What's Happening in Encinitas, CA…

The Encinitas Community Park has been a dream for decades, but finally residents' patients will pay off, because the city has announced that the new park will open early next year.

There are a number of ribbon-cuttings planned at the 44-acre park, including dedicating the Maggie Houlihan Memorial Dog Park. The park is named after the late Ms. Houlihan, who was a city councilwoman and a staunch defender of animal rights.

A number of activities are still being planned, but one already on the schedule is a community picnic. This will include activities and games for children, youth sports demos, meet-and-greets with professional skaters, and an expo featuring ways to keep pets healthy.

Although the official park opening is still a few weeks away, people have been enjoying many of its amenities, particularly the skate park, for several months.

Planning for the park, which has a $40m price tag, goes all the way back to 2001, when the city closed on the property. The last environmental impact report was finished in 2008, but construction did not begin until 2012. Among the park's amenities are a skate park comprising 13,000 square feet, a soccer field, the Houihan Dog Park, three fields that serve multiple purposes, open areas, and two restroom buildings.

The opening ceremony is slated to begin at 2:00 pm on January 10. Park officials could work with a banner printing company to create something to display at the park entrance.