The Coast News
VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO
VOL. 11, N0. 17
Aug. 16, 2024
Vista OKs total ban on camps
Ex-VUSD employee sentenced
Gets 10 years for child sex crimes
By Laura Place
Many of the activities were led by women currently in the fire service, in paramedic school or preparing to attend the fire academy. Haley Shields, an EMT in Oceanside and Ignite leader, said seeing that example is crucial for young women interested in the fire service. “It’s a great eye-opener and experience, and you can really see how women can actually do it and succeed. All these women really want you to succeed,” said Shields. On the first day, at-
VISTA — City leaders have agreed to adopt a total homeless encampment ban on public property regardless of whether there is shelter space available, bringing back 1960s-era regulations that are now consistent with federal and state direction. The Vista City Council agreed Tuesday in a 4-0 vote, with Councilmember Corinna Contreras abstaining, to adopt a first reading of an ordinance banning camping on all public property. The ordinance will go into effect after a second reading at the next council meeting. Vista is the latest city to take broad action against encampments after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the Johnson v. Grants Pass case in June declaring that clearing encampments does not qualify as cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. The city of San Marcos adopted a local encampment ban in July. On July 25, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide executive order directing state agencies to move urgently to address encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them. The order also provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same. Vista leaders last discussed encampment regulations in April, and were considering banning encampments only within certain distances of schools, playgrounds and shelters, pending the outcome of the Supreme Court decision. “It gave cities much greater latitude than cities had expected, to be honest,” said Vista City Attorney Walter Chung. Instead, city officials proposed re-implementing the total camping ban that was imposed in the city in 1968, but has not been in effect for some time. Camping is defined in the Vis-
TURN TO FIREFIGHTING ON 5
TURN TO BAN ON 15
By Laura Place
VISTA — A former employee of the Vista Unified School District and North County water polo coach was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week after molesting a 13-year-old girl at a park in Oceanside last year. Conner Chanove, 28, of Carlsbad, received a stipulated 10-year sentence in Vista Superior Court on Aug. 5 as part of a plea deal reached in July. He pleaded guilty to four felony CHANOVE counts — two counts of child molestation, one count of luring a minor for sex, and one count of attending an arranged illicit meeting with a minor. Chanove was arrested in November after the mother of the 13-year-old discovered her daughter with Chanove in the backseat of his parked car at Guajome Regional Park in Oceanside. The girl later stated that she kissed him and touched his penis. Speaking through tears at last week’s hearing, the girl’s mother stated that Chanove had groomed her daughter for several months and taken advantage of her trust. On the day of the assault, he invited her to a park and provided her with alcohol before luring her into his car, she claimed. “You did unthinkable, TURN TO SENTENCED ON 3
CSUSM CLIMBS IN DII MOROD SHAH, 40, a San Marcos High and Cal State San Marcos grad, was recently named director of athletics at CSUSM after serving as interim AD for a year. In that time, the Cougars sent 12 of 13 teams to postseason play, highlighted by the women’s basketball team’s run to the Division II Final Four. STORY ON 7. Photo by Greg Siller
Young women explore firefighting careers By Laura Place
VISTA — Fire agencies in North County came together last weekend to introduce young women to potential careers in the fire service and give them hands-on experience with firefighting activities. The Ignite Your Potential program, held from Aug. 9-11, was the first of its kind in North County and similar to other women empowerment summits in San Diego. The Vista Fire Department, Oceanside Fire Department and North County Fire Protection District hosted it.
‘IGNITE YOUR POTENTIAL’: Carol Valenzuela, 25, and Avery Musnicki, 17, participate in a wildfire training exercise in Vista on Aug. 9. Photo by Laura Place
Over the three-day program, attendees ranging in age from their teens to 20s participated in training and lectures
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at Fire Station 5 in Vista, the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center in Carlsbad, and Oceanside Fire Training Center.