EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: NOVEMBER 30, 2009

November 30, 2009 -- East County Roundup includes the most important stories about San Diego's eastern regions, or stories relevant to our readers, that are published by other media. Top stories from the past month include:

• Bilbray Billing Bilbray: North County Congress member pays his wife from campaign coffers
  
• SD Retailers Pleased with Early Black Friday Results
  
• 70% of Local Sex Offenders Live Too Close to Parks, Schools
  
• Thrift Store to Leave Downtown El Cajon
  
• Anderson Defends Mailer Touting Bill
  
• 'They're Looking at Impending Doom' - If California exacts the worst possible cuts on schools, San Diego Unified literally has no idea how it can balance its budget.
  
• Bankruptcy an Option, Says Mayor's Fiscal Task Force
  
• Cuyamaca College Names Its New President
  
• San Diego State Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel Resigns Amid Controversy
  
• Potrero Preschool Reopens After 2007 Harris Fire

BILBRAY BILLING BILBRAY

North County Congress member pays his wife from campaign coffers
San Diego City Beat (November 29, 2009 ) - Two and a half years after D.C.-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released its scathing report on members of Congress who channeled campaign funds to family members, one San Diego-area Congress member hasn’t changed his ways.
http://www.sdcitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/billbray_billing_billbray/8639/

S.D. RETAILERS PLEASED WITH EARLY BLACK FRIDAY RESULTS

KPBS/City News Service (November 27, 2009 ) -- lack Friday shopping in San Diego started as early as midnight and some retailers are already calling it a success, but local economic experts said today it won't compare to pre-recession times.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/nov/27/sd-retailers-please-early-black-fri...

70% OF LOCAL SEX OFFENDERS LIVE TOO CLOSE TO PARKS, SCHOOLS

I-Team, Watchdog Institute, San Diego Union-Tribune Join Forces To Test Jessica's Law

CHANNEL 10 NEWS (November 24, 2009 ) -- When California voters passed Jessica’s Law in 2006, the purpose was to protect children from known sex offenders. The law states that sex offenders "shall not reside within 2,000 feet of any public or private school or park... "
That might be what is written but it is not the reality.

…The reason so many sex offenders live so close to parks and schools is that only the State Department of Corrections has enforced Jessica’s Law, and only for those currently on parole. It’s a law with no teeth. For those who are not on parole it is unenforced and there is no written penalty for violating it.
http://www.10news.com/investigations/21714695/detail.html

THRIFT STORE TO LEAVE DOWNTOWN EL CAJON

San Diego Union-Tribune (November 24, 2009) - For more than 30 years, customers came to the Salvation Army thrift store in downtown El Cajon searching for a bargain on clothes, furniture, appliances or collectibles.

But the thrift store isn’t immune to the economic decline that is hurting businesses downtown. The store is closing tomorrow because it’s not getting enough business, said Joe Dean, the Salvation Army’s director of retail.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/24/thrift-store-leave-downto...

ANDERSON DEFENDS MAILER TOUTING BILL

Assemblyman Joel Anderson has broken his silence
San Diego Union-Tribune (November 23, 2009 ) - n an interview before Sunday’s Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon, the La Mesa Republican defended sending a campaign-style mailer at taxpayer expense.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/23/anderson-defends-mailer-t...

`THEY’RE LOOKING AT IMPENDING DOOM’

Voice of San Diego (November 23, 2009 )--If California exacts the worst possible cuts on schools, San Diego Unified literally has no idea how it can balance its budget. Or to be more precise, it doesn't have enough ideas.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/11/23/education/779schoolbu...

BANKRUPTCY AN OPTION, SAYS MAYOR’S FISCAL TASK FORCE

Voice of San Diego (November 20, 2009)) --A private task force of prominent local business leaders formed by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders is recommending the city file for bankruptcy unless it undergoes a series of urgent and drastic fiscal reforms, according to a draft of the group's report.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/11/20/government/215committ...

CUYAMACA COLLEGE NAMES ITS NEW PRESIDENT

San Diego Union-Tribune (November 21, 2009) – Stuart Savin, a A Pennsylvania community college administrator has been selected as the new president of Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/21/cuyamaca-college-names-it...

SAN DIEGO STATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JEFF SCHEMMEL RESIGNS AMID CONTROVERSY

San Diego News Network ( November 19, 2009) -- San Diego State University athletic director Jeff Schemmel resigned on Thursday amid controversy surrounding his alleged use of a university credit card while on a trip that involved an extramarital affair with an Alabama woman.

Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-11-19/sports/aztecs-sports/san-diego-s...

POTRERO PRESCHOOL REOPENS AFTER 2007 HARRIS FIRE
 

Backcountry Messenger (November 2009) -- The Mountain Empire Pre-School director Colleen Elliott and site supervisor Verlet Briggs had the honor of cutting the ribbon that signified the re-opening of the pre-school building destroyed by the 2007 Harris Fire inferno.
http://www.backcountrymessenger.com/Edition%20Files/2009/11.09/11.09.01.pdf