FACULTY ARTWORK ON DISPLAY AT GROSSMONT COLLEGE THROUGH OCT. 28
Printer-friendly version October 5, 2010 (El Cajon) — Artwork created by faculty members of the Grossmont College Art Department will be on display through Oct. 28 at the Hyde Art Gallery, located on campus. The public is invited to view the exhibition of approximately 55 pieces from 29 different art department instructors. According to Ben Aubert, Hyde Art Gallery curator, the exhibition represents the various disciplines that exist within the Grossmont College Art Department, including photography, jewelry, painting and drawing and ceramics and sculpture. Admission is free. The Hyde Art Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Grossmont College is located at 8800 Grossmont College Dr., in El Cajon. For information, call (619) 644-7299, or visit www.grossmont/edu/artgallery. For driving directions and a campus map, visit www.grossmont.edu. Printer-friendly version
I-15 CLOSED AFTER TRUCK HITS CARROLL CANYON BRIDGE
Printer-friendly version October 5, 2010 (Carroll Canyon) – All southbound lanes on I-15 are closed due to a truck carrying a backhoe that struck the Carroll Canyon Bridge at 12:32 p.m. The truck cleared the bridge, but the backhoe struck a beam. After striking the bridge, the backhoe fell off onto a van in a roll-over collision. Lanes are closed to allow inspection of the bridge. A SIG Alert has been issued and carpool lanes are being opened to allow traffic diversion. This is the second time in a week that a vehicle has struck the Carroll Canyon Bridge. Printer-friendly version
SPOTLIGHT EL CAJON: WOUNDED VETERAN JOHN “MIKE” GARCIA AIMS TO LEAD CITY AS MAYOR
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery October 5, 2010 (El Cajon ) – John “Mike” Garcia joined the Marine Corps at 17 and served two deployments with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq, where he was wounded in the battle of Fallujah. After suffering a brain injury, he spent a year and a half in Balboa Naval Medical Center, the young sergeant took medical retirement. He became involved with the Warrior Foundation, helping wounded military personnel transition into civilian life. Now he is running for Mayor in El Cajon, hoping to apply his leadership skills to city government. “I would do it again,” he says of his military service. “I love this country. This is my version of continuing to serve my country." Garcia says he doesn’t want to be a career politician and has pledged to serve only two terms. “When people get into office, some of them totally lose touch with the people,” he told East County Magazine. “I’m running to represent the people.” He considers himself a conservative on fiscal issues. “I love low taxes. I’m all about small government,” said Garcia, who wants to put an initiative on the ballot to repeal the sales tax hike previously approved by voters. He believes El Cajon’s elected officials haven’t listened to voters on taxes. The initiative that increased the sales tax was put to voters “as an ultimatum,” he said, adding that voters were persuaded that they would lose public services if the measure didn’t pass. “They thought it would augment police and fire,” said Garcia, who faults the City for spending money on a new police station. “I’d rather have officers well equipped instead of having a new building.” Mayor Lewis stated in last night’s debate, which Garcia was unable to attend, that the sales tax initiative prevented the layoff of as many as 20 police officers, firefighters and paramedics in the City. Garcia said he has a special place in his heart for first responders. He does not agree with the Mayor and Council’s decision to increase employee pension contributions and reduce retirement age for police officers. “The ones over 55 are being forced to retire, cut off at the knees; they can’t get their full pensions ,” he said. He fears the city will lose experienced police officers and be forced to recruit younger, less experienced officers and train them “which costs money, and they have less self control, they’re more gung-ho, so we are more apt to have lawsuits.” He voiced concern over businesses leaving El Cajon. “In downtown alone, we see nothing but vacancies and it’s all over,” he said, adding that he believes the city’s treatment of small businesses is “grotesque. They are the backbone of this City; to not give them a helping hand when they need it is a mistake. If they are struggling, subsidize their taxes for the first year.” He cited a case of Jamacha Bar & Grill, which he said sought a license for live entertainment, only to be asked for a hefty consideration fee and multiple requirements from space changes to number of pool tables. “Where I’m from in New York City, that’s called a shakedown,” Garcia said. He criticized the City’s handling of the East County Performing Arts Center as well. “The performing arts center is phenomenal,” he said. “The problem is they don’t have people with proper experience to run it. I wouldn’t take an infantryman and put him in a medical field for triage. This is not about favors for friends; there are too many hands in the cookie jar.” He added that the City’s reluctance to subsidize the theater is “not realistic.” Asked how he might have found funds to pay for subsidizing the theater, he cited two examples. “They are giving money to private vendors with city funds to operate a brewery, but he (Mayor Lewis) won’t put money in the theater,” Garcia said. In addition, he called for drastic cuts in other services. “Get rid of social programs. If we can afford to pour money into illegal aliens of all kinds…then we can help fund a theater. I’m Hispanic. I bleed red, white and blue,” said Garcia, adding that his ancestors came here legally. “We are not racist, but we can’t give money to everybody.” He noted that El Cajon faces challenges from a growing community of immigrants including many Iraqi Chaldeans, adding that some face adjustment issues adapting to American culture. “I think starting a new life is phenomenal but they don’t quite understand our laws,” he said, noting that there are also cultural differences, such as Iraq’s male-dominated society. “But once they adapt they are okay. I have some Chaldean friends; they are phenomenal people, hard-working.” He pledged to keep a stable line of communications open to the Chaldean community and suggested that more job placement is needed. “We can’t blame it all on the recession,” he added. “In the Marine Crops, they told us there is no problem that doesn’t have a solution.” Garcia had planned to be in the military for “the rest of my life” and has shouldered weighty responsibility. “I lost friends,” he recalled, then described issuing an order as an acting platoon leader for a friend to go get a sandbag. “A mortar came down in front of him,” he said, his voice dropping. “I had some of his bone shrapnel hit me as well but there was no time to grieve, reacting to the fire fight. You become desensitized,” he said, then added, “but I grew from that.” Then came Fallujah. Garcia was wounded seven times, most seriously on November 10, 2004. While defending his position in the rear, he recalled, “I saw a mortar flash. It killed one Marine who was taking a nap. I’m actually proud that I got to kill those guys and eliminate that threat,” he said. But while strafing with a machine gun, he had a
STANDING ROOM ONLY AT LA MESA CANDIDATE DEBATE
Printer-friendly version By Kristin Kjaero and Miriam Raftery October 4, 2010 (La Mesa) — It was standing room only at the League of Women Voters’ La Mesa Candidates Forum last Wednesday. East County Magazine was there to videotape for those unable to attend the event. Video links follow at the bottom of this article. The incumbents, Mayor Art Madrid and Councilmen Ernie Ewin and Mark Arapostathis, focused on the depth and length of their public service and ties to the community, while demonstrating their knowledge of City finances and processes. Madrid and Ewin raised their families in the city; Arapostathis grew up in La Mesa. Arapostathis sees his role on Council as a natural progression of the public service he began in high school key clubs, and as a teacher he sees himself as a voice for families with children. Ewin pointed out that City issues are not just something that candidates pull out for campaigns, rather something they work with every day. Madrid spoke of the value of experience, noting that opportunities and invitations to participate in regional and national organizations do not appear simply because one holds a title, rather they come as a result of connections that have been built and nurtured over time as the result of accomplishments. Mayoral challenger Laura Lothian, as well as City Council challengers Patrick Dean and Ian Shiff, advocated for change. Council candidate Kevin Rynearson was absent. Lothian focused primarily on cleaning up trash in La Mesa, combating crime and attracting new businesses to the City. She took numerous shots at the Mayor, beginning even before the meeting started with a team of women in tiaras outside the doorway chanting “Laura, Laura” and blasting music from a tape recorder, in response to a side comment Madrid had made at a previous debate, when he suggested she wanted the title as a “tiara” to promote her real estate business. In her opening statement, she contrasted his length of service with her “high energy,” and promised “professional conduct” and “respect for her detractors.” Patrick Dean emphasized his endorsement by the Democratic Party and took a more optimistic view of the economy and city pensions than the other candidates. He emphasized his desire for a green future. To a question about an application for an eighteen-story building the City has received, he responded “Hell no, but let’s look at it because it’s going in the right direction.” He clarified that he would like to see more park space in the project, and has previously stated that he would not approve any buildings over the current eight-story limit. He cited a need for multi-use development in transit corridors along Fletcher Parkway and El Cajon Boulevard and the City center. “That is actually going to save our really lovely single family neighborhoods,” Dean said. Ian Shiff said he is running for change because “politics as usual is over,” saying that he would not take donations from anybody so that he would “not have anybody in my back pocket, not have anyone I own anything to,” and “if I ever do anything to embarrass this City, I will resign.” He was critical of crime rates in the city. Questions about Finance The central questions of the evening revolved around the City’s finances: where one would cut if revenues decline, how one would attract new business, and what skills each of the candidates bring to the table. Shiff said he would reevaluate the city sales tax, look at the Grossmont Center lease that is expiring soon, and look into alternative sources of revenue such as red light cameras. He said he would talk to his clients in Northern California and Silicone Valley about relocating and how nice it is to work and live in La Mesa, and offer them some sort of incentive. Lothian said she feels the sales tax has driven people away, and sees lower sales tax in the future. She criticized the City Planning Department, saying that “Sometimes in the name of compliance and zoning we get too expensive, too strict, too rigid,” and she would like to foster “an environment of helpfulness.” She would like lenders to facilitate microloans. In addressing the question about candidates’ backgrounds and skills managing a budget, Lothian cited her job as a real estate salesperson advising clients on the purchase of homes. “They look to me for guidance. If I mess up I can ruin someone’s life,” she said, and continued “I’m extremely aware of living inside your means, I’ve done it myself with my own household budget,” she said. (Lothian did not mention at least 10 financial cases including injunctive relief, loan defaults, losing her house to foreclosure, collection actions, an eviction, plus state and federal tax liens totaling $2.5 million for her and her ex-husband. Lothian has stated that those problems were due primarily to the actions of her ex-husband, who was convicted of defrauding investors. She discussed those financial issues with ECM in an earlier candidate interview.) Ewin emphasized the importance of relationships as part of an integrated process to market the City, and the importance of infrastructure to attract businesses. He said it is no accident that Best Buy opened on Fletcher Parkway. “They did the demographics based on information the city provided.” He cited the importance of infrastructure in making a City attractive. Madrid cited the importance of the City’s sales tax because it is something the state cannot take away. He agreed with Ewin on the importance of infrastructure. He said he has been in close communication with the owners of Grossmont Center for years; the owner has traveled to explore some exciting ideas, but for now the economy will effect what happens there. He cited his experience working with a “City budget that averages $135 million a year to see that those dollars are invested in a logical way so that the best services we can provide for the citizens are there,” as well as his experience as a Department