JAZZ CONCERT AT GROSSMONT COLLEGE THURSDAY OCT. 8
Printer-friendly version October 5, 2009 (El Cajon)–The Grossmont College Jazz Ensemble, featuring jazz saxophonist soloist Christopher Hollyday, will perform starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Cuyamaca College Arts Center auditorium, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, in El Cajon. The performance is open to the public. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. For more information, phone the Grossmont College Music Department at (619) 644-7254. Grossmont College instructor Paul Kurokawa directs of the college’s Jazz Ensemble. Cuyamaca College is located at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in El Cajon. For a map and driving directions, visit www.cuyamaca.edu. Printer-friendly version
FBI OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO SEMPRA/SDG&E LOBBYIST SCANDAL
Printer-friendly version Assembly Ethics Committee Drops Its Investigation By Miriam Raftery October 5, 2009 (Sacramento) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation info former Assemblyman Michael Duvall’s claims of having a sexual affair with a female lobbyist, the Los Angeles Times reports. The woman has been identified as a lobbyist for Sempra Energy/SDG&E by an Orange County newspaper. Duvall was a member of the utility company overseeing public utilities. The Assembly Ethics Committee, meanwhile, has dropped its inquiry because the Legislature’s legal counsel says the committee lacks jurisdiction now that Duvall resigned after his videotaped boasts were publicized. Duvall made the boasts in a committee hearing room, apparently not realizing that a microphone was live in preparation for TV videotaping of a hearing. He has since claimed he engaged in “inappropriate storytelling” and denied the affair. According to SDG&E, the lobbyist has also denied the allegations but has been placed on temporary leave while Sempra conducts an internal investigation. According to the L.A. Times, the FBI has questioned Duvall staffers and may be seeking evidence of a quid pro quo, or a vote provided in exchange for favors. The Sacramento Bee reports that a government watchdog group has asked Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office to open a criminal investigation into whether Duvall could be prosecuted for selling his votes. The article does not name the watchdog group. In a recent interview with East County Magazine, Brown said his office would launch an investigation into the lobbying scandal if it received a complaint. Investigations and media reports thus far have focused primarily on means of holding the legislator accountable for his actions. Questions remain, however, about what means exist for holding the lobbyist and her employer, Sempra Energy/SDG&E, accountable if the allegations are proven to be true. Printer-friendly version
TWO CANDIDATES FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION SHARE VIEWS ON STRENGTHENING EDUCATION SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery October 5,2009 (San Diego)—“Our schools have been left to fall to the bottom of rankings in the nation,” Tom Torlakson told delegates at the San Diego Grassroots Convention in San Diego on September 26th. “In the early ‘70s, we were the best in the nation.” Gloria Romero, also running for the state’s top education spot, also issued a call to turn around California’s underperforming schools. “It’s shameful that California leads the nation in drop-outs,” she said. “Let’s put education at the top of the Democratic agenda.” She called education “the civil rights issue of our time.” She added, “My mother had a sixth grade education. I have a PhD. That’s the power of education to turn around a life…We spend more on prisons to locok up people than we do on educating our students.” Torlakson is currently a member of the state Assembly from Contra Costa County. He serves on the Assembly Education Committee and chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Schools and Education. He is a former science teacher who has also served as a fireman in the U.S. Merchant Marine service. Romero is a State Senator representing East Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley areas. She was the first woman to serve as Majority Leader and currently chairs the Senate Education Committee as well as the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee on Education. She has taught at every level of higher, was named Outstanding Faculty Member by Associated Students at Cal State Los Angeles, and served as Vice President of the L.A. Community College Board of Trustees, the nation’s largest community college district. Torlakson also pledged to combat the drop-out rate, make education more relevant and increase outreach to state schools. “I’m a teacher. I will fight for California, so every child can fulfill their dream,” he said. Torlakson added. He has authored a bill that would provide healthcare for every child in California, funded through tobacco taxes. He has also urged the Governor to direct stimulus funds to help schools Romero noted that 60% of African American students and the majority of Latino students in California fall below federal achievement standards. “We’ve got to turn around under performing schools,” she said. Romero also wants to see state educational bureaucracy downsized, return of decision-making to local entities, and stronger parental involvement. Her website calls for strengthening teaching at all levels, investment in a “world-class” system of data and information, and modernization of high schools to instill a new set of three R’s: rigor, relevance, and readiness. “We’ve got to get our students ready for the workforce and prepared for college,” she concluded. For more information on these candidates, visit their websites at: www.tomtorlakson.com and www.gloriaromero.org. Printer-friendly version
TROLLEY, TRUCK COLLIDE IN SANTEE
Printer-friendly version October 5, 2009 (Santee) – A Toyota truck struck a trolley last night at the intersection of Mission Gorge Road and Cuyamaca shortly before 11 p.m. last night, Incident Protection Network reported. The driver of the truck was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital. East County Magazine spoke with a Metropolitan Transit Service representative this morning and has obtained additional details. "The train was headed westbound, pulling out of Santee Town Center across Cuyamaca," said Judy Leitner, marketing manager for MTS. "The T-signal was illuminated, meaning it is safe to cross. It flickered and went dark briefly. When he got another illumination, he entered the intersection." The trolley was in the intersection when the truck, driving eastbound on Mission Gorge Road, struck the trolley’s coupler. Passengers on the trolley were transported to another trolley. The driver, who was the only person in the truck, was transported to the hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life threatening, according to Leitner. Asked whether the signal and crossing arm that was supposed to warn vehicle drivers that a trolley is coming was functioning properly, Leitner said she did not know and said a Sheriff’s investigation would determine that. Printer-friendly version