Articles by Margaret McCown Liles

A Blue View for Escondido: Beware of developers bearing gifts of golf courses

So, it seems the Escondido Country Club saga has a new chapter, with New Urban West the protagonist who will come to the aide of the golf course in distress. Last October the City Council had settled their lawsuit with Stuck in the Rough (SITR). Their settlement included the provision that while SITR would remain the owner of the golf course, another developer “will act as…


Escondido Library at Grape Day Park?

At its Feb. 28, 2010 meeting, the Escondido Library Board and the Trustees of the Escondido Library Endowment Foundation gave the Escondido City Council a presentation of a “phased approach” to develop a new library, by upgrading the old library and adding to that building. On June 16, 2010,  that Council — Mayor Sam Abed, council members  Olga Diaz, Ed Gallo, Mike Morasco, and Marie Waldron…


Escondido Union School District: Warning, vultures ahead

(Editor’s Note: Embattled EUSD trustee Jose Fragozo was due back in Vista Superior Court on Wednesday, March 9 for a readiness hearing to see if his attorney Manuel Torres and San Diego County deputy district attorney Leon Schorr were ready to go to trial March 23 as set by arraigning Judge James A. Mangione. The state alleges Fragozo is guilty of 13 felony charges related…


Marijuana, voodoo science and Escondido

Fox News 5 had a camera in the City Council Chambers at the Jan. 13 Escondido City Council meeting. I think they were probably there to cover Agenda Item 14 ORDINANCE 2016-01 AMENDING CHAPTER 33 AND DELETING CHAPTER 16F OF THE ESCONDIDO MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO COMMERCIAL MEDICAL CANNABIS (MARIJUANA) LAND USES AND BUSINESSES (AZ 15-0004), but I did not watch their news that night,…


Escondido Union School District Board: ‘Another Embarrassment Parts I-II’

Another Escondido Embarrassment, Part II (Dec. 15) Jose Fragozo had to phone it in again last night, but the connection was much better. Even though he was given very short notice to obtain a room, with ADA accessibility, he was able to do so at the NCLA office at 370 Mulberry Drive, San Marcos. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the next relevant item on the agenda…


Clark’s back with another hotel scheme and other Escondido City Council tales

Two items on Wednesday’s closed session of the Escondido City Council caught my attention, both property negotiations. First was the City’s property at 2269 East Valley Pkwy., and the negotiating party the American Heritage Charter Schools. That property is now leased by one of the Escondido Community Child Development Centers (ECCDC). I was concerned that, once again, the city was evicting a needy tenant to…


Blue View for Escondido: 10 more years for Escondido Research and Technology Center

‘That means 10 more years for the Escondido Research and Technology Center. Let’s hope it develops businesses a little more high tech than a hospital, a power plant, and a brewery.’ Things were pretty mundane for most of Wednesday’s (Nov. 4) Escondido City Council meeting. Everyone had a positive view of Westfield North County’s plans to build a theater complex. Well, Councilman Ed Gallo had…