Cup of Chisme is going on a brief hiatus while I take a few weeks off. But don’t worry, I’ll be back. There’s plenty of chisme in this town and Cup of Chisme is the best way to get it.
If you have feedback while I’m gone or an ideas on how I can improve this newsletter, send me a note at andrea.lopez@voiceofsandiego.org.
OK, grab some cafecito. Here’s what you need to know to start your week.
Where San Diego Buried Its Power Lines
There was a lot of talk this week about San Diego’s ambitious plan to bury more power lines across the city. The Union-Tribune wrote a story about it. You can read it here.
Voice environment reporter MacKenzie Elmer took a look at what’s been buried and where. So far, San Diego has buried 400 miles and it’s got another 1,000 to go.
Thanks to a map the city put out, she found that the city focused on burying power lines in wealthier parts of the city first. That includes the coastal areas of La Jolla, Point Loma and half of downtown. You can check out the map here and see if your neighborhood is due for some undergrounding.
San Diego’s plan is ambitious, and it’s all happening at a time when it’s getting more expensive to bury power lines. Elmer also reported on an audit of the city of San Diego’s contract with San Diego Gas & Electric that highlighted just how expensive those projects are now.
What do you think about the city’s efforts to bury power lines? Email me at andrea.lopez@voiceofsandiego.org.
CAO Drama Is Hopefully Over
We’ve been writing and talking a lot about San Diego County’s search for a new chief operating officer to lead some 18,000 county employees.
You may be wondering why was this such a big deal? Us too.
The search for who would fill that position got so wild, it was impossible to ignore. The county offered one candidate the job, but then rescinded the offer after former supervisor Nathan Fletcher resigned because a Metropolitan Transit System employee accused him of sexual harassment and sexual assault. The county restarted the hiring process. Then, when that same candidate didn’t get an interview, labor union leaders who wanted that person to get the job focused their anger on Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas.
The fight got so ugly on both sides. (Catch up here.)
But there’s some hope that it’s finally over. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors offered the job to Ebony Shelton, the county’s top finance official. They are set to vote on the appointment on Tuesday.
The Latest Progress Report
Every month, education reporter Jakob McWhinney spotlights innovative programs for students. His latest Progress Report is a little different, though.
McWhinney wrote about a program that has helped parents for years. It’s a program that has figured out how to support parents so that they can help their children succeed. It’s called Project Ujima.
The program is the latest victim of San Diego Unified’s budget cuts. McWhinney wrote about the project’s success and staffers’ fears for its future for the latest Progress Report.
“They’re trying to keep the cuts away from the schools, I get that, and though I might not directly work with the students every day in the classroom, what I do does affect the teaching that goes on there,” resource teacher Lori LaPointe told McWhinney.
Read the Progress Report here.
More Chisme to Start Your Week
- Deborah Brennan has everything you need to know about the bills we’re watching. She’s also following how San Diego’s legislators will tackle the state’s budget deficit. Read the Sacramento Report here.
- North County reporter Tigist Layne gets into a plan to move train tracks underground. Read more here.
- On the latest episode of the VOSD Podcasts, we talked about Bill Walton’s legacy and what he thought San Diego should be known for. We also explained why baby sea lions are dying and why it’s stressing out some scientists. Listen to the podcast here.