registration for the Spring session opens March 9, see the San Dieguito Adult School Winter/Spring 2012 Catalog for complete details, or go to the San Dieguito Adult School page.

The Carmel Valley News notes that the North Torrey Pines Bridge will be closed in both directions on Saturday, Feb 11, 2012 from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. Autos will be diverted to Genessee, bikes and pedestrians can cut through the beach parking lot. Full story at the Carmel Valley News website.

The CCA Foundation is holding a fundraiser workshop series for college-bound athletes. If you're in High School and interested in playing college sports, then this might be for you. Get educated on what coaches are looking for, and learn about NCAA, NAIA, and Junior College rules and how they may affect the student. Listen to guest speakers talk about admissions, SATs, ACTs, scholarships, academic support, strength and conditioning, and more. The workshops start on February 25, 2012. See the College Athlete Admissions Workshop posting for additional details.

There's a great and different idea for Valentine's Day: Ceramic Cafe! From their Facebook page, it looks like they're taking reservations You can call them at (858)259-9958 to make your reservation. Bring your Valentine, BFF, Mom, Daughter, Dad and spend a nice evening painting memories! Information on the store (and their Friday Night Wine & Cheese Events) at CeramiCafe.com.

We foster cats and dogs for the Helen Woodward Animal Center (animalcenter.org), getting them ready to be adopted out. Over the last few years, we've had some 40 cats and 8 dogs come through our house, and we hope we've made them better pets by giving them some time and love before they reach their new home. If you're considering getting a new pet, consider Helen Woodward. They have adoptable cats and they have adoptable dogs, and they all need homes. If you have a bit more time, consider being a foster family! Helen Woodward is always looking for new families, and it's a lot of fun. See the Helen Woodward Foster Family page for details.

I don't know if this is related to the recent string of burglaries in the area, but something to be aware of. Note that our local police non-emergency number is 858-484-3154 (this type of report is NOT an emergency, unless you feel threatened or see a burglary in progress.)

The La Jolla, Bird Rock Neighborhood Watch reports: In the past few days, the Bird Rock Community Council received 5 compliants about solicitors in our neighborhood. At the January meeting with the police, we were told that these door to door sales people are CASING are homes. Please call the police to make a report... The police are asking that we call them.

Carmel Valley welcomes spring with the North Shore Girls Softball League Opening Night on Friday, February 10, 2012! A fun-filled night for players and their families, the event will be at the Carmel Valley Recreation Center (3777 Townsgate Dr.) starting at 5:15 pm. If you're going to the event, arrive early because parking will be limited. Non-participants might want to avoid the area, as parking will be limited! More information at www.NorthShoreGirlsSoftball.com.

Here's an article from the Carmel Valley News that the Del Mar Highlands Town Center will be getting a new bakery, called Towne Bakery. They write, "In addition to its traditional offerings, Towne Bakery will highlight signature items and unique creations such as 'Pie Pockets', whoopie pies, homemade puddings and cheesecakes." It looks like they'll be serving both coffee and great baked goods starting in March 2012! Hope this doesn't impact the existing Village Mill Bread Company or the French Champagne Bakery!

Love To Dance, a dance studio in Torrey Hills, is holding a "Hot Jazz Mardi Gras Party" (Parents' Night Out) on February 11, 2012. Love To Dance says, "Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Why scramble for a sitter when you can bring your children to Love to Dance?" Drop off at 6:00 p.m. and pick up at 9:30 p.m. Cost: $35.00 per child. Open to children ages 7 years and up. Limited space available, see the Love To Dance Announcement Page or the Parents' Night Out page for details.

Carmel Valley residents Christina de Vaca and Wendy Newman have joined the board of trustees for Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. Details are in the attached press release. We appreciate volunteers everywhere and thank you for your service! Ronald McDonald House Charities provides a “home away from home” to families with children being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals. To learn more, visit www.rmhcsd.org.

Join State Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher at the Carmel Valley Library on March 10 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. Constituents with state-related issues affecting their neighborhoods and those wanting to learn more about State government are encouraged to attend. For additional information or questions, please email Nathan Fletcher, or phone at 858-689-6290.

Two events happening at Grace Point Church this February: First, a Marriage Conference, Feb. 3 - 4. On Friday, 6:00pm - 8:30pm, hear from the author of “Marriage Forecasting,” Professor Tim Muehlhoff. On Saturday, 3 sessions plus Q&A time, 9:00am - 3:30pm. Free Friday night childcare, no childcare Saturday. Cost: $35 couple. Sign up at (858) 481-0424 (or gpc@gracepointsd.com). Next is a Parenting Seminar on Friday, Feb. 24 from 6:30pm – 9:00pm. Dealing with Anger & Bad Attitudes in Children, & Their Parents! Childcare not provided. Cost is $20/adult or $30/couple. Register online at www.biblicalparenting.org/register or call (800) 771-8334.

From the San Dieguito Union High School District Facebook page, the Carmel Valley Middle School PTSA is hosting a free electronics recycling event this Saturday, January 7th, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the school. This is a great way to get rid of your old, unused technology (computers, TVs, monitors, etc.) and support fundraising for the PTSA's new classroom computer fundraising campaign. A list of acceptable items is located on their website (www.cvmsptsa.com). It looks like they accept most small electronics, but do NOT accept: appliances, microwaves, lamps & bulbs, alkaline batteries and other hazardous waste.

The Canyon Crest Academy ASB is holding a swap meet on January 14, 2012, from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm in the CCA parking lot. If you have stuff you'd like to get rid of, you can get your own spot for selling goods (see the CCA ASB Vendor Form). Vendor forms due by Jan 11.

It seems that Santa Arrives at the Del Mar Highlands Town Center on Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the upper and lower plaza near the theater. Bring your camera. Festivities include Dickens Carolers, Hot Chocolate and Cookies! Also, donate a toy to the Marine Toys 4 Tots Foundation, and attend a special presentation at 6:00 PM for the Be True To Your School "Save the Arts" program in support of Carmel Valley Schools.