Community

Notes from Joel

By JOEL ANDERSON

Hello friends. As you may know, I was recently sworn in on Jan. 4 to represent you on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors after the retirement of former Supervisor Dianne Jacob who served our community well. I wanted to take a moment and let you know of the ways that my office can be of assistance to you. Many of you may know me from my service as an Assemblyman and State Senator in the California Legislature. I have been a longtime grassroots advocate for issues that I, and many East County San Diegans, care about. In every position I’ve held, I promised my constituents that I was not in office to become a potted plant and, regardless of the political environment I am in, my goal is to make government work for East County residents. With dozens of bills passed, landmark legislation authored, and thousands of constituent issues resolved, I am proud of the service my team provided and I will continue this same approach serving you now as Supervisor.

In the first three months since being sworn-in, I have built out a wonderful staff and they are ready to serve you. Many are not aware how our office may be of assistance, so I’d like to share an example.

Just days after coming into office, it was brought to my attention that residents of Alpine were being assessed and billed for fire services provided by both the County of San Diego Fire Authority and the Alpine Fire District. I immediately contacted the County Assessor’s office to investigate and act on the issue. I also sent letters to all the affected constituents, informing them of this situation. As a result, the problem was resolved, and Alpine residents are no longer being taxed twice for the same services.

Since January, my office has been able to assist constituents with several issues and no task is too small, we want to do what we can to help as quickly as possible. Not only do I represent your concerns at the Supervisors’ board meetings, but my job and priority is to serve as a resource to you. If you have any County issues with which you need assistance, please contact my office as we are here to help. You can contact me using the form on my website at supervisorjoelanderson.com, which I will also keep updated with important information and helpful community resources.

Again, it’s an honor to serve and I look forward to hearing from you.

—Joel Anderson represents District 2 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

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the property. The homeless are leaving behind belongings and carts each time they clear out.

Neighbors’ suggestions to secure the site include: • Fence off the property completely, to avoid invaders. • Block the parking lot entrances with chains to avoid vehicles driving in. • A letter of agency with the SDPD so these people can be evicted with just a phone call from nearby residents. • The Union Bank needs to hire a security patrolling agency to monitor and patrol the lot until they decide what to do with it.

There is also a suggestion for Environmental Services to clean up the junk and trash from the location because so much is left behind after every eviction.

During our January meeting, there were comments regarding homeless encampments in the area. If you are noticing problems, the list above could work. At the very least, have the property owner get a Letter of Agency with the SDPD, available at bit. ly/3fMAnBb.

Also, download the Get It Done app to your mobile device; or report non-emergency issues with homeless online at bit.ly/31PPAJw or by calling 619-531-2000.

—Laura Riebau writes on behalf of the El Cerrito Community Council.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

ALLIED GARDENS/GRANTVILLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

City Council member Raul Campillo spoke at our March 23 town hall meeting. We had about 55 participants from the public. This was only one of the several meetings he held throughout District 7.

More has come of those meetings than just what we learned from him and what he learned from us. His contacts with our communities draw more of us to an interest in local government and draw in many of us to the business of local law making.

And drawn in we must be at this time — a time when the State Legislature reaches for more control over local zoning and residential development. They say it is all being done to provide more “affordable housing.”

The state has always had a hand in local real estate development, certainly in matters of environmental controls. But a few years ago, Sacramento took the first step directly into regulating what had always been reserved to the city. That state law requires the city to permit development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on parcels previously limited to single-family homes. The law left some ADU issues to local government, such as the requirement for an owner to reside on the property and the location of the ADU on the parcel, but our city enacted few of those protections.

The State Legislature is considering a proposal for a comprehensive override of the local zoning of our residential communities. Current law allows builders to provide for reduced parking in multiple-unit housing developments along “transit priority zones” (streets with 15-minute intervals of public transit). Under the proposed extension of that law, cities would be required to allow development of “fourplex” units, what the realtors call town houses, along those roadways.

To bring the issue closer to home, consider the development possibilities, townhouse after townhouse, if MTS puts in a 15-minute bus line along Waring Road to the Grantville Trolley Station. We really have to press the question: “Would this sacrifice of our single family residential neighborhood really solve the need for affordable housing or is this it just another profit opportunity for land developers?”

Another issue of immediate concern is the development of the Grantville Trolley Station parking lot for affordable rentals now

SEE COMMUNITY BRIEFS, Page 15

SUMMER ADVENTURE AWAITS!

District 7 Dispatch

By RAUL A. CAMPILLO

It has been a busy first few months at City Hall, and it is an honor to represent you on the San Diego City Council. We recently passed a significant milestone: 100 days in office. I put together a report (bit.ly/3dGuKlu) to highlight some of what my staff and I have been able to accomplish during our short time in office.

I would like to begin with a quick COVID vaccine update. In addition to the employment sectors and those with qualifying pre-existing conditions who were already eligible, all San Diego County adults over the age of 50, the first group in Phase 2, are now eligible to be vaccinated. For detailed vaccine eligibility information and to schedule an appointment online, please visit sandiegocounty.gov/sdc/.

Governor Newsom recently visited a vaccination station here in the city and commended us for the way San Diego is “leading the way” on vaccine progress in our state. We will continue full speed ahead until everyone who wants a vaccination has had the opportunity to get one. For those who are still not in an eligible category, please rest assured that you will be able to get a shot soon: All San Diegans over the age of 16 will become eligible on April 15.

Next, I would like to invite all District 7 Residents to join me on the morning of April 17 at 11 a.m. for a virtual discussion about the issues facing our district and our city with Mayor Todd Gloria. Register for the free event: Sandiego.gov/mayorcd7townhall.

STANDING UP AGAINST ANTI-ASIAN HATE AND EXTREMISM

Earlier this year at the City Council, I took the common-sense step of voting to condemn all forms of hate and extremism in our city. I have been particularly disturbed by the recent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the advent of COVID-19.

I recently wrote a letter to District Attorney Summer Stephan to inquire about the recent spate of hate crimes against Asian Americans in our county and unfortunately, in her reply, DA Stephen did confirm to me that San Diego has not been spared from this trend. We have seen a threefold increase in the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans in our county.

My office is prepared to do all we can to assist the DA in her attempts to hold the perpetrators of these heinous crimes accountable, and I call on all members of the Navajo community to be vigilant. If you witness a hate crime, please report it immediately by calling 911. Together, we will root out hate crime in our communities.

As a reminder, you can always reach my office any time by emailing RaulCampillo@sandiego.gov. For a Del Cerro-specific issue, please reach Jared Miller-Sclar at JMillerSclar@sandiego.gov. For an issue specific to Grantville, Allied Gardens, or San Carlos, please reach Sanna Loando at SLoando@sandiego.gov.

—Raul Campillo represents District 7 on the San Diego City Council.

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05-13-2021

On March 25, the final steel beam for Crawford High School’s new three-story classroom, student services, and performing arts building was hoisted into place. Before it was placed atop the frame of the building, staff, students, and alumni took turns in signing the beam, that was also adorned with an American flag. The new building at Crawford High School College is part of the Career and Technical Education (CCTE) and Whole Site Modernization project, which began in three construction phases. Completed in July 2020, the first phase of construction upgraded the automotive CCTE program with a new building, three new service bays, and a dedicated alignment bay. The existing auto lab received a renovated classroom, an engine lab, and a single bay demonstration lift.

The second phase, completed in August 2020, included renovations to classrooms, security upgrades to fire alarms and emergency communications systems, Construction crews hoist the final steel beam for Crawford High's new as well as installation of security building.(Courtesy SDUSD) lighting and security cameras. Existing restrooms and the food classrooms, a performing arts will be accompanied by a new are 8.35” wide X 3.625” tall. services area were also renovated. Now in the final phase, crews center, and a student services office suite. The building inparking lot as the final piece. Construction for the final phase is demolished the existing audi- cludes a drop-off and pickup estimated to complete in Winter torium to create a three-story area at the corner of Orange 2022 for the building and spring structure that will house 20 Avenue and Colts Way, which 2023 for the new parking lot.

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sdnews.com Henry resumes in-person learning April 12

Patrick Henry High School News

By MICHELLE IRWIN

On April 12, all schools in San Diego Unified School District will open their doors for in-person learning for all interested students. We are so very excited to welcome our students back to campus!

Our teachers will simultaneously teach in-person to those students who choose to return and teach on-line to our students who have chosen to wait to return. At Henry, we will be able to offer four days of in-person instruction to all our students who have requested to return. We have approximately 1,250 students who will be returning to campus on April 12.

In order to ensure the highest safety protocols, our classrooms have been prepared to support in-person instruction. We have arranged our student desks to be 6 feet apart, our rooms have PPE equipment such as see-through safety guards, cleansing wipes, disposable masks, two to three air purifiers per classroom, and we will soon receive an HVAC upgrade. We have a specific path of travel for students during passing periods. We also provide voluntary COVID testing by UCSD for all interested students. I firmly believe with these safety precautions our students and faculty will be safe from contracting the COVID virus.

Even though we are doing online learning for a little over a year, several of our students are being acknowledged for their dedication to our community and hard work with their academics.

Abudllahi Muhammed and Zubeyr Muhammed entered a Lions Club speech contest. The speech contest was conducted over Zoom by describing the pros/ cons of distance learning. Both students performed very well and won prize money from the Lions Club. Way to go Patriots!

Please remember to visit the Patrick Henry website for up to date information about our school and district patrickhenryhs.net.

On behalf of the Patrick Henry High School Faculty, we want to thank you for being our partner in education so we can ensure all students graduate with integrity, purpose, and options.

EDUCATION Robotics teams continue tournament success

By JAY WILSON

Last month we wrote about the success of several of the FIRST LEGO League teams which are comprised of students attending schools within the Patrick Henry Cluster boundaries. On March 27 and 28, our teams did very well in the FIRST Tech Challenge San Diego Qualifying Tournament.

The Dapper RoboNoodles (#18365) is a local community FIRST Tech Challenge team. They are rookies to FIRST Tech Challenge. However all but two of their teammates competed each The Dapper RoboNoodles team (Courtesy photos) year in FIRST Lego League starting as fourth graders at Dailard Elementary. They are now four around. The claw was a custom eighth graders from made 3D printer piece by one of Pershing Middle School: our teammates. A standout of Kacie Hernandez, Sophie their robot is the googly eye stickMiller, Brady Quinn, ers. Not just for a fun aesthetic, Saranzaya Rice-Connor, but the stickers served a purpose and three seventh grad- so the driver could keep their ers from Lewis Middle “eyes” on the linear actuators to School: Kelsey Gunter, prevent overworking the gears. Allyson Mangahis, and They competed in the FTC San Ben Xavier. Diego Qualifying tournament The team designed du- and their team was awarded al linear actuators with a Ptolemy League’s first place in two-sided claw attached robot design. to move and lift rings as Another local community part of their goal. The FIRST Tech Challenge team, claw opened and closed The Wizalos (#14129), also with a servo motor which competed in the 2021 “Ultimate also helped move other The Team Wizalos robot parts of the game field SEE ROBOTICS, Page 16

Innovating sidewalks for seniors with ‘bots

By JASON POLIAK

My friends and I are elementary school students, and we are the FIRST LEGO League #50899 Mechanical Meatloaf (with a slice of pickles) robotics team. Mechanical Meatloaf team at work (Courtesy photo)

I live in Alvarado Estates and many of you have that they would like the cars to seen a few of my friends and I be slower and roads to be safer. in the garage working when Some of the more active seniors you pass by our house. We are said that they are not personally working on a robotics competi- afraid of uneven sidewalks, but tion. As part of this competition, other people might have a harder we needed to come up with an time and trip. They would also innovation idea on how to help like to see more nature and anisenior people come outdoors mals with more exercise stations more often. We surveyed the for seniors. people of the neighborhood with Our idea started out as five questions: How often do you “smooth senior sidewalks” but walk? What would you like to see as time passed, we decided to more of? Do you enjoy walking? create an innovation idea to Is there anything that concerns make exciting outdoor spacyou about walking on the street? es for seniors. We just had our What are some of the reasons qualifying robotics tournament that you come out to walk? on March 6 and that idea won

Most senior people come out the innovation project award. mostly for fresh air and exer- We are advancing to the southcise. Some people also said they ern California championship on would like to see more sidewalks. April 10. Wish us luck! People said they also would like to see more animals. Some peo- —Jason Poliak is a resident of ple in the neighborhood said Alvarado Estates.

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