Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
I continue to ask WHY? WHY have Jim Cartmill, John McCann, and Arlie Ricasa continued to allow Ed Brand raise havoc upon our community? I would challenge any of them to take the time and review the stories that have plagued our district - who is at the center? Ed Brand, yet the board with the exception of Bertha Lopez and now Quinines sit idly by. Their reputations hang in the balance. With every negative story, with every negative result, with every negative back room deal those on the board, who allow him to continue, are sealing their fate. All of this negative press will follow them Many believe Brand is doing anything he can to hold on - is he promising, what is he promising? Where do Brands loyalties lie? Ask the folks who lost money in his failed bank. He has no true allegiance other than to SELF. The Grand Jury testimony has done much to educate about the ills of SUHSD. Those ills will be plastered across the front pages of all news organizations, will be on every TV, and talked about over the radio air waves - and NO correspondence from any entity, including SUHSD legal firms, will be able to STOP THE TRUTH!!!!!!— August 20, 2013 8:54 p.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
those of you concerned with the alleged fees being charged our athletes for use of facilities during off season I would draw your attention to this evenings board agenda - specifically K-1 page 6 of 14 for $48,000.00 and page 11 of 14 for $65,000.00. These are the amounts that are being paid OUT OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS BUDGET GENERAL FUND . The monies are being PAID TO BORDER VIEW YMCA and SOUTH BAY YMCA to: recruit coaches from each middle school for seasonal sporting events Can someone tell me why we are paying an outside agency to manage this endeavor? How much of the $113,000.00 are the coaches ACTUALLY being paid. COACHES COME FORWARD, ANONYMOUSLY OF COURSE. Share with us how much you all are being paid.— August 19, 2013 10:06 a.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
Greenville I know for a fact that some board members read these comments. Will they DEMAND answers from Ed Brand regarding fewer busses on one hand and SUBSTANTIAL increases to our school sites on the other? If not, why not? Again, yet another example of we the taxpayers overpaying. Why are our tax dollars being used to subsidize Alliant? We are giving them free rent and staff support - staff whose salaries are paid for with our tax dollars. Greenville, please know you are doing a service by providing this information. We, the community, can not correct what is obviously broken if we have not been told it is broken. Thank You for educating us! Where is this increase on board docs, I mean the specifics - WHERE IS HOW THE MONEY/EXPENSES EACH SCHOOL PAYS DOCUMENTED FOR PUBLIC REVIEW? School site council members, time to begin asking the tough questions and ask for written documentation.— August 18, 2013 3:28 p.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
helenfarias - I was contacted by a coach on the east side last evening and advised that ASB's do have the ability to 'wave' the costs. The point is this, why should we, on behalf of our children, be expected to fund one more dime towards ANYTHING when our board, under the presidency of Jim Cartmill and vice presidency of Arlie Ricasa, followed up (literally) by John McCann and the mandate of Ed Brand is offering free rent to Alliant University, hiring private investigators costing hundreds of thousands, hiring an attorney to review the bills submitted by other attorneys and hiring a company to come in and train district staff on the importance of confidentiality in other words 'no whistle blowing, even if it is in the best interests of students and taxpayers. What has happened to the HUGE account balance that WAS in the Mello Roos account? I am hearing that Brand has announced the building of two new schools on the East side. When was this discussed at a board meeting? Yet there is a new sign up, placed within the past couple months - under whose authority? Oh that is right Brand is his own authority - three of the board members Jim Cartmill, Arlie Ricasa followed by John McCann (literally) gave Brand ALL power up to, I believe $250k - WHY??????? How will these schools be paid for? Using what monies? We do not have enough money to build these new schools, check the balances for yourself. We have been abandoned, and at the end of the day, Ed Brand will get into his big truck and tell Siri 'take me home' - their accounts are empty and now my retirement is fully funded. As he looks in his rear view mirror seeing the South Bay disappear from sight I can almost hear the words - SUCKERS!!!!!!! How did we let it get this bad?— August 18, 2013 10:02 a.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
Open letter to the SUHSD Board: *. When the community said the change orders were out of control - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community said SGI was overcharging - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community said Bonnie Garcia was overcharging - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community said Food Services needed to be investigated - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community said Castle Park ASB funds needed to be investigated - RIGHT *. When the community said campaign contributions were suspect - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community demanded Gandara should be fired - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community questioned credit card usage - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community said Grand Canyon was wrong - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community said Funds for Ed was suspect - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When the community said Super was borrowing from Prop O and not paying the money back - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When community said open boundaries would result in overcrowding - THEY WERE RIGHT *. When BOC questioned the IPAD purchases - THEY WERE RIGHT Soooooo, WHAT DO WE NEED YOU FOR? We are doing your job and for free! Soooooo, when the community says Ed Brand and all of his back room deals are not good for our students what do you think the odds are THAT WE ARE RIGHT?— August 17, 2013 8:23 p.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
Any of us who have children or grandchildren that participate in sports is well aware that many of the teams gear up for their seasons by participating in tournaments, meets etc. Just this morning I attended one of those tournaments. The team I was watching was made up of a schools team. The team they played against was a 'travel team' made up of players from middle and high school players who play for our district, with the exception of one. Now that 'one' lives in the district and his parent and grandparents live in Chula Vista and pay property taxes. The travel team issue is a complex one, yet I do not believe in throwing the baby out with the bath water. I guess what I am trying to say is this, IF a team is a s school team, which most of them are then allow them to use the facilities for free. IF they are a true travel team then charge them. One additional issue needs to be addressed and that is the issue of bus transportation for teams. I am told that for the most part schools are expected to hire Charter buses. They have been told that the transportation dept. simply does not have the personnel to transport our teams with the exception of football and one other. HMMMMM, does Title IX ring a bell to anyone? Soooooo, Ed Brand is expecting students and their schools to pay for their Charter busses out of ASB - in other words, we who fund the ASB's can anty up yet again. Now I understand that budgets have been cut, HOWEVER when one takes into consideration that Ed Brand, Jim Cartmill, John McCann and Arlie Ricasa have chosen to give Alliant free rent there seems to be a disconnect. Brand will say 'oh, but it is a non profit' and anniej will respond 'oh, but have you seen the big money those that run the non profit are paying themselves'. A few major turnouts at board meetings with angry parents/taxpayers demanding Ed Brand be sent packing is what is needed. Parents showing up in the hundreds demanding answers to our many legitimate concerns from board president Jim Cartmill, John McCann and Arlie Ricasa. Quinones, the wild card of late, you never how she will vote, just when you think she is voting in favor of the students, education and taxpayers she switches it up and follows John McCann??????????????? By the way where is she on the Alliant issue? Why hasn't she come out in favor of Southwestern? This is all so mind boggling. But I will tell you one thing, when NOT if the players change and a true accounting is done those sat idly by and watched while our accounts were deflated will be held responsible, one way or another. Class action law suit, can a community levy such charges based on the votes of board members? As I mentioned in a commentary I posted on the Star News, I am beginning to feel as though certain board members are in essence paying this community back for having the audacity to go to the legal authorities.— August 17, 2013 7:45 p.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
More on the PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS: 5/06. Husson asked for $2,300.00. No reason given 8/11 Brand asked for $30,000.00 Food Services investigation 12/11 Brand asked for $34,000.00 Food Services and Castle Park investigation 4/12 Brand asked for $50,000.00 Food Services investigation If the taxpayers were told why before, why not now???????— August 16, 2013 8:18 p.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
This is off topic, but yet another example of how are monies are being spent. Item K1 page 3-4 of Monday nights 'school board meeting' s a request by Ed Brand for an additional $165,172.00 for - A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR. Now, this is on top of the $50,000.00 that the board approved in the 12-10-12 meeting. Do our board members know who is being investigated? Could it be community members? How would we know? Also there is more money being spent for training regarding employee confidentiality. So lets bring this full circle. A whistle blower comes forward and reports to the press that our fire alarms are in need of upgrades, and within approx 60 days Brand needs an additional $100k + for a private investigator on top of the approximate $110,000.00 he has approved for a past investigation. To the whistle blower who came forward on the fire alarm issue - WE THANK YOU!!!!!!!!— August 16, 2013 7:50 p.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
Cvres- It is scheduled to begin at 6:00, the SUHSD/Alliant issue is one of the last items on the agenda.— August 16, 2013 5:22 p.m.
National City Planning Commission prodded to decide on making space for Alliant Int'l University
dbdriver - regarding McCann and his latest attempt at press coverage. I found it quite despicable that the coverage by Joe Little would, in one breath state it was McCanns fault and then in the next report that John McCann saved his own life because he voted for paramedics to be part of fire and rescue. I am sorry did McCann single handily vote this in? That would be a NO! Typical McCann painting himself as the preverbial hero, a bit self serving wouldn't you agree? According to the sources the police department does not do prelimary accident police reports, so who is Little getting that from McCann himself? Look, I am happy that McCann was not severely injured, he is a human being and deserves the best life has to offer, as do we all. HOWEVER! this guy is the definition of glory hog in my opinion. Some are even going so far as calling him pitiful, and they are allegedly in his own camp - so if those you consider your peeps are laughing behind your back, what do you expect from those you betrayed by not returning Sweetwater to its good name the same 'those' you told you would not accept contractor monies. See Registrar of Voters for confirmation, just type in McCann - there it is. In a recent article in a LATINO newspaper there is McCann signing the agreement between Alliant and SUHSD - yep McCann, Brand and Mayor Morrison. So, was McCann used again? Did the others on the board realize the community would not sit idly by and allow students of the SOUTH BAY to be used - I am of the opinion, yes they did. McCann and Grossman - is this the best the party has to offer? If so, they had better step back and realize this nonsense will fly when pigs do. Our communities need political leaders who lead by example. Leaders who serve, leaders who are in office for the community - looking to do good for the students, residents and taxpayers. We will not vote for pompous arrogant persons - we will not vote for persons who had the gall to write a book defaming the following segments of our society - persons of color, women, gays and lesbians. A person is defined by his actions and by his documented written word. And PLEASE do not attempt to justify the ignorant written word with 'he has changed'. To be blunt he was a grown --- man when he wrote the book BIG MOUTH. You want to view modern day bigotry read it. See you all at the Planning Commission meeting Monday night!!!!!!!!! I am told they represent the the best interests of the entire city. In closing I would like to remind all those reading CELL PHONE USAGE WHILE DRIVING IS AGAINST THE LAW - drive safely!— August 16, 2013 3:20 p.m.