The Los Alamitos Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize the launch of the News Enterprise web site, newsenterpise.net. and the opening of the CMC (Community Media Corporation) Digital headquarters in the Los Alamitos office. Dignitaries from the Chamber of Commerce and other local business leaders were on hand to celebrate this occasion.
Measure L passes in Cypress
Measure L in Cypress passed on Tuesday with 70 percent of the votes. The measure allows for rezoning of the closed Cypress Golf Course for such things as hospitals, churches, schools and affordable senior housing. There have been reports that developing the land could create nearly 700 jobs.
The patch of land borders on Los Alamitos, raising the question of the impact in terms of things like additional traffic. The golf course closed in 2004.
RCSD releases AG opinion on contracting for services
The following is a press release from the Rossmoor Community Services District
Child labor at Luther Elementary
Second grade students at Steve Luther Elementary School got a lesson on both sides of the economic process last week during their Community Days project. The La Palma School is part of the Cypress School District.
Jacob urges no vote on SDG&E fire tax hike
San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob is asked state regulators to reject a proposal by SDG&E that would force ratepayers to shoulder the costs of the 2007 wildfires and future wildfires.
The California Public Utilities Commission held a public hearing on the matter on Thursday, April 5 at the Al Bahr Shriners Memorial Auditorium in Kearny Mesa.
Dozens of angry and dissatisfied citizens showed up for the conclave.
Merchants troubled by city sign ordinance
Domenico Donato first came to America from Italy over 50 years ago and has never desired to to return to the Old Country.
Until now, that is.
Donato, owner of Mangia Bene, recently received a notice from the El Cajon Community Development department in regard to what businesses can and cannot do with advertising signs on or in front of their property.
Street racers ordered to stand trial
EL CAJON — An 18-year old Lakeside racing with another driver which crashed, killing two East County teenagers, was ordered him to stand trial for two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter (while under the influence of marijuana).
California Highway Patrol officers CHP officers testified that Michael Sebastian Johnson repeatedly denied racing the other 16-year old driver upon further questioning in the hours following the horrific crash on April 4 on state Route 52 near Convoy Street.
Planning Groups still here. part 1
After four months and an eight-hour meeting, the San Diego Board of Supervisors abandoned a plan to demolish or limit the planning and sponsor groups after nearly forty people spoke in favor of the groups. However, the supervisors did vote in favor of mandatory training and possibly a two year term limit for the chairperson of each group, though that latter element was left unclear. The decision was made at their Mar. 28 regular meeting as part of their decision on the 17 recommendations of the “Red Rape Reduction Task Force.”
The Board of Supervisors held the “red tape” hearing at 2pm instead of moving it forward even though there was a packed house on the planning group/”red tape” issue, so people were left waiting 4 hours plus a 45 minute lunch. Before public comment, the Board ran through the recommendations. On planning and sponsor groups there would be two possibilities: rescind board policies I-1 and I-1a and thus remove the groups from the county umbrella, or keep them under the county umbrella within a limited scope. Solution one would have saved $350,000 a year for 26 planning and sponsor groups, but it would have split the planning and sponsor groups into small fragments with the power of citizen’s groups. The other option would have reduced the scope of the groups to general plans, forced them to take two year term limits, reducing them to seven members, and making them only meet four times a year.
Free appeals for planning groups would have been removed; it would cost $500 each time a planning group appealed a county decision.
The other recommendations of the task force were to get rid of the Resource Protection Ordinance, a 1989 rule which covers elements of resource protection not covered in state or federal law, allowing for development on RPO land; reorganize the county government so the Department of Planning and Land Use would vanish; create a troubleshooter position or make all county managers into troubleshooters, create a corporate-style continuous improvement plan to “create the right culture”, getting rid of cross jurisdictional approval, outsourcing whenever possible, getting rid of residential guidelines, and self-certification of professionals, among other ideas.
First to speak in opposition was Oliver Smith, chair of the Valley Center Community Planning Group.
“No investigation or analysis of actual problems in the forty year old process has been performed. Such an investigation need to have the board of supervisors start with an objective, based on an all-stakeholder determination of what, if anything is wrong with the current planning and sponsor group process,” said Smith.
”Are there any documented instances where sponsor or planning group action created any “red tape” problems for developers?
There is no known basis for the elimination or evisceration of the public input.”
Smith then went on to say that the red tape report was off by $62,000 concerning liability costs for the groups and that “six major project developers” had sent in letters supporting the Valley Center Planning Group.
He finished by telling the board that the chairs of the planning groups had met and approved the following points: eliminating planning and sponsor groups does nothing to get rid of red tape.
He also added that the groups do nothing but give recommendations only, and the county process is not dependent on them; eliminating planning and sponsor groups gets rid of organized public information dissemination and much of any organized community input; each planning group can determine the number of members it needs. He also added that self-certification of documents was “not acceptable”; demolishing the resource protection ordinance would be a severe cut-back on the ability of the county to protect and manage wild spaces, and the related California Environmental Quality Act could not be stretched to do the RPO’s job.
He then added that term limits are not acceptable because planning and sponsor group members are unpaid and some long term members are the institutional memory for the group; cost incurred by the groups are not “red tape” issues; reducing the Environmental Impact Report system may not be possible legally; and finally that the loss of free appeal rights cuts into the groups’ ability to represent their communities. Part two upcoming
minute speaking time.
Hate motive in Alawadi case unraveling
EL CAJON — A leaked search warrant mistakenly released by a superior court staff person seems to show that the hate crime motive behind the recent killing of an Iraqi woman may not have been triggered by racial intolerance or religious prejudice, after all, but by internal family turmoil.
Two weeks ago, The East County Californian published an editorial entitled “Is the media hoping for a hate crime,” in which the case for another motive in the beating death of Iraqi woman Shaimi al Alawadi, 32, in her El Cajon home on March 21,
was made.
Senator visits with OA students
California Senator Diane Feinstein (D) visited Oxford Academy in Cypress and answered some questions from a group of students on Thursday.
Summer fun at Boys & Girls Club
Are you looking for a safe, fun, affordable program for your kids this summer? Summer registration is now available at the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress. The Club’s Summer Program is offered from June 18 through August 17.
Los Al softball team digs the long ball
The Los Alamitos High softball team was able to overcome a defensive battle in the first round of the CIF-SS Division I playoffs against Upand, with two big flys. Junior infielder Mattie Scheele gave the Griffins all the runs they would need with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning of a 4-1 win on Friday.
A bluetiful hair day
Rossmoor Elementary School was given a school-wide challenge in September, 2011. The Rossmoor principal, Kiva Spiratos, challenged the children to read, read, read and to participate in the school Castle Rossmoor reading incentive program. She challenged them to have 90 percent of the entire school population, read 90 percent of each week, for 90 percent of the school year. The student chose the incentive, and it was to turn Mrs. Spiratos’ hair the color of Rossmoor blue.
This involved students reading 6 out of 7 days a week for over 25 minutes each night. Parents were instructed to record students’ reading on their Castle Rossmoor Reading Log and sign their names to the logs for accountability. Each month, Spiratos informed the students of their year-long progress. The monthly averages continued to be at 90 percent or above, and the students continued to strive toward their long term reading goal.
By the third and fourth month of 90 percent school wide participation, Spiratos was able to direct the focus of achievement to more than just reading, now her message was about momentum, long term goals and follow through. The children were on a roll, and could not disappoint each other.
On May 5, the goal was met. 90.3 percent of all the entire student population, ranging from developmental kindergarten through fifth grade, read from September through May 5. The castle keeper parent volunteers calculated the reading logs and the students achieved their goal.
As promised, Spiratos turned her light blond hair, to Rossmoor Blue! She colored it on a Tuesday, and kept it hidden with just a few strands showing to build anticipation for the great unveiling, which occurred on Friday, May 18, Rossmoor’s school-wide Blue Day.
Late rally propels Griffins to 10-6 win over Fountain Valley
Senior infielder Dan Austin capped a six-run rally, with a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, as the Los Alamitos baseball team rallied for a 10-6 win over Fountain Valley on Wednesday at Fountain Valley.
Protect your pets from the coming heat
With summer months coming and the heat index rising, there are some steps pet owners should take to make sure their friends don’t suffer undue heat problems. Your four-legged friend can’t tell you when he or she is feeling uncomfortable, so watch for dangerous situations.