Escondido

Escondido, Opinion August 31, 2017

Abed, Masson, Gallo: ‘Screw you, library’

Shocking. Deaf. Scandalous. Callous. Fascist. Fishy… In a shocking display of community and political deafness, Escondido’s Gang of Three right-wing Republicans on the 5-person City Council, so-called Mayor Sam Abed, and Councilmen John Masson, and Ed Gallo ignored overwhelming community opposition and voted for an ill-defined marketing sales pitch by the corporate interest, Library Systems and Services (LS&S) to take over Escondido library services. Speaker…

Escondido, Featured, Food August 29, 2017

Jack will serve you now (mum’s the word)

(Editor’s Note: Jack in the Box finished market testing Friday and rolled out the brisket burger at other restaurants Saturday, Sept. 2…) How does a cheeseburger topped with 9-hour slow-cooked brisket, onion rings, a red wine glaze and smoky chili aioli serve on a sesame and poppy seeds artisan potato bun strike you? Forget about the amazing Wooden Spoon or Vintana at Escondido, newly opened…

Agriculture, Business, Escondido, Valley Center August 9, 2017

Hold on to your guac, avo prices fall in fall

It’s all about supply and demand in the wonderful world of avocados. Despite a large amount of foreign imports, demand has exceeded supply this year. That means higher prices at the grocery check-out for North County consumers raising the price of guacamole, and such, to record levels this season. As more people are drawn to avocados for their flavor and health benefits, consumption of the…

Escondido July 29, 2017

Saving Escondido’s only public library

Escondido Indivisible, in cooperation with Neighbors in Action, and the Escondido Democratic Club is organizing people to save their public library from being privatized. The Escondido Public Library dates back to 1894 and is currently visited by an average of 1,435 people daily. The total collection in the facility amounts to 200,000 books, and users are fearful many of those volumes would be gone if…

Escondido June 3, 2017

Escondido Town Hall hits one in the rough

As per her usual interest in Escondido city government on behalf of the residents of the city that table grape vines left behind, “A Blue View for Escondido” citizen watchdog Margaret McCown Liles takes you to the scene of the latest flareup of  civic consternation. For more visit Liles’ blog and kudos as usual…. Mayor Sam Abed’s Town Hall had a pretty good turnout on May 17….

Courts/Law, Escondido May 25, 2017

ACLU settles 2-year refugee children discrimination lawsuit vs. city of Escondido

The ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Brancart & Brancart, Cooley LLP and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law announced Thursday, May 25 it had reached a settlement with the City of Escondido in a two year-old discrimination suit. The ACLU sued Escondido after the city denied a permit to operate a group home for refugee children fleeing violence and persecution in…

Escondido, Immigration, Politics May 3, 2017

Sessions wrongly tags Escondido

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions tags Escondido wrongly for immigrant crimes. Escondido last week entered the national dialogue over immigrant rights and Donald Trump’s big, bad border wall, but in an unexpected, and counterfactual way. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions highlighted Escondido to illustrate how jurisdictions that limit cooperation with immigration authorities jeopardize public safety. The only problem was Sessions got everything wrong. Speaking at…

Escondido April 3, 2017

Creative artist Jayne Spencer gets to teaching

Don’t tell award-winning watercolor, portrait and landscape artist Jayne Spencer that art is best executed and appreciated only by fellow artists. An award-winning creative artist and teacher, like TV’s father, knows best. “Anybody can be an artist,” Spencer said. “Anybody can learn to paint once they learn the skills and techniques. Find something that inspires you. Paint what you love. Art is subjective” Art is…

Courts/Law, Escondido, Police, Police/Fire March 17, 2017

Suspect arraigned in murder of church worker driving through gang war (Updated)

Documented gang member Dionicio Crespin Torrez Jr., 24, pleaded not guilty to murder, Friday, March 17 at the Vista Courthouse in connection with the murder of an Escondido woman who drove through a violent gang turf confrontation on the way home from Bible study. Torrez could face the death penalty. Superior Court Judge Cynthia Freehand denied bail citing “the allegations and my concern for public safety.” “On…

Escondido March 9, 2017

On the road again: Desperately seeking new Philosophical Library home

Don’t look now but Escondido’s venerable Philosophical Library dating back to 1963 is nowhere to be found. It’s last Facebook page post was in October 2016 with a link to a GoFundMe page that had raised $238 — of a $20,000 goal — as of Friday, March 10, 2017. “Such a good cause, said Dionne Beeson for the self-funding page’s only post. “Even with all the e-books…