Articles by Special to The Grapevine

Welcome to a sometimes continuing series covering a never-ending story, people behaving badly, allegedly

Well, lawdy, lawdy, lawdy Miss Clawdy; hear ye, feel ye, this way comes some of the worst of the worst in a December to disremember in the wonderfully wanky world of People Behaving Badly: Get it over with already edition. Lot of missing people not appearing well Monday morning. Dec. 9, San Diego. 5:58 a.m. A call comes in about a body washed ashore near…


Fire’s Thirst: Lake Hodges’ ‘Water War’ running red hot

The battle for Lake Hodges raged not against water, but against bureaucratic chains that bound its potential like steel fetters. In the harsh, unforgiving landscape of North County, where nature’s fury could ignite with the slightest provocation, men and women stood resolute, challenging the cold calculus of state mandates. The lake, a titan of water constrained by governmental decree, trembled at 273 feet—the lowest mark…


City of La Jolla? Coastal elite flirt with freedom…Again

In the annals of civic mutiny, few spectacles are more entertaining than the rebellion now smoldering in La Jolla, that enclave of privilege nestled upon the Pacific cliffs. For decades, the citizens of this coastal Shangri-La have whispered heresies of secession—to sunder their fates from the lumbering bureaucracy of San Diego, to cast off the burdensome yoke of a municipality that, they claim, harvests their…


Escondido declares contaminated creek emergency

The City of Escondido is stepping forward with urgent action to address a pressing issue—one that touches not only the environment but the well-being of its people. In the quiet area near Harmony Grove, Escondido Creek has become a center of concern. Recent testing has revealed troubling contamination, much of it linked to homeless encampments along its banks. Now, the City has declared a local…


50th Cong. Dist. teens code future, one app at a time

Ah, folks, let me tell you about a little event that just happened in California’s 50th Congressional District. Congressman Scott Peters announced the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge! Now, if you’re not familiar, this is like “American Idol” for coding nerds. Instead of hitting the high notes, these kids are debugging lines of code like they’re cracking the Enigma machine. So, apparently, a…


California under Newsom getting ready for Trump

This week, California’s legislative chambers gather under the banner of a special session—a session sharply defined by the governor’s intent, yet shadowed by debate over the scope of its ambition. Governor Gavin Newsom seeks a modest $25 million allocation to arm the California Department of Justice and state agencies for the legal challenges anticipated from the incoming Trump administration. A narrowly tailored proposal, its focus…


Padres lead Dodgers in Roki Sasaki recruit-athon

At 23 years old, Roki Sasaki finds himself shackled by the red tape of MLB’s international bonus pool rules. Here’s the skinny, folks: Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old flamethrower from Japan, is the talk of baseball’s hot stove. But let’s not kid ourselves—landing Sasaki is no cakewalk, thanks to MLB’s international bonus pool rules. Unless you’re 25 and a grizzled pro with six years in a…


New immigrant welcome center opens at Escondido

San Diego County, in its restless and sprawling way, has opened another Immigrant and Refugee Welcome Center, this time at Escondido. It’s a gesture steeped in good intentions, wrapped in the hopeful language of inclusion. Here, they say, the doors are open wide, no questions asked about where you came from or how you got here. They call it a place where people can seek…


Goodbye, Max. Meet your new overlord, Charlie

Yes, Max, the once-reigning monarch of mediocrity, has been unceremoniously dethroned in the bloodless coup of 2024 pet naming trends, according to the clairvoyants over at Rover.com. The most popular male dog name is now Charlie—again—because apparently, originality is overrated. Meanwhile, for male cats, the zeitgeist has settled on Milo. Groundbreaking. San Diego, ever the beacon of cultural innovation, has crowned Luna as the supreme…


Rainbows to reservoirs, Tom Kennedy joins Rincon Water

Well, folks, Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District has just rolled out the red carpet for Tom Kennedy, a man who’s spent more time around water than a fish in a river. Replacing long-time Board member Dr. Gregory Quist, Kennedy steps into the role representing Division One after retiring from nearly a decade as General Manager of the Rainbow Municipal Water District. Guess he’s swapping…