Majority Vote Budget Initiative qualifies for ballot
How would you balance the budget? Take the Next10 budget challenge
By Miriam Raftery
May 14, 2010 (Sacramento) – Facing a budget deficit of over $20 billion, today Governor Schwarzenegger proposed deep new budget cuts. The Governor proposes the complete elimination of the CAL-Works program (which will impact over 80,000 low-income parents and their children in San Diego County), slash in-home care for seniors and the disabled (including 23,000 seniors and disabled persons in San Diego County), and sharply cut funds for the Healthy Families program, among other drastic measures.
Hoping to end budget gridlock, teachers, firefighters and nurses last week joined together to submit more than 1.1 million signatures and qualify a Majority Vote Budget Initiative for the November 2, 2010 election. “Late budgets hurt all Californians and the budget crisis is continuing to be the top issue in the state,” said Kay McVay, President Emeritus of the California Nurses Association, “This initiative will not end all of the gridlock, but it is a step in the right direction.”
Update May 20: Supervisors approved the Fuerte Ranch Estates project.
May 14, 2010 (Mt. Helix) – County Supervisors will vote Wednesday on whether or not to approve Reynolds Communities proposed Fuerte Ranch Estates development on the site of a former chicken ranch. Reynolds has scaled back initial plans from 76 to 36 homes on the 27-acre parcel adjacent to Damon Lane County Park at Fuerte Drive and Damon Lane.
The plan has ruffled feathers among many area residents, also raising hackles of East County planners.
May 14, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- In the alphabet soup that makes up the Federal Government, few people have ever heard of the Minerals Management Service. But the MMS is well known to oil company executives, because for years it has operated as a sleeping watchdog while billions of dollars in taxpayer's money was pumped out the back door.
May 14, 2010 (Ramona) – Cal-Fire is mopping up hot spots from a quarter-acre brush fire at 1837 Pine Street and Washington Street in Ramona. The fire started at 2:45 the spread was stopped at 2:58, Cl-Fire reports. The cause is under investigation.
May 14, 2010 3:55 p.m. (Dulzura) -- A 250-acre fire is burning in Mexico, approximately one and a half miles south of the border near Dulzura. The blaze currently poses no threat to the U.S., according to Cal-Fire Battalion Chief Nick Schuler.
May 14, 2010 (El Cajon) – Brett Stephen Rose, 23, of El Cajon was arrested at last night after reportedly threatening a neighbor, then barricading himself inside an apartment at 1038 Peach in El Cajon.
Photovoltaic Facility Proposed by LS Power Could Deliver up to 130 Megawatts of Clean Energy to San Diego Across Planned Sunrise Powerlink
May 14, 2010 (San Diego)—San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced yesterday that it has signed a 20-year power-purchase agreement with an LS Power subsidiary to procure up to 130 megawatts (MW) of solar energy from the proposed Centinela Solar Energy facility in the Imperial Valley.
May 14, 2010 (San Diego) -- Robin Hood is the year’s first big disappointment, considering the people involved in making it. Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Russell Crowe as the title character and fine actress Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian. As always, Scott demonstrates his ability as one of the most visual directors out there today, teeming with expertly crafted shots that nearly give the film an epic feel. Crowe and Blanchett do not disappoint in the acting department. It is not a bad movie by any means but rather aggressively unsatisfying; to paraphrase Sean Connery from the 1976 film Robin and Marian, (a better film than this incarnation) instead of getting red meat I wound up settling for only bread and cheese.
May 13, 2010 (La Mesa) –La Mesa Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting and toasted with champagne this week to celebrate the grand opening of La Mesa’s newest business, Sparrow Bridal Boutique.
But the dazzling wedding gowns, sparkling jewels and pearls aren’t all new. A chic boutique that’s ideal for the bride on a budget, Sparrow carries an array of both new and gently worn gowns, specializing in classic, vintage bridal wear. The shop carriesdesigner-label dresses, traditional and bird cage veils, vintage and costume jewelry, fashionable purses, garters and other accessories.
May 13, 2010 (La Mesa) – This evening at 5:13 p.m., a man and woman robbed Wells Fargo Bank in the Grossmont Center Mall. They used a demand note and threat of a gun during the robbery, obtaining cash before fleeing on foot.
It was the third East County bank robbery in the past two days, though the events are not believed to be related.
"Your comments about American Indians indicate that your knowledge about us, and about the historical relationship between Indian governments and the United States, is lacking to the point of being shameful." -- American Indian Movement of Colorado, in an open letter to President Ronald Reagan, 1988
May 13, 2010 (Alpine) – Alpine's Native American tribal members were not invited to serve on a committee to recommend a name for Alpine’s planned new high school. A Union-Tribune editorial published during debate over whether to build a 12th high school observed, “The Viejas and Sycuan Indian tribes consider Alpine to be their community. The tribes fully understand how important education is…They are important allies to have when taking on a forgetful district bureaucracy.”
May 13, 2010 - A man who threatened a Santee homeowner with a tire iron has been arrested following a search by the Sheriff's Astrea helicopter, East County Magazine has learned.
The had a small white dog with him and had fled through Woodglen Vista Park on Ironwood in Santee.
May 13, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Shortly after noon yesterday, a tall man wearing a white, stretchy mask passed a demand note to a teller at Chase Bank on Navajo Road near Lake Murray. He claimed to have a bomb and threatened to detonate it with a hand-held device resembling a cell phone.
May 12, 2010 (Alpine) – The DreamCatcher at Viejas Casino in Alpine announces a concert lineup featuring musical styles ranging from country to jazz, as well as rock, rhythm and blues.
The series includes country legend Merle Haggard and other musical stars such as the Temptations, as well as a two-woman show, Vicki Lawrence and Mama, inspired by characters from the Carol Burnett TV comedy show.
May 12, 2010 (Jamul) – A small brush fire on the 13th hole of Cottonwood Golf Course on Willows Road near Jamul was swiftly extinguished by Cal-Fire and the San Miguel Fire Department.
Update 5 p.m. The fire, which burned approximately five acres, has been halted.
May 12, 2010 (Santee) - A brush fire is burning at Big Rock Park, where evacuations are underway. In addition, Incident Page Network reports that Chet Harritt school is slated for evacuation.
Multiple units and air attacks are on scene, Cal Fire confirms.
Board meets May 13; Critics slam GUHSD for secretly stacking advisory board with conservative political figures
By Miriam Raftery
May 12, 2010 (Alpine) – Why doesn’t the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) want the public to be given the names of people appointed to serve on a committee to name Alpine’s planned new high school?
“It’s a secret that East county’s high school district evidently would prefer you didn’t know,” stated a San Diego Union-Tribune editorial. The GUHSD board forced the newspaper to file an official public records act request to obtain committee members' names.
The list suggests the GUHSD trustees hand-picked political figures, a large majority of whom support naming the new school after former president Ronald Reagan.
May 11, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police today arrested Robert William Pickens, 44, of San Diego on suspicion of holding up the Mission Federal Credit Union at Grossmont Center.
May 11, 2010 (Sacramento) – The Senate Education Committee has passed SB 1290 by a unanimous vote. The measure, authored by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), would allow self-defense training for middle and high school districts to provide self-defense training for boys and girls as part of the standard physical education curriculum.
May 11, 2010 (San Diego) – Starting this month, the State of California hopes to entice homeowners to replace their old water heaters with solar-powered systems. Under the California Solar Initiative Thermal Program, rebates up to $1,875 will be available for people who switch from natural gas or electric water heaters.
Company credits AB 32 as incentive for expansion; plans to add 100 manufacturing jobs—and is attracting other green firms
By Richard Darvas
May 10, 2010 (Otay Mesa) -- Clean-tech industries are a “wave of the future for San Diego,” declared San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders after a tour of Siliken Renewable Energy’s solar manufacturing plant, located roughly two miles north of the Mexican border in Otay Mesa.
Company executives have announced a massive 50% expansion in the clean-energy provider’s Otay Mesa workforce operations.
May 11, 2010 (Sacramento) -- The California Legislature recently approved a $10,000 tax credit for Californians purchasing qualified homes between May 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010. The credit applies to people purchasing previously unoccupied homes and to first-time homebuyers purchasing re-sale homes.
May 12, 2010 (San Diego) – National Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21st. Locally, SANDAG and the San Diego County Credit Union have teamed up to offer prizes and info for commuters who register at www.iCommuteSD.com. Registrants will be eligible to win an electric bicycle, spa gift certificate and more – plus a free Bike to Work Day T-shirt when you print out your receipt.
May 11, 2010 (Santee) – At 9:48 this morning, a man believed to be the “geezer bandit” robbed the Bank of America at 9711 Mission Gorge Road in Santee.
“He had a blue baseball cap and blue sport coat,” said Sergeant Tom Poulin, detective with the Santee Sheriff’s Department. A witness said the robber also had an oxygen tank.
The City of Santee’s annual Santee Summer Concert Series is set to bring high-energy performances for all ages.
May 14, 2010 (Sacramento) – Facing a budget deficit of over $20 billion, today Governor Schwarzenegger 
Update May 20: Supervisors approved the Fuerte Ranch Estates project.
Nothing but the truth!
May 14, 2010 (Ramona) – Cal-Fire is mopping up hot spots from a quarter-acre brush fire at 1837 Pine Street and Washington Street in Ramona. The fire started at 2:45 the spread was stopped at 2:58, Cl-Fire reports. The cause is under investigation.
May 14, 2010 3:55 p.m. (Dulzura) -- A 250-acre fire is burning in Mexico, approximately one and a half miles south of the border near Dulzura. The blaze currently poses no threat to the U.S., according to Cal-Fire Battalion Chief Nick Schuler.
May 14, 2010 (El Cajon) – Brett Stephen Rose, 23, of El Cajon was arrested at last night after reportedly threatening a neighbor, then barricading himself inside an apartment at 1038 Peach in El Cajon.
Photovoltaic Facility Proposed by LS Power Could Deliver up to 130 Megawatts of Clean Energy to San Diego Across Planned Sunrise Powerlink
May 13, 2010 (La Mesa) –La Mesa Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting and toasted with champagne this week to celebrate the grand opening of La Mesa’s newest business, Sparrow Bridal Boutique. 
Share creative ideas to assist people of all ages with tips to save money and improve their lifestyle!
Local stores pitch in to help with hair-raising project to make oil-soaking mats and booms
By Phyllis Mutta and Takayuki Higuchi
May 13, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Shortly after noon yesterday, a tall man wearing a white, stretchy mask passed a demand note to a teller at Chase Bank on Navajo Road near Lake Murray. He claimed to have a bomb and threatened to detonate it with a hand-held device resembling a cell phone.
May 12, 2010 (Alpine) – The DreamCatcher at Viejas Casino in Alpine announces a concert lineup featuring musical styles ranging from country to jazz, as well as rock, rhythm and blues. 
May 12, 2010 (Jamul) – A small brush fire on the 13th hole of Cottonwood Golf Course on Willows Road near Jamul was swiftly extinguished by Cal-Fire and the San Miguel Fire Department. 
Slim pickings for suspect Robert William Pickens 
By Buck Shott
May 11, 2010 (Sacramento) – The Senate Education Committee has passed SB 1290 by a unanimous vote. The measure, authored by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), would allow self-defense training for middle and high school districts to provide self-defense training for boys and girls as part of the standard physical education curriculum. 
May 11, 2010 (San Diego) – Starting this month, the State of California hopes to entice homeowners to replace their old water heaters with solar-powered systems. Under the California Solar Initiative Thermal Program, rebates up to $1,875 will be available for people who switch from natural gas or electric water heaters.
By Richard Darvas
May 11, 2010 (Sacramento) -- The California Legislature recently approved a $10,000 tax credit for Californians purchasing qualified homes between May 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010. The credit applies to people purchasing previously unoccupied homes and to first-time homebuyers purchasing re-sale homes.
May 12, 2010 (San Diego) – National Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21st. Locally, SANDAG and the San Diego County Credit Union have teamed up to offer prizes and info for commuters who register at 
May 11, 2010 (Santee) – At 9:48 this morning, a man believed to be the “geezer bandit” robbed the Bank of America at 9711 Mission Gorge Road in Santee.
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