Dear Neighbor,

My name is Gloria Brewer; my one year anniversary of being a North County homeowner is merely weeks away, on the 27th of December. Like many residents in the last week, I faced the difficult  task of narrowing down my belongings in an unexpected mandatory evacuation due to the Lilac Fire. Fortunately for my little family, we had a safe place to go and an intact home to return  to. I cannot imagine there is ever a good time to have your world turned upside down, but my heart goes out to those in our community facing such turmoil during the holidays.
 
I have teamed up with my soon-to-be wedding venue, Oceanside Factory of Dreams Hall, to host an event to give back to those who have lost everything, including their sense of normalcy. They have generously offered their event space to those needing their community now more than ever.

Thursday, January 18, 2018
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM PST
Pro Kids | The First Tree of San Diego
821 Douglas Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
SDNEDC Members: Free
General Admission: $10 

The January North County Connect meeting is being held at Pro Kids | The First Tree of San Diego in Oceanside. The mission of Pro Kids is to challenge underserved youth to excel in life by promoting character development, life skills, and values through education and the game of golf. This is a great opportunity not only to learn about a great organization, but to also to play some golf. Attendees are welcome to challenge their skills on the 6-hole executive course alongside Pro Kids' most skilled students or practice their short game on the putting green. CEO Andrew Holets will discuss Pro Kids’ unique and empowering programming and how you can be a part of it.

What do companies look for in new employees? It might not be what you think. While technical ability is certainly essential for landing a skilled job, the skills employers really want aren’t ones that are readily taught.
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Employers across the country are lamenting what’s come to be known as the “soft skills gap.” Hiring managers find that workers who are qualified on paper don’t pan out due to shortcomings in communication skills, self-discipline, and other traits that make a person a dependable employee. But while these soft skills aren’t always taught in a classroom, they are abilities that job seekers can improve with effort and dedication.

A special thanks to all of our Oceanside Chamber Members and those who support the mission of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. We are grateful for your past support and look forward to an amazing 2018. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

In light of Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood’s announcement that he will resign as of January 1st, the Oceanside Chamber would like to take a moment to thank the Mayor for his service to our great City.

Mayor Wood served our community with passion and commitment, first through his many years at the Oceanside Police Department and then in his role of governing our City.
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We are truly grateful for Mayor Wood’s service and his love for our community and we wish him all the best as he focuses on health and family.

By: Pam Rumer, Vice President of Business Development
Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, North County San Diego

​The Best of OCEANSIDE Community Guide and Business Directory serves as an essential reference and resource guide for the City of Oceanside. In demand year-round by residents, new move-ins, tourists, newly licensed and long established businesses, and military personnel, this unique, must have guide serves everyone with an interest in the City of Oceanside.

Professionally written stories include lovely photos, well researched information, features highlighting the history of Oceanside; tidbits about Oceanside beaches; highlights from the thriving arts and culture scenes; an overview of Oceanside’s health care facilities; and prominent local educators, training tomorrow’s workforce. 

​On Saturday, December 8th Monroe Boutique held their grand opening party in their newly established shop in downtown Oceanside. Monroe Boutique LLC is a family owned business catering to women’s contemporary fashions. The owners, Ashley and Travis wanted to ensure they had every detail right before their big occasion. After being open just under two weeks, they invited members of the Oceanside Chamber and community out to help celebrate. They were joined by neighbors, and fellow Chamber members at Harney Sushi with a fun sushi bar. Complete with models wearing Monroe Boutique LLC clothing and a DJ, this boutique certainly knows how to throw a party! Next time you’re in the downtown area, be sure to stop in. Whether you’re looking for that perfect Christmas gift or staying up to date on the latest fashion trends, they have it all! They are located at 301 Mission Avenue, Suite 101A Oceanside, CA 92054. 

Co-founders of Northern Pine Brewing, Aaron Ortega, Anne Ortega and Robert Parsons welcomed members of the community for their grand opening night Friday, December 1st 2017. Several community leaders including Deputy Mayor Chuck Lowery and Councilmember Esther Sanchez came out to support our new member.  This was certainly a night to remember with live bands, s'mores, and even a cozy camper photo booth.

Aaron and Anne grew up in the northwest and Robert grew up in upstate New York. The interior and concept of their brewery is a reflection of everything their love of the outdoors. Owning a brewery has been a dream of theirs for some time now and we couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to have helped them celebrate in making it happen here in Oceanside.

RE/MAX Liberty had their grand opening party on Saturday, December 2nd 2017. Retired Marine and owner, Anthony Glenn II decided to open the first veteran owned and operated RE/MAX firm in Oceanside, California. His entire staff is comprised of veterans or family of service members. He has a passion for helping others and even requires his team to serve at numerous community events throughout the year.
 Anthony understands the value of education to new homebuyers, more specifically to veterans in Oceanside. After serving 20 years in the Marine Corps, being deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, Anthony served as a Drill Instructor at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego before retiring at Camp Pendleton. Through the years of his service, he teamed up with several other service members to help provide education on Veteran’s Association benefits. Anthony and his team decided to focus on education on the home buying process for veterans in Southern California. 

Cal Fire has announced a Lilac Fire Community meeting tonight (12-9-17) in Fallbrook. Meeting will start promptly at 7pm.  Download Flyer. 

 EVACUATIONS
CalFire announced that the mandatory evacuations in Oceanside will not be lifted today and will be reassessed Saturday morning due to continuing red flag wind conditions and smoldering fire areas.  Evacuation orders are still in effect and the map area has not changed since last night at 10:00 p.m. 
 
SHELTERS
The shelter at Oceanside High School has reached capacity. 
People seeking shelter should go to the gymnasium at Palomar College.  The address is:
1140 W. Mission Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
This is a pet-friendly facility for small animals (e.g., cats and dogs).
The Del Mar Fairgrounds is open for large animals.
 
CURRENT MANDATORY EVACUATIONS:
Areas north of North River Road to Camp Pendleton
Areas east of Douglas Drive to Fallbrook and Oceanside City limits
Areas east and north of Oceanside Municipal Golf Course
Areas east of Melrose between N. Santa Fe Bobier
Areas east of N. Santa Fe Drive
Areas east of College between North River Road and the 76
 
A reverse 9-1-1 call has been placed for those residing in the mandatory evacuation areas as well as the Oceanside Police Department using vehicles and a Public Announcement System.

​CITY OF OCEANSIDE FIRE CONDITIONS UPDATE
 
EVACUATIONS
Evacuation orders are still in effect and the map area has not changed since last night at 10:00 p.m.
The shelter at Oceanside High School has reached capacity.  The Red Cross is now handling operations at the Oceanside High School Shelter.  People seeking shelter should go to the gymnasium at Palomar College.  The address is:
1140 W. Mission Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
This is a pet-friendly facility for small animals (e.g., cats and dogs).
People should be alert and be prepared to move if emergency personnel give notification.  You should self-evacuate if you do not feel safe.  The Del Mar Fairgrounds is open for large animals.
 
Overnight, the fire entered the City of Oceanside at Via Puerto del Sol near Lago Grande Drive area at Oceanside’s eastern border.  The fire was held at Precious Hills Road but this can change at any moment. 
 
CURRENT MANDATORY EVACUATIONS:
Areas north of North River Road to Camp Pendleton
Areas east of Douglas Drive to Fallbrook and Oceanside City limits
Areas east and north of Oceanside Municipal Golf Course
Areas east of Melrose between N. Santa Fe Bobier
Areas east of N. Santa Fe Drive
Areas east of College between North River Road and the 76
 

​Okay, since my world usually revolves around identity theft, I associated the word “hack” as something someone did to break into a database, or a computer.  That changed when I recently watched a One More Customer interview between former football Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton and Ted Jenkins, co-CEO and Founder of oXYGen Financial, Inc.  Jenkins was there to talk about Digital Hacks to Drive Top Line Revenue.  Wait, what???   As I listened, it came to me that these “digital hacks” had nothing to do with the hacks that I was familiar with, but rather with enhancing your marketing strategies, so I got out my pen and started taking notes.  I guess there are lots of digital hacks and everyone has their own list, but I found Jenkins’ list helpful and wanted to pass on a few of his suggestions.