Between 1:45 and 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday, November 7, thieves smashed the windows on several cars in a Mira Mesa neighborhood. Kim’s car was damaged and her Nook reading tablet was taken. She confirmed other …
November 11, 2012
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Stories by Gary Cornaglia
Car-Smashing Criminals Caught (on Video) in Mira Mesa
Carlsbad Considers Ordinance to Limit RV Parking
Richard Shapiro is fighting a campaign on behalf of recreational vehicle owners against the City of Carlsbad. Effective January 1, 2013, the city intends to ban RVs on Carlsbad city streets due to complaints of …
November 1, 2012
Mexican Gas Pumps Updated
The long-term practice in Mexico of charging customers for a liter of fuel when only 900 ml of fuel (or less) is actually dispensed is now prohibited and expected to change starting today, October 26. …
October 26, 2012
Presidential Debate and BBQ at Democratic HQ
On October 3, the San Diego Democratic Unity Campaign Center hosted a viewing party for the first of three presidential debates at their Kearny Mesa headquarters. Many of the same people showed up who were …
October 4, 2012
San Diego Senior Games in Progress
The 2012 San Diego Senior Games are now under way. Games will continue through the month of September. On Sunday, September 9, the Chula Vista Elks Lodge hosted three tournaments: bocce ball, “cornhole,” and ladder …
September 12, 2012
Democratic Convention Viewing Party in Kearny Mesa
The San Diego County Democratic Party announced a viewing party of the national convention proceedings on Thursday evening, September 6, at their new Kearny Mesa headquarters. I called to RSVP and spoke with Chris, who …
September 7, 2012
The Car Show Scene at Qualcomm Stadium
Ray is the operator of the “Auto Expo” held at Qualcomm Stadium twice a year — on Memorial Day and Labor Day. “I used to do it ten times a year,” he says, “but I’m …
September 3, 2012
Catch the Bakery Thief, Get Rolls for Life
Baked, a bakery located near the boardwalk in Mission Beach, has been robbed twice since June. Owner Nanci Houlgate said the burglar took “a whole bunch of bread, cookie dough and, oh…some change,” referring to …
August 26, 2012
Nagasaki Bombing Commemorated at Shelter Island
I’ve driven past the Yokohama Friendship Bell at the western end of Shelter Island dozens of times and each time found the secluded place quiet and empty. I have since learned it is usually gonged …
August 10, 2012
Flying Wallet and Owner Reunited in Clairemont
Early Monday morning, July 30, as I followed a motorcyclist east on Balboa Avenue in Clairemon, he exited right onto the 805 south ramp. It was then his wallet flew straight from his backpack to …
August 2, 2012
Vigilance of SDPD Volunteer Patrol Officers Due to Tiff?
A little over a month ago, on June 14, San Diego Police RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol) traffic officers arrived in the 4800 block of Mt. St. Helens Drive to investigate a citizen complaint about …
July 18, 2012
Breaking and Entering Party in Clairemont
Late Thursday night, July 12, a group of high school students and/or college-age people entered a vacant rental home at 4781 Mt. Cervin Drive in Clairemont. They reportedly moved the “For Rent” sign, broke a …
July 17, 2012
Farewell, Dave “K” Konstantin, President of Clairemont
A standing-room-only crowd overflowed the LiveWell senior center in Clairemont on the afternoon of July 1 to commemorate and celebrate the life of Dave “K” Konstantin. The amount of laughter outmatched the number of tears …
July 6, 2012
City to Address Gopher Problem in Clairemont
After contacting District 6 councilmember Lori Zapf’s office to determine if the city was aware of a gopher infestation in Clairemont, I was soon contacted by Steve Palle of San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department. …
June 20, 2012
Clairemont Sinkhole Scare Over
By the end of the morning rush hour on June 8, a city road crew came and went, leaving three more cones around what seemed to have been a developing sinkhole on the 4900 block …
June 9, 2012
Sinkhole Watch in Clairemont
Just after 5 p.m. on June 7, San Diego police officers arrived on the 4900 block of Acuna Drive, where a resident had discovered a sinkhole in front of her home's driveway. Officers confirmed that …
June 8, 2012
Meth Lab Found in a Clairemont Canyon After Fire
In a letter published this month in the Clairemont Times, District 6 councilmember Lorie Zapf warned area residents to use caution when enjoying our canyons. The letter was prompted after a fire was extinguished in …
March 21, 2012
Finnish Luxury Hybrid Vehicle Sells in Mission Valley
The latest breed of hybrid has arrived from Finland in the form of an electric luxury vehicle. The Marvin K. Brown dealership in Mission Valley has an inventory of a dozen Fisker Karmas. A showroom …
March 7, 2012
La Jolla High School “Senior Benches,” Free Speech at Last
A statement posted on the San Diego and Imperial County ACLU website on February 16 indicates a settlement has been reached on a yearlong free-speech case at La Jolla High School. In February 2011, principal …
February 21, 2012
Sea World Protesters Don’t Give Up Fight for Shamu’s Freedom
On the morning of February 18, a sparse protest group demonstrated at Sea World’s San Diego park entrance. The protest followed last week’s decision by a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit against Sea World …
February 18, 2012
Tijuana Warehouse Used as a Garbage Dump
On Tuesday, February 6, Tijuana waste-management crews and emergency officials began removing more than 100 tons of garbage that were discovered in a 9000-square-foot warehouse in the colonia known as Las Huertas. Area residents indicated …
February 11, 2012
Leashed Rottweiler Chomps Man and His Dog in Clairemont
Late Monday afternoon, February 6, a man and his small dog were attacked and seriously injured by a rottweiler in front of their Clairemont home on Boxwood Avenue. The man suffered large gashes to his …
February 7, 2012
Authorities Raid Clairemont Home
Wednesday morning, September 29, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies converged on a Clairemont home for a pre-dawn raid that reportedly targeted Hell’s Angels gang members. At 6 a.m., neighbors were awakened and brought …
October 2, 2011
Driver Crashes Through Clairemont UPS Store
Late Friday afternoon, September 16, Rosemary, 66, drove her car bearing Maryland plates through the front doors of the Clairemont Town Square UPS Store. She was triaged by a paramedic squad, which was able to …
September 16, 2011
Richard Becker's POW Statue Installed at Miramar National Veterans Cemetery
A new bronze statue was recently installed at the new Miramar National Veterans Cemetery by the San Diego chapter of American Ex-Prisoners of War. The ten-foot-tall figure of a male prisoner of war emerging from …
September 11, 2011
San Diego County Juvenile Hall Hosts Teens and Parents
The May 22 open house at Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility was also an information fair. Tables holding pamphlets were shaded with canopies. Behind each table stood helpful staff who provided information about programs available …
May 24, 2011
Body Found in Car Near San Ysidro Border Crossing
On May 4, the body of a woman was found in an abandoned car with California plates near the San Ysidro border crossing. At around 11:30 a.m., police received a report that a person may …
May 6, 2011
Interview with a Bimbo Truck Driver
This is an update regarding the recent closure of 13 Bimbo bread and baked-goods outlet stores in Southern California. About 5 of those stores were in San Diego County, located in north, south, east, west, …
April 12, 2011
Billboard on Morena Boulevard Predicts May 21 Will Be Judgment Day
At the south end of Morena Boulevard, seen by many thousands of drivers and passengers on I-5 north, a full-sized billboard declares that May 21, 2011, is Judgment Day for Christians. Harold Camping is responsible …
April 5, 2011
University City Homes Rebuilt at Site of Marine Corps Jet Crash
Two homes destroyed by the crash of a Marine Corps fighter jet on December 8, 2008, have been rebuilt and occupied. One family has returned to their home after multiple years away in a rental. …
April 2, 2011
Four Bakery Outlets Close in San Diego County
This month, Bimbo Bakeries closed all of its San Diego-area bakery outlet stores: in Kearny Mesa, El Cajon, Escondido, and Chula Vista. By shopping at the discount stores, many folks, particularly those on fixed incomes, …
March 30, 2011
Carpenters Union Members Picket at Scripps La Jolla
On Monday afternoon, March 28, visitors and patients arriving at Scripps La Jolla Hospital were greeted at the parking entrance by two gentlemen from Carpenters Local Union 1506. The flyers they were distributing spelled out …
March 29, 2011
Patriot Flag Raised in Kearny Mesa
The Patriot Flag made a brief San Diego stopover this morning, March 1, on its way from Hawaii. According to project coordinator Mitch Mendler, the flag is scheduled to fly in all 50 states in …
March 1, 2011
Storefront Windows Defaced with Scratches
During an overnight vandalism spree in late January, the storefront windows of more than 30 Ocean Beach businesses were defaced. Over 90 sheets of glass were deeply scratched; the replacement cost was estimated in the …
February 12, 2011
Junked U.S. Cars Operate Illegally in Tijuana, Mexicali
A study from Tijuana’s Colegio de la Frontera Norte, released in January by researcher Alejandro Díaz Bautista, estimates that at least 80 percent of air pollution in the border cities of Tijuana, Mexicali, and Ciudad …
February 2, 2011
Pacific Beach Christmas-Car Story
Larry Poppins will not tell you his true name at first. First, it’s “Peter picked a peck of…” He claims to live in Pacific Beach, has long hair, is maybe in his 40s, and walks …
November 13, 2010
Man Rescues Cell Phone Via Manhole
A desperate traveler named Robin pleaded with waiting taxicab and pedicab drivers to help retrieve her phone, which she dropped down the storm drain outside the Santa Fe train station on the afternoon of September …
September 14, 2010
Hickman the Hero
On December 4, 1959, at about noon, an F3H Demon piloted by Ensign Albert Joseph Hickman, 21, crashed into a Clairemont canyon. The pilot deliberately stayed with the aircraft to avoid crashing into Hawthorne Elementary …
December 16, 2009
Chance Gets Another
On Friday, February 27, at 10:15 a.m., on the corner of Diane Avenue and Kings Way in Clairemont, a 52-year-old man and his dog were attacked by two pitbulls while walking past the dogs' fence. …
March 1, 2009