Streetlights are one of those pieces of urban infrastructure to which few people pay much attention until they find themselves on an unfamiliar corner, alone in complete darkness. At the very least, that feeling can be a bit disconcerting.
Reporter Liam Dillon is embarking on a data analysis of San Diego’s street lights, in the hopes of shedding some … knowledge on the correlation between crime, lighting and economic development. He’s starting with some data compiled by Eric Busboom, who runs the San Diego Regional Data Library.
One Voice With Cindy Marten: Video
So you didn’t make it out to our One Voice talk with incoming San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten. Everyone has been heckling you at the water cooler. These three clips from Tuesday’s event should alleviate some of the embarrassment, but you really did miss a great show.
Marten has bold plans for the future of San Diego’s schools and Scott Lewis made sure to get some answers for the tough questions facing the district over the next fiscal year. If nothing else, make sure to check out the first three minutes of this gem where Marten flips the script and Lewis finds himself in the hot seat. It’s like Ali versus Foreman, I promise.
Chula Vista Gets Slapped with $8 Million Bill for Cell Tax
Chula Vista has settled a class action suit alleging that residents of the city were unlawfully taxed for use of their cell phones. Every cell user in the city who can prove that they were taxed may be eligible to receive a rebate in connection to the settlement.
We’ve been following this case since 2011 when Proposition H — a bill designed to legitimize the tax — was first defeated. The city continued collecting the tax despite the bill’s failure, and talk of legal action continued for more than a year. Will Carless explains the details of this complicated case in his latest.
Farewell to Will Carless
Our resident Englishman will be leaving VOSD this summer and he is taking with him a legacy of meticulous reporting and an impressive devotion to his craft.
Hear it straight from the man himself in his recent announcement. Carless and his family will be relocating to Montevideo, Uruguay, where he plans to embark on a new career as a foreign correspondent. There’s also a rumor that he might have a couple ulterior motives.
Good luck, Will. You shall be missed.
Stories Outside VOSD
• U-T San Diego reports that a proposal to ban the sale of cats and dogs in retail establishments has moved forward after a San Diego City Council committee voted unanimously in support of the bill. The vote will now move to the full council for final approval.
• The Balboa Park website published some nifty diagrams and maps of Mayor Bob Filner’s new temporary traffic plan proposal. The press release explains the new proposal in greater detail.
• Ramona Patch reports that local residents are concerned by a recent outbreak of serious credit card fraud. Included in the report are tips for Ramona residents concerned about the developments.
• Bloomberg takes an in-depth look at the effect of Fleet Week and its discontinuation due to budget cutbacks. Port cities like San Diego and New York stand to suffer major losses in tourism revenue due to the decision.
Colin Weatherby is a freelance writer. You can reach him at colin.weatherby@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @CCWeatherby.