Morning News Round-Up -- 4.30.09: Sharp Park Showdown, 1 p.m. (and Swine Flu)

Local flu news: Perhaps it is just Watch Dog is sick of the sick news... Peninsula schools prepare for it, but no cases yet. Santa Clara County has 7 probable cases, including a high school student, forcing Branham High School to close down for a week...

In more important news, today is the Sharp Park Golf Course showdown in San Francisco. Get your seats early, according to Pacifica Riptide... the meeting starts at 1 p.m.

Add this to the long list of animal cruelty cases in San Mateo County in the past year... A Daly City couple were neglecting their 10 year-old German shepherd because they were financial strapped. They will face misdemeanor charges...

There are some folks that say fewer elected officials is probably a good thing. In Millbrae, the job of City Treasurer may go from being an elected post to a non-elected post. The job currently held by Mary Vella Treseler is (apparently) become too stressful in these tough times... upon her departure, the position may go in-house (as opposed to on-ballot).

The long-awaited Downtown San Mateo Area Plan is due to be discussed in the coming weeks. Housing, transit, businesses large and small, etc., etc. Sort of like Downtown San Mateo now -- and Jon Mays at the Daily Journal loves it.

California's Senator Barbara Boxer is up for re-election next year and she left it up to the "the people" to design and vote on a campaign poster... Lorene Lederer from San Carlos won (see left). You can decide for yourself if you love it or not...

Perhaps it isn't the best idea to steal $20,000 in order to make your perfect wedding... because you may spend your expensive wedding day in jail. That's what Briana Nicole Balancier did and she'll go on trial in September for the wedding-related robbery...

More Students + Less Revenue = More Crowded Classrooms in Menlo Park City Schools...

In other bad-economy-related news, unionized employees in Redwood City are taking a one-year pay freeze. That makes two of us.

The Landlords vs. East Palo Alto Saga is in the news again (again)... A Judge said that the Page Mill Properties, which has filed a complaint against the City of EPA, must refile because their filing "has failed to allege an actual controversy"... you'd think with Page Mill Properties' high-priced lawyers they'd get it right...

Steve Jobs will have to wait to demolish the historic 14-bedroom home in Woodside. The Woodside Town Council (or COWncil) delayed their action on Tuesday night. The meeting was running late, and folks in Woodside need to get to bed early. Mark your calendars for May 13th...

The Palo Alto Planning Commission said no to a $50 million project on El Camino last night, even after the developers promised to save JJ&F Market.

In the all important category of 'dog news' -- our fellow dogs may be able to roam at Foothills Park in Palo Alto on weekends soon. Currently, we can go there on weekdays, but not weekends...