Getting closure on loss of hospital’s ER



Palomar Health’s closure of the emergency department is but a mile­stone on the road toward full closure and sale of downtown Escondido’s hos­pital and grounds. Opened in 1965, the hospital is the victim of old age, crumbling infrastruc­ture and the changing nature of health care. The ER will close on March 14. No date has been set for full closure […]

Q&A with Candidate Sam Abed



Escondido Mayor Sam Abed is run­ning against Kristin Gaspar and Dave Roberts, the incumbent San Diego County Supervisor. And it looks like the only thing either of his opponents have over him is that Kristin Gaspar is much better looking than he. Gaspar is tall, blonde and, since 2014, the mayor of Encinitas. Not that Abed doesn’t have his at­tractions. […]

Boulder Oaks Golf Club could become a jewel



Like a beautiful butterfly morph­ing from a caterpillar, the Boulder Oaks Golf Club is emerging from a previous form. The end result could make this new course in Hidden Meadows one of the most picturesque, challenging and unique tracks in all of San Diego County. In its past iteration, Boulder Oaks used to be known as Meadow Lake Coun­try Club, […]

Hunter wows crowd, minus two Sanders supporters



Scion of a political family, warrior and self-described “policy wonk” Con­gressman Duncan Hunter gave a full- force performance Monday Feb 8 in the Escondido City Council Chambers. Hunter polished his conservative credentials by answering written and oral questions from the crowd of more than 100 citizens, well-wishers and even two Bernie Sanders supporters. He gave his opinions on Obam­acare, immigration, […]

Disabled U.S. Marine in Escondido is ‘gifted’ a home



The community of Escondido em­braced retired Marine Sgt. Toran Gaal at a kick-off event held at the Park Avenue Community Center. Gaal who is a double amputee, has become over the years a brother to the Escondido Police Department, a mentor to local children and a friend to many. On Saturday, Feb. 6, hundreds of supporters for Gaal helped the […]

City reopens ‘Escondido Heroes’ banner program to honor military



The City of Escondido announced last week that the order period for Escondido Hero Banners has opened. This marks the second year of the program. The banners honor men and women who serve, or have served, in the U.S. Armed Forces. The per­sonalized banners will be hung from approximately Memorial Day (mid-May) to Veterans Day (mid- November) in Downtown Escondido […]

I Love A Clean San Diego promotes a massive cleanup to the far reaches of canyons, beaches



I Love A Clean San Diego (ILAC­SD) has expanded the organization’s most popular volunteer program, Adopt-A-Beach or Canyon, which cur­rently engages nearly 10,000 volun­teers annually. ILACSD’s Adopt-A-Canyon expan­sion will include two adoptable sites in Escondido: Dixon Lake and Kit Car­son Park. ILACSD invites the Escon­dido community and neighboring areas to kick off this new program by attend­ing the first Clean […]

Zero tolerance often equals zero intelligence



Zero tolerance policies, just like any decision-making process that makes things easy on administra­tors by removing their need to use their brains and good judgment, are one of many constant reminders that we live in a nanny state where common sense is the least common commodity of all. The spectacle last week of two San Pasqual High School students being […]

Political Cartoon



Providing a roof over our injured veterans

—GUEST OPINION


Though many government pro­grams impacting our country’s vet­erans originate at the federal level, whenever possible I will continue to support state initiatives to im­prove the lives of California’s large, growing veterans population. With well over 200,000 veterans calling this region home, it is also important to encourage and support non-governmental organizations and local businesses when they join together to serve […]