The Bud Not Nipped

SCARE TACTICS: The North County political scene used to be known for minor catfights between part-time councilmembers, contentious school board races and the musings of longtime political consultant Jack Orr. No longer. In the recent election, two special-interest groups rallied in what observers say could be a harbinger of things to come. In Carlsbad, firefighters who felt the city was neglecting vital services formed a political action committee to oust longtime Mayor Bud Lewis. More than a thousand campaign signs went up, virtually overnight, endorsing Lewis' opponent, Carlsbad High math teacher William Griffith. "The unexpected challenge scared Lewis so much he did something he hasn't done in years - he actually campaigned," observed one veteran North County politico. Indeed, the week before the election, Carlsbad residents received recorded phone messages from the mayor as well as postcards urging them to reelect "Buddy" Lewis, who wound up winning by a margin of more than 20 percent. . . . Meanwhile, in Oceanside, less than two weeks before the election, the national Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said it would spend as much as $100,000 to defeat incumbent Councilwoman Shari Mackin because of her swing vote against federal grants to improve financially struggling Oceanside Municipal Airport. Mackin, embroiled in a scandal because of her overuse of a city credit card, lost by a narrow margin.

SHARING THE LOVE: One of the stars of HBO's hot new series Big Love is Keegan Holst, an 8-yearold towhead from Encinitas. Big Love is the story of polygamist Bill Hendrickson (Bill Paxton), who is married to three women - and has a family with each of them. Holst plays Wayne Hendrickson, the eldest son of Bill's second wife. It's hardly the impish youngster's first turn in front of the camera. He shot a pilot for NBC when he was just 5, and also appeared in the 2005 FedEx Super Bowl commercial with Burt Reynolds. Holst has had smaller parts in some movies, as well, but Big Love is taking up most of his time for now. Says father Brent: "Keegan is having a great time shooting the show. He's made some good friends with the other kids, and the adult cast and crew are fantastic. Itís become like a very large family."

TWO FOR FIVE: Three years ago, the Del Mar City Council adopted the Vision 2020 Plan, which (among other things) called for all overhead power, phone and cable lines to be buried underground. But the latest phase in ridding the city's North Hills neighborhood of 184 unsightly utility poles through a special-assessment district has been put on hold. The reason: lack of a council quorum. One of the five councilmembers is out on medical leave; two others live in the proposed district and thus can't vote.

SUPER SUDS: The chief brewer at Carlsbad's Pizza Port picked up four medals at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, the largest beer competition in the nation. Jeff Bagby won a gold medal for his Sticky Stout and silver medals for his Great American Brown, Poor Man's IPA and Beech Street Bitter.

SKATING AWAY: Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, a Carlsbad native, is profiled in Business Week for the continued success of his business empire. Though 38-year-old Hawk is ìa bit long in the tooth for a skateboard icon, the magazine notes his financial star has never been brighter. Two new Tony Hawk video games and a DVD of his Boom Boom Sabotage movie are just out. He has his own weekly satellite radio show. And he's lent his name to a line of boys' clothing at Kohl's and a pair of thrill rides at Six Flags amusement parks. "Hawk's deals, which earn him from $5 million to $7 million a year, according to marketing insiders, rank him among the richest pitchmen in any sport," Business Week notes.

LET THE SUN SHINE: Open Energy Corporation, a solar energy company based in Solana Beach, got its 15 minutes of fame when NBCís Today Show spotlighted its SolarSave Roofing Tiles. The tiles, hailed in a home improvement segment by host Lou Manfredini, incorporate photovoltaic panels within the building materials.

SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL: Ike Turner may have moved to San Marcos, but Carlsbad is now home to another rock-n-roll great - San Diego native Ron Blair. The original bassist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Blair played on the celebrated rock band's first four albums before departing in 1982. He rejoined the group in 2002 in time for Petty's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and has been touring and recording with them ever since.

DID SOMEBODY BRING THE POPCORN? Bookstores have long been bastions of learning, hosting serious discussions about everything from the novels of Faulkner to the films of Fellini. So go figure this agenda item: The Barnes & Noble in Oceanside recently hosted a discussion of the movies Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. What's next, quipped one observer, the artistry of Ishtar?

North County tips? News? Gossip? Thomas K. Arnold can be reached at tkarnold@sandiegomag.com.

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