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Water Test Results Trickle in, Spark Dispute
After the scare about lead in the water at Emerson-Bandini, the San Diego Unified district is testing water in all district schools. It’s released results from several campuses along with a message: Nothing to see here, everything is fine at these schools, the district says, saying the results are “below action level,” as deemed by the EPA.
But the Calpirg consumer group disagrees, NBC 7 reports, noting that the state sets a much lower goal for lead in water than the feds. “There is no safe level of lead in drinking water for kids,” a Calpirg official said. “These schools must protect children’s health and shut off access to these water outlets immediately.”
Check up on the results school-by-school here.
• Parents are sounding the alarm about special-education cutbacks in San Diego Unified schools that will eliminate small classes and bring some kids into more contact with non-disabled kids. (KPBS)
Dogs Rejoice: SeaWorld Fireworks Are Off
Boom! There it isn’t.
After more than two decades of thrilling tourists, aggravating residents and sending dogs into freak-out mode, the nighttime firework displays at SeaWorld are taking the summer off. They’re on hiatus as the park focuses on a new (and presumably less noisy) evening spectacular.
“The park denies the decision was made in response to a petition filed by local residents demanding an end to the nightly fireworks displays,” NBC 7 reports. Critics say they’re too noisy and create pollution.
The fireworks, whose booms can be heard throughout coastal areas and Mid City, will return on holiday weekends and a few other times.
Activist Goes Missing in Mexico
“Hugo Castro, a U.S. citizen and immigrant rights activist from San Diego, disappeared Thursday evening after posting a Facebook Live video from the shoulder of a highway near Mexico City, saying a group of criminals was ‘hunting’ him,” KPBS reports.
The station reported last week about Castro’s work supporting Haitians migrants in Tijuana for the Border Angels group.
• Gov. Jerry Brown has pardoned three veterans who got deported to Mexico when they finished serving terms behind bars. (Sacramento Bee)
A year ago, we reported on an effort by one of the men, who created a home in Tijuana to support deported veterans.
Cracking Up, California-Style
You may have heard about the wack-a-doo efforts to split off California from the U.S.. Turns out there are a lot of them. According to the L.A. Times, at least four proposals are out there, with the confusion of options boosting the likelihood — already way, way, way, up there — that nothing will happen at all.
As for a group that’s pushing for a ballot measure, it’s not even a quarter of the way to the petition signatures it needs by the summer, even though it’s had almost three months. Even a spokesman said the odds of a successful ballot bid (just one step in the secession process) isn’t “great.”
Come Fly Away… to Frankfort?
Soon, we’ll have non-stop flights to four faraway foreign cities (London, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Zurich), the U-T reports in a rapturous story about the airport’s growing profile. It may take years, though, for non-stops to China to begin, and wooing airlines to fly non-stop from here is costing the airport millions.
Meanwhile, fliers who want to go non-stop to Frankfurt and Zurich will need to be willing to take airlines they haven’t heard of, like Condor and Edelweiss (whose name reminds me too much of a disturbing TV show theme song).
Quick News Hits: Oh, Baloney? Try NO Baloney
• San Diego’s own Meb Keflezighi is running his last competitive race today, the Boston Marathon, which he has won before.
• “Vowing to fight public school profiteering, Democratic state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would either block or seriously limit for-profit companies’ ability to operate charter schools in California.” (CalMatters via Times of S.D.)
• El Cajon has become a major destination for Chaldean Christians fleeing Iraq, and the U-T (via the L.A. Times) checks on how new arrivals are doing. An interesting fact: “Over this fiscal year, In the current fiscal year, the local Jewish Family Service has helped resettle 232 refugees” — most of them Iraqis. An official with the group quotes the leader of a Jewish organization that helps immigrants: “We don’t serve refugees because they are Jewish. We serve refugees because we are Jewish.”
• The U-T takes note of a physician group’s lawsuit against the Poway Unified School District demanding that it stop serving hot dogs and other cured meats to kids because they’re unhealthy. That means the doctors want to dump bacon, sausage and baloney too. (“Bologna” if you insist, but please don’t.)
No baloney in schools? That’ll be the day. Oh wait. They’re talking about the luncheon meat, not the other kind. Never mind.
Randy Dotinga is a freelance contributor to Voice of San Diego. He is also immediate past president of the 1,200-member American Society of Journalists and Authors (asja.org). Please contact him directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.
This article relates to: Morning Report, News
Written by Randy Dotinga Randy Dotinga is a freelance contributor to Voice of San Diego. Please contact him directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga
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I would like to donate $ Per Month Per Year One Time Donate Now What benefits do VOSD members get Water Test Results Trickle in Spark Dispute After the scare about lead in the water at Emerson-Bandini the San Diego Unified district is testing water in all district schools It’s released results from several campuses along with a message Nothing to see here everything is fine at these schools the district says saying the results are below action level as deemed by the EPA But the Calpirg consumer group disagrees NBC 7 reports noting that the state sets a much lower goal for lead in water than the feds There is no safe level of lead in drinking water for kids a Calpirg official said These schools must protect children’s health and shut off access to these water outlets immediately Check up on the results school-by-school here Parents are sounding the alarm about special-education cutbacks in San Diego Unified schools that will eliminate small classes and bring some kids into more contact with non-disabled kids KPBS Dogs Rejoice SeaWorld Fireworks Are Off Boom There it isn’t After more than two decades of thrilling tourists aggravating residents and sending dogs into freak-out mode the nighttime firework displays at SeaWorld are taking the summer off They’re on hiatus as the park focuses on a new and presumably less noisy evening spectacular The park denies the decision was made in response to a petition filed by local residents demanding an end to the nightly fireworks displays NBC 7 reports Critics say they’re too noisy and create pollution The fireworks whose booms can be heard throughout coastal areas and Mid City will return on holiday weekends and a few other times Activist Goes Missing in Mexico Hugo Castro a U.S. citizen and immigrant rights activist from San Diego disappeared Thursday evening after posting a Facebook Live video from the shoulder of a highway near Mexico City saying a group of criminals was hunting him KPBS reports The station reported last week about Castro’s work supporting Haitians migrants in Tijuana for the Border Angels group Gov. Jerry Brown has pardoned three veterans who got deported to Mexico when they finished serving terms behind bars Sacramento Bee A year ago we reported on an effort by one of the men who created a home in Tijuana to support deported veterans Cracking Up California-Style You may have heard about the wack-a-doo efforts to split off California from the U.S. Turns out there are a lot of them According to the L.A. Times at least four proposals are out there with the confusion of options boosting the likelihood already way way way up there that nothing will happen at all As for a group that’s pushing for a ballot measure it’s not even a quarter of the way to the petition signatures it needs by the summer even though it’s had almost three months Even a spokesman said the odds of a successful ballot bid just one step in the secession process isn’t great Come Fly Away to Frankfort Soon we’ll have non-stop flights to four faraway foreign cities London Tokyo Frankfurt and Zurich the U-T reports in a rapturous story about the airport’s growing profile It may take years though for non-stops to China to begin and wooing airlines to fly non-stop from here is costing the airport millions Meanwhile fliers who want to go non-stop to Frankfurt and Zurich will need to be willing to take airlines they haven’t heard of like Condor and Edelweiss whose name reminds me too much of a disturbing TV show theme song Quick News Hits Oh Baloney Try NO Baloney San Diego’s own Meb Keflezighi is running his last competitive race today the Boston Marathon which he has won before Vowing to fight public school profiteering Democratic state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would either block or seriously limit for-profit companies’ ability to operate charter schools in California CalMatters via Times of S.D. El Cajon has become a major destination for Chaldean Christians fleeing Iraq and the U-T via the L.A. Times checks on how new arrivals are doing An interesting fact Over this fiscal year In the current fiscal year the local Jewish Family Service has helped resettle 232 refugees most of them Iraqis An official with the group quotes the leader of a Jewish organization that helps immigrants We don’t serve refugees because they are Jewish We serve refugees because we are Jewish The U-T takes note of a physician group’s lawsuit against the Poway Unified School District demanding that it stop serving hot dogs and other cured meats to kids because they’re unhealthy That means the doctors want to dump bacon sausage and baloney too Bologna if you insist but please don’t No baloney in schools That’ll be the day Oh wait They’re talking about the luncheon meat not the other kind Never mind Randy Dotinga is a freelance contributor to Voice of San Diego He is also immediate past president of the 1,200-member American Society of Journalists and Authors asja.org Please contact him directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter twitter.com/rdotinga. This article relates to Morning Report News Written by Randy Dotinga Randy Dotinga is a freelance contributor to Voice of San Diego Please contact him directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter twitter.com/rdotinga Partner Voices