Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Close to Home — What it’s like on the street where you live
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
Corruption cut from Sweetwater schools?
Just to add my two cents, at all the board meetings I have attended (and I have attended far fewer than anniej), Bertha Lopez spoke out and questioned Brand and the grand triumvirate (Cartmill, Ricasa and McCann) who voted Brand's party line every time. By way of "reward" Brand and the rest of them would treat Ms. Lopez with actual, palpable disrespect. It was revolting to see how they would try to wear her down and humiliate her publicly. Pure Brand bullying, all the way. McCann in particular seemed to really enjoy trying to smear her character and put a negative slant on whatever Ms. Lopez would try to do. I would say that was a classic example of a weaker person trying to bolster his position by trying to push around the person who was thought to be the weakest in the group. I would also say that McCann was wrong on all counts. If the law says Ms. Lopez needs to leave the board, then she should leave the board--but I believe she should be credited for calling out the corruption when no one else would. That should earn her something. It has earned her my thanks, because without that, who knows what would be happening with this district now. Life isn't fair, but I think it is time that Bertha Lopez gets some respect. Does everyone realize that Brand went out of his way to deprive her of the materials he supplied everyone else with? He did his best to keep her out of the loop and make life very difficult for her. Just another array of ugly moments brought to all of us by Ed Brand, the man who seems never to have met a situation he didn't want to exploit in one way or another.— April 29, 2014 9:10 p.m.
Opera members advise: fire the Campbells
monaghan: If I am understanding you correctly, you are convinced that SD Opera will not be able to be a going concern? I am very sorry, if that is the case. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I do not think that excellent opera and opening up to a few new ideas are mutually exclusive. I mentioned having the chorus sing the national anthem at a ball game in a rather off-hand manner, but as a genuine opportunity to allow a new group of people to hear a bit of what operatic voices are capable of. I really believe that when talent is showcased and shared, people enjoy it. And I do think there could be a bit more of sharing the opera around San Diego. Obviously my opinion is not the last word on anything, but I do believe that there is a great deal of talent in the San Diego Opera that will not disappear with the departure of Mr. Campbell, gifted though he is in many ways. It was nearly a crushing blow to many people when they heard the first announcement that the opera would close after the final performance of this season. I happen to think that was a very wrong decision, and I hope that the San Diego Opera will survive, remain creative, and flourish--going on to reach new audiences and new generations. I think that Mr. Campbell greatly underestimated San Diego, and the San Diego Opera Company. I don't think he really knew either of them, or he would not have acted as he did. Furthermore, I am delighted that fundraising is going as well as it is. Over 1/3 of the $1 million has been donated, according to the SD Opera website. That seems like a healthy start to a new beginning.— April 29, 2014 8:38 p.m.
Opera members advise: fire the Campbells
Some good news: when I looked at the SD Opera's website this morning, it showed that about $315,000 had been raised, so that nearly 1/3 of what is needed by May 19th has been sent in. I have been reading in letters to the editor in the UT and other places that some are upset with adjustments that necessarily are being made to the season for 2015...but of course, you can 'never please all of the people all of the time'. There are the occasional complaints that the Civic Theatre isn't that welcoming, that it has a "dead spot"...I wish that the plaza area could be made a bit more appealing, but that isn't as important as having a functional opera. The old parking garage (the one with circular ramps) might be due for a revamp of sorts, but that isn't the biggest problem around. I guess my point is that things can always be improved, if the opera is still chugging along. It can be a process, with the opera members and the local musicians being more involved. Why not have some ideas filter up to the board, instead of everything filtering down? Why, I think that is probably happening right now. It seems so simple, but cooperation can be a wonderful thing. Bring back the suggestion box. Have a suggestion box and wine/coffee evening following a short recital by some artists who are interested in outreach. Hear what some of the artists have to say about what they enjoy about opera, and what they hope to see in the future. Let the marvelous opera chorus display their rich sound! Could they sing the national anthem for the Padres or the Chargers? Well, that might be a great way to introduce them to people who wouldn't hear them otherwise! Could something be done in conjunction with the celebration of Balboa Park? Why not build something positive out of some rocky situations? Sometimes the best vision of the future is comprised of ideas from many different people--because democracy really is a good thing, and it is possible to recognize thoughtful concepts that try to bring out the best in people and their community.— April 29, 2014 12:47 p.m.
Corruption cut from Sweetwater schools?
anniej, you aren't referring to the 'world's oldest entitled teenager', are you?— April 29, 2014 11:04 a.m.
Opera members advise: fire the Campbells
I am still wondering about those who were encouraged to "remember" the opera in their wills, thinking that it would be a lasting legacy, with Mr. Campbell quite possibly thinking of the opera's final performance all the while. Low.— April 29, 2014 8:53 a.m.
Corruption cut from Sweetwater schools?
anniej, if Brand's "corporations, businesses, and associations" are *not* being investigated, we need to find out why. In my entire life, I have never encountered such a situation of entrenched corruption, accompanied by the apparent willing complicity of the surrounding authorities. What does this tell us? That the authorities are equally as corrupt? That the authorities think we in these neighborhoods deserve to have our tax and bond monies diverted and spent in ways inconsistent with the legal intent and purpose? That the authorities are helpless? That the authorities are blind? Pick your favorite answer. This situation must change. It is intolerable that we must put up with such failures in leadership, such crooks stealing from our children, such examples of pettifoggery (check meanings 2 and 3 in your dictionaries in case you are unclear on the concept), such miserable incompetence. When Ed Brand's intimidation efforts include calling employers to report on citizens speaking out in a public arena, hiring private investigators to knock on doors of those who speak out, and who really knows what else...why would someone do this? Because they are hiding something. Why would someone "postpone" a board meeting when there *is* a quorum, reschedule when there *won't* be a quorum, only to cancel the meeting? Because they are trying to get away with something. Ed Brand is not handling his duties as superintendent of Sweetwater schools in an honest and upright manner. That is the least of the things I could say. If the authorities do not step up, I guess we should all know that all the authorities are shams, shills, stumblebums and sorry excuses for what they are supposed to be. May truth find its way into the open. May honesty rule the day. May the rule of the twisted and the cheats end, so that this community and these neighborhoods and these schools and these school children get the opportunities they deserve, instead of having those opportunities *stolen* from them again and again.— April 29, 2014 8:46 a.m.
Campbells on leave; SD Opera taking donations
Got that cleared up! Word is they are very busy, phones are ringing off the hook, and there has been good news from the meeting!— April 28, 2014 11:59 a.m.
Guilty Trustees (is not, unfortunately, a band name)
I have to think there are honest people out there who believe in education, and know that it is important. Yes, we have not seen much evidence here in south San Diego County, but a really good start would be staying away from anyone with connections to Socorro, Texas. I know there have been several people from this community who have essentially said they would volunteer their time to straighten this out. I think we need to demand a meeting with the County Board of Education, bring these people forward and be very clear that continuing down the Ed Brand road is nothing but disaster.— April 28, 2014 11:48 a.m.
Guilty Trustees (is not, unfortunately, a band name)
anniej, that is one big if. I cannot help but think Brand has the goods on all these people, so they aren't going to go against him, unless they go against him en mass. But then they would run the risk of someone tipping him off. I agree, though, "Cut the head of the snake OFF." In the metaphorical sense, of course, meaning, get rid of the one who has driven so many schemes and scams that it is nearly impossible to keep a running list. With the word that more land (Otay Ranch) has been sold for development, I wonder what Brand the would-be-real-estate-developer is thinking. That eventually more schools will be needed? More Mello-Roos money coming in? We need to put someone in place who really is an educator, who knows how to maintain, support and sustain good schools in all parts of town, without selling the students down the (Sweetwater) river. If Brand sticks around for two more years, just imaging the further damage he will do. We need him out, and we need to get to the bottom of all the financial shell games. If John McCann wants to try and live up to his previous campaign promises, and actually clean up Sweetwater, that would be great. No one would be happier than I to see that. But does he have the character and backbone? I have seen no evidence of that yet.— April 27, 2014 12:28 p.m.
Campbells on leave; SD Opera taking donations
Website, three times!— April 27, 2014 7:16 a.m.