East County News Service

February 2, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego), a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, was named as the Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, which plays a key role in shaping higher education policy.

East County News Service

January 31, 2017 (El Cajon) -- The Chancellor and leaders at Grossmont-Community College District have sent a letter to students in the wake of  President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders regarding immigration, border security, and a travel ban on people from seven nations, as well as his threat to establish a Muslim registry.  The letter affirms that the district’s governing board will vote February 21 on whether to adopt the following policies:

• Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges are open to all students who meet the minimum requirement for admission, regardless of background, culture, religion, or immigration status. 
• The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will not release any personally identifiable student information, including data related to immigration status, without a judicial warrant or court order unless authorized by the student or required by law.
• The District will not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of individuals based on any protected characteristics such as religion, national origin, race, or sexual orientation.
• The District stands proudly for the heritage of American community colleges as hallmarks of a diverse, engaged, and healthy democracy.

Below is the letter in full:

By Miriam Raftery

January 26, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – One of President Trump’s most controversial nominees is Betsy DeVos, proposed to head up the Department of Education.  The billionaire GOP donor has led a “school choice” PAC and led efforts to divert public funds to charter schools and vouchers in Detroit with largely failed results, where critics say more segregation and generally poor test scores resulted.  If confirmed, she would be an Education Secretary largely committed to dismantling public education despite no track record of success in helping students, particularly students of color.

East County News Service

January 23, 2017 (Sacramento) - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today directed the California Department of Education to work with all schools and school districts forced to close as a result of flooding and other winter storm related issues so that they may qualify for relief from the loss of Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding.

Source: Grossmont-Cuyamaca College District

January 18, 2017 (El Cajon) - Cuyamaca College has secured a grant of nearly $260,000 to bolster its new viticulture apprenticeship program and cover the cost of a planned two-acre vineyard on the Rancho San Diego campus.

East County News Service

December 23, 2016 (San Diego) — You’re invited to engage in a brain-twisting, mind-wrestling, hair-splitting experience as you explore modern situations and the complex dilemmas they give rise to while you seek solutions by examining original Talmudic texts.

Beginning Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., Rabbi Rafi Andrusier of San Carlos will offer a fascinating new six-session course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) called The Dilemma: Modern Conundrums. Talmudic Debates. Your Solutions.  Classes are located at Lomas Del Cerro Club Room (7255 Navajo Rd. San Diego).

The new, rare and endangered succulent is found only in Baja California

East County News Service

December 15, 2016 (San Diego) - Jimi Hendrix may have died more than 45 years ago, but his botanical legacy will live forever. In a new study, a team of researchers, including San Diego State University plant biologist Michael Simpson, identified a new and rare species of succulent and dubbed it Dudleya hendrixii, or “Hendrix’s liveforever,” in honor of the guitar virtuoso.

Update December 8, 2016: Adams has won by 124 votes.  The election was certified today.

By Miriam Raftery

December 4, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) - In the race to fill an open seat on the Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College District Board, Elena Adams has pulled ahead of Timothy Caruthers by a razor-thin margin of 69 votes.  Adams, a teacher backed by the American Federation of Teachers, has 50.1% with 18,136 votes, while Caruthers, who currently serves on the Alpine Union School District board, has 49.9% and 18,067 votes.

East County News Service

November 19, 2016 (San Diego) — President-Elect Donald Trump has agreed to pay $25 million to settle lawsuits representing thousands of students alleging fraud and racketeering involving the now defunct Trump University, which was never an accredited school.

Update December 1, 2016:  Lyon has pulled back ahead of Russo by 25 votes as the count contiunes.  The election will be certified  December 8th.

Update November 16, 2016:  Lou Russo has pulled ahead of Travis Lyon.

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 12, 2016 (Alpine) — With 100% of precincts counted but provisional and some mail-in ballots remaining to be counted, Joseph Perricone has won reelection to the Alpine Union School District board. But a second seat is still too close to call, with Travis Lyon leading Louis Russo by just 19 votes.

Bond measure narrowly losing

By Jonathan Goetz

November 9, 2016 (El Cajon) -Conservative Republicans have won election in the five-person race for Cajon Valley Union School Board. Both are  endorsed by the Republican Party though the race is nonpartisan.

Clark-Mejia serves as the lead marriage and family therapist intern at New Day Women’s Center and Counseling Services, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that serves women and their families.

November 7,  2016  (San Diego’s East County) – Oday Yousif Jr. is a graduate of Valhalla High School in the Grossmont Union High School District and a current student at San Diego State University. Now he’s running for the Grossmont school board,  seeking to bring a student’s perspective to the board and serve the needs of multi-lingual and multi-cultural students.  You can hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio,  by clicking the audio link: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au... . 

Yousif asked for an interview to clear up information on a  mailer with misleading information on candidates' party endorsements. He is the only candidate endorsed by the county Democratic Party in Grossmont’s  Trustee Area 2, which includes La Mesa, Mt. Helix,  and portions of surrounding neighborhoods. He also spoke out in support of Measure BB,  Grossmont's school bond measure, which he backs despite some flaws in the measure because he believes "our schools need more money" to better serve students.

By Miriam Raftery

October 29, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Multiple candidates in the Grossmont Union High School District Board race have complained of mailers containing false or misleading information on candidates' party endorsements or affiliations.

Below is information on which parties have endorsed candidates in the race,  as well as which candidates have teachers' union backing and which seem to be running stealth campaigns--offering little or no information for voters.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Devorah Fox,  left,  and Ramona Irwin, right

October 31, 2016 (El  Cajon)—East County Magazine invited all five candidates running for the Cajon Valley Union School District to be interviewed on our radio show. Two responded.  

Hear our interview with  Ramona Irwin and Devorah Fox: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au... , and scroll down for more information about the candidates.