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
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
One thing for sure, FINALLY, we have seen GOOD government at work - the NATIONAL CITY PLANNING COMMISSION. Other than the facts that are staring us in the face is the perceived collusion between Brand and South Bay Community Services. The South Bay Comm Serv representative actually admitted to having access to confidential student information. Has this fact been ignored? That would be a NO - try contacting them and asking to speak to them - all you get is voice mail. Is this issue going away? Again that would be a NO Stay tuned!!!!!!!!— August 8, 2013 1:14 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
"the only dog on this lot" - hmmm, perhaps a resurgence of this old friend of Brands. So let us consider Brands track record when it comes to private sector funding. In early 2012 he stated "I can stop the grief right here" while referencing the Funds for Education Committee. It was the second time that Ed Brand's efforts regarding private fund raising ended in controversy. The first, I believe that was the all so infamous Pepsi deal. You all remember that one right? a quick recap - the 2001 Profit Loss Statement for the Master Associated Student Body Accounts indicated that Pepsi deposited an initial amount of $1.4 million the Pepsi deposits were $611,000. HOWEVER, the disbursements - Bonus Payments $87,000, Commissions were $1.2 million, Board Allocation $5,000 (was that per board member?), and here it comes folks SUPERINTENDENT ALLOCATION of ALMOST $92,000. Yes, please reread the paragraph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The San Diego County Grand Jury cited 'issues at Sweetwater were worthy of deeper investigation'. Please read the entire article referred to above, written by who else? - Susan Luzzaro - published by who else? - The READER ------------'Sweetwater's Funds for Education' dated January 11, 2012 http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en… People, people, people - when is this madness going to end?— August 7, 2013 1:18 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
jdhughed - we are witnessing the destruction of a school district that was ONCE considered the very best. Parents are not happy that their students info has allegedly been compromised. Citizens are not happy that their Superintendent is allegedly skirting legal protocol prior to installing one of his pet projects. TAXPAYERS ARE EXTREMELY ANGRY AT THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE HANDS OF PERSONS WHO APPEAR TO HAVE CIRCUMVENTED FEDERAL LAWS THAT PROTECT STUDENTS PRIVACY.— August 7, 2013 9:21 a.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
And,,,,,, make them (ALLIANT) TAKE DOWN THEIR SIGN!!!!!!!!— August 6, 2013 8:58 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
Something is terribly wrong when the Superintendent of one of the largest Middle/High school districts in the nation stands before a City Council and defends not following proper procedure with 'my bad'. Why the discrepancy between the statements of the Alliant representative and the CEO of South Bay Community Services? Remind me again of which laws govern the monies being used by South Bay Community Services. From a taxpayers point of view it appears as though someone's hand(s) were caught in the cookie jar. Perhaps a WARNING should accompany any and all of Ed Brands deals - PROCEED AT YOUR OWN PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL RISK!!!!!!? Board president Jim Cartmill, who exactly is monitoring Ed Brand? Which legal firm did he use to review this endeavor? Or perhaps that is the problem Ed Brand does whatever Ed Brand wants to do - law, legality? Seem to matter little to him. Arlie Ricasa, as a Counselor at Southwestern surely you see why parents are so outraged. The National City planning commission should be applauded - no rubber stamp from them. No these are officials who DO THEIR JOB - they focus their efforts on what is best and what are the legal intricacies that will affect the city they represent. Now, which National City entity is going to the Adullt Ed Center tomorrow and demanding that Alliant remove themselves from the premises IMMEDIATELY. ED BRAND IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW - regardless of what he may think!!!!!!!— August 6, 2013 8:41 p.m.
Did Manuel Paul illegally burn San Ysidro School District papers?
Ysidro1 - unfortunately I will have to agree to disagree. The allegations of bribery, ah yes, "I will award you this solar contract if you buy me a home" - for some reason that alleged crime and respectable superintendent do not equate. While your perception of Mr. Paul may be positive, for MANY others, it is not so. Of course Paul is not the only problem, one has only to look at the San Ysidro school board. The time for change for San Ysidro School District is NOW - the South Bay is preparing to clean the houses of Sweetwater, Southwestern and Ysidro via the vote. Voting in persons who want to serve vs. use their positions for personal and or political gain is what is needed. Perhaps the elementary school District of Chula Vista can serve as a role model.— August 6, 2013 7:17 a.m.
Did Manuel Paul illegally burn San Ysidro School District papers?
'Placed on administrative leave' - simply for being a whistle blower! Simply hard to believe. If, as the attorney alleges, Paul was doing nothing wrong, then why the alleged retaliation. It appears that three school districts (San Ysidro, Sweetwater and Southwestern) in the South Bay have forgotten a very simple but important fact - WE, the taxpaying public, own the districts - the employees are in essence our employees as we pay their salaries. I congratulate the whistle blower as I, for one, want these three districts restored to their once respected status. I am embarrassed that i.e. Sweetwater and alleged corruption are currently viewed as going hand in hand - as are the other two. With everything else San Ysidro is suffering from they now add attempted intimidation. Whistle blower laws exist for a reason. No doubt the news of what has happened to the whistle blower will bring more pressure to bear on the school board. Voters will have yet one more reason to vote in new representation. WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS FOLKS! Call and demand this person get their job back immediately - 619-428-4476 - press 0 and ask to speak to superintendents sec'y. I left a message for all of the Board members with her.— August 5, 2013 8:54 a.m.
What am I doing in Eastlake?
2014 is an election year for three board members of SUHSD. Please cast an educated ballot - take the time to Google Sweetwater and each board members names - the time for change is now. Our middle and high school students depend on us to ensure the educational, financial and athletic decisions being made are done by persons looking to serve vs. use their board seat for personal or political gain.— August 3, 2013 2:35 p.m.
What am I doing in Eastlake?
psarceo - you are correct, the Elementary Districts are exceptional. However in doing a Google search what they will read about Sweetwater would most definitely give them reason to be concerned.— August 3, 2013 2:30 p.m.
What am I doing in Eastlake?
bbq- Thank You for educating those who may not know. To make it real clear - SUHSD has 4 of its 5 board members under indictment in 'the largest case of corruption San Diego City/county has ever seen. Wondering why the middle/high schools out there are so crowded - well the Superintendent of SUHSD removed the boundaries last year. Mello Roos, ah yes the Mello Roos, wonder how many are aware that their Mello funds are being borrowed by SUHSD - now they say they back - but in my world when you pay something back on 1-1 and re borrow it on 1-2 have your really paid it back? So many issues regarding SUHSD that great impact on Eastlake continuing to be viewed as a great place to educate our future leaders. If only the SUHSD super would be willing to take some lessons from the supers at our elementary districts.— August 3, 2013 10:30 a.m.