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
Close to Home — What it’s like on the street where you live
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
Cops kick out public from Sweetwater board meeting
King Midas, he's not.... When four of the top items in the south bay over the last week or so involve issues that concern SUHSD and Dr. Ed Brand (Phd from a failing University with questionable lineage), it's not a recommendation of fine leadership, trust or business sense. It appears that everything he has directly touched turns to lead. Luckily or due to good employees the things he has not touched still shine.... His lead henchmen or courtisains (sp) so to speak do his bidding without batting an eye, never the one to tell the king he's wearing no clothes. Mr Calhoun, will there ever be a true accounting and plan for the future infrastructure of the district? This was asked Last May... now you were caught with a lie about not fixing fire alarms and fire watches in schools where as a part of Prop O these alarms were to be fixed. Blocking a Fire exit??? To the board of trustees, an Oxymoron if I ever heard one, Dr. Brand is your employee, treat him as such and have him toe the line. Have you completed his annual review yet? With all of the bad press, failed schemes, the state of the budget, attitude of the staff, etc. I'm sure you all think he's the greatest employee ever. To the teachers and staff, ie the worker bees, Thank You for your sacrifices, I do not agree with everything you do but understand the need to do it. Please stand tall, continue to do the best you can under the curcumstances, our kids deserve it.... To the rest of the people in the South Bay and the District, it's our money being wasted, it's our kids being abused, it's our community being plundered. If not those things the way our Board of Trustees and Employee are acting is unacceptable and reflects poorly on us all. BBQ— October 24, 2013 6:09 a.m.
Cops kick out public from Sweetwater board meeting
timtim, While the issue of properly treating your Employees can always be debated weather it is shared costs, work conditions or wages, fudging on previous agreements is something to be avoided. As for your comment: **So if the elected by the community board members feel a new district office best serves the community...**, I would hope and expect that the Elected Board Members have done more than just **"...Feel a...;"** Making another capital expenditure on Real Estate... the current Superintendant's and a few of the board member's track record on Real Estate and dealing with contractors is not very good (L St. 3rd Ave, Prop 'O'). One would hope the **"Financial Conservative"** Mr. McCann at least looked at where the funds were coming from and what it means to a district with **deficit budgets and little reserves**. I guess Mr. McCann is a career politician, he thinks like he's in Washington... One wonders if, ....that the last time the Board threw the **"New District Office"** around, the public did not like it then, why would the **Board** believe it's different now? As many people have said to you, Mr. Brand and the rest of the Board of Trustees, **Go Back to the basics of your Business, fix the educational issues, do not continue to build your empire, and stop spending money like you can print more in the basement..** The Board of Trustees were elected to oversee the district, not cow-toe to their employee or build thier own edifices with their names on plaques in the lobbies of new or renovated Buildings! Or heaven forbid get **special SWAG** that's an oxymoron as SWAG, Stuff We All Get, cannot be "Special"... I could keep going but Lunch is over and I keep thinking about the Board, that **the following Dogs only have one view, up the lead Dog's (Dr. Brand's) Butt....** On that thought, best to you, the missus and the little timtims, BBQ Read more: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2013/oct/22/st…— October 23, 2013 11:57 a.m.
Alliant University's San Diego campus could be sold
dwbat, As is said, "we all make mistakes". In your previous blog on line 7, I think you meant "too" not "two". Just an observation from an Engineer, who spells poorly, thank goodness for spell check. BBQ— October 17, 2013 2:38 p.m.
California taxpayers spend $717M annually subsidizing benefits for fast food workers, new report claims
I read the same story but if I believe the numbers in California there are **225,000 Fast food workers**, at a cost to the state of **$717,000,000 in benefits** to these workers it comes out to **less than $3200/year each**, which if they were working full time is an **additional $1.60 / hour**, not nearly double current wages or $15/ hour. Has anyone really looked at the numbers with the changes in Income Tax to be paid at the higher wage, Obamacare coverage for the newly raised workers, etc.? **Does the raised pay really move the economic status of these workers? Will it get them out or off the food stamps, medical and other government programs?** Simplified comparisions and solutions usually carry their own set of issues. BBQ— October 16, 2013 1:50 p.m.
South Bay judge upholds majority of indictments in pay-to-play
dbdriver your questions are laudable however the answer is obvious, ***"Why would the board kill the Golden Goose"*** This Board has never been able to Lead anything except embarassment. As for Marco Carlos' (Pearl Quinones Attorney) comment ***...Carlos also believes that the former program manager for both Sweetwater's and Southwestern's bond construction, Henry Amigable, who has provided a lot of the testimony on which the charges are based, will prove to be "a weak witness."...*** Do you think he may be trying to influence a potential Jury Pool? How about Paul Pfingst ... ***Paul Pfingst, attorney for former Sweetwater superintendent Jesus Gandara, took issue with the much-publicized lobster dinner that Gandara received--paid for by Amigable. (The lobster was flown in for the occasion and described as "still kicking.") Pfingst argued that there were no business discussions at the meal and that it was a social occasion and should not be considered bribery.*** I was taught that a bribe/gift with any value between potential contracting agencies was wrong, if not illegal than a Conflict of Interest! If so Gandara should have been "Fired with cause" and given up his severance and retirement. (I wish to remind everyone of the money tree!) Gee if found guilty shoud the retired teachers/educators retirement fund sue to recooperate their funds? As for today a question "Is introducing your recently graduated son to Agencies you have financial connections with a "Conflict of Interest"? What if he gets a job from said agency?" All I know if anyone thinks it's a Conflict, IT IS!!! BBQ Read more: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/news-ticker… Read more: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/news-ticker…— October 11, 2013 9:45 a.m.
Sweetwater school district backs off on Alliant International University plan
Books.... How passe, you mean it can't be done on an ipad.... Core curriculum, what happened to Shakespear, the "New" math, good old readin, writin, and arithmetic? The only things "special" in this district is the people running it.... My ire is rising again. Best, BBQ— September 16, 2013 1:25 p.m.
Sweetwater school district backs off on Alliant International University plan
The lack of coverage and notes in sir Duncan's Face book or local media, just goes to show ya: **If a Tree falls in the forest,. ie a DC Pol comes to Sweetwater, nobody hears it or cares.** Pobre local politicians.... and so call movers and shakers... Let's get back to our broken (crooked) school system and their back scratchers... Best to all, BBQ— September 16, 2013 10:56 a.m.
Chula Vista school hurries to get ready for Arne Duncan
meg, I reply here so it is at the same level as your reply. First the issues many of us are frustrated with involve the documented disgressions of the District. The district is comprised of the "Trustees", their appointed/hired hand "the superintendent" and his chosen "Advisors" and "Staff". Their arrogance and lack of communication with us the customers of their service (Education) is the main problem. Their overall lack of concern for the law with their "Network" of power is the real issue. I for one think the recognition of CPMS is great but let's be honest what have the Trustees, superintendent and adminstration really done for CPMS? and what are they doing to the rest of the district? So, please continue to write and read these comments, defend what you believe in, but don't belittle us for not seeing it your way either. BBQ— September 6, 2013 11:57 a.m.
Chula Vista school hurries to get ready for Arne Duncan
Hear, Hear, AnnieJ,, I sense your frustration with the everything is great and good in the district being spouted by a few of new commentors. We are on the same page. see below BBQ— September 6, 2013 10:54 a.m.
Chula Vista school hurries to get ready for Arne Duncan
Ladies and gentlemen, I have been off of the blog/comment circle for a couple of months, however it seemed to me that we are missing the big picture here. First and foremost the eastside vs. westside arguement is nearly moot in the fact that there is more money being spent through Prop O ($640,000,000) on the westside than has been spent on the eastside. Most of the District sites either have some "newer" construction on them like Mar Vista's new Gym, (8 years?) and the renewed CV Middle School (1 year), pretty nice, Sweetwater High (1 Year), Hilltop High (1 year). Paid for by all of us. On the Eastside while we have relatively new buildings Eastlake High (20 years?), Otay Ranch (15 years?), Olympian (6 years?) being paid for through CDR/Mello Roos, they are deteriorating at a very fast rate due to different construction standards, cost overruns, and over-crowding due to Open Boundaries. So back-off the facilities issues.... The place we all should be standing together is the fact that our Trustees, Superintendant and some Staffers are not looking out for the best interests of the District or the Students. We have a Scandal involving Prop O Money, Pay for Play with regards to district contractors (including Food Services and other "contracted services"), Miss-use of CDR funds (Mello-Roos). Empire Building examples, Alliant University, Sweetwater University, Grand Canyon University, the CPM Teaching Method "Ownership", Political Stepping stones (Mayor McCann, hard to even joke about). Undocumented possibly illegal use of ASB Funds, "L" Street Property, majority of the district schools on academic improvement. I could go on but I'm sure you are starting to get the picture. The leaders of the district are egotists, screwing up what once was a good school district by working to their own needs and not to those of their constituents, us the taxpayers, citizens and students in the district. Let's forget about East and West, let's use this "Dog and Pony Show" at CPM as another example of "Egotism" of the Empire Builders, Let's let the students, residents and faculity at CPM enjoy their success and noteriety (by the way the "Value" of neighborhood schools, most middle schoolers still attend their neighborhood school). **However .....Let's never forget the overall predicament that the District is in and who got us there.** Best to you all, BBQ— September 6, 2013 10:48 a.m.