Morning News Round-Up -- 4.29.10: French Quarter, Pike Place Market, or Ikea?

Earlier in the week we learned that the East Palo Alto Police Chief might be packing his bags for Seattle. Today we learn that he might actually need warmer clothes because he might be headed for New Orleans. New Orleans or Seattle... Hurricanes (the drink) or Coffee...

The French Quarter or Pike Place Market... or any of these things and Ikea... Seriously, how bad does this guy want out?

Is he (competent) or isn't he? That's the question that still needs to be answered in the retrial of William Ayres... and it will be decided in June because the second doctor that needed to evaluate William Ayres couldn't do it in time to reach the deadline yesterday... Our friends at William Ayres Watch are on it...

If Caltrain is going to survive these tough economic times, which would be good for the Peninsula, it may only happen thanks to the folks at the California High-Speed Rail Authority... We love this idea for the pure love of irony...

Speaking of tough times, the breakup of the Belmont-San Carlos Fire Department will cause a spike in overtime, according to the Fire Chief. That will be great for everyone's budget...

San Bruno is losing some staff too, but not to New Orleans or Seattle... but to budget cuts in order to balance the f-ed up budget...

Oh Atherton, you can never really get it right, can you? Salaries/ benefits are going up, even as everything is going to hell in a hand-basket. But what else would you expect?

The Burlingame Elementary School District might buy back a school site they previously sold to meet rising enrollment demand (and assuage an angry parent community who does not want huge classrooms...) That seems like a good way to spend money -- sell land then buy it back...

The most awkwardly worded, yet informative, headline of the day goes to the Daily News: Menlo Park pre-school supervisor to retire following arrest for allegedly annoying teen girl... What else do you need to know?

Morning News Round-Up -- 3.17.10: Ayres Watch...

Well, here's something new: Dr. William Ayres the (alleged) child-molesting child pyschologist may not be mentally fit to stand trail again... These folks will not be pleased...

Recently, the proposed Kmart site development in San Mateo and how $1.7 million in "neighborhood improvements" was in the news... well, it is in the news again and questions are being asked... and not the type of questions that will make this project a reality either...

Millbrae Councilmember Gina Papan has some logical (?) ideas about High Speed Rail...

David Bohannon has done another poll about his massive Menlo Park project... guess what it says? That people love the Bohannon project...

You know times are tough when robbers start steeling pizzas... but that's what happened in Redwood City on Monday.

A different robbery in Redwood City is in the news this morning too... a robber tried to rob a police officers' home -- and the police officer caught him. Dumb.

The Citizens of Woodside track down mountain lions... or at least sighting of mountain lions.

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.1.09: Leave your guns at home Bill...

This is a crazy story: On Sunday night a Redwood City man, in an attempt to protect his family, grabbed his gun to chase away intruders. He did chase them off his property, but then he also took his gun (wearing only his underwear) and got in his car and chased the two dudes by car. Apparently the two would-be intruders called the police to report a crazy guy in his underwear carrying a gun was chasing their car down the street... The gun-wielding, family-protector may get charged with brandishing a weapon. (But not public indecency?)

If that story wasn't today's top story, this would have been: Remember a while back when William Ayre's new defense attorney was trying to get the first jury's contact information... well, that request was denied. (Much to the delight of those first jurors, no doubt...) Of course William Ayres Watch has the details too.

San Mateo decided to keep a public golf course publicly run and run a courier service for itself in order to save money. $560,000 in fact... That savings can help pay for an Assistant City Manager which the Council has agreed to hire as well...

In other City government news: Rich Cline will become the new Mayor of Menlo Park tonight... good night and good luck!

Here is a (very) local issue on the County's docket today: whether or not to close Los Banos Avenue between Park Avenue and Ocean Blvd in Seal Cove...

Michelle Durand (Daily Journal) goes 'rouge' about Sarah Palin going 'rogue'... well played
Ms. Durand, well played...

Don't drive drunk, whoever you are. Even if your car is full of (off-duty) police officers and you are a former officer, you are (hopefully) going to do some time... like this guy. We hear they like police in jail...

The recount that wasn't... Lisa McCaffrey who had called for a recount in the Granada Sanitary District election because her opponent won by 10 votes, called off the recount. That stinks... Kevin Spacey and Al Gore wanted to make sure every vote was counted...

Morning News Round-Up -- 11.18.09: Ayres Watch is Back...

Williams Ayres, William Ayres, William Ayres... it is back in the news. The new defense attorney wants the names of the jurors from the mistrial... apparently this isn't that unusual, but probably won't be much fun for those old jurors... Remember, you can get all the latest and greatest at William Ayres Watchdog...

Speaking of (alleged) local crimes...

The shootee in the Skyline College shooting (and presumably the shooter) will face gun charges...

And this... the Menlo Park Police are looking at a "person of interest" in the fatal hit-and-run of a first grader last week.

And to fight these crimes...

Daly City is getting a new Police Chief from San Jose. The going is tough in San Jose -- and the tough are heading north (apparently)... Watch Dog is hoping that the Daly City City Council doesn't cut the guys salary if they start to disagree with his actions...

Nothing sets people off (apparently) than thinking about selling land that belongs to a school district. That's the predicament that the San Mateo Union High School District finds itself as it looks at plans to sell Peninsula High School's campus...

If you were expecting a change in the Half Moon Bay horses-on-beach policy, you got all you needed to know in The Review's headline: 'Status quo' for horse riders...

Here is a non-shocker... the debate about the big Menlo Park project dubbed "the Bohannon Project" is "touchy"...

Speaking of touchy... When it comes to Atherton, we know from history that small-town politics can get ugly. Tonight, the Atherton Council will talk about repealing the "road impact fee" that developers pay when they are doing construction. Expect fire works, nasty words, and perhaps a hit to Atherton's budget...

Mistrial...

Mistrial in the trial of William Ayres. More information to be published tomorrow as part of the Round-Up, plus (hopefully) some more information from the William Ayres Watchdog blog...

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.20.09: Day 5, with one less Juror

We knew that the William Ayres' molestation trial would be a wild one... but we thought that after the jury got the case and was deliberating, the fireworks would die down for a while... well, we were wrong. A juror was dismissed on Friday for having a personal conversation about an "inappropriate event" in her own life that made her more likely to believe the (alleged) victims' memories... An alternate was seated instead. William Ayres Watch reminds us it is Day 5 of Jury deliberations...

Here is a story that first came across the local newspapers on Saturday: A hiker from San Carlos is missing in an area near Skeggs Point in unincorporated San Mateo County. The latest updates come from the Half Moon Bay Review from Sunday afternoon and the Chronicle this morning. At that point, there was still no sign of the hiker.

If there are two issues that get folks going in Belmont it is parks and neighborhoods... so when you try to plan for a new neighborhood park, get ready for some exciting times. That's the case with a proposed park on Davey Glen Road (just off of El Camino Real)...

Speaking of parks... and housing... and industrial growth... and a bunch of other "land use" stuff, Redwood City is moving ahead with a revised General Plan. Which is pretty dry stuff in most places, but with Redwood City, land use and growth is never dry.

There was a fire Saturday at Zibbibbo Restaurant in Palo Alto... origins of the flames were undetermined at the time of this blogging... We hope we can still get our herb roasted top sirloin tonight.

Supervisors have started the conversation about new taxes and fees to help address their "structural deficit." Join the club...

It is Monday, which (usually) means that Sue Lempert gives her take on local happenings in the Daily Journal. Today she gets in on the health care discussion in DC and a health care-related Civil Grand Jury report in 2008. She also talks about the Feds with how stimulus dollars are being used locally. (And to the loyal Watch Dog reader who often sends wise ass emails, stimulus dollars are not being used here...)

The Coastside Family Medical Clinic on-again/off-again bankruptcy filing is off-again... at least until July 24th when the next hearing will take place...

There was some scary excitement over the weekend when a local bomb squad detonated an explosive devise at a Pacifica apartment complex...

0n a final, sad note, former Burlingame Mayor Don Lembi died at the age of 63 from "complications from diabetes."

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.15.09: Taxes, taxes everywhere...

The molestation trial of William Ayres is in the jury's hands now. So we wait... if you haven't already, you should check out William Ayres Watch(dog) for more details.

Yesterday we learned that Palo Alto's Mayor won't seek reelection in November, today it's San Bruno Mayor Larry Franzella's turn to call it quits...

And in an unexpected move, at least to Watch Dog, the Belmont City Council said no to putting a hotel tax on the November ballot. Perhaps Belmont wants their hotels to be cheaper than San Mateo...

Because San Mateo put two measures on the November ballot: 1/4 cent sales tax increase and a 2 percent hotel tax hike.

Atherton is also (likely) going to the ballot with a tax. In Atherton's case, it is a renewal of a parcel tax that seems to fund everything in Town and is expensive... the average household pays $750 per year.

Speaking of taxes... Millbrae property owners voted to renew (or not) a fire assessment. The ballots were due yesterday and are now being counted...

Daily Journal Editor Jon Mays gets Congresswoman Jackie Speier's perspective on the State Budget mess. She's been to Sacramento and now she's in DC -- so she knows her stuff. A choice quote: "...I think they've lost their way..." Yup.

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.14.09: Bastille Day Edition...

Bon jour...

If you've been meaning to be at the courthouse for part of the molestation trial of Dr. William Ayres, you better hurry. Final arguments are upon us... Follow the proceedings (with a point of view) at William Ayres Watch(dog).

The San Bruno City Council is in the budget cutting hot-seat tonight as they (likely will) approve furlough days for their employees for the upcoming fiscal year.

To avoid (really) severe cuts, Millbrae property owners are voting on a renewal of their fire assessment. Ballots are due today -- so get on it!

Have we seen this headline before? (Courtesy of the Daily Journal): Four teens walk away from unfenced Camp Glenwood

Mountain lions. Bees. Really.

Remember when there was going to be a biodeisel plant in Pacifica? So do we... fond memories.

The Woodside drama involving Steve Jobs, the Woodside City Council, historic preservationists, and the Jackling House could be coming to an end. An agreement has been reached to allow for the dismantling of the "historic" house.

Politics + Palo Alto = Great Fun. Mayor Peter Drekmeier will NOT seek reelection, opening up the field for a free-for-all for Palo Alto's City Council in November. Stay tuned...

Speaking of mid-Peninsula politics, sort of... Meg Whitman "loaned" her campaign $15 million.

More importantly (?), David Lim received the endorsements of San Mateo City Councilmember Jan Epstein and Supervisor Mark Church.

Showing that they too can keep up with the 24-hour news cycle, the Almanac finally posts a story about the Civil Grand Jury's report on the Garbage Saga.

CORRECTION/UPDATE Morning News Round-Up -- 7.13.09: Off-Day for Lance/ On-Day for Sonia

We haven't talked about High Speed Rail in a while, especially as it relates to San Mateo County's chief NIMBYs (Atherton and Menlo Park). This weekend we learned that the High Speed Rail Authority (obviously) rejected a settlement offer from Menlo Park and Atherton regarding their lawsuit.

Here is a lawsuit we have heard a lot about, the trial of William Ayres. The County Times breaks down a very busy, and possibly pivotal, week last week in the trial. Remember, Dr. Ayres himself took the stand himself in his own defense.

San Mateo City employees have agreed to feel part of the economic pinch by forgoing pay raises and taking some furloughs. (Furlough is the new vacation...) No so for the County's in-home health care workers, who are going to keep their wages and their jobs if the Supervisors pass a proposal tomorrow night. (Which they will pass this.)

To fill their budget gap, San Carlos has been polling residents/ voters about paying higher local taxes. San Carlos leaders seem pleased with the 62 percent of the folks that say they'll vote yes -- unfortunately for San Carlos, you need 2/3 support for a new tax. We'll see how this goes.

CORRECTION/UPDATE: SAN CARLOS ACTUALLY NEEDS 50% + 1 VOTE, NOT 2/3.

Unsurprisingly, public libraries up and down the County are facing tough economic times too. As an added kick in the pants, visitors to libraries are up in most places, at least from Watch Dog's experience.

A unique consequence of the auto industry's downfall is that big blocks of land that were being preserved for possible auto dealerships, like the old Century 12 land in Redwood City on the east side of 101, are now back in play for a variety of land uses. One developer, SyWest Development, wants to build 500 housing units and some commercial space on the once future home of an auto dealer. Imagine the great views of 101 those 500 housing units would have!

Sue Lempert has a few (ok, a lot) of ideas about what the next Governor should be like/should do. In her Daily Journal column, she runs through each of the contenders (and non-contenders too)...

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.10.09: Two local, legal battles heat up...,

Sorry to begin with, but it is certainly the quote of the day: "I've never massaged a penis..." You guessed it, that's Dr. William Ayres' speaking in his own defense.

Another very serious local legal battle is heating up. The Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia is being sued by Pez Candy Inc. for copyright infringement. (The previous two sentences are true.)

We have seen lots of reports coming out of the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury, but we haven't learned a lot about the folks on the actual Grand Jury. Until today. The Daily Journal does a write up of Virginia Chang Kiraly, the Grand Jury forewoman...

Speaking of the Civil Grand Jury... today's report says that the County is losing out on all kinds of money. And anther update on the Civil Grand Jury: the full TRASHTALK report is published for all of you with nothing to do this weekend...

On the flip side, there are folks at Sustainable San Mateo County and San Mateo Acting Responsibly Together are looking to save folks money through energy efficiency programs in your home.

We hope that the local folks in Sacramento photocopy the Daily Journal Editorial today about the dysfunction in Sacramento and pass the copies around to their colleagues.

COWs of Woodside delve into the new cost for Woodside for outsourcing their police protection to the Sheriff's Department.

A letter on Coastsider does its best to imitate the Civil Grand Jury calling for new leadership at the Coastside County Water District.

Ahhh, politics. In Palo Alto, expect the next City Council race to be a biggy. Councilman John Barton is not seeking another term. That makes three Council-folk from Palo Alto that won't be on the ballot in November: Barton, Yoriko Kishimoto, and Jack Morton. The other folks up in November are Larry Klein, who is running again, and Peter Drekmeier, who will let us all know on Monday. Hold on to your hats, it could be a real barnburner in Palo Alto in November.

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.9.09: Quality Over Quantity

There aren't a lot of stories today... but we are going with quality over quantity:

Garbage:
The Grand Daddy of all Civil Grand Jury reports is in. (Thank you Assemblymember Jerry Hill.) The Garbage Saga Report has been published and recommendations given. We will have more on this issue later this week, but it doesn't look good for the South Bayside Waste Management Authority... A weird part about this is the story was in the Daily Journal, and Watch Dog received a copy of the report as well, but as of now, the actual report isn't available on the Civil Grand Jury website... Here are some choice quotes from the report:

• ...the SBWMA did not follow its stated goal to "conduct the RFP process with integrity and transparency."
• ...the Grand Jury has no confidence in the RFP processes by which the Collections Services Contractor and the Shoreway Master Plan Facility Contractor were selected...
• ...After four years of preparation, staff time, and consultant fees, the RFP process was poorly executed...

Dr. Ayres Trial:
The other big local story this week is the trial of Dr. William Ayres. He took the stand in his own defense yesterday... Ayres Watch was not impressed and called yesterday "...a very, very, very good day for the prosecution..."

And the rest of the news...

Here are today's local government in budget crisis stories:

• South San Francisco wants to raise hotel taxes to fill its budget gap...
• Senior services in San Mateo are in trouble...

There was a pedestrian death on the Caltrain tracks in Redwood City yesterday evening.

Here is a story about golf and Pacifica and it doesn't involve the San Francisco Board of Supervisors... thankfully. Pacifica golf courses and parks are going to use recycled water for irrigation.

Stay tuned for more insight on the Civil Grand Jury report on Garbage... as soon as we can get through the 25 page document...

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.8.09: "Long distance runner, what you standing there for?"

The King of Pop was laid to rest... and Dr. William Ayres trial on child molestation charges continues. Coincidence? Dr. Ayres didn't take the stand yesterday, but it looks like he will today. Follow the play-by-play at William Ayres Watch.

An expensive piece of public art in San Mateo's Seal Point Park isn't working properly -- and the artists who should/could be able to fix it aren't answering the phone. Really.

A woman was sexually battered late Friday night/early Saturday morning in San Carlos. The Police are looking for the suspect. See if a Police sketch helps jog your memory...

Here is the least shocking/most predictable headline of the day, courtesy of the Daily Journal: Officials decry education funding cut proposal.

Jon Mays, the Daily Journal's Editor, uses his column space today for a collection of Deep Thoughts... Thank you?

KCSM, the College of San Mateo's own public television/radio staion, is dropping its affiliation with PBS. This seems like an indication about what is going on with their budget...

A Millbrae man is going to jail for 2 years for "sexting" to a minor. (Yes, we wrote "sexting.")

You might remember this story: two folks at the Roti in Burlingame stole credit card numbers and, using a third accomplice, used them at a Safeway to buy stuff. The third member of the brain trust, Iris Singh, was sentenced to two years.

There will be a (planned) Fire on the Mountain today.

The Palo Alto Utilities Commission will be expanded from five members to seven members. Perhaps they can ramp up their oversight as well?

There is some good news coming out of Atherton today. Incredibly, it actually concerns a City Councilmember and there is no controversy in this story. Jim Dobbie is cancer-free. Welcome back...

Here is a heads-up from Riptide. The Sharp Park Pier is closing for nightly repairs. We wonder, however, who is hanging out on the Pier from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. anyway...

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.7.09: King of Pop Memorial Edition...

Is it ironic that San Mateo County has a high profile child molestation case that heats up today as the King of Pop is memorialized? The trial of Dr. William Ayres continues today. Too bad I can't remember who took the stand... hmmm. (Just kidding.) The real fireworks start today as the Ayres takes the stand in his own defense... or at least that's the plan.

Palo Alto Utilities Commission is about to be shook up. Two folks are stepping down and the City is thinking about adding seats to the Commission. Perhaps the added seats and new members can figure out how to avoid the Feds crashing down the doors again...

There is some shake up in Menlo Park as well, but in MP it is with key City Staffers. When City Staffers leave en masse, it is never a good sign... the most recent is Dianne Dryer, Environmental Programs Coordinator. The story says that she is in charge of the recycling and garbage stuff for Menlo Park and that she couldn't be reached for comment. Could this be a preemptive fall-out of the Garbage Saga Civil Grand Jury? The intrigue thickens... (or we are just grasping at straws...)

Belmont would like to jack up the hotel tax to cover their budget gap. Guess who is opposed to this idea?

No fireworks means no fireworks... especially in San Bruno where 39 folks were arrested over the weekend.

Too add insult to injury in terms of local governments' budget problems, local property values are falling, meaning the property taxes collected on those properties are falling too. Just ask Assessor Warren Slocum...

Michelle Durand goes Off the Beat in today's Daily Journal and she gets all clever on our asses... Ironically, Durand's piece comes at the same time that Sacramento antics continue...

Fair warning to the San Carlos School District: Redrawing school boundary lines has all the political/policy implications of redrawing Jerusalem's. Good luck...

Well, that didn't take too long. Actually, it did. The pile of rubble at Bay Meadows is gone and construction could start "soon"... Now, the breath-holding starts.

Morning News Round-Up – 7.2.09: I forgot day, watch out...

(No kidding, it's I forgot day, see if the boss'll go for it…)

San Mateo’s County Manager, David Boesch, estimates the county could lose $87 million in the State’s anticipated money grab. Technically a “loan” no one expects the State to pay locals back…

“It’s long past time….” San Mateo held district elections for Supervisor according to San Mateo Union High School Trustee Dave Pine in support of the latest shoe from the Grand Jury. (elected) Supervisor Rich Gordon agrees it’s time for voters to choose.

County Supervisor/ABAG President Rose Jacobs Gordon voices an opinion on Grow Smart for the Daily Journal. This time not calling for “allowable” county spending, Jacobs Gibson echoes a report from the Greenbelt Alliance…

Taking a lead from Serbian journalists who visited local courtrooms. Off the Beat’s Michelle Durand visited the courts herself watching the defense get underway in the Dr. William Ayres trial.

In a (soon to be shared) story with our Sister Blog, Watch Dog Silicon Valley... Mountain View’s City Council is ready to do battle with the Feds over Hangar One… Mountain View will (probably) look to Palo Alto and Sunnyvale to join the party.

He’s old (58) and confused according to Troy Henderson’s attorney Jaime Harley. San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Sharon Lee didn’t snort (at least not out loud) instead pointing to numerous other complaints against the Atherton public works director. Trial’s over, Henderson/Harley/Ortiz-Buckley/Lee wait for the jury.

In a surprise move, Menlo Parks community services director, Barbara Santos George quit following months of debate over the city’s child care program. City Manager Glen Rojas said they would hold off on a replacement.

Coastside County Water District Director Jim Larimer is also putting pen to paper with an opinion piece in the Half Moon Bay Review. Drawing a line between no-growth advocates and slave owners, Larimer is bound to generate some interesting controversy.

Speaking of water…

What does $18 million get you? Well, the 24 acre Beachwood property for one but… Oops, no one thought to mention water rights during the Chop Keenan negotiations. Keenan, meanwhile, has an application with the water district to transfer those water rights off Beachwood.

Palo Alto Mayor Peter Drekmeier took time out to watch the Half Moon Bay’s Ox Mountain Landfill turn on the methane-energy power generator. The faint of heart can rest assured running the microwave won’t be a stinky job.

Geeks at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory will be able to employ more of the same thanks to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds flowing into Silicon Valley. After letting go 125 SLAC(ers) in 2008 there are 100 available gigs if you meet the braniac quotient.

Palo Alto’s plans for a new library are “woefully inadequate” according to Friends of Palo Alto Libraries. Library Advisory Commissioner Rajesh Mashruwala said downtowns unique demographic (seniors, daytime workers, homeless) causes special challenges. Right, because those folks don’t want books or computers in their libraries…

Morning News Round-Up – 6.29.09: Trouble in wave-land…

Coastside Family Medical Center Trustee, E. Lynn Schoenmann, wants to dismiss the bankruptcy protection and put record handling back on the defunct non-profit’s former leaders. Schoenmann says the non-profit “squandered resources” creating a “medical [records] disaster.” Good luck getting your own records back, for the moment they live in San Jose.

That thud you heard was the other shoe dropping as County Tax Assessor Warren Slocum told the Board of Supervisors more than half the houses reassessed were worth less. The Daily Journal’s Michelle Durand chatted with a few of the players while Pacifica Riptide rips a Realtor’s ad claiming housing inventory is low…

Ayers Watch is keeping up with weekend reports on the progress, or lack of, as well as main-stream media coverage of Watch’s own blog. Joining Ayers Watch in the courtroom is a blogger from Sprocket & Company, True Crime Reporting – as lurid as it sounds, Caligirl9 avoids the gruesome details.

Sue Lempert is back in the Daily Journal asking parents how sensible is building a new school when you can’t afford the ones you have and agrees with the Economist that Summer vacation is a “mental eraser.” Watch Dog can hear the kids screaming at the thought of year round school, while parents cheer...

East Palo Alto’s Housing Director Wilbert Lee called the ongoing vandalism at the Courtyard at Bay Road unforeseen. Wheelchair bound Arnold Hart complaints he can’t get in, carpets used as toilets and a crowbar modified elevator are a few of the problems giving San Jose’s Community Housing a headache.

Look for sparks as the Central County Fire Department pushes for independence from Burlingame and Hillsborough – and more communities move for firefighter mergers.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory scientists had a chance at one of their own as US Energy Secretary Steven Chu dropped by to talk global warming.

Palo Alto’s “Open City Hall” may be open for business but no one seems to know…

Consternation abounds. Menlo Park’s Planning Commission has a challenge ahead, will a proposed City Hall gum up parking?

Seems big wave pioneer, Jeff Clark, didn’t gracefully dismount that Mavericks stick. According to Clark there was rough surf at Mavericks Surf Ventures and he got worked after an orchestrated wipe out. Surf Ventures’ Keir Beadling called it the end of “tyranny.”

San Carlos’ Kevin Scott is schlepping through Yosemite hoping enough people care about education to put up a penny a mile to watch him do it. Big Brother, and the rest of the world, will follow Scott courtesy of SPOT.

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.26.09: A King of Pop-Free Round-Up...

Dr. Ayres' trial is picking up steam. Coverage from the Daily Journal and other main stream media... but William Ayres' Watch is much more in depth...

In an (un)related case, a San Mateo County man was sentenced to 24 years in prison for molesting his granddaughters... Perhaps he and Dr. Ayres will meet someday?

Budget problems:

• San Mateo Union High School District = $3.5 million.
• We'll put this Editorial from the Daily Journal under budget problems, but the problem in Half Moon Bay is not just about the budget, it is about "political naivety" according to the Journal...
• Congratulations Shaun Bishop. The County Supervisors are (finally) looking at their expenses during this economic downturn...

It wasn't just Unelected Supervisor Carol Groome who got Civil Grand Jury attention this week. Pay Cut Gate got some love as well. Not surprisingly, the Civil Grand Jury found that the Daly City City Council wasn't justified in cutting the City Clerk's pay. PP Examiner chimes is as well...

Watch Dog spies tell us that the Civil Grand Jury report that we've all been waiting for is coming... it can't come soon enough. That said, we hope that the Civil Grand Jury doesn't cave to PR pressure and release it in the dead news cycles of the July 4th long weekend...

Atherton. How we love thee. The trial of a Public Works Supervisor who is facing misdemeanor assault and battery charges against a female Atherton Police Officer started yesterday.

The Coastside Family Medical Center's bankruptcy could be dismissed. Watch Dog is no lawyer (obviously) and the details seem sketchy in this story from the HMB Review. Hopefully more will come out...

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.25.09: The Civil Grand Jury Strikes Again...

NOTE: Yesterday's Round-Up got caught in the outbox... check it out for yesterday's Round-Up. Apologies...
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The San Mateo Civil Grand Jury gets off another shot at a local agency. This time, their object of affection was one that Watch Dog covered long ago... with the same contempt. The appointment of Unelected Supervisor Carole Groom. The report goes into extensive detail and comes out with the same point of view that Watch Dog had way back when in December. Could it be that Watch Dog is influencing the Civil Grand Jury?

(One question remains... where is the Garbage Saga Civil Grand Jury Report?)

The Civil Grand Jury Report notwithstanding, the Supervisors approved their (two-year) $1.76 billion budget yesterday. Watch Dog spies tell us that the Civil Grand Jury Anti-Appointment Report gossip was swirling in the room...

The County's budget is certainly taking big hits, so is Belmont's. That's why they are seriously considering taxing hotel visitors to Belmont more. When all else fails, tax those that don't vote for you...

As if public employee pension funds (especially in the City of San Jose) don't have enough problems, a Pension Trustee in San Jose was arrested in San Mateo following a domestic violence call... Patrick G. Skillsky then proceeded to attack the police that were called to the scene. Perhaps he was just really, really upset about all the market losses he didn't see coming... Ironically, the City of San Jose is considering having professionals oversee the Pension Funds rather than appointed, untrained folks. No time like the present...

In other local crime news...

Dr. Ayres' molestation trial continues... William Ayres Watch has the play-by-play... and laments the lack of coverage the trial is receiving. (Not from us...)

The fancy shmancy Olympic (golf) Club in Daly City was found liable for ($10 million) flood damage to the surrounding neighborhood. The Club Chief Groundskeeper did not say, "Heck, we thought the 18 holes were enough drainage to take care of all the rain..."

Menlo Park spends more time studying problems with consultants than fixing problems with solutions... or at least that's how some vocal folks feel...

Even political discontent can't stop Atherton from dipping into reserves to fix their budget gap... Watch Dog is a bit surprised the budget discussion was even put on the agenda, given the recent disagreements in Atherton...

Michelle Durand's Off the Beat in today's Daily Journal goes into the "Way Back Machine" to the beginning of the Burlingame Safeway discussion... May 1, 2003.

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.24.09: Atherton Politics...there is no substitute

The trial of accused molester Dr. William Ayres officially started. William Ayres Watch has this intro to the coverage that they will be providing on the trial:

"...If you are looking for strictly mainstream coverage of the Dr. Ayres trial, please go to the SF Chronicle or the San Mateo County Times. But if you are looking for a more complex and richer back story to the case, you will find it here..."

The Ayres' trial moves forward without one accuser testifying, however...

(While this trial could be viewed by some as a circus waiting to happen, there is a real circus (Circus Vargas) happening in San Mateo County...)

In a less high profile molestation case where a tae kwon do instructor molested a 13 year-old student in San Carlos. The case has been settled. The instructor pleaded no contest and will serve no more than a year in jail. Dr. Ayres may not be so lucky...

The Jackling House in Woodside will be demolished, thanks to a 5-2 vote of the Woodside City Council. One condition, though: the house will be deconstructed first by a preservationist whose goal will be do reconstruct the house somewhere, sometime... This is good news for Steve Jobs, but somehow we think he has more important things going on in his life, like recovering from a liver transplant...

Here are today's obligatory local government budget cutting/fee raising stories

• Parks and public works, and a bunch of other services are getting hit in the County budget...
• The Palo Alto Unified School District is preparing to plug a $7 million budget gap. Yikes...

Watch Dog has expressed our love for Atherton politics before... very cut-throat, very small-town, very good for Watch Dog to cover. There is a now a fight brewing about how to get items get on the City Council's agenda. Three Councilmembers (seemingly) want to make it more difficult, two want to make it easier. Unfortunately, it will take three votes to make it easier, so we expect the agendas in Atherton to be as sparse as they ever were...

San Mateo Union High School District, also feeling a budget pinch, is not deterred from its plans to put solar on its schools...

San Carlos Elementary will get a new (interim) Superintendent today. Craig Baker, the head of the Gardner Center for Youth in Their Communities at Stanford will be named at tonight's meeting.

The 6 year-old girl pulled from the water off the coast of Half Moon Bay over the weekend after her boat capsized is being released from the hospital. That's good news.

Speaking of HMB... PP Examiner gets in on the action describing the demise of Assemblymember Hill's Half Moon Bay Bail Out Bill. (As an aside, Watch Dog was the first to coin that phrase, we believe.)

And more HMB news.

Mavericks Surf Contest will have a longer window this coming season, and the decision to go or not to go won't be made by Jeff Clark, who invented the contest. Clark will stay on the Board, but the decision about who will make The Decision hasn't been decided.

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.19.09: Code of Conduct Edition...

'Tis the season for horrible budgets, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut... cut, cut, cut, cut... Today's news is about the County of San Mateo, which may be hardest hit because they get most/all of their funds from the disfunctional netherworld of Sacramento. Perhaps Supervisor Jacobs Gibson could fill the budget gap with her expense account?

Here's a 'kind' way for the County to bridge the budget gap, putting a fee on marijuana clubs. Dude, that's a fee I'd gladly pay...

San Bruno also has a budget challenge ahead. $2.5 million, to be exact. So does the Menlo Park City School District. They have a cool mill to fill.

Dr. Ayres' trial is still going on. They seem to be in pre-trial motions. The latest is a decision about books taken from the doctor's office... they won't be allowed into evidence. For the latest, read this.

Safeway and Burlingame... the story that keeps on giving. But this time there is some action, at least. The plan is going before the Burlingame Planning Commission on Monday. The Daily Journal Editorial Board says that Burlingame "deserves" a new Safeway... Actually, East Palo Alto probably "deserves" a new Safeway, but Burlingame is getting one.

Speaking of stories that keep on giving. The Jackling House demolition a.k.a. Steve Jobs' house demolition, will be back at the Woodside city Council on June 23rd. If this wasn't Steve Jobs, would this story stay in the news?

In the midst of the (seemingly) biggest issue in Woodside's history... the COWs of Woodside are seeking new folks to run for City Council.

San Mateo-Foster City School District has an ongoing 'issue' with Foster City about a new site for a school. To take matters into their own hands (because the City isn't helping much) the School District is thinking about a new bond measure.

There is a new 'code of conduct' for the 4th of July chili cook-off in Palo Alto. Seriously, a code of conduct for a chili cook-off.

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.16.09: "It's in the budget, it's covered, it's allowable..."

As every local government cuts back, sometimes dramatically, some of the Board of Supervisors is spending money like... well, like Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson... This is not a good story for Supervisor Jacobs Gibson. Anytime a quote like this is included in story, it isn't good: "...It's in the budget, it's covered, it's allowable, so I do it. Period..." Just because it is "allowable" doesn't make it a good idea...

The State's grab for local money means our local roads will get worse before they get better. This should come as a surprise to exactly nobody. Perhaps Supervisor Jacobs Gibson has some extra expense account money around?

Here's some wishful thinking. The San Mateo City Council passed its City Budget last night with the assumption that two tax measures on the ballot in November 2009 will pass... oh, the budget also doesn't include the State's next local tax grab.

Palo Alto passed their budget too. The budget wasn't pretty... Neither is their proposed business license tax, but that's moving forward too...

The trial of (alleged) molester/child psychiatrist William Ayres get some ink today. Pre-trial motions are being heard and the Ayres' defense is arguing that books containing images of naked boys that were taken from Ayres' office should not be allowed into evidence... fruit from the poison tree, and all that legal mumbo-jumbo. Remember to visit William Ayres Watch...

We are hopeful there will be a day soon when the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District won't make the Watch Dog Morning News Round-Up... but it isn't today. They are asking the County Board of Supervisors (and Supervisor Jacobs Gibson) for a $2.5 million loan... like the County's roads, it is going to get worse before it gets better. The money is for construction projects that have been on hold for a while. Also, isn't it Superintendent Tim Beard's last day soon?

Oh, and the La Honda-Pescadero Unified lawsuit (a local attorney is suing the District for misusing bond money) was delayed last Friday...

Bruce at the PP Examiner doesn't waste much time in his piece about Redwood City Mayor Rosanne Foust. His headline: Redwood City Mayor is a NIMBY...