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Gap in North County news story
I ask, Did you call the cops?
Fifteen years ago the North County Times had its own editorial cartoonist Mark Thornhill who would skewer local politicians like Oceanside city councilwoman Esther Sanchez.
Illegal-vision
In reference to the letter from massprivatei (Hacker stalls Port of San Diego’s video spy network”, News Ticker, March 11), I’d just like to suggest he look at England’s policing, and how, when anyone is “in public,” as we are in America when we are on “public roads,” we are to act lawfully and must assume we are being watched. In England with their surveillance cameras covering almost all public sidewalks and roads, they are able to respond and convict law breakers of all kinds, much more effectively. In San Diego, with thousands of illegal persons at any one time, trying to avoid capture for whatever they have done, it would be much easier to capture and incarcerate them much more quickly, before they can do more harm, like England does. When you're in public, as when you’re on Facebook or really anywhere on the internet, assume you’re being watched, so be good, don’t break the law!
- Bob Charles
- Carlsbad
Liz and Greg Kimmel on Facebook
Mother’s superior
So some prominent well-heeled doll baby in La Jolla has played dirty pool in getting her kid into some elite university (“KFMB’s Elisabeth Kimmel caught in Georgetown admission bribe,” News Ticker, March 12). Seems to me these folks really believe in prostitution. Cutting tangents is not the American way. My beloved mother, a survivor of D-Day on the shores of Normandy had gone from high school in San Diego to UCLA highest honors PhD candidate despite coming from a relatively poor Italian family in France. She died of a brain tumor months before graduation. I can only cringe with disgust at this woman’s outrageous immoral and unethical behavior. What a sorry excuse of being an American.
- Daniel Smiechowski
- Bay Ho
Rich money; big box
Which is more important: Rich money people (we don’t need another big box store) OR the community of a neighborhood (Linda Vista) ? And especially when it concerns children & young people (“Linda Vista’s Skate World, you’re fine, now go away”, Neighborhood News, March 1)! There are many groups (hockey, roller derby, dance skaters, the huge Tue nights VERY crowded young people’s sessions) at Skateworld. And since Skateworld is the ONLY roller rink in all of San Diego County. So we have our children & young people coming to our only rink from all over the county. And that includes my group, the “Coffee Clutch” for older people & seniors who skate on Tues. mornings. One of them comes every Tuesday all the way from Descanso! So we chat AND get our exercise. Another note – the rink is a safe place & keeps kids off the street. So from the tiny tots to the seniors, it is definitely community! There is ANOTHER reason to keep the rink. It is a historic building, built in 1941 as the Tenant Activity Building for the workers living in the housing (how Linda Vista was born!). This one of a kind large quonset hut style has about 10 bent wood laminated beams running across the top & down the sides(steel was not an option in wartime). The beams are set 9 feet into the ground (I had read). I wonder if it was also built as a bomb shelter??
- Naida Hindert
- University Heights
Marcos, Claudia, and the author patrol near The Observatory.
Backyard intrusions
Mr. Madriaga’s article on crime in NP (“North Park locals patrol the neighborhood,” City Lights,March 20) seriously requires context before anyone should jump to the conclusion that, “it’s a freak show out there.”
The article’s opening anecdote, no doubt true, illustrates context. Marcos and Claudia, true to their motto “We Don’t Dial 911” witness a crime being committed (shooting up heroin) and don’t dial 911. This leads directly to a second and a third crime, assault and attempted murder. The article continues describing other crimes witnessed and not reported, e.g. the masked intruder in the back yard, and the numerous car break-ins (and yes my car was broken into). This explains why “crimemaps.com” reported only three crimes. Those were the three crimes someone called in.
I see this same casual approach to crimes in progress as a user of “Next Door;” dozens of reports of various crimes, and when I ask “did you call the cops,” the answer invariably is some variation on “oh!” On the several occasions I have had to call the cops, they showed up in force promptly, and promptly caught someone.
The point is that protecting and improving our neighborhoods is a something we all need to participate in, be it by actual “Neighborhood Watch” patrolling, or simply responsibly calling in reports of criminal activity we may witness. Mr. Madriaga’s article would have been more useful had he toned down the sensationalism and focused on reason why Marcos and Claudia’s attempt to form a Neighborhood Watch program has faltered.
- Joseph Carmellino
- North Park
Smelly newsers
The Ken Leighton article, North County News Nears Nadir (in the March 14 issue – Neighborhood News) totally ignores the newspaper reality on the North County Coast at present. Readers of Leighton’s article were not told the full story regarding the current and past history of local papers covering the North County Coast and Tom Missett has no reason to fill in the blanks either.
A partial backstory related to Oceanside is needed here to give readers a fuller appreciation of the current newspaper scene where I reside. A few years back a new free newspaper appeared on news racks alongside the San Diego Reader and The Coast News. The new paper was called The Blade and it always featured a large cartoon character of a man with a very large mouth who was yelling. It was published by Tom Missett and put out by Ken Leighton and friends. For credibility it claimed to be the new incarnation of the old Blade-Citizen and the editorial line was that the paper would be the new voice of truth for Oceanside.
The paper was 6 to 8 pages and had a mean-spirited political tone that turned off most locals. Forget positive community news coverage, this paper had an axe to grind. The obvious aim was to savage certain city council members and promote anyone who supported big developers and developments. The Blade only appeared a handful of times and then disappeared but it sprouted up again with a few issues just before two elections. These papers were filled with vitriol and misinformation as well as ads for favored political causes and select politicians.
In the Reader article Leighton and Tom Missett paint a grand picture of the Blade-Citizen and its significance in North County. Many longtime Oceanside residents recall that during the 1990s the Blade-Citizen regularly gave the city a black eye when it came to reporting crime and local blight conditions. The Blade-Citizen had a decidedly negative slant in its coverage that seemed odd and disturbing to many Oceanside residents who did not view the city in the same light.
The question that vexed many was why the hometown paper was so hard on Oceanside. For others, who took the long view and put the pieces of the puzzle together, the answer was Money. If Oceanside was perceived as a bad place to invest in property the value of real estate would be depressed and it would be a better bargain for shrewd investors. These insiders knew that the property would appreciate significantly over time and they were also aware that Oceanside was the best place on the coast to push through large coastal developments with minimal opposition. Look at the Big Box hotels and various other monstrosities that now dot the coastal zone downtown with more to come.
Leighton’s article purposely ignores the most comprehensive and authoritative source of news and current information for the North County Coast. All well informed residents here read The Coast News and I’m sure Tom Missett and Ken Leighton read it too. The paper has been published weekly since 1987. The 40+ page paper is free and 30,000+ copies are distributed weekly between Del Mar and Oceanside at hundreds of locations.
Like the venerable San Diego Reader, The Coast News has an online edition so you never have to miss an issue if you are out of town. I do agree with Leighton and Missett regarding the worthless nature of the San Diego Union-Tribune (aka the San Diego Urine Tribute) and never read it as hard copy and rarely check it online. I’ve been reading the Reader since 1972 and never miss an issue. The Reader has always covered county and city issues in depth and I very much appreciate its willingness to ask and get answers to hidden issues as well as features that inform and entertain. When I meet anyone who is new to the area I always tell them to read the Reader and The Coast News every week if they want to be well informed and avoid Fake News.
- Gregory Anthony
- Oceanside
Here's something you might be interested in.
Gap in North County news story
I ask, Did you call the cops?
Gap in North County news story
I ask, Did you call the cops?
Fifteen years ago the North County Times had its own editorial cartoonist Mark Thornhill who would skewer local politicians like Oceanside city councilwoman Esther Sanchez.
Illegal-vision
In reference to the letter from massprivatei (Hacker stalls Port of San Diego’s video spy network”, News Ticker, March 11), I’d just like to suggest he look at England’s policing, and how, when anyone is “in public,” as we are in America when we are on “public roads,” we are to act lawfully and must assume we are being watched. In England with their surveillance cameras covering almost all public sidewalks and roads, they are able to respond and convict law breakers of all kinds, much more effectively. In San Diego, with thousands of illegal persons at any one time, trying to avoid capture for whatever they have done, it would be much easier to capture and incarcerate them much more quickly, before they can do more harm, like England does. When you're in public, as when you’re on Facebook or really anywhere on the internet, assume you’re being watched, so be good, don’t break the law!
- Bob Charles
- Carlsbad
Liz and Greg Kimmel on Facebook
Mother’s superior
So some prominent well-heeled doll baby in La Jolla has played dirty pool in getting her kid into some elite university (“KFMB’s Elisabeth Kimmel caught in Georgetown admission bribe,” News Ticker, March 12). Seems to me these folks really believe in prostitution. Cutting tangents is not the American way. My beloved mother, a survivor of D-Day on the shores of Normandy had gone from high school in San Diego to UCLA highest honors PhD candidate despite coming from a relatively poor Italian family in France. She died of a brain tumor months before graduation. I can only cringe with disgust at this woman’s outrageous immoral and unethical behavior. What a sorry excuse of being an American.
- Daniel Smiechowski
- Bay Ho
Rich money; big box
Which is more important: Rich money people (we don’t need another big box store) OR the community of a neighborhood (Linda Vista) ? And especially when it concerns children & young people (“Linda Vista’s Skate World, you’re fine, now go away”, Neighborhood News, March 1)! There are many groups (hockey, roller derby, dance skaters, the huge Tue nights VERY crowded young people’s sessions) at Skateworld. And since Skateworld is the ONLY roller rink in all of San Diego County. So we have our children & young people coming to our only rink from all over the county. And that includes my group, the “Coffee Clutch” for older people & seniors who skate on Tues. mornings. One of them comes every Tuesday all the way from Descanso! So we chat AND get our exercise. Another note – the rink is a safe place & keeps kids off the street. So from the tiny tots to the seniors, it is definitely community! There is ANOTHER reason to keep the rink. It is a historic building, built in 1941 as the Tenant Activity Building for the workers living in the housing (how Linda Vista was born!). This one of a kind large quonset hut style has about 10 bent wood laminated beams running across the top & down the sides(steel was not an option in wartime). The beams are set 9 feet into the ground (I had read). I wonder if it was also built as a bomb shelter??
- Naida Hindert
- University Heights
Marcos, Claudia, and the author patrol near The Observatory.
Backyard intrusions
Mr. Madriaga’s article on crime in NP (“North Park locals patrol the neighborhood,” City Lights,March 20) seriously requires context before anyone should jump to the conclusion that, “it’s a freak show out there.”
The article’s opening anecdote, no doubt true, illustrates context. Marcos and Claudia, true to their motto “We Don’t Dial 911” witness a crime being committed (shooting up heroin) and don’t dial 911. This leads directly to a second and a third crime, assault and attempted murder. The article continues describing other crimes witnessed and not reported, e.g. the masked intruder in the back yard, and the numerous car break-ins (and yes my car was broken into). This explains why “crimemaps.com” reported only three crimes. Those were the three crimes someone called in.
I see this same casual approach to crimes in progress as a user of “Next Door;” dozens of reports of various crimes, and when I ask “did you call the cops,” the answer invariably is some variation on “oh!” On the several occasions I have had to call the cops, they showed up in force promptly, and promptly caught someone.
The point is that protecting and improving our neighborhoods is a something we all need to participate in, be it by actual “Neighborhood Watch” patrolling, or simply responsibly calling in reports of criminal activity we may witness. Mr. Madriaga’s article would have been more useful had he toned down the sensationalism and focused on reason why Marcos and Claudia’s attempt to form a Neighborhood Watch program has faltered.
- Joseph Carmellino
- North Park
Smelly newsers
The Ken Leighton article, North County News Nears Nadir (in the March 14 issue – Neighborhood News) totally ignores the newspaper reality on the North County Coast at present. Readers of Leighton’s article were not told the full story regarding the current and past history of local papers covering the North County Coast and Tom Missett has no reason to fill in the blanks either.
A partial backstory related to Oceanside is needed here to give readers a fuller appreciation of the current newspaper scene where I reside. A few years back a new free newspaper appeared on news racks alongside the San Diego Reader and The Coast News. The new paper was called The Blade and it always featured a large cartoon character of a man with a very large mouth who was yelling. It was published by Tom Missett and put out by Ken Leighton and friends. For credibility it claimed to be the new incarnation of the old Blade-Citizen and the editorial line was that the paper would be the new voice of truth for Oceanside.
The paper was 6 to 8 pages and had a mean-spirited political tone that turned off most locals. Forget positive community news coverage, this paper had an axe to grind. The obvious aim was to savage certain city council members and promote anyone who supported big developers and developments. The Blade only appeared a handful of times and then disappeared but it sprouted up again with a few issues just before two elections. These papers were filled with vitriol and misinformation as well as ads for favored political causes and select politicians.
In the Reader article Leighton and Tom Missett paint a grand picture of the Blade-Citizen and its significance in North County. Many longtime Oceanside residents recall that during the 1990s the Blade-Citizen regularly gave the city a black eye when it came to reporting crime and local blight conditions. The Blade-Citizen had a decidedly negative slant in its coverage that seemed odd and disturbing to many Oceanside residents who did not view the city in the same light.
The question that vexed many was why the hometown paper was so hard on Oceanside. For others, who took the long view and put the pieces of the puzzle together, the answer was Money. If Oceanside was perceived as a bad place to invest in property the value of real estate would be depressed and it would be a better bargain for shrewd investors. These insiders knew that the property would appreciate significantly over time and they were also aware that Oceanside was the best place on the coast to push through large coastal developments with minimal opposition. Look at the Big Box hotels and various other monstrosities that now dot the coastal zone downtown with more to come.
Leighton’s article purposely ignores the most comprehensive and authoritative source of news and current information for the North County Coast. All well informed residents here read The Coast News and I’m sure Tom Missett and Ken Leighton read it too. The paper has been published weekly since 1987. The 40+ page paper is free and 30,000+ copies are distributed weekly between Del Mar and Oceanside at hundreds of locations.
Like the venerable San Diego Reader, The Coast News has an online edition so you never have to miss an issue if you are out of town. I do agree with Leighton and Missett regarding the worthless nature of the San Diego Union-Tribune (aka the San Diego Urine Tribute) and never read it as hard copy and rarely check it online. I’ve been reading the Reader since 1972 and never miss an issue. The Reader has always covered county and city issues in depth and I very much appreciate its willingness to ask and get answers to hidden issues as well as features that inform and entertain. When I meet anyone who is new to the area I always tell them to read the Reader and The Coast News every week if they want to be well informed and avoid Fake News.
- Gregory Anthony
- Oceanside