May 2016

World Oceans Day kids art contest and celebration at Stone & Glass, Escondido

Stone & Glass has cordially invited all kids 12 years old and younger to send in ideas “for something in or about the ocean that you would like to see made in glass.” Entry forms are due May 15 for the Ocean Art Contest in celebration of World Ocean’ Day on Wednesday, June 8. They are available at http://stoneandglass.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ocean-art-entry-form.pdf. One idea will be chosen and…


From legal frying pan into fire for Fragozo

May 18 has been set as arraignment day for Escondido Unified School District Trustee Jose Fragozo’s next journey through the legal system. Fragozo was exonerated last month during a hearing sought by EUSD superintendent Juan Rankins-Ibarra and other administrators to make a temporary restraining order stick permanently. San Diego Superior Court Judge Richard Whitey refused to bar Fragozo from attending school board meetings and visiting…


Kickin’ it to fight breast cancer returns

Registration: Now open. Last day to register is Thurs., May 5.  Register and find out more about rules and schedules at www.kickinitchallenge.com. Date: Sat., June 18 through Sun., June 19  Time: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (both days) Location:  Frances Ryan Park, 450 Hidden Trail Rd., Escondido, CA 92027 Registration continues through May 15 for The 5th Annual Kickin’ It Challenge soccer tournament. The tourney at Frances Ryan…


Late Night: Seth Meyers v. Duncan Hunter

“Because man, or woman, everybody should be able to rip out the enemy’s throat; Duncan Hunter introduced his Draft America’s Daughters Act as a joke, but if it becomes law I think we all know who is going to have the last laugh.” — Seth Meyers. Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter Jr.’s “sarcastic” amendment to a defense spending bill mandating women sign up for selective service, i.e….


Palomar smoking policy flirts with fines

It’s no secret that Palomar College has a campus smoking issue despite the ‘smoke-free campus’ placards placed throughout the college. A new proposal seeks to increase the campus’s authority to further enforce the campus smoking policy, potentially levying fines against violators instead of verbal warnings. While some students say that Palomar should not include vaping in its policy — and others want to bring back…


Ex-SDSU football player sentenced in I-15 on-ramp death of Caltrans worker

Former El Camino High School and San Diego State football star Reginald Grigsby Jr., 32, was sentenced this week to six years in prison for gross vehicular manslaughter without intoxication. That was the maximum penalty allowed by law. Grigsby pled guilty to the charge in March. During sentencing this week. Grigsby apologized for what he had done to the victim and his family. “I’m truly…


Cinco de Mayo real blast at San Pasqual

Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, aren’t only for Iraq anymore. One of the highly improvised kind went off around 9 a.m. Thursday after being discovered by a teacher at a San Pasqual Academy bathroom and tossed into a nearby bush. San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies and CAL Fire officials responded to San Pasqual Academy around 9:15 a.m. after getting word of a reported threat to…


Political notes featuring H. FUJI Shioura

Editor’s note: Mail-in ballots for the June 7 California Primary may be sent back in to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters any time after May 9. Registration for the primary continues as well. Escondido City Clerk Diane Halverson said Escondido voters could register through midnight Monday, May 23. For more information, call (858) 565-5800. Meanwhile, the 50th Congressional District might be 44 percent…


Community news briefs: Roads, buildings, yoga mats, parks and scaly critters

Temporary, partial road closure  That would be on Harding Street between Washington Avenue and Valley Parkway due to the installation of new recycled water pipelines, Escondido officials advise motorists that Harding Street will be reduced to a partial lane closing from Monday, May 2 to May 16. Work is to be preformed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents and businesses will have driveway access…


Controversial Southwest Sewer Realignment project to flow soon

Environmentally challenged and beset by a bizarre bidding process, the Southwest Sewer Realignment project along Felicita Road “will begin soon,” Escondido officials said this week. “Construction on Escondido’s Southwest Sewer Replacement project will begin soon with completion expected by March 24, 2017,” Escondido spokesman Randy Manns said. “Motorists and cyclists should expect heavy delays – due to single lane travel – along Felicita Road between…