AZTECS REMAIN THIRD AT MW SWIM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Caplan sets school record on 3-meter springboard Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com February 16, 2017 (San Diego) – The San Diego State swimming and diving team moved into sole possession of third place at the end of the second day of 2017 Mountain West Championships being contested at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Included in the team’s performance on Thursday was a new school record in 3-meter diving plus three times that entered the SDSU top 10 lists. Boise State solidified its grip on first place with 6-5.5 points as it opened a significant leaf on defending champion Nevada (490). The Aztecs sit in third place with 437 points with a small lead over fourth-place Wyoming (400 points). Thursday’s finals session began with the 200 free relay that saw the Aztec foursome of Peyton Wilson, Alma Thormalm, Summer Harrison and Samantha Guttmacher capture second place with a time of 1:30.63. That mark ranks as the fifth-fastest in program history in the event. In the 3-meter diving, junior Alexandra Caplan added to her fourth-place showing on the 1-meter on Wednesday board with a second-place finish that came courtesy of a school-record score of 359.65 in the finals. Her point total bettered the previous program record of 355.60 set by Kristen Meyer set in January 2012. In the 500 freestyle, freshman McKenna Meyer was the Aztecs’ top finisher as she took fourth place with a time of 4:47.34. Corinn Casper added points for SDSU with a seventh-place finish (4:54.78) in the B Final while Kassidy Henson also scored by placing eighth in the C Final (5:02.74). The 200 individual medley saw junior Frida Berggren capture third place in 2:00.42 while Rachael Kelch qualified for the C Final where she place fifth (2:04.79). The final event of the evening was the 50 freestyle, and Aztec freshman Alma Thormalm finished first in the B Final with a time of 22.67, a mark that ranks as the fourth-fastest in program history. SDSU also got points in the 50 free as Guttmacher was fourth in the B Final (23.11) with Wilson just behind her in fifth (23.13). Action continues at the 2017 Mountain West Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday, Feb. 17, with prelims in the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke springboard set to get underway at 9:00 a.m. PT. Finals in those five events along with the 400 medley relay will be held later that day starting at 4:30 p.m. PT. 2017 MW Championships Boise State…………605.5 Nevada……………..490 San Diego State…..437 Wyoming…………..400 New Mexico……….270 Colorado State…….253 San Jose State…….216 Fresno State……….189.5 UNLV………………..173 Air Force…………….172 Thursday final results
AZTEC WOMEN’S TENNIS DROPS 5-2 DECISION TO LONG BEACH STATE
SDSU falls to the 49ers for second year in a row Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com February 16, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State women’s tennis hosted Long Beach State today at the Aztec Tennis Center, where they fell to the 49ers 5-2. Today’s match against LBSU marks the fourth-consecutive loss for the Aztecs. In doubles play, Kennedy Davis and Mia Smith gained momentum against Beach’s Lena Pacholski and Laura Eales, dominating the 49ers 6-0 on the second court. Two close battles remained on courts one and three, and first-seeded Jana Buth and Paola Diaz were unable to finish off Maeva Razakasoa and Julie Gerard, falling 6-4. With the doubles point on the line, Maren Helgo and Natalia Munoz edged a 7-5 win against Olivia Larsson and Alli Valk, claiming the doubles point for LBSU. The Aztecs grabbed the first win in singles play as Berta Acero claimed a 7-5, 3-2 victory over Eales, who retired in the second set. The Beach responded in the fourth-seeded match when Pacholski grabbed a win over Smith, 6-0, 6-3. LBSU continued to build momentum and claimed the top seeded match as Razakasoa defeated Buth, 6-3, 6-3, and Munoz edged Larsson, 7-5, 6-3, in the No. 5 seed and the 49ers claimed the dual decision. The Aztecs split the remaining matches as Davis fell in a three-set battle to Gerard, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, and Diaz fought to claim a victory in two sets against Helgo, 6-4, 7-6 (6). After today’s tough loss, the Aztecs fall to 3-6 on the season. SDSU will return to the Aztec Tennis Center next Wednesday, Feb. 22, for a home matchup vs. Eastern Michigan. First serve is set for 2 p.m. Long Beach State 5, San Diego State 2 Feb. 16, 2017 Aztec Tennis Center (San Diego, Calif.) Doubles competition 1. Maeva Razakasoa/Julie Gerard (LBSU) def. Jana Buth/Paola Diaz (SDSU) 6-4 2. Kennedy Davis/Mia Smith (SDSU) def. Lena Pacholski/Laura Eales (LBSU) 6-0 3. Maren Helgo/Natalia Munoz (LBSU) def. Olivia Larsson/Alli Valk (SDSU) 7-5 Order of finish: 2, 1, 3 LBSU claims doubles point Singles competition 1. Maeva Razakasoa (LBSU) def. Jana Buth (SDSU) 6-3, 6-3 2. Julie Gerard (LBSU) def. Kennedy Davis (SDSU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 3. Paola Diaz (SDSU) def. Maren Helgo (LBSU) 6-4, 7-6 (6) 4. Lena Pacholski (LBSU) def. Mia Smith (SDSU) 6-0, 6-3 5. Natalia Munoz (LBSU) def. Olivia Larsson (SDSU) 7-5, 6-3 6. Berta Acero (SDSU) def. Laura Eales (LBSU) 6-2, 3-2, retired Order of finish: 6, 4, 1, 5*, 2, 3 *Match clinching victory
TRUMP ORDERS SPEAKER RYAN TO KICK HISPANIC CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS OUT OF MEETING WITH ICE OFFICIALS
East County News Service Rep. Vargas denounces exclusion as “unacceptable”, says Trump actions are creating “chaos around the nation” February 16, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Several Hispanic members of Congress including Congressman Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) were booted out of a bipartisan meeting with the acting director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by Speaker Paul Ryan’s staff, reportedly on orders from President Donald Trump. Congressman Vargas, whose district includes San Diego’s border region that encompasses southern East County, issued this statement. “Today my colleagues in the Hispanic Caucus and I were excluded from a meeting with officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and that is completely unacceptable. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus requested a meeting with the Acting Director of ICE because our constituents are living in fear. By being excluded from today’s meeting, we were unable to get clear information regarding the immigration policies that are directly impacting our communities. All we want are answers.” Vargas adds, “Children in communities around the country are living in fear because they don’t know if their mom or dad will be taken from them. Hardworking parents are fearful that they’re going to be ripped away from their children. Innocent families are being targeted and separated. Our country is better than this.” San Diego’s Congressman said the lack of transparency coming from the Trump Administration is “creating chaos around the nation. Relationships between community members and law enforcement are affected when immigrants are forced to retreat into the shadows because they are fearful. This administration should be transparent and tell us exactly who they are targeting and who has been detained in raids around the country.” He promised, “We will continue to demand a meeting with the Trump Administration and ICE officials to request more information. Our constituents have questions and they deserve answers.” The unprecedented snub comes just days after ICE abruptly cancelled a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Javier Gamboa, Hispanic Media Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) also denounced the action. He stated, “It’s wildly insulting that Speaker Ryan kicked several of his Hispanic colleagues out of a critical meeting that greatly concerns their community, especially after witnessing the fear that President Trump’s deportation force has brought to Latino and immigrant communities. What’s even more shocking is that the Speaker delivered this insult to his colleagues apparently at President Trump’s command.”
EL CAJON CITY COUNCIL APPROVES CRITERIA FOR DISTRICT ELECTION MAPPING: 5 PUBLIC WORKSHOPS PLANNED
Source: City of El Cajon February 16, 2017 (El Cajon) – The City of El Cajon has announced five public workshops on redistricting set for February 22, 23 and 28, as well as March 1 and April 18. All are from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. See location details at the bottom of the article. In November, voters in El Cajon approved a City-sponsored Ballot Initiative “Measure S,” establishing District Elections in the City of El Cajon, starting with the 2018 City Council elections. The Council held two required hearings to receive public testimony and to review the criteria for establishing District Election Mapping on January 24, and February 14. The approved criteria are as follows: Each council district shall contain a nearly equal number of inhabitants; Council district borders shall be drawn in a manner that complies with the Federal Voting Rights Act; Council districts shall consist of contiguous territory in as compact form as possible; Council districts shall respect communities of interest as much as possible; Council district borders shall follow visible natural and man-made geographical and topographical features as much as possible; In adjusting boundaries following their initial establishment, each new council district shall preserve the corresponding existing council district’s population and territory as much as possible; Council districts known to be areas of higher-than-average population growth in the two to five years following this boundary line adjustment may be under populated within the population deviation amounts allowed by law; and To the extent it does not conflict with federal or state law an effort should be made to establish boundaries so that at least two council districts include voters in similar numbers residing in the City’s central business district (also known as downtown El Cajon, as described by the boundaries of Specific Plan 182) and these council districts should also include comparable geographic area and land uses. Now that the criteria have been approved by the City Council, five community workshops will be held to provide residents additional opportunities for public input on creating district boundaries. The process will culminate with the presentation of draft maps to the City Council and community for review and ultimately a selection of one map by the City Council. To help in this process, the City Council contracted the services of the National Demographics Corporation (NDC) to provide mapping and demographic services. All five community workshops will be from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The dates and locations are: 1. February 22 Community Workshop #1: Flying Hills Elementary School, 1251 Finch Street 2. February 23 Community Workshop #2: Greenfield Middle School, 1495 Greenfield Drive 3. February 28 Community Workshop #3: Chase Avenue Elementary School, 195 E. Chase Avenue 4. March 1 Community Workshop #4: Lexington Elementary School, 1145 Redwood Avenue 5. April18 Community Workshop #5: Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 E. Douglas Avenue – (Location pending for this workshop) All residents are encouraged to attend in order to become informed on the issue and to ask questions. Attendees will also be given direction on how to submit their own draft district maps for review by the consultant. The same materials will be covered in the first four workshops. So, residents only need to attend the one that is most convenient. The last workshop will be to review draft maps and provide feedback. Spanish and Arabic translation services will be available. Flyer here.
HAPPY 65TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE ALPINE SUN
By Miriam Raftery February 16, 2017 (Alpine) — The Alpine Sun newspaper celebrated its 65th anniversary on Valentine’s Day. At Tuesday’s Alpine-Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce “Hot Topics” breakfast meeting, the newspaper’s publisher and editor were presented with certificates and plaques from the offices of Congressman Duncan Hunter, State Senator Joel Anderson, and Assemblyman Randy Voepel. The newspaper’s first edition was published on February 14, 1952 as a small pamphlet . “Today, Alpine gets a valentine!” the publication proclaimed, adding, “When the time comes for a town to have a voice and be recognized by the world as an entity in civic personalities, it perforce must have a newspaper. So today this lovely part of San Diego’s mountains sees the birth of a new community spirit, the Alpine Sun. “It was the tiniest newspaper in the United States,” said publisher Vonnie Sanchez, who thanked businesses for supporting the newspaper through the years. Headline stories in that first edition included an announcement of final drawings for a new Alpine school, news of a Canadian oil man and wheat farmer buying an 80-acre ranch, a traffic warning about drivers not stopping for school buses, results of a fire board election, and news of a drive to build a youth center. Then, as now, the newspaper covered the issues that mattered most to local residents—packing its pages also with tips on registering to vote, meeting tax deadline and highlighting good works by community members. In an era when many small-town and even city newspapers in East County have closed their printing presses, it’s not hard to see why the Alpine Sun endures.