• The Yearbook Everyone Gets to Be In,Nicolle Monico

    The Yearbook Everyone Gets to Be In

    Back when Enrique Espinoza was a student at Southwest High and San Ysidro High, his mom couldn’t afford to buy him the school yearbook. So he made his own. Every spring, he brought a new marbled composition book to pass around, collecting signatures, photos, and messages from friends. By senior year

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  • 6 Perfect Days in North County,Nicolle Monico

    6 Perfect Days in North County

    Growing up in Carlsbad, I never quite understood why people vacationed there. What, so you want to check out the field where I have soccer practice? Pay my orthodontist a visit? Carlsbad just felt like a town by the beach, no better or worse than any other in the country. It took going to college ou

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  • Editor’s Note, July 2026: Hello Again,Nicolle Monico

    Editor’s Note, July 2026: Hello Again

    I am fairly sure they don’t let you graduate from Carlsbad High School without a W-2 from Legoland. Being a Legoland MC (Model Citizen, the employee’s moniker) is a rite of passage for all of us who grew up in North County. If you spent a day at the theme park in the 2010s, I probably pointed you to

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