Morning News Round-Up -- 5.24.10: May Two-Four

Redwood City will start the environmental review process for the Cargill Saltworks development... this will take years everyone, so we are sure there will be plenty of public meetings to show up and complain...

DMB (the Saltworks' would-be developers) probably wasn't happy when the Mercury News hit their electronic doorsteps on Sunday morning... the Editorial Board wrote: Redwood City salt ponds not the right place for massive development...

DMB won't find this much fun either: There will be a pro/con discussion in Atherton on the project this week on Thursday night hosted by the League of Women Voters. Have fun in the NIMBY capital of the Peninsula DMB...

East Palo Alto is looking for a new City Manager (and soon, we'd bet, a new Police Chief)... there are 8 finalists...

Here's a sign of the times: the San Carlos Arts Commission may be disbanded because the city budget is costing the Arts Commission staffers their jobs...

Along the same lines, workers in the County are about to get cut too...

Monday + Daily Journal = Sue Lempert + Tax Collector/Treasurer

This is very strange: Just as some cities are shying away from red-light cameras (SSF, San Carlos) one is just launching them (Belmont). So make sure you slam on your brakes when you are driving in front of me in Belmont.

Morning News Round-Up -- 5.14.10: Where to put that hitching post?

The developers who want to build on the Salt Flats in Redwood City released a poll yesterday that showed that folks in Redwood City support development on the Salt Flats in Redwood City. What else would it show?

Belmont is setting itself up for some budgetary unrest... while Belmont cuts some services and some spending, firefighters are getting a raise as they spend down fire department reserves as they "quit" San Carlos...

Redwood City School District finally has a contract with its teachers. It has (only) taken a year...

Cabrillo Unified (on the coast) has a new deal with their unions too... but coastside the deal is "unspecified"... which must be very reassuring to taxpayers footing the bill.

Also on the education front, we get this headline announcing the Academic Performance Index results for the County: Test scores show most Santa Clara, San Mateo counties students reaching state goal... as if "most" is the goal. You can find your neighborhood school's listing here...

Some Daily Journal political endorsements for you this morning: Yes on Measure G - the Community College Parcel Tax... and Unelected Supervisor Carole Groom's mission to drop the "unelected" title is supported by Jon Mays and friends...

The day-time home break-in spree is still going on in San Bruno. police would like your help if you know anything...

And while folks in San Bruno (and Redwood City School District and SamTrans and the Community College District) deal with real challenging issues, the good folks in Portola Valley are deciding about where to site a new hitching post... seriously.

Finally, the Burlingame Voice chimes in on something other than High-Speed Rail... this time on test scores and teachers' unions...

Morning News Round-Up -- 3.1.10: http://mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county

To start March 2010, we have to comment on the change that happened over the weekend on the San Mateo County Times website. They actually have their own website, and now it is obvious that they are the same paper as the Mercury News. Also, instead of saying "Oakland Tribune" on the top of their homepage, it actually says San Mateo County Times. Kudos to all those busy web developers... and their bosses who got the go-ahead to change things up... Oh yeah, and they got their own URL, http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county

DMB's water rights that they intend to use if the Saltworks project ever goes through in Redwood City gets the microscope treatment today. The headline: "Redwood City Saltworks developer poised to become major Bay Area water baron" pretty much says it all. The story hints that Redwood City might be tempted to approve the DMB proposal in the salt flats because the City needs the water that could come with it...

Speaking of controversial... High-Speed Rail on the Peninsula. A big report is coming out in April and everyone is figuring out how to oppose it... like hiring lobbyists or having public meetings...

You don't think people are crazy about schools in Belmont? How about camping out for Kindergarten... we get camping out for Miley Syrus tickets, but Kindergarten?

In the land of constant elections, Burlingame voters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to return their ballot on the parcel tax measure for the Burlingame School District.

The former Belmont Chamber of Commerce president's molestation trial has begun. For the Belmont Chamber, this trial flies in the face of the old adage that any coverage in the news is good news...

The San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer is now also the head the California Police Chiefs Association...

It is Sue Lempert Monday in the Daily Journal. She looks at the sale of the Crestmoor High School site calling it deja vu... she also talks about all the local races happening, like for Coroner...

And onto Recession news...

• New water rates are coming to Foster City. The new rates will save you money if you save water and cost you lots if use lots...
• SSF Unified is looking at raising taxes, cutting offerings and jobs, or all of that...
• Teachers may be laid off in the Menlo Park City School District. That ought to go over well with Menlo Parkians... and ought to push them to vote yes on the upcoming parcel tax.

Cool stuff about the tsunami that (thankfully) wasn't on Coastsider...

To end today's Round-Up, we go to Pacifica Riptide... Riptide does some reporting today (and perhaps provides some opposition research for the Josh Becker/ Yoriko Kishimoto camps)... it seems Supervisor Rich Gordon has missed half of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority meetings in the past year... oops.

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.2.10: Ground-Hog Fundraising Reports...

Cut-throat local politics make blogs a lot more interesting to read... sorry, we have to say it. Sowhen Congresswoman Jackie Speier's name popped up as a possible candidate for Attorney General, not only did the Attorney General's race get a lot more exciting, but the real action is going to happen if she decideds to give up her seat... then the local political scene becomes very interesting: Simitian? Yee? Hill? Lempert?...

Bruce at the PP Examiner looks into all the incarnations of what might happen if Speier jumps...

There was a big, 2009 year-end political filing due yesterday which had candidates all over the place scrambling to get their stuff in. In the huge primary battle for the Democratic nomination for the 21 Assembly seat (the one Ira Ruskin will be leaving) -- race newcomer Josh Becker kicked everyone's ass in fundraising and has the most cash on hand going into the new year, over $200k+ to be exact. San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon has $133k+ on hand and Palo Alto City Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto has just over $100k to work with... of course, Kishimoto put in $40k of her own money this period, so she is being way outpaced on the fundraising side of the campaign. Becker is new to the race so his fundraising has been impressive...

Yay! Safeway in Burlingame! The plans got approved by the City Council last night. Can you believe it?

And while NIMBYs take a hit in Burlingame, they are getting their voices heard about the "transit village" plans in San Carlos.

Speaking of NIMBYs and Safeway... Safeway's plans to have a few outdoor seats in Menlo Park is going to be heard on the City Council because one resident sent a hand-written note objecting to the plan...

And what would a week be without another story about how DMB Associates plans to bring water into the the Cargill Salt Flats development in Redwood City? Put it this way, it sounds pretty complicated, feasible, but complicated...

Morning News Round-Up -- 1.27.10: A local mad-dash, scramble, free-for-all?

We never came back for a post yesterday, apologies to everyone...

Oh my... Matier & Ross in the Chronicle have this tidbit: Congresswoman Jackie Speier is thinking about a run for Attorney General of California this year. Imagine the local ramifications of that? It would be a mad-dash, scramble, free-for-all. Hill? Yee? Ruskin? Watch Dog? Gavin Newsom?

This isn't getting top billing in any of the papers or on Watch Dog, but it is perhaps the most important story of the day, at least for the long-term. South San Francisco is considering a two-tier retirement system for public employees. Is this the shot heard round the (local government) world?

The County may have found the most popular thing to tax you on... the hospital. And if they are going to tax you, they better identify some cuts first -- which they did and they described them as "bold"... good timing.

The Belmont/San Carlos war of words (and dollars) about who is to pay what for the Fire Protection District continued with some action. Belmont rejected San Carlos' plan. San Carlos thinks Belmont should pay more, Belmont doesn't agree. The fun squabble continues... In response to San Carlos' unhappiness, Belmont Councilwoman Coralin Feierbach said these fighting words: “If San Carlos wants to go somewhere else, they can.... We subsidized them for 20 years.” She did not say: "And I will meet them on any street corner and kick their scrawny little San Carlos asses too..."

The Daily Journal's Jon Mays rocks. He outs the DMB Saltworks developers for political tactics trying to embarass the Menlo Park City Council's decision to oppose the DMB development. Mays ends with this: "...By engaging in subterfuge and ripping reputations, the argument for the development loses its focus..."

Speaking of the salt flats. The Redwood City Council will accept a report that says that the development of 12,000 homes and their impact won't have any "insurmountable issues" related to traffic or water or other stuff.

Cliffside engineering? Federal funds to rebuild? Disaster area? If it is raining, we are talking about Pacifica...

The Skyline College shooting suspect was convicted yesterday of possessing a gun in public as part of a plea deal. 3 years probation and he can't go to campus again... perhaps the dude is getting his application ready for CSM?

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.17.09: Raises, Benefits, and Overcrowding... oh my!

Dave Burow, the Mayor of Woodside, was involved in a small-plane crash last weekend outside of Truckee. He's ok. (By small-plane, we mean that the plane was small, not the crash. Actually, the crash seemed pretty big and the police up in Truckee are saying that the Burow and the pilot are very lucky.) Burow isn't commenting and we await the COWs commentary on the subject...

But for now, the Citizens of Woodside are providing a run-down of holiday stuff around town...

Raises, benefits, and overcrowding... oh my!

Raises: Nothing says, "we know times are tough" like giving administrators of school districts raises... which is exactly what the Sequoia Union High School District Board. Of course, that comes after severe cuts earlier in the year...

Benefits: In a school district down the street (San Mateo Union HIgh School District) retirees and the District are still battling about health benefits for retirees...

Overcrowding: And in yet another school district (Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District) is talking about how they are overcrowding...

Oh my: DMB Redwood City Saltworks has a new plan to get water to the Redwood City development. Big ships with water? Well, we don't know, because the details aren't clear yet, but I'm sure we'll learn.

Michael Salazar was appointed to the San Bruno City Councilmember yesterday. He takes the seat that was vacated when Jim Ruane took the Mayor's chair. Perhaps Unelected Supervisor Carole Groom can give some advice about what its like to be in office without voter approval...

Michelle Durand's Off the Beat wants to know what Belmont re-Councilmember Dave Warden's gift is/was/will be to San Carlos.

Here is some good news, the Half Moon Bay Library is getting $200K for renovations.

Morning News Round-Up -- 5.26.09: A Supreme Tuesday Edition...

As we come back from a long weekend, the news today will be dominated by Supreme legal stuff... California Supreme Court's decision on Proposition 8 and Obama's pick for the US Supreme Court.

But Watch Dog must ask that you don't forget the local stuff...

Good news. The San Carlos man/Olympian/Alzheimer's sufferer who wandered away from his home was found in Oakland. He is ok and his family is relieved, as you can probably imagine.

The Sequoia Union High School District battle with Everest Charter School took another turn. We know Everest is taking their battle with the School District to court, but they are also getting a vacant office space ready for school in the fall, while the School District is getting the proposed site for Everest, a vacant lot in East Palo Alto, ready. This is all getting pretty confusing (and costly), but expect the situation to get worse before it gets worse...

Take THAT State. San Carlos is (probably) going to declare themselves in "severe fiscal hardship" in an attempt to limit the amount of money that State can pilfer from its local coffers. No word yet as to what the "severe fiscal hardship" designation will do for San Carlos' bond rating... To alleviate some of that "severe financial hardship" it may cost a lot more money to do stuff in San Carlos... like park illegally, receive a permit, or get a copy of a police report...

Speaking of fiscal hardship, that's what San Carlos School District parents may feel if their kids need summer school. That's because the School District just axed its summer school plans to save money.

It looks like South San Francisco will have a contested City Council race this November. Three seats are open, two incumbents have announced their intention to run again, one is on the fence, and two challengers are lining up to run. Expect a busy Labor Day-to-Election Day sprint...

Belmont wants to make sure that land now designated a park will stay a park forever. The Belmont City Council doesn't seem to trust the wisdom of future City Councils and would like to permanently make parks parks.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier placed an OpEd in the Daily Journal in honor of Memorial Day.

(Not wanting to be left out, San Mateo City Council candidate David Lim blogged about Memorial Day.)

First, Belmont banned smoking in apartment complexes, now an apartment complex wants to ban smoking in their own apartment complex. This time in San Mateo. This renter-driven initiative may be part of a trend, or maybe their is just smoking-ban-envy on the Peninsula...

Speaking of people taking action on their own... 8,000 homes in San Mateo are voting on a whether or not they want to pay an annual assessment to pay for flood protection. Three weeks from now we'll know the result of the vote.

There is a public battle (re)brewing in Redwood City. The DMB plans for development are back on the drawing board, causing a Redwood City resident to ask, "Folks, can't we all just get a long?" in today's Daily Journal OpEd. Those words didn't really work for Rodney King, and Watch Dog bets they aren't going to work in Redwood City either...

Pointing out other people's screw ups... (and our own)

We admit when we screw up... so we think it is only fair to point out other people's screw ups.

This morning, San Mateo County's premier newspaper, the San Mateo Daily Journal, had a story with the headline, "Belmont expands smoking ban to some houses."

This is a great story, except the story the headline was attached to was actually about DMB's plans to build 12,000 new units of housing in Redwood City.

This is obviously a technical screw up, and we don't think it is a big deal, but it is interesting.

We anxiously await Belmont's newest plan to curb the nation's smoking habit one small, wealthy San Mateo County town at a time...

Morning News Round-Up -- 5.13.09: Measure D, YouTube style...

DMB Associates has a new plan to build Bay-side housing in Redwood City (12,000 units)... there is a wetlands restoration project and sports fields to make it all more palatable to Redwood City residents too... Let the games begin...

And here are your obligatory loss of revenue/budget cuts stories for today...

Burlingame Elementary School District is facing a $1.2 million shortfall which means increased class-size, staff cuts, deferring some purchases, etc., etc., etc...

We'll include Jon Mays (Daily Journal Editor) in this mix today. He goes off on the Propositions and the effort to get us all to vote for them... "...When will the folks in Sacramento learn that whenever they want some money to stop parading out the firefighters and the teachers?..." Um, never...

Because the last time Woodside held a meeting about Steve Jobs' desire to tear down (and rebuild) the "historic" Jackling House is Woodside the meeting went late, the meeting is to be continued tonight... Have fun all you COWs...

If you are looking for a reason to support (or oppose) the sales tax increase/Measure D in Pacifica next Tuesday, here is a handy YouTube video...

Morning News Round-Up -- 3.6.09: Saltworks development stories...again...

Having won the (nasty) ballot battle last year regarding their proposed development in Redwood City, DMB Associates is bringing their development plans for the former Cargill Saltworks site to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. DMB needs the Commissions approval for development. The development review process in front of the Commission will also allow Save the Bay several more whacks at the project...

More teacher pink slips will be handed out to teachers next week...today's story is about the 20 pink slips to be handed out in the San Carlos Elementary School District...And good timing on the news story about pink slips, San Carlos Elementary School District. You have a ballot measure coming up for a parcel tax...the Daily Journal wants everyone to vote yes on this measure...

If it seems you know more and more people who have been laid off...you probably do. The County's unemployment rate jumped to 7.2 percent last month. This is still less than most/all of the rest of the State...but somehow that doesn't seem as comforting as it once did...

If you yell loud enough, you can get what you want. That is the lesson we are all about to learn in Belmont. I'm positive you remember the story: Belmont closed a traffic lane near Carlmont High School and parents freaked out in front of the City Council and in letters and in phone calls. (Including one person who went a little too far and is being investigated by the police.) Well, hysterically screaming has apparently paid off as Belmont officials prepare to undo what they did. Watch Dog remembers fondly the Profile in Courage quote by the Belmont City Manager about this issue: "...It’s a school zone — for those who think they have a right to get to work faster during that time, they don’t..."

The Palo Alto power outage was not caused by Federal agents raiding the Utility Department headquarters...it was caused by a duck...Speaking of the embattled Utility Department: the plan to raise electric/gas rates and transfer extra money into Palo Alto's general fund has hit a major road-block...namely, commonsense and public outcry...

Menlo Park's Mayor Heyward Robinson will deliver his much anticipated State of the City speech on Tuesday night. No word yet if the speech will be nationally televised...

An ironically timed press release from Assemblymember Hill's 'there out to be a law' contest just came out...the stuff that constituents came up with wasn't so bad, it is just that Jon Mays at the Daily Journal just got through writing his piece blasting Sacramento Legislators for introducing bills and not focusing on problems...like the State Budget...

Speaking of the Daily Journal...what Michelle Durand started this week, the Mercury News Editorial Board picked up. Today, the Merc. editors wrote about Ammiano's Yes We Can(nabis) campaign...