MAN ARRESTED FOR STABBING 2 IN LAKESIDE
Printer-friendly version December 4, 2009 (Lakeside) – Jacob Otto Hume, 22, has been arrested and will be booked on two counts of attempted murder, San Diego County Sheriff Department reports. Hume will be charged in the stabbing yesterday of David H. F Fleming, Jr., 29, and another young adult male victim. According to preliminary information from the Sheriff’s Department, at 9:23 p.m. last night a call was received reporting a fight in the street at the intersection of Water Hill Road and Riverview Avenue in Lakeside. A second caller advised that someone had been stabbed. Within minutes, deputies and paramedics arrived on scene and discovered the two stabbing victims. Both were transported to local hospitals. Fleming Jr was listed in critical condition. Witnesses at the scene identified Hume as the suspect in the stabbings. According to witnesses, there was a party at the home of Fleming in the 9600 block of Riverview Avenue. For reasons unknown at this time a fight erupted, which resulted in the stabbings. At about 2:15 A.M., this morning deputies took Hume into custody at the home of a relative in Lakeside. Printer-friendly version
HOLIDAY IN THE GARDEN TONIGHT, DEC. 4 AT CUYAMACA COLLEGE
Printer-friendly version Low-energy holiday lights set garden aglow; children’s activities include cookie decorating December 4, 2009 (El Cajon) – The public is invited to attend this year’s Holiday in the Garden event at the Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Dr. West, in El Cajon on Friday, December 4, 5-8pm. The Garden’s meandering paths and exhibits will glow with thousands of energy saving LED lights, courtesy of San Diego Gas & Electric company. Numerous activities will be offered for all ages to join in the season’s merrymaking. For children, face painting and cookie decorating are offered in the Garden plaza, and Father Nature will await the little ones for picture taking in the Gazebo. Adults will enjoy the selection of vendors offering unique gifts, while Jon Sherman of Dryad Flutes entertains with his mystical music played on wood flutes personally carved by him. Compact discs of this beautiful music will be for sale in eco-friendly packaging. And, throughout the evening, traditional holiday music will be played by strolling musicians. Visitors need not make dinner before attending the event, as seasonal tamales, warm holiday punch, sweet treats, and kid-friendly dinner items will all be available for purchase.Cookie decorating and other activities for children will also be provided. Admission is $3. Children 12 and under are free. There is a $1 fee for children’s activities. Printer-friendly version
WIN A FREE COLLEGE PREP COURSE: WRITE YOUR WAY INTO COLLEGE
Printer-friendly version Sylvan Learning Center in La Mesa is sponsoring a “Write Your Way into College” essay contest. It is open to all students in grades 8-12 in the County of San Diego. Separate prizes will be awarded to the high school and middle school winners. The deadline is January 15, 2010. Winner receives a free college prep course. For a flyer with full details, click here. Printer-friendly version
HIGH RISES IN LA MESA VILLAGE?
Printer-friendly version City to hold public scoping meeting Wed. Dec. 9 on proposed 18-story project By Kristin Hobbs-Kjaero December 3, 2009 (La Mesa)—Should the City of La Mesa waive height restrictions and grant a density increase to allow a mixed-use hotel, retail, office and residential project soaring up to 18 stories high? The City has received an application to develop 6 ½ acres in the Village with an average density of 76 units/acre, ranging from four to eighteen floors high. For comparison, the Pravada at the Grossmont Trolley development is 66 units/acre. Grossmont Hospital is five floors above ground, the El Cajon jail is 10 floors, Mercy Hospital is 12 floors, and the Marriott Hotel Mission Valley is 17 floors. An “informal open house and public scoping meeting” will be held Wednesday, December 9 at 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the La Mesa City Council Chambers (8130 Allison Avenue). Park Station at the Crossroads of La Mesa would be encompassed by Spring Street, University Avenue, Baltimore Drive and Highway 8. The application requests a change to the Village Specific Plan, asks the City to vacate a section of Nebo Drive and a small parcel with a pump house, and proposes a mixed-use development that includes 557 multi-family residential units, 500 hotel rooms, 70,000-205,000 square feet of office space, and 125,000 square feet of retail space. The project’s developer hopes to boost the current zoning of 40 units/acre to 80 units/acre by qualifying for a transit oriented density bonus. However, this requires them to set aside a proportion of the site for open space. In order to meet that requirement it has asked the City to vacate the street to the project owners, and offers in return to build and maintain a privately owned “linear park” with a children’s playground along the train tracks, which would be open to the public. An Annual Property and Sales Tax Analysis prepared by project manager Urban Housing Partners, Inc. projects annual property tax revenues of $296,000 and annual sales tax revenues of $476,000 generated for the City. A revised Public Outreach Plan was submitted July 17, 2008 which lists two community workshops, presentations to 22 local organizations, memberships in the La Mesa and East County Chambers or Commerce and the East County EDC, and sponsorship of local events including the La Mesa Back to the 50s Car Show, La Mesa Oktoberfest, Sundays at Six Concerts, and a Singing Hills Golf Tournament. The co-applicants are South Baltimore LLC, owned by the Kitzman family of Ramona, and the American Legion Post 282. Last year the Kitzman family (WDS, LLC) paid the City approx. $4,000,000 for 2.5 acres of land on the corner of Baltimore Drive and El Cajon Blvd. Bill Chopyk, Director of Planning and Development Services for the City said they sent out meeting notices to a little over 50 addresses within 300 feet of the project, a notice was placed on the City’s website and published in the La Mesa Forum. The meeting notice states: "Potential Environmental Effects: It is anticipated that the proposed project would result in impacts to the following resource areas: aesthetics, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology/soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology/water quality, land use/planning, noise, population/housing, public services, recreation, transportation/traffic, and utilities/service systems." Update 12/17/09: The City has added an e-mail sign-up to receive notifications from this project, which can be accessed from the "Notify Me" link in the left column of the City’s home page. Printer-friendly version