ONE-STOP SHOP FOR SANTEE VOTERS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service October 28, 2010 (Santee) — With the election a few days away, ECM offers Santee voters this collection of interviews, video clips, and debate coverage for candidates on their ballots. SANTEE COUNCIL 8 Compete to win 3 seats on Santee Council PADRE DAM WATER Rate hikes, water supplies & Santee Lakes’ future at issue in Padre Dam Municipal Water Board races COLLEGE BOARD Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Race Pits Teacher-Backed Candidates Agaist Other Challengers Amid Tight Budget Era HIGH SCHOOL BOARD Preacher, teachers, coaches and parents among those in running for Grossmont Union High School District board ASSEMBLY Brian Jones Profile Mark Hanson Profile Pre-Primary Debate Video STATE SENATE Ethics, Economy, Education Among Top Issues in 36th Assembly Race CONGRESS October 18 Debate Coverage Debate Fact Check Full Debate Video U.S. SENATE Boxer-Fiorina debate Fiorina San Diego visit Boxer visit in San Diego Boxer calls Fiorina out on facts GENERAL East County’s Hottest Political Races To find more information on other statewide races and ballot propositions, see our Politics Section. Keep checking as more coverage is added daily! Printer-friendly version
ONE-STOP SHOP FOR EL CAJON VOTERS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service October 28, 2010 (El Cajon) — With the election a few days away, ECM offers El Cajon voters this collection of interviews, video clips, and debate coverage for candidates on their ballots. MAYOR Mark Lewis Interview (Incumbent) Todd Moore Interview John “Mike” Garcia Interview Johnney Minarick Interview COUNCIL Drum Macomber Interview Gary Kendrick Interview Duane Swainston Interview COLLEGE BOARD Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Race Pits Teacher-Backed Candidates Agaist Other Challengers Amid Tight Budget Era HIGH SCHOOL BOARD Preacher, teachers, coaches and parents among those in running for Grossmont-Union High School District MT. MIGUEL FIRE DISTRICT BOARD Sparks fly in San Miguel Fire Board race HELIX WATER DISTRICT BOARD Candidate profiles ASSEMBLY Brian Jones Profile Mark Hanson Profile Pre-Primary Debate Video STATE SENATE Ethics, Economy, Education Among Top Issues in 36th Assembly Race CONGRESS October 18 Debate Coverage Debate Fact Check Full Debate Video U.S. SENATE Boxer-Fiorina debate Fiorina San Diego visit Boxer visit in San Diego Boxer calls Fiorina out on facts GENERAL East County’s Hottest Political Races To find more information on other statewide races and ballot propositions, see our Politics Section. Keep checking as more coverage is added daily! Printer-friendly version
“THRILLING” HALLOWEEN EVENTS ANNOUNCED AT WESTFIELD PARKWAY PLAZA
Printer-friendly version Mall-wide trick- or-treating, “Scare Away Hunger” with San Diego Food Bank, and a dance performance of “Thriller” by St. Madeleine Sophie Center students October 27, 2010 (El Cajon) Westfield Parkway is hosting a mall-wide trick or treat event on October 31st and has partnered with the San Diego Food Bank to “Scare Away Hunger.” Anyone can bring a non-perishable food item to the Shopping Center Concierge to be eligible to trick or treat. Plus, the students of St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center and The Malashock School of Dance will perform the “Thriller” dance. The dance performance will be held at 4:30 in the mall near Sears. Trick or treating starts at 5 p.m. while supplies last. Wear costumes! For “Scare Away Hunger” and trick or treating, please go to the Westfield concierge near the carousel. Westfield Parkway Plaza shopping mall is located at 415 Parkway Plaza in El Cajon. For more information, call 619-579-9974 or visit www.westfield.com/parkway. Printer-friendly version
SPOTLIGHT LEMON GROVE: 5 CANDIDATES VIE IN FRUITFUL PURSUIT OF SEATS ON CITY COUNCIL
Printer-friendly version Update October 27, 2010 — This story has been updated to include comments provided by Councilman Jerry Jones, who was not available when the original story ran. By Emily Anderson (Oct. 8, 2010) The City of Lemon Grove, home to a little more than 24,000 residents, is nestled south of Highway 94, east of I-15 and mostly west of Highway 125 in city boundaries that resemble an animal with two ears and a tail. Incumbent councilmembers Jerry Jones (currently serving as Mayor Pro Tem) and Jerry Selby face re-election in the nonpartisan November 2 race. Their challengers are Tom Clabby, Howard Cook and Lou Melendez. Each candidate that we reached offered seeds of plans to improve Lemon Grove, though with very different visions for the future. Whether the incumbents remain seated or are ousted by challengers, the two winners will be elected to a four -year term, joining councilmembers George Gastil, Mary England, and Mayor Mary Sessom to run the city.The council meets twice a month and councilmembers are part-time positions. If Jones is re-elected, he will become a councilman after his year- long Mayor Pro Tem position ends. Each council member has been rotated in as Mayor Pro Tem in the past, each having served one year. When acting as a Mayor Pro Tem, the individual can act as mayor when the mayor is out of town, according to Councilman Selby. The phrase pro tem or pro tempore is Latin to describe a temporary position. Selby feels his experience in the public and private sector will help him continue to govern Lemon Grove. He enthusiastically explained that his experience in the public and private sector, involvement in local sports via his daughters and his willingness to work with the given budget as best he can are things he wants his voters to know. Selby is also a representative of the City/School District Collaboration Committee. “I believe that the purpose of a city is to provide organization for the safety, health and general welfare of the citizens. Today, this pledge or promise is beleaguered by a variety of challenges that include fiscal uncertainties of state and federal funding to the prevalent pessimism of the 21st Century,” he said in a statement at www.smartvoter.org. “The mandate for a member of the City Council must be to bridge the gap between the ideal and the real or more simply to determine the greater good for the community.” With a Bachelors’ degree in Public Administration and a Master’s in City Planning, Selby has extensive government experience. In graduate school he worked for the City of La Mesa, Port of San Diego, and San Diego Association of Governments. After graduation, he worked with the Centre City Development Corporation and the Community Development Commission of National City. Currently I am the Redevelopment Coordinator at the City of Imperial Beach. Selby wants to make sure residents know that when city hall is closed, employees are not paid for those days off. This is due to budget constraints that the city faces, in part due to state budget cuts. Selby is glad that city hall is now able to remain open every other Friday, rather than being closed for furloughs every Fridays. Selby feels his experience as councilmember, his long-time Lemon Grove residency and the fact he cares about Lemon Grove would appeal to voters. He also feels proud of supporting The Skate Spot skate park which was built in 2008. He favors traffic light synchronization and the improvement of downtown, which includes fixing sidewalks, including the “undulating” part of School Lane fixed in July 2010. Jones is a vice chair person of the SANDAG regional planning committee, a chair of the San Diego Area Wastewater Management District, a representative of the Metro Commission/Metro Wastewater Joint Powers Authority, and an alternate representative of the SANDAG board of directors. (SANDAG is the San Diego Association of Governments which makes decisions at the city and county level of government throughout San Diego County.) Jones realizes residents of the city value streets, sidewalks, police and fire departments. He said financial sustainability and stability are at the top of the Council’s goals. He noted that the budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 is $12,356,000 and that so far this fiscal year, Council has reduced the number of employee furlough days taken. "Rather than eliminate programs, the City has looked for ways to scale them back or (has) found ways to continue the programs with non city-funded sources," he said. For example, the City is taking longer to tackle graffiti clean-up and is working to develop a volunteer program to handle some park maintenance functions that have been cut. "We are also exploring outsourcing recreational services and are currently talking with the Boys’ and Girls’ clubs," he ntoed. Other cuts have included the Old Time Days events, the city’s small business grant program, and commercial real estate finder aspect of the City’s website. Lemon Grove no longer funds law enforcement for school campuses, he added. However downtown redevelopment’s plan is well underway with regard to fixing sidewals and streets. "The private development will be done in phases, with the first phases done parallel to the trolley station at Broadway and Lemon Grove Avenue," said Jones. "It will be done on the block between Olive, Main, Broadway and North Avenue at the north end of the block." Development will include two mid-rise condos, including one for senior housing, and closing of Main Street along the trolley line for building of a strip park funded by a $3.5 million Smart Growth grant from SANDAG. A new $10 million freeway off-ramp and street alighnment for Lemon Grove Avenue are also planned to help ease traffic congestion. Smart growth is term generally used to describe population sizes increasing at a rate that has as minimal an impact as possible on the environment and lives of residents. Jones said that when he chaired SANDAG’s regional planning committee, it completed a smart growth incentive
NEW TAGGER HOTLINE NABS 3 IN FIRST DAY
Printer-friendly version October 27, 2010 (El Cajon)–Just hours after announcement of the new El Cajon Tagger Tip Line on Monday, an El Cajon resident saw a group of individuals using spray paint to vandalize the rear of a business. The reporting party kept watching the suspects as he called the El Cajon Police Department. He directed officers to the location of the vandals and three juveniles were arrested. The City of El Cajon has seen an increase in graffiti over the last several months. During the last year, there have been approximately 4000 incidents of graffiti reported to the City of El Cajon’s graffiti removal hotline. This is an approximate 45% increase from the previous year. In an effort to reduce graffiti in El Cajon, the City of El Cajon, in partnership with the El Cajon Community Development Corporation and Crime Stoppers, unveiled the El Cajon Tagger Tip Line earlier today. As was done in this case, if people see a crime in progress, they should immediately contact the police department and direct officers to the location of the offenders. "This was an excellent example of the important role community members play in helping to combat crime in their neighborhoods," a press release issued by the City of El Cajon stated. People with information regarding the identity of graffiti vandals can reach the El Cajon Tagger Tip Line from the El Cajon Police Department website at www.elcajonpolice.org, or the Community Development Corporation website at www.downtownelcajon.com. Tipsters can also go directly to Crime Stoppers website at www.sdcrimestoppers.com/ectaggertipline.html, or call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Anyone with information that leads to an arrest could receive up to a $2,000.00 reward and remain anonymous. Printer-friendly version
FIORINA HOSPITALIZED
Printer-friendly version October 27, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Carly Fiorina, the Republican candidate for Senate in California, is in the hospital due to an infection resulting from reconstructive surgery in July. Her chief of staff, Deborah Bowker, assured that Fiorina, who underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation last year for breast cancer, has been free of cancer since October 2009 and “is anxious to get back on the campaign trail later this week.” Rose Kapolczynski, campaign manager for Fiorina’s Democratic opponent, Barbara Boxer, issued a statement which said,"We wish Carly Fiorina a speedy recovery and hope she is able to return to her normal schedule soon." Printer-friendly version
BLUE FLAYME PROTEST UP IN SMOKE: RESIDENTS FUME OVER HOOKAH LOUNGE GRANTED ALCOHOL PERMIT NEAR HIGH SCHOOL
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery October 26, 2010 (Spring Valley) Despite disapproval of two County agencies and community groups, the County’s Planning Commission gave the thumbs up for an Alcoholic Beverages commission (ABC) license allowing beer at Blue Flayme, a new Hookah lounge in Spring Valley. The Commission overturned a decision by the Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU), which opposed the license. Hookahs have been linked to serious health hazards. Now, the new trend of combining Hookah smoking and alcohol consumption locally has many in the community up in arms. “It concerns me that we just banned smoking cigarettes in almost every place possible, yet now you can smoke tobacco in another form and skirt the law,” say Debra Gilly, a Spring Valley activist. “It also concerns me that more teens are getting involved with this activity and combining it with alcohol is a recipe for disaster.” Hookahs have been used in the Middle East for centuries. Now the influx of Middle Eastern immigrants and refugees has led to a rise in hookah lounges locally, with some becoming popular hang-outs around colleges and even high schools. The smoker places a piece of sweetened tobacco in flavors ranging from banana to mint in the hookah’s head or bowl, then covers it with foil and lighted charcoal. Smoke is then inhaled through a long hose. “What it comes down to is that they’re smoking sugar,” Firas Haddad, owner of Sinbad’s hookah lounge in Pacific Beach told the Union-Tribune. He said tobacco used in his hookahs had only 0.3 percent nicotine and no tar. Other advocates of the practice maintain that hookah smoking is a social and cultural practice that should not be regulated. But serious health concerns have been raised by credible health experts over hookah smoking. "Hookah smoking is not safer than cigarette smoking," the Mayo Clinic website states, noting that: As with cigarette smoking, hookah smoking is linked to lung and oral cancers, heart disease and other serious illnesses. Hookah smoking delivers about the same amount of nicotine as cigarette smoking does, possibly leading to tobacco dependence. Hookah smoke poses dangers associated with secondhand smoke. Hookah smoking by pregnant women can result in low birth weight babies. A 2005 report by the World Health Organization documented potential health hazards, noting that “a typical 20-80 minute hookah session, a person may take 50-200 puffs of smoke, and that each session produces about as much smoke as the amount received from smoking 100 cigarettes.” WHO also found that smoke from hookahs contain high levels of toxic compounds including heavy metals, carbon monoxide, and cancer-causing chemicals. In a 2006 article titled “Hookahs a health hazard?” the San Diego Union-Tribune interviewed Dr. David Burns, a University of California, San Diego professor of family medicine who was an author of the WHO study as well as several U.S. surgeon general’s reports on tobacco. Burns concluded that hookah smokers also face “the additional risk of transmitting communicable diseases by sharing the tips of the pipes.” Those range from the common cold to potentially lethal conditions such as hepatitis. East County residents raised concerns beyond direct health impacts of hookah smoking combined with alcohol consumption. The area that the Spring Valley Hookah lounge will be in was designated a high crime district by the Sheriffs Department due to calls for service. The parking lot is already home to two other ABC licenses and is within close proximity to fast food establishments and Monte Vista High School. Concerned parents and residents noted that public safety issues associated with over-saturation of alcohol include driving under the influence (DUI), domestic violence, assaults, and unplanned pregnancies. “Does Spring Valley just want to approve every ABC license because the economy is tough?” This question was asked by Marilyn Wilikinson, a community member. “We have to remember that once an ABC license is in place, it is there for good.” Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that DPLU approved the license. It was the County Planning Commission that granted approval, overturning a decision by the DPLU. Printer-friendly version
GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: COUGARS WIN EPIC BATTLE OVER FOOTHILLERS, 3-2
Printer-friendly version "’Expect a lot of ups and downs’, because both teams were great teams and we’re in their house, and we expected a big crowd, loud, and that’s pretty much what it was" — Steele Canyon head volleyball coach Karolyn Kirby by Christopher Mohr October 26, 2010 (El Cajon) – Monday night’s (10/25) girls high school volleyball match at Grossmont High School between the host Foothillers and the visiting Cougars of Steele Canyon High School had about everything you could want in a sporting event. No one could have gone home feeling cheated with two contenders for the Grossmont Hills league title facing each other in a highly competitive, playoff-like atmosphere. The frequent momentum shifts, the loudness of the fans and the intensity with which both teams played each other made this match one that all who witnessed it will likely remember for a long time. It came as no surprise that it would take five sets to determine a winner. In the end, the Cougars were able to make a few more plays than the Foothillers did, winning the match 3-2 with scores of 26-24, 23-25, 25-14, 18-25 and 15-12. Doing some basic math with the scores from each set shows exactly how close this match truly was. The Cougars scored a total of 107 points while the Foothillers scored 100. The seven point difference over five sets translates to an average margin of victory of 1.4 points per set for the Cougars, fewer than the two point margin required to win an individual set. That’s about as close to an even matchup as you can get. When you hear talk of giving 100 percent, it’s usually from a recycled sports cliche. In this match however, it aptly describes the players’ effort. Diving to keep a volley alive, chasing balls headed out of bounds, and digging out spikes that seemed as though they were fired from a cannon were typical of the way both teams played. In the first set the Cougars had a 10-1 lead at one point, aided largely by four aces from Kali Schwartz. The Foothillers seemed unfazed by the large early deficit however, and eventually came back to tie the score 22-22. The Cougars eventually won the set 26-24, reinforcing predictions that neither team was going to run away with this match. The Foothillers won the second set 25-23. It was so evenly played that neither team ever had more than a two point lead. The third and fourth sets in the match were the only times that either team enjoyed anything resembling domination. In the third set, the Cougars had intervals where they scored five and six unanswered points in a 25-14 win. Similarily, the Foothillers had an interval in the fourth set with seven unanswered points in a 25-18 win. Not surprisingly, these intervals of unanswered points equaled the winning margin in the sets which they occurred. The fifth set did not get off to a good start for the Cougars, whose first two serves went into the net. While such errors were the last thing a team wants in the deciding set of a match, the Cougars did not get down on themsleves and bounced back with two straight kills by Halle Aiken. They would score five unanswered points while Aiken served and the Foothillers would help by committing three double hit violations. "We just knew that if we played tentatively, it’s that cliche, ‘don’t play to not lose, play to win’ and that’s kind of what happened on both sides," said Steele Canyon head coach Karolyn Kirby, who felt that her team needed to play aggressively to win. In spite of so much shifting in the Cougars’ favor, the Foothillers would not go away easily and scored three unanswered points to close the Cougars’ lead to two points, 10-8. The rest of the set was pretty evenly played, but the Foothillers could not catch up, and the Cougars held on to win the final set 15-12. Aiken, the Cougars’ team captain, had another impressive night with 33 kills, 0 passing errors and a hit percentage of .574. Schwartz had five aces, all coming in the first game. Delaney Weed had 21 digs and Samantha Willoughby had 28 assists, with many of them setting up Aiken. Steele Canyon improved to 21-9 overall, 7-1 in league play. The Cougars are now tied for first place in the Grossmont Hills league with the Foothillers and will play their next match Wednesday, October 27, at Helix (7-11, 3-5). "Feels amazing because we were in the running for league, we’re tied with them right now. All we need to do is push these next few games and we have it in the bag," Aiken said about the win. Aiken also talked about the previous match with Grossmont at Steele Canyon on October 6, "What really hurt us was our girl, Danielle Stathas, she hurt her leg in that Grossmont game, so that kind of put us down an outside hitter, but we started growing strong in practice and we got a couple of girls who could help us on the outside." From a scoring perspective, the previous match against Grossmont was very similar to Monday’s, except the Foothillers won 3-2, by scores of 25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 19-25, 15-12. "I knew this was going to be a crazy night, I just knew it. I knew there was going to be a lot of drama so we were talking about it a lot, like, ‘Expect a lot of ups and downs’, because both teams were great teams and we’re in their house, and we expected a big crowd, loud, and that’s pretty much what it was," said coach Kirby about the match. Grossmont drops to 18-11 overall, 7-1 in league play. Their next match is at West Hills (7-12, 3-6) also on Wednesday, October 27. Christopher Mohr is a freelance writer in the San Diego area and is
CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE CANDIDATES VIE FOR VOTES
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Gail Lover also contributed to this article October 26, 2010 – The California Secretary of State’s race pits two candidates who each represent historic milestones. Democratic incumbent Debra Bowen won a national John F. Kennedy “Profile in Courage Award” for ordering hack tests on electronic touch screen voting machines—then decertifying some machines after tests at universities proved that tampering could change votes. She was the second woman elected to the office (March Fong Eu, in 1974, was the first). Her opponent, Republican Damon Dunn, aspires to be the first African-American elected to the office. A Stanford alumnus, he told Chamber members that he was mentored by Condoleeza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State. Founder of a real estate business and an active community volunteer, he also had an award-winning career as a college and NFL football player. “Put some swing in our vote,” Dunn told members of the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce during an October 20th meeting at Nico’s Steak & Chop House in Eastlake. Noting how voting patterns have changed over the years, Dunn urged the group to “know the power of your neighborhood” and encouraged networking in the community. Dunn has emphasized educating the public on programs to assist small businesses, providing matching grants for targeted areas for storefront renovation projects, especially healthcare facilities. He assured that he and his staff would be advocates for small businesses. Bowen, a former state legislator who carried numerous election integrity bills, ordered a top-to-bottom review of our state’s voting systems when she took office in 2007. She won a $3.25 million lawsuit against a voting system vendor, strengthened election fraud prevention efforts, expanded voter education and enhanced public access by expanding website services and establishing social media feeds for Secretary of State news and directions. She received the Profiles in Courage award for "conscientious and courageous acts of the public servants and to encourage elected officials to choose principles over partisanship." She also cut her department’s budget by 25% in the past two years. She holds a law degree from the University of Virginia and practiced law with a major Los Angeles firm, also working as a sole practitioner. Bowen is endorsed by all major newspapers in California including the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, the Fresno Bee, and the San Francisco Chronicle. (Dunn’s site lists no newspaper endorsements). Bowen is endorsed by dozens of other organizations ranging from law enforcement groups to the California Teachers association. Dunn is endorsed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz, Clovis Chamber of Commerce, New Majority California, and Republican/local elected officials. Printer-friendly version
MAN ARRESTED FOR GROPING 3 TEENS
Printer-friendly version October 26, 2010 (San Diego) – City Heights resident Alejandro Muzquiz, 30, was arrested this morning following a traffic stop in the 4400 block of University Avenue. According to Lt. Rick O’Hanlon with San Diego Police Department’s sex crimes unit, Muzauiz is suspected of the recent assaults on three victims—ages 14, 16, and 17 – who were walking near a school in the Talmadge area. Muzquiz was initially arrested for driving without a license but was later booked into County jail on suspicion of three counts of child molestation and one count each of sexual battery and indecent exposure. He is slated for arraignment on Thursday afternoon. Printer-friendly version