Ken Leighton

3 weeks ago | sandiegoreader.com | Jay Allen Sanford |Ken Leighton

8-28-65: For the Beatles' one and only local appearance, at Balboa Stadium, radio station KCBQ declared that Saturday "Beatle Day" and gave out pins saying so to attendees. Four local teenagers won a contest to present ceremonial keys to the city to the band at an afternoon press conference.

Apr 30, 2024 | sandiegoreader.com | Ken Leighton

The cause of the historic fire at the end of the longest wooden pier on the West Coast had become a stew of outrageous hearsay.

Mar 12, 2024 | sandiegoreader.com | Ken Leighton

Living in a $7.5-million beach-front home can be downright "scary."That is, if you live next door to a short-term rental. "There's so many scary people hanging out in the streets," says Ashley McDermott who lives on the 2000 block of South Pacific Street in Oceanside. "I don't want to sleep in my own house if my husband is not home. That's because there are so many sketchy people sleeping all around me.

Feb 26, 2024 | sandiegoreader.com | Ken Leighton

These are uneasy times for two mom-and-pop hardware stores in North County. And it's not because business is bad. Two Ace Hardware stores, favorites of locals who want to avoid the trek to a big box and who want to support local businesses, are facing closure. Carslbad's Ace Hardware, in Carlsbad's core Village area, is scheduled to be demolished and replaced by a five-story, mixed-use development with 218 apartments.

Sep 20, 2023 | sandiegoreader.com | Ken Leighton

The Avocado Festival in Fallbrook and Vista’s Strawberry Festival each draw an estimated 100,000 guests. On a weekend in May up to 75,000 come to the Fiesta Del Sol in Solana Beach to see two days of live music for free on a seaside stage. The twice-yearly Carlsbad Village Street Faire is promoted as one of the most successful street fairs in the country. Each North County town gets an image boost and a jump in restaurant, retail and hotel business from their signature hometown event.