Borrego Springs – a town left dry

Just discovered this article. FYI the growers and golf courses pump their own water so they pay nothing for it at all. California has no "water depletion" tax and whatever water you can take out of the ground on your propertry is yours, free. It is not subject to being measured. The Borrego Springs Water District serves the residential users and the commercial businesses. Their use comprises approximately 10 percent of the water use and their rates are quite high. Tiered rates were recently put in, I believe, so that the first x gallons are at a lower price, with successively higher tiers. So long as growers and golf courses can just "take" out the water for the cost of electricity or diesel to pump it, there is going to be a problem. The water district is paying growers to pull out their cash crops (citrus/palm trees) and permanently take their land out of production. This "disturbed" land can then be used for housing developments. Some community members are hoping that this land can be used for solar farms, rather than siting solar farms on pristine desert. There is currently and active application to install a large solar farm on undisturbed desert land on the outskirts of town (not in the park), which has many in the community up in arms. The county seems to be moving forward on this.
— May 31, 2010 7:38 p.m.

SDNN Was Effervescent Until Drop Dead Day

I have seen articles from the local beach area free papers re-printed in SDNN and thought it was part of the Beach and Bay Press, La Jolla Village News, The Beacon etc. I guess that is not the case. I was not even aware that SDNN existed as a stand alone entity- how do they publicize themselves? VOSD had a pretty good launch. I don't recall seeing SDNN mentioned in my occasional perusals of the Reader or City Beat; and I certainly don't subscribe to or read the U-T. Sorry to find a "new" news outlet that may soon be defunct!
— May 31, 2010 7:12 p.m.

Car vs. Car

I thought I had read that the Parking Enforcement vans were using or going to be using this technology to monitor if people overstayed their 2 hour parking zones- higher tech than chalking the tires. Great article and very informative. Much better than the CVS parking lot beat...
— May 16, 2010 3:30 p.m.

She Wouldn't Listen to Me

re # 3- The Reader has hired stringers to cover local stories. If you do not like the story choice your complaint is with the Editor who selected it for publication. There is no reason to attack the author---- she submitted the story and the Reader considered it newsworthy enough for publication. Slandering and attacking the author is not the way to change story selection.
— May 6, 2010 4:41 p.m.

Get Money This Way, City

#3 Don't be ridiculous. Re-read the article and my comment. I did not opine about dogs on the beach or off-leash or dog fights. Those were not mentioned and were not part of the story. Dogs on the boardwalk during prohibited hours usually belong to tourists. When I am walking there I tell people and 90% don't know because they are from Arizona or Oregon or Santa Barbara and don't see the signs. When I tell them they are not supposed to be there and should go to the street or alley they are thankful and leave. I am not excusing their behavior, just stating that it appears not to be a public safety issue. I made no statements supporting dog fights on the beach or dogs off leash on the beach as that was not what this article was about.
— April 28, 2010 2:44 p.m.

Wake Up, Speak Up

Re-read Carolyn Matteo's article at the top, this is from the fourth paragraph: "...the SDPD has repeatedly indicated that there have been “no exceptional enforcement issues, including alcohol, at Kate Sessions Park, with the exception of the July 4, 2010 holiday.” Therefore the police are not supporting a ban at this time, only the neighbors who do not like what is going on there. I think Vintage Soul's suggestions of a compromise are an excellent suggestion and Vintage I encourage you to bring them up at the next public meeting. Banning kegs and loud music should go a long way to solving the excess consumption/excess noise issues; also banning slip and slides. The neighborhood group has been unwilling to compromise, according to their testimony before the PB Town Council last month.
— April 20, 2010 5:38 p.m.

Wake Up, Speak Up

#214 Vintage Soul: Park and Recreation told me they only have one webmaster and do not have enough staff to post minutes or agendas for any of the volunteer groups below the level of the Parks and Recreation Board. So you will NOT find any of the meeting agendas or minutes for Area Committee Community Parks I online. The meeting agendas are posted in the PB Rec Center, I believe, at least 72 hours before the meeting date. As for the minutes I think you would have to contact someone from the Park and Recreation Dept. to obtain them. I do not think that the minutes from the April 7, 2010 meeting would be available yet as they would have to be approved by the Committee at their next meeting, most likely, before they could be released. The Park and Recreation Board always meets on the third Thursday at 2 PM. The first two meetings held by Park and Rec. (the agency having jurisdiction over Kate Sessions Park) were in the evening- one in January and this last one in April. Only the January meeting notice was actually posted at KS Park itself.
— April 19, 2010 4:38 p.m.

Get Money This Way, City

In my opinion the only one with a "big problem" is Mr. Olsen; the police and lifeguards seem not to be concerned. Is he concerned about public safety? Law enforcement doesn't appear to be and isn't that the reason for these laws? not "revenue enhancement".
— April 17, 2010 6:45 p.m.

Wake Up, Speak Up

Wow: alot of anger and emotion here. I recognize that neighbors don't like large crowds partying in a nearby PUBLIC park. No compromises suggested such as no kegs, or no amplified music. Things that would limit the disturbance factor but not make it impossible to enjoy the park and have fun, I see no benefit in calling names - one side is fuddy duddies and the other are binge-drinking drunks. Surely not all involved are one or the other. There are more forums, not yet scheduled: The Park and Recreation Board, which meets on the 3rd Thursday afternoon of the month downtown, then apparently the City Council Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. They can docket the matter when they feel like it or when Kevin Faulconer, the PB councilmember, pressures them into it. Freedom, the so-called "Friends of the Kate Sessions Park' are not run by a woman named Cathy but by Michelle Youngers and Richard Kiser-- you can research this by searching the web. It appears that this group may have started the ball rolling to get the ban in place well before the date stated in the report: 09/26/09 issue: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-09-26/local-cou… The reporter is accurate in stating that the local meetings were not given widespread notice as there was no published notice in any printed media of the meeting on the 7th, and nothing in the Beach and Bay Press, La Jolla Light or La Jolla Village News about this meeting or any of the meetings held with the other community groups. I am a member of the PB Town Council and there was no mention in the March newsletter of the matter being on the March 17th agenda. CuddleFish- we do not have democracy here, we have representative government. In a perfect world it would work but I believe the deck is often stacked-- once the matter is brought before these boards and committees the decision has already been made by the powers that be as to what they want. Hence the lack of notice, little publicity, no postings in the park of the meetings, etc. Just my point of view from personal experience having served on one of these committees.
— April 11, 2010 7:04 p.m.

Wave of Concern

Ms Grant- thanks for your actions. Animal Control often takes hours to respond. In a case like this, if you ever see this happen again, get a rock or brick and break the car's side window to let some air in and get the poor dogs a bowl of water. Don't endanger yourself doing this but this was an extreme emergency and the law is on your side. Also the San Diego Humane Society is a private organization (not for profit) that has more resources than Animal Control and they could probably have sent an investigator there right away-- they are empowered to take action in case of animal cruelty. There is a law against leaving dogs in the car like this and I am astonished that a dog lover would do this to his/her dogs. Just because it was cloudy when they left the car does not mean it won't be sunny and hot when the gloom burns off. Even cracking the windows is often not enough. Shame on this thoughtless dog owner!
— April 5, 2010 8:33 p.m.