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The year is coming to a close and we gathered at Hapi Fish on December 4th to celebrate the years accomplishments with all of our community partners. Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association would not be able to advocate for a safe and livable N. Coast Hwy 101, host events, put on the Farmers Market, or provide art and cultural opportunities without the help and support of our members, volunteers, board of directors, and the community at large. We take time every year to provide the community an opportunity to learn about what we've been up to and help us honor a few partnerships that went above and beyond helping Leucadia 101 achieve its mission.
Kellie Shay Hinze, Executive Director of Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association, began the night by sharing a few of the key accomplishments from 2018:
- Successful advocacy of the N. Coast Hwy 101 Streetscape Project which received unanimous approval from both City Council in March 2018 and Coastal Commission in October 2018
- Hosting over 11,000 people in our parks and streets during our events
- Volunteer hours were at a record high with over 1,300 hours clocked!
- A new mural painted by Andy Davis at LeucadiART Walk
- Provided space to 20 featured artists who provided original art for posters, public art, unique raffle items, and even a public piano!
- Over 20 live music acts and dance troops performed at our events this year
That night we were joined by many City of Encinitas officials who were instrumental in our successes over the year; Mayor Catherine Blakespear and Council Members Jody Hubbard, Tony Kranz, and Joe Mosca. We would not be able to advocate for Leucadia businesses, events, and community needs without the great relationships we have built with these leaders.
Leucadia 101 staff work closely with the volunteers, businesses, and directors over the year to realize our vision of being the art and soul of Encinitas. We award four special partnerships every year to those board members, businesses, artists, and volunteers who deserve special recognition for their efforts during the year.
Creative Partnership of the Year Award: Bing Surfboards & Ashley + Andy Davis
Every year we partner with a business and an artist to bring beautiful public art that bolsters Leucadia’s status as the art and soul of Encinitas. When we thought we had a chance to bring Andy Davis in as a partner it took the hard work of Bing Surfboards to make it happen for LeucadiART Walk. Margarat Yao Calvani, Matt Calvani and volunteered to convince Andy and also prep the space all while also agreeing to host the new activation "Art of the Surfboard" at their space for LeucadiART Walk.
Andy and Ashley Davis gave their all to make it happen! Not even a Hawaiian hurricane could keep Andy away from the beautiful gift he gave to the community that day! It was an immense effort to prep and paint the mural on the south wall at Bing but they managed to make it happen. We are in awe of the will of both Bing Surfboards and Andy to give such a huge gift honoring the surfboard building industry within Leucadia.
Volunteer of the Year Award: Dylan Herrera
Dylan and his band "The Elements" have participated in the Battle of the Bands since 2015 and he has loved participating in the Leucadia music scene. Dylan took an opportunity to learn more about the role community can play in supporting our young musicians. He spent his summer as our intern and devoted 100+ hours to the organization where no job was too big or too small. He made a great impression on L101 staff, directors and the community and we wish him luck as he applies for college next year! We will be keeping an eye out for Dylan as his future in the music industry looks bright.
Business of the Year: Coastal Animal Hospital
Coastal Animal Hospital has an example of a much-beloved Leucadia business owner, Dr. Brian Evans and his team are local celebs. Dr. Evans can't go to Beacon's or the Pannikin without running into someone and their furry family member who doesn't know and love him. They do everything well from healing animals, to their annual haiku contest, hosting local artists, buying from local florists, and supporting L101 events with volunteer time. This year they sponsored the LeucadiART Walk beer garden as our first-ever sponsors at that level! We are excited to expand our partnership as they continue to expand their services due to the hard work of inspiring leadership and a committed staff.
Director of the Year: Elena Thompson
Elena Thompson is an accomplished community member and owns Seabreeze Coastal Properties along with her husband John. Elena has kept her eyes on the prize since joining the Leucadia 101 board in 2012. She has an incredible ability to stay focused on the big picture while providing such a keen attention to detail. She is a fierce champion for safe and livable streets and her rallying efforts around the N. Coast Hwy 101 Streetscape project have provided so much momentum to keep the project top of mind for our staff, city elected officials and city staff. And not only has she volunteered thousands of hours in her tenure as a Leucadia 101 director, her volunteer endeavors also include but are by no means limited to: CMLS Working Group, Report to the City entitled ‘Leucadia’s State of the Trees’, VP of Bike Walk Encinitas, attended NACTO trainings at the City, SD Bike Coalition’s Regional Seminar, and SANDAG open houses. Her clear and insightful vision is so valued by all who have come to know her and we are honored to call her a director and friend.
There will be many opportunities in the next year for you to help Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association! If you would like to help us bring equitable transportation, art, music, dance, and more trees to Leucadia please email us at info@leucadia101.com to find out more about volunteer opportunities and to share your ideas. We will be closing the office from December 21st through January 3rd for our staff of two, Kellie Shay Hinze (Executive Director) and Zanni Miranda (Assistant Director), to share some time with their families for the holidays. We wish you and yours a happy holiday season and a safe New Year!
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