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 -- 1.13.10: Just the facts...

We knew it. The beard, the cool attitude... everything about Assemblymember Jerry Hill says Deadhead... so did his 'yes' vote on a recreational pot bill in an Assembly Committee yesterday. The head of the California Police Chiefs Association, who happens to be Susan Manheimer, was not pleased, saying (according to the Daily Journal), "It is unconscionable that the state would try to balance its budget by approving the use of mind-altering substance..." That quote makes her sound a little bit like Joe Friday...

In a story that bridges both Watch Dogs -- Tom Campbell is dropping out of the Governor's race (against Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman) and jumping into the Senate race (against Carly Fiorina)... how does he feel about recreational pot use?

Ah, schools in Burlingame. Nothing says relaxing public meeting like the Burligname Elementary School District Board meeting. Last night the Board was going to discuss the possibility of purchasing back the Hoover Elementary School site -- but parents weren't having any of it. Expect this long, tortured process to continue...

In case you've been living under a (synthetic) rock, synthetic grass fields are somewhat of an issue locally... think San Carlos. Now, Belmont is getting in on the action. Let's hope their plans don't take 10 years to implement...

Supervisor Rich Gordon assumed the role of President of the Board (again) yesterday (for the third time) and talked about weathering the financial crisis. It is a good thing he referenced Sacramento's cuts, because that's where he wants to be this time next year. If he gets elected, let's see how long it takes before he turns from a State government cut-ee to a State government cut-er...

Jon Mays mixes business (the Kinko's'/Aguiree International building demolition) with pleasure (where he met his wife)... in today's Daily Journal.

This has been a bad week for the Bonds family. Mark McGuire's admission that he used steroids has pushed many sport writers and thinking people (sometimes those two things are mutually exclusive) to call for Barry Bonds to come clean. That's Part A of the Bad Bonds Week... Part B is that Nikolai Lamar Bonds (Barry's son) was in a San Mateo County courtroom pleading not guilty to five misdemeanor counts including battery (of his mother), false imprisonment (of his mother), vandalism (of his mother's home), threatening a police officer, and obstructing a police officer. Apple. Tree. Not far...

Riptide feels for the folks who have been evacuated from the soon-to-be-in-the-Pacific apartments on Esplanade cliff. Riptide also worries about the neighbors...

There was a robbery at gun point of the 76 gas station on Willow Road on Monday night in Menlo Park. (Hey robbers, just because the gas station is in Menlo Park doesn't mean there is more money there than at any other gas station...) Here's an interesting detail, the robbers left with cash (obviously) and cigarettes... it is almost like they know they are going to prison and are looking to stash away some prison currency before they get there...

Morning News Round-Up -- 7.6.09: Campaign Season Starts Early...

Election season... seriously, it is upon us. Usually the official season starts post-Labor Day, but 4th of July sounds good for the purposes of good blog material... The San Mateo Union High School Board of Trustees race could be a good one -- if Trustee Bob Griffin decides not to seek reelection. It would be for his fifth term...

Which brings up this question: Could there be worse time to be on a school board? Cut, cut, cut... then hold your breath that the State doesn't screw you any more than it already has...

While we are on campaign talk, David Lim, who is gunning for a seat on the San Mateo City Council, raised over $13k during the fundraising period that ended July 1st. We guess he must proud of that number (or it is intended to scare off folks) because he had a press release announcing it...

Sue Lempert writes in today's Daily Journal. Of note, she speculates that the recent findings of the Civil Grand Jury (District elections for Supervisor/Pay-Cut Gate) "...may stimulate action and change..." Perhaps she could help push the Civil Grand Jury to release the Grand Daddy of Civil Grand Jury reports (garbage) soon.

Craig Baker, the interim Superintendent for the San Carlos Elementary School District, gets a write up in the Daily Journal.

The "Susan Manheimer for San Francisco Police Chief" story also gets some ink in the Daily Journal, as the paper tries to unpack what happened because she wasn't even a finalist... the SF Chronicle's Matier & Ross come off as ill-informed gossip mongers. (But that is supposed to be Watch Dog's role...)

There is a new history book out about Atherton. Watch Dog has to wonder if the political in-fighting in recent history made it in. We doubt it...

A pipe-bomb was found during a traffic stop on 280. Seriously. But that's about all the information this story contains right now...

Morning News Round-Up -- 6.12.09: All Male Election?

There is a group of gray whales just off the coast of Pacifica and marine mammal officials warned surfers and others to stop (unintentionally) harassing them... Respect Moby...

Speaking of surfers... one saved another off the Miramar coast yesterday... dude...

Millbrae is in the middle of an "all mail" election (which is very different than an all male election) to renew its fire assessment tax. If that doesn't pass, the financial outlook for Millbrae looks a lot worse, according to Mayor Gottschalk at his State of the City address yesterday.

A Daily Journal Editorial chimes in on the school-site battle raging between the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District and the City of Foster City. Watch Dog has written about this before, and we both agree and disagree with the Daily Journal. We agree that the issue should be resolved by conversations between the City and the School District, but we disagree with the City's stand, thus far.

Redwood City School District + Failure to Pass Parcel Tax = "Massive" Budget Cuts

San Mateo County's local airport is getting $15 million of new baggage screening equipment thanks to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who was in town for the photo-shoot/announcement.

It looks like San Mateo need not start looking for a new Police Chief. San Francisco's search for a new Chief seems to be winding down (in typical San Francisco fashion) but Susan Manheimer doesn't seem to be in the running anymore...

You think schools have it bad during this Great Recession, developers are also taking it on the chin. (Can you hear the violin music?) Greenbriar Homes, who were going to build 37 homes as part of the Alma Plaza project in Palo Alto, backed out of the deal. The future of the Alma Plaza project is now uncertain...

Thank goodness we can soon start covering politics as well as bad economic times... In Palo Alto, there will be a City Council race. Karen Holman just threw her hat in the ring. Holman is a Planning and Transportation Commissioner. She joins School Board member Gail Price in the election. So here is the breakdown about what the current City Council will be doing: Jack Morton and Yoriko Kishimoto are termed out (Kishimoto is running for Assembly), Larry Klein is not running again, and incumbents John Barton and Peter Drekmeier will likely run for re-election. So that means there will be three open seats and four people running, if Watch Dog's math is correct... It should be interesting.