News

Update January 7, 2025 A GoFundMe site has been set up to help the victims' families with funeral costs, emotional support, and legal costs to pursue justice.

East County News Service

January 6, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The victims of a fatal pedestrian crash on New Year’s Day in Lemon Grove have been identified as Nadia Charles and Junior Joseph Juste.  Both 20 years old, they were cousins who immigrated here from Haiti last year in hopes of a better life in the United States, after surviving earthquakes,poverty, violence and political instability in their homeland.

The cousins were killed when two vehicles collided at the intersection of Buena Vista and Broadway shortly after 11 a.m. on January 1^st. .The impact sent one of the cars into the path of the victims, who were crossing the street.  Despite life-saving efforts by paramedics and deputies, both victims died at the scene.

The drivers of the vehicles and a passenger were not injured. Sheriff’s investigators say that speed was a factor in the collision.

Pastor Johny Oxeda at the First Haitian Baptist Church in City Heights said both of the young immigrants “dreamed to do more,” ECM news partner NBC 7 reports.

The cousins had planned to attend a church workshop led by San Diego Police for new immigrants on Sunday to help them adapt to the new culture in America. Instead, a Sunday church service was held to honor the memories of the two young people.  A public memorial is planned for Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the intersection where they lost their lives.

By Alexander J. Schorr

Photo, left, via Grossmont Education Association: angry crowd turns back on Acting Superintendent Sandra Huezo and the GUHSD board

March 13, 2025 (El Cajon) – The Grossmont Union High School district staff and its students have been protesting the board majority’s controversial firings of teaching, librarian, and counseling positions in recent days, including student walk-outs, picketing at schools by parents and teachers, and a petition signed by more than 3,500 people opposed to the cuts. Opponents held a rally outside Wednesday night’s contentious board meeting, where 500 people filled the hall and every speaker criticized the board’s action.  But their pleas fell on deaf ears, and the board chairman refused to allow a motion by trustee Chris Fite that would have reversed the vote authorizing the lay-offs.

Image, right:  GUHSD board announced various restrictions including requiring tickets for board meeting and threatening to “retreat” if the audience gets “rowdy.”

Parents picket schools, students walk out in protest

On the morning of Monday March 10, teachers and GEA representatives protested outside of nine school campuses: Grossmont, Monte Vista, Mount Miguel, Granite Hills, El Capitan, West Hills, Santanna, El Cajon Valley, and Valhalla High School. This is in the wake of the Governing Board’s decision to eliminate 64 jobs in the district: This includes 9 librarians, 23 teachers, 4 school psychologists, 10 vice principals, 1 principal, 2 program specialists, and 14 support staff. The board previously cut 30 temporary certificated employees earlier this year, which includes mental health counselors and A-G requirements counselors.

Photos by Alex Schorr: Left, teachers and Representatives holding signs to oncoming traffic in protest of the GUHSD Governing Board’s decision to terminate teaching, counseling, and librarian positions. Right: Protestor holds sign demanding transparency on the Board’s decision making.

GEA members and school staff such as counselors and teachers were picketing at these key school sites before the contracted day began; they did so on public property  (on sidewalks and in the front and backs of these schools) facing traffic and public crossings. Morning walking shifts went from 7:45 a.m. to 9:10 a.m., leaving 5 minutes for members to get to class where students would arrive in 15 minutes.

Students also staged noon walk-outs on GUHSD campuses to protest the firings.

GEA has 950 members. The union plans to continue protests over student safety and education concerns related to the firings, as well as the welfare of those set to lose their jobs and those still employed, who may face larger class sizes and other challenges.

Photos by Alex Schorr: Left, GEA Representatives protest Board’s cuts on faculty. Right: Sign board expressing these concerns.)

One Grossmont High School Psychologist, Katy Abruzzo, had this to say regarding the board’s latest decisions to the cuts: “It’s really disappointing that the board is, it seems like, ignoring public opinion about the layoffs, that the layoffs aren’t necessary… and our students definitely deserve more, not less.” Additionally, she stated that the “public needs to understand that the board is laying off a large number of counselors. It’s not getting as much attention as the librarians, because they were temporary positions, but the number of counselors being laid off is high. At Grossmont High School, we’re losing two out of seven, and that’s a big impact on the services that our students will be receiving, so it would be helpful if the board reconsider those positions and letting us keep those so [that] we can continue to focus on student’s mental health.”

Kristen Lopprell, a Grossmont High School math teacher, gave her comments on the Governing Board’s decisions in cutting key roles in staffing across the district. “I am out here to advocate for students to get the best education possible, and that starts with the Governing Board, [which] makes actions in their interests, not behind closed doors, not without consulting all of the many people that work to make this district. If we need to make budget cuts, ask the people who know something. Parents… weren’t even asked about what would be the easiest thing for them to eliminate. I can tell you, it is not our school psychologists, our librarians, it’s not our counselors, we need those desperately. Things are feeling really eerie out there.” 

For context, Lopprell was awarded California Teacher of the Year, receiving state commemoration for her work in Sacramento; the Governing Board neglected to invite her to celebrate her contributions to Grossmont High School due to their opposition to her personal orientation. She went on to say that “for someone in a minority group who feels attacked by my board, I am so grateful that people are waking up and showing up. Please, do your research and be aware. Things are not going well for students in Grossmont Union School District.”

Photos by Alex Schorr, left and right:  at Valhalla High School, teachers and psychologists wave boards and banners protesting the board's cuts to key teaching and counseling positions.

GUHSD governing board meeting draws protest and angry crow

The next evening on Tuesday March 11, a GUHSD Governing Board meeting convened at Grossmont High School in the old gym,  where elected officials and students, teachers, counselors, and librarians spoke on behalf of the cuts to the district's employment. 

Speaker cards were available in person at 3:30 p.m. Attendees were given a ticket to guarantee a seat; no personal chairs or seating was permitted, and those present were told via a memo on Instagram and Facebook that there would be no sitting or standing on the floor, and that those who left the building for any reason would end up forfeiting their ticket. Unlike the previous GUHSD Board Meeting at El Cajon Valley High School, where approximately 600 people showed up at the meeting in protest of the board’s decision, only 500 people were allowed in the gym. Additionally, the flyer stated that the board would retreat for brief recesses if the crowd became “rowdy.” A link to the meeting was provided as well.

Photos by Alex Schorr:  left and right: students, parents, teachers, and staff protest at GUHSD campuses.

At 3:45 p.m., people were allowed in and given a ticket for participation at the meeting. A call to order was made at 4:00 p.m. by Board President Gary Woods, PhD, who stated that the meeting would reconvene at 6:00 p.m. At about 5:00 p.m. protesters marched between the gym and the science building; many were students, parents, teachers, and librarians chanting "save our staff" and "serve our students."

Photos by Alex Schorr: left: protesters of budget layoffs of credentialed  teaching and librarian positions rally outside in the rain by the Grossmont High School Old Gym. Right, protesters in the audience at the March 11 board meeting.

Those present in the auditorium included agitated parents, students, teachers, librarians, counselors, and Grossmont Education Association (GEA) union representatives from Grossmont, Monte Vista, West Hills, Valhalla, Granite Hills, Santana, Mount Miguel, and El Cajon Valley high schools. The audience roared "vote them out" and "shame on you" at 5:45 while applauding Chris Fite by name, the only trustee who voted against the cuts.

At 6:06 p.m. the meeting began. Superintendent Mike Fowler spoke on a video that was shown to the audience, displaying his concerns about "strength, stability, and continuity" with the Governing Board. He stated that he will end his tenure as Superintendent due to complications with pursuing health issues.

The Governing Board meeting at Grossmont High School is the latest in a continuous resolution of the Governing Board’s decision to terminate key teaching, counseling, and librarian positions; NBC 7 News lists that 49 accredited employee positions could be eliminated, including principals, vice principals, and psychologists, as well as an 11 classified school positions, such as support personnel.

The main focus of the meeting was for speakers to express their grievances about the indifferent cuts and layoffs to librarians, teachers, and counselors across the Grossmont school district, with many contending  that the Board’s promoted budget cuts were fiscally irresponsible. There was a great deal of disrespect between both audience members and key figures of the Governing Board majority; slurs and chants demanding accountability and removal were hurled at the board members. Certain Governing Board  members, particularly Jim Kelly, frequently ignored the audience by looking at his phone; trustee Robert Shield scolded the audience, hinting that he could be encouraged to be transparent if the proper respect was given. 

The agenda covered the more general issues of the district budget moving forward, and was written in a way to exclude, not address the issue of layoffs that concerned the speakers. This caused great unrest and massive rebukes from the approximately 500 people present.

Zahara Nuristani, a student board member, and Jodi Hostetler, the Senior Executive Assistant, outlined the rules and procedures for speakers giving public comments. Each person who received a speaker card was given three minutes to speak within a given time frame of 40 minutes total. Each person was instructed to follow the agenda items which focused on the current budget. The meeting was divided into two parts by a recess in the middle of the presentation. GEA representatives, math teachers, alumni, librarians, English teachers, and parents from Granite Hills, Mount Miguel, Valhalla, and West Hills High School gave their condemnations of the board's refusal to retract the cuts from the budget moving forward. 

Here is a sampling of the many public comments:

GEA President James Messina spoke about the impact of the firings and cuts which the board deliberated on in their previous meeting in February at El Cajon Valley High School, where the board voted 4 to 1 in favor of terminating and firing key teaching, counseling, and librarian positions across the Grossmont Unified School District. “Business services have not asked for these cuts,” Messina said. “The original revenue projected for 2024-2025 was $222 million, and we ended up getting over $380 million in revenue. That’s a big difference. This is why we use deficit spending to fill [in] any budget problems we have each year, then use the 30 to 40 certificated retirees we get at the end of the year to balance the budget going forward—that’s what Grossmont’s always done. This new process of layoffs first will create [a] whiplash effect with the firing and then hiring each year to match the new budget—it will destroy all longevity or progress that Grossmont made.” He went on to warn that these unpopular cuts could open up the possibilities of the Board being sued for personal damages and liabilities with a defund in school operations.

Valhalla High School Teacher Librarian Stephanie Macceca rebuked the board for an apparent lack of transparency with their constituents: “You haven’t been responding to the emails that you have been receiving.” An individual next to her stood up holding a pile of papers of alleged printed copies of these emails, much to the surprise and anxiety of the crowd. She went on to say that there were over 1300 copies. Referencing the board's concern for budget shortfall, Macceca said that the same $2.2 million short fall on the budget is not a deficit; this shortfall is a total that is projected for over three years.” Macceca stated that after a Covid pandemic-era staffing, saying that the board was preparing to reduce the library space at each school to “one employee running the entire space. This is not an example of overstaffing, this is an example of understaffing.”

Jay Steiger, a former GUHSD candidate and bond oversight committee chair, rebuked the board.  “The district has more than enough money to cover its deficits, in fact, there is enough to cover these deficits for years to come,” he maintained, directly contradicting district claims.  He added that cutting 49 teachers and numerous staff in the budget is “ridiculous. There are districts around the state which are in very difficult shape—Grossmont is not only not one of them. It is far, far, far away from anything approaching danger.” Steiger referenced a justification the board made for the cuts to save money, blame of the Los Angeles wildfires for potential state cuts in education funding.  “The wildfires are not going to wreck [this] educational budget… What about preparing our students for the future?”

A parent and alumni of Grossmont High School lamented, “There’s no transparency in your hirings, in your firings, and it is already impacting our students. She emphasized that mental health positions, which the board was keen to cut, is an “honorable position,” and in emphasizing with other parents whose students could not show up, said that individuals like her were “making sure that their voices were being heard” for them.

A resident of La Mesa, who referenced having a decent education at Valhalla High School, and a passionate individual who derived values in the community of her church, stated the governing board “would have voters believe that they are righteous men. These men, who bring us lawsuits and lies, but these (referencing the audience) people are righteous…these people are educators, who protect and guide our children, they are the righteous.” With religious rhetoric, she asked the audience what they should do concerning “these men,” with people shouting “vote them out.”

A student named Molly from an unnamed school campus spoke, rebuking the perspective of Jim Kelly, Robert Shield, Scott Eckert, and Gary Woods concerning the priorities of the budget, saying that “elected officials are meant to serve not only the people who voted for them, but the populations they represent… Those people are telling you that this is a mistake. Listen.” 

Photos by Alex Schorr: Left: printed copies of emails to the board. Right: the Governing Board members, from left to right, Chris Fite, Jim Kelly, Scott Eckert, Robert Shield, and Gary Woods.

El Capitan High School Associated Student Body President Darby Powers stated that “budget cut related layoffs…were counterproductive.”  She referenced how a “bureaucratic position was created” which ”takes money that could be put towards credentialled staff salaries.” Powers emphasized the apparent hypocrisy facing the Governing Board where they claim to be concerned with the fiscal priorities of the Grossmont School District,  while creating a new chief of staff position answerable to them directly, all while maintaining the taxing task of monitoring and addressing the needs of each position left open from the results of pink slips. She emphasized that in cutting key teaching and librarian positions, students in key language programs, who worked “hard for 12 years,” would be gone, and that students would be stripped away by “these unnecessary cuts.”

Many students present in the library referenced Suzanne Sanwald, a West Hills High School Librarian, and their love and gratitude for her help and care as a mentor and parent-figure in the lives of many students at West Hills. Concerning the budget, one student stated, “I’m not going to stand here and pretend like I have all the numbers because I don’t. But you know who would help me find those numbers? The staff and librarians!”

A parent representing a senior student at Mount Miguel High School added that “libraries and school programs were all critical to student’s success. We voted to improve these programs, not to have them taken away.” She referenced the large audience turnout, and the thousands of student walkouts from the major school campuses at places like Grossmont, Granite Hills, West Hills, Valhalla, and Monta Vista. She emphasized that these cuts “are the wrong types of cuts to make at the wrong time. For the budget, please reverse your votes.”

At 6:58 p.m. Sandra Huezo, the Acting Superintendent, spoke and referenced former Board Superintendent Mike Fowler’s contributions to the board.  She also surmised that, according to the Governing Board’s summation, the layoffs and cuts to teaching, librarian, and counselor positions are key to the budget because these are “overstaffed.” She referenced that “other schools in other districts” had this problem, but did not specify any figures, or schools by name. She suggested that in addition to the cuts, “these students could be served by alternative programs,” which drew a  fierce verbal backlash of “no” from the crowd.

In an earlier internal memo obtained by ECM,  Huezo offered details on the district’s rationale behind the firing notifications issued, which she said were not fully explained at the last meeting due to disruptions. Huezo explained that the state requires school districts to submit budgets by June 30, even though the state’s budget including education funding isn’t finalized until late June.  State law requires that district’s notify full-time employees earlier, by March 15 if their positions may be eliminated, with final notices required by May 15—before state budget funds are known.  Her memo saidthat  the GUHSD is projecting structural deficits in the future long-term, with enrollment declining and the Calif. Legislative Analyst projecting growing state budget deficits in coming years.  The district currently employees over 200 more full-time positions than a decade ago, according to her memo.

Pearl Izuka, the Interim Deputy Superintendent of business and services, added that the budget “shortfalls would continue,” unless they cut staff from schools, though she did not provide any evidence. 

The majority of the audience rose up in defiance of Huezo the Governing Board, with their backs facing trustees out of rejection of the board’s reasoning. At 7:43 p.m., Dr, Woods called for a 15-minute recess.  Woods along with Eckert, Shield and Kelly exited through the back door with Hezo and Administrative Assistant Denise Broadfoot.

It is important to note that the budget, which was the focus of the meeting’s agenda, makes it very clear that while a revised graph projecting a decline in enrollment, their own budget states that they have a surplus: the original prediction for the 2024 to 2025 time frame was $282 million, with a determined amount of $308 million in revenue accounted for at the beginning of this year. The projected risks to the budget are defined as stock market vulnerability, elevated interest rates, natural disasters, and immigration. 

As of February 6, 2025, the Governor's  budget projects a $17 billion in surplus. The risks of inflation persisting, the slowing of interest rate reductions by the federal reserves, the presence of tariffs and alterations in immigration are highlighted as the main factors for financial downturn, not how many teachers, librarians, or counselors are present at key schools in the district. Both Huezo and Broadfoot illustrated this point, but emphasized the need to save more money “in case.”

Photos by Alex Schorr:  Audience displays numerous protest signs.

At 7:57 the board reconvened.

Trustee Fite, who voted against the layoffs, spoke briefly concerning the priorities of the budget. He requested that the board rescind the February 27 vote to implement the layoffs and cancel the board-created chief of staff position. 

Woods stated that because the layoffs were not listed in the agenda, it was “not the appropriate time to discuss” the layoffs.

Fite fired back, “it is overwhelmingly clear that the students realize that these cuts are a danger to their education… We are not a bank,” he added. “Taxpayers give us the money to educate their kids… We can have a structural deficit for years and we would still be fine” with the present reserves, he stated, then asked other  board members directly, “If we are going to try to get the maximum of students that we lost from Covid, from online charters… how on earth are we going to get those people— these students, back if we can’t outperform the charter [schools]?”

Trustee Shield stated to an angry audience, “Chris Fite’s motions are out of order because they were not on the agenda.” He continued, “I would love to be transparent— I cannot be transparent if you don’t listen.”

Board President Woods stated that “positive expressions [of the board decisions] are welcomed, negative expressions will result in a time out.” He then insulted the audience, saying they behaved “like kindergarten students.” He later retracted and apologized for the comment he made

 It is worth noting that under Senate Bill 1162, employers and the elected officials must consult their constituents on matters of employment and firings. It states, “Employees who understand how their pay is determined are more likely to feel valued and respected in their roles. This leads to greater job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and a more engaged workforce. Workers are less likely to feel resentful or uncertain when compensation is transparent and justified.” Additionally, “employers, in turn, can address concerns directly, creating a more transparent workplace culture.” 

The board majority acknowledged the desire of the audience to preserve key positions and jobs that they would be laying off and terminating, and despite this, created a chief of staff position which critics say was done without proper vetting, advertisement, consent or acknowledgement of the public. 

Several additional public speakers aired their views.

Mohammad, a senior from Mount Miguel High School who was originally involved in an engineering program, expressed his concern for the board’s budget layoffs of faculty. He said that his school’s “counselors, teachers, and librarians face pink slips instead of our appreciation, and we refuse to stay in silence while the people who make our schools what they are, get pushed out.” He made reference to how the library is a center for work and support, adding, “We are organizing, and we will not back down.”

A Grossmont High School representative who did not give his name reminded the board that when it comes to budgets, “When items disappear, they don’t come back… We know we’re not running out of libraries, but if there is no one to take care of them, it's going to be a place that people stop going to go… The kids have to know how to find the resources.” In a rare show of empathy with the board members, he said, “I understand it's hard when you sit there and while we berate you, but it is so hard to fathom that counselors, psychologists, librarians, would be cut from schools. That’s why everybody’s here.”

An alumni from West Hills noted that with the increased risk of students “being radicalized,” especially in the age of changing media literacy and social media, “our most vulnerable students are at risk.” He empathized that librarians make education more cohesive, and without them, “our community is less safe.” 

At 9:01, there was a brief outburst from one of the individuals in the audience towards Jim Kelly to “get off your phone.”

A woman asked the Governing Board rhetorically how many schools in California have certificated librarians. “You are going to tell us that we are so poor, that no one in the district, in California, is so poor as us, that are so poorly structured as our district, that they have to eliminate librarians?” She accused the board of “being fooled into destroying education” in order to gentrify the education of future students with the directive of private charter or religious schools.

Granite Hills High School Site Learning Specialist Gavin Preston criticized the board’s transparency, stating that  “not responding to the emails, public comments of your constituents and hiding behind closed sessions in emergency board meetings is a dereliction of your duties as elected and public officials.” Taking aim at Shield directly, she criticized him and the board majority for not listening or responding to the needs of their electors, concluding, “Clearly, we must speak louder.”

After the speakers finished, Dr, Woods adjoined the meeting at 9:12 and members left out the back door.  No additional vote was cast on the matter of the budget or concerns of the faculty layoffs or cuts.

Despite the massive protests and  obvious unpopularity of the Governing Board’s recent decisions, layoffs or pink slips must by state law be sent notifying employees by March 15 if their positions are at risk of elimination for the following school year;  with final notices required by May 15. 

By Karen Pearlman 

Photo, left, by Miriam Raftery:  El Cajon's downtown district

March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – A new city vibe is expected to come to the more than 100-year-old city of El Cajon. 

Earlier this month, the Downtown El Cajon Business Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting a safe and prosperous downtown El Cajon, announced that it had hired New City America to lead a renewal effort in the area. 

The group that helped revitalize Little Italy is being tapped to be executive director of the group and work to make downtown El Cajon a vibrant community hub.

The final contract – set in an original request for bid for $150,000 annually -- has not been signed yet, said Downtown El Cajon Business Partners Board Member and Treasurer Cathy Zeman (photo, right). 

New City America is a nationally recognized urban revitalization firm that among other things, helped transform the Little Italy area in San Diego into a vibrant and popular destination. It did similar work in Chula Vista’s historic Third Avenue district, launching new public events and improvements. 

Downtown El Cajon Business Partners is a group that is funded through a Property-Based Improvement District authorized by the city of El Cajon in 2015 to support downtown improvements via assessments made on property owners. 

The Partners is a not-for-profit organization made up of local businesses and other stakeholders who want to improve the downtown area. It manages the PBID funds for about 300 parcels with a budget around $560,000 and among other things, coordinates the car show. 

Once the contract is finalized in the coming weeks, New City America President Marco Li Mandri (photo, left) will serve as Executive Director of the Downtown El Cajon Business Partners.  

The collaboration is expected to reinvigorate the downtown area by attracting new businesses, expanding nightlife opportunities and bringing solutions to those who are experiencing homelessness. 

Chris Berg (photo, right), Board Member of Downtown El Cajon Business Partners and Marketing Manager for the city of El Cajon, said the partnership with New City America will be transformative for the city. 

“Our business community has long needed a dedicated, experienced leader to unite property owners, merchants and City Hall around a common vision,” Berg said.  

In the coming months, Li Mandri and the Partners are expected to engage local merchants and residents to develop an action plan for downtown, including building on the Cajon Classic Cruise. 

The weekly car show in downtown El Cajon has got the green light for 2025 and will start its collective engines this Spring, though the season will be shorter than in the past.

Zeman said the show will start its collective engines starting in May.  

The full schedule for the season is still in the works and should be completed within a few weeks. A noon meeting is scheduled to discuss the car show on Wednesday, April 9, at a site to be determined, she said. 

The Cajon Classic Cruise has been a tradition along Main Street since 2001, and has become one of Southern California’s largest weekly car shows.  

Photo, left by Karen Pearlman:  Vintage autos on display at Cajon Classic Cruise

Every week’s three-hour show is focused on different types of vehicles -- from low riders, trucks and convertibles to Volkswagens to Mustangs and British-focused cars. 

But the event has run into some scrutiny recently. 

Some business owners in the downtown area have expressed concern to the city that those showing their vehicles were parking in spots that customers needed long before the shows would start at 5 p.m., and it was impacting their businesses. 

“We’re trying to put some plans place so that the car show people don’t park or stage too early,” Zeman said. “Businesses don’t want to see the cars parking there at 10 or 11 in the morning.” 

Earlier this month, the city of El Cajon held a workshop that addressed that and well as other complaints and concerns.  

The workshop stemmed from a city staff report and related discussion October 22, 2024 that included concerns about revenues from PBID assessments, consideration of not renewing the PBID and expanding the PBID boundaries. 

The October discussion also included discussion about considering another venue in the city for the car show and concern for the management of the car show.  

A city staff report said that the car show “consumes between $72,000 and $80,600 of the PBID’s budget,” and added that in the past two years, the city has received a higher volume of complaints about the car show from businesses located on Main Street.  

The staff report said that the city receives a quarterly sales tax report, with part of that report analyzing the downtown area. But it also noted that using sales tax as a metric to determine if businesses generate more sales tax during the car show quarters, the data showed no impact from the car show. 

Zeman said the Partners are looking for ways to better monetize the car show. Auto buffs are not charged to show their vehicles at the show, and that won’t change but she said the group is looking for ways to make the event profitable. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – Four members of El Cajon’s City Council yesterday voted to send letters of support for H.R. 1680 to its author, Colorado Republican Gabe Evans, and ask local Congressman Darrell Issa to co-sponsor the bill--even though the text of the bill has not yet been released.

The only description on the Congressional website states that the measure will “amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to expand the prohibition on State noncompliance with enforcement of the immigration laws, and for other purposes.”  But according to Congress.gov, no text of the bill has yet been submitted to the Legislative Analyst. So we don’t know how the bill would affect immigrant enforcement locally, nor what “other purposes” might be included.

Two members of the public spoke, both opposed to the action. 

Rebecca Branstetter called the bill “a pig in a poke” since there’s no text on the Congressional website yet. “If we can’t read and understand the text of the bill, we can’t know what Council is asking for in its letter to Darrell Issa.” She asked that the measure be tabled until text is available for residents and Councilmembers to review.

Stephane Cauchon also voiced opposition, calling the matter “a tempest in a teapot.” She voiced her opinion that nationally,  “We’re close to a turning point” as voters lose jobs, benefits, VA services, understaffed national parks and other actions of the Trump administration. Coming on the heels of El Cajon’s recent 3-2 vote to support having police cooperate with federal immigration authorities to deport people accused or convicted of serious crimes, she said of the latest immigration proposal before the Council, “The tide is going to turn and the communities that are supporting you now will stop supporting you, and be ready to support those that have integrity.”

Two members of the City Council also voiced concerns over the lack of specifics in the bill. 

“I’m very reluctant to support something that there’s no text on. It’s a blank check,” said Councilman Gary Kendrick.

Kendrick further pointed out that a letter the city just received from the U.S. Department of Justice confirms that the federal government will not indemnify El Cajon or its police officers, if the state takes legal action against them for violating SB 54, California’s law prohibiting local authorities from cooperating with federal immigration, except for undocumented persons convicted of certain serious or violent crimes.

Councilmember Michell Metschel said she watched a video by the Colorado Congressman in which he talked about “uncuffing the police and getting rid of all the illegal aliens,” not just violent criminals.  “I don’t want to put my name on a letter going to a Congressman who hasn’t even written his bill yet.”

Councilman Steve Goble argued, “This is a chance to help craft the text,” noting that the city could pull its support in the future if it didn’t like the final language.  He cited language in the draft letter from Mayor Bill Wells to Congressman Gabe Evans, the bill’s author, which says that El Cajon’s police chief suggests there may be over 200 “dangerous criminals” who are undocumented, living in El Cajon, as well as 52 unaccompanied minors who crossed the border, and whom the city is not allowed to check up on due to SB 54.

Kendrick suggested that the city should write a letter to state legislators asking for a “carveout from SB 54 to allow us to do welfare checks on these kids and make sure that they are safe.”

Councilmember Phil Ortiz criticized SB 54 for not allowing police to handover undocumented immigrants accused or convicted of non-violent serious crimes such as arson, battery and burglary. "It is not moral to give a free pass to all of these different crimes,” he said.

The measure passed 3-2, with Mayor Wells, Councilmember Ortiz and Councilmember Goble in support, while Councilmembers Metschel and Kendrick opposed.

By Miriam Raftery

March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – By a unanimous vote, El Cajon’s City Council yesterday voted to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the sale of vaping or e-cigarette devices disguised as other products. 

According to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, teens are using stealth vaping products. Some are hidden in backpacks or hoodies. Others resemble flash drives, fidget spinners, pens, smart watches or hand-held gaming devices, making it easy for kids to use tobacco even in schools. Some are sold as single-use devices, making them affordable and accessible to young people.

“I received letters from each one of our local school districts asking us to do this,” said Councilman Gary Kendrick, author of the measure.  In addition to tobacco, he noted, “kids are using cannabis...students are not going to be very well educated if they’re stoned out of their minds using these fake devices.”

The ordinance will impose a fine of $2,500 for a first offense by a local retailer. Subsequent offenses will result in fines and temporary license suspensions; a fourth offense will result in permanent revocation of the retailer’s tobacco license.  Retailers will be entitled to due process to appeal.

Kendrick noted that the “primary goal of local government is to protect citizens, and children are the ones who need the most protection.”

The ordinance was approved 5-0.

Health and Human Services offers tips for parents and educators to help spot these clandestine devices, such as watching for hoodies or backpacks with a hose woven through the fabric, enabling the user to vape discreetly. Also be on the lookout for disposable e-cigarettes, which can’t be refilled and may resemble color pens or flash drives (thumb drives); the latter is the most popular stealth vaping device.  

In 2024, 55.6% of youths using e-cigarettes reported using disposable versions that didn’t have to be hidden away at home, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey. 

The problem is widespread nationally. The survey foundthat of high school students who use e-cigarettes, 26.3% use them daily and over 38% use them 20 or more days each month, becoming nicotine dependent.

The American Lung Association has developed a free educational program that schools can use as an alternative to disciplining children found with e-cigarettes, to encourage vaping youths to quit.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Doris Bittar, a Lebanese-Palestinian woman with a Jewish husband, wants a resolution that protects everyone equally without infringing on free speech rights.

March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council once again waded into contentious waters at yesterday’s meeting, weighing a resolution to condemn antisemitism, with the Council majority refusing to remove a definition of antisemitism that has drawn controversy.

Mayor Bill Wells and Councilman Gary Kendrick introduced a resolution to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as an education resource for police and other city departments.  The agenda report on the item notes a rise in antisemitism since the Oct. 7,2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Even before then, a 2022 FBI report found that though Jewish people are only 2 percent of the U.S. population, they were the victims of 60 percent of religious-based hate crimes.

Mayor Wells recalled learning about the Holocaust as a child and believing such “cruelty and blind bigotry” would not happen again. But recently, antisemitism has become “rampant” on college campuses, in cities, and in countries around the world, according to the mayor.  “I’m asking the City Council today to help us write a resolution stating that antisemitism is wrong and should be condemned,” he said.

Councilman Gary Kendrick, coauthor of the resolution, told of his mother’s trauma from living in Czechoslovakia in 1939 and seeing close friends who were Jewish, as well as her employer, hauled away by Nazis.  They were never seen again.  “We need to protect Jewish refugees from discrimination,” said Kendrick, adding that he wants to add an amendment to the resolution to “formally condemn all racism against any immigrant, refugee or asylum seeker...This is supposed to be a city of love, not hate.”

Thirteen people spoke on the resolution, most voicing opposition.

Vicky Estrella noted that some international organizations have concluded that some of Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza constitute “genocide” such as bombings of schools and hospitals. “They have destroyed the whole country...We should be free to speak out against this kind of oppression, as we did against the holocaust,” she said, adding, “This is a ploy to silence criticism against what Israel is doing.”

Doris Bittar, a Lebanese-Palestinian woman married to a Jewish man, wants protection for people on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict.  “Discrimination is up by 300 percent in Arab and Palestinian communities,” she told the Council.  She also voiced concern about a Columbia University student whose green card was revoked by the Trump administration because he helped organize pro-Palestinian protests which the administration equates to supporting Hamas, a designated terror group. His lawyer denies any ties to Hamas. “He’s in a Louisiana prison,” Bittar noted. “What allowed that to happen?  This definition (of the IHRA).”  She wants any resolution to be “meaningful to all groups” and to be sure that it does not “squash our First Amendment Rights.”

Multiple speakers said they are members of Jewish Voices for Peace. They opposed the resolution, suggesting it conflates anti-Zionism, or opposition to the Israeli state, with anti-Semitism; meaning discrimination, violence or dehumanizing action toward Jews.

Summer Ismail with the Council of Islamic Relations said,  “America is all about free speech,” but said in some U.S. states such as Arkansas, it’s now illegal to boycott Israel.  She told the mayor, “I would like to work with you to come up with a better definition of anti-Semitism” and also “address anti-Muslim hatred.”

Liat, a who spoke in favor of the resolution but did not give her last name, however, maintained that the resolution “does not limit free speech.” She said that Jewish Voices for Peace does not represent most American Jews, citing a study that found 95 percent of American Jews consider Isarel an essential part of their Jewish identity.  She noted that the IHRA definition has been “adopted by 95 percent of all Jewish organizations, 37 countries, 33 U.S. states and even the global imams’ council.”

During Council discussion, Councilmember Michelle Metschel said adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism would bring in “a political agenda.”  She asked who the bill’s sponsor, the Antisemitism Task Force of San Diego, is, since an Internet search found no reference to any so-named organization.  Metschel said she opposes antisemitism, but felt this resolution would “stir up chaos.” She said she reached out to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and proposed tabling the resolution until after the ADL issues a report due the third week in April.

She also objected to having Council vote on adopting the IHRA’s definition without being provided the 11 points in that definition. In addition, she called for Councilmembers to “sit down with the community” to discuss the issue with members of the Jewish community, as well as with church groups and Muslim groups to “have a community that is united.”

Kendrick said,  “I’m okay with tabling it....I want to be sure that there’s no limitation on free speech,” adding, “I heard some pretty good testimony today, and I would like to talk with people from all sides.”

But Mayor Wells objected. “I’d be opposed to that.” He insisted that Israel is not an apartheid state, as one speaker claimed, stating that while there are 2.1 million Arabs in Israel, Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon have almost none.  He called Jewish Voices for Peace a “hard-core Marxist group that is a danger to America” and likened the liberal Jewish group to the Ku Klux Klan. Wells disputed Metschel’s contention that El Cajon has not had any antisemitic actions in recent years, noting that a Jewish doctor was shot and killed last year.  However, authorities have not found the shooting by a disgruntled patient to be a hate crime.

Councilman Phil Ortiz said of the IHRA definition, “I don’t see anything in here that is going to stifle any kind of free speech.” He said if the resolution passes and a city employee were to post criticism regarding deaths of children in Gaza on social media, “nobody is getting fired” in the city for such actions.

Councilman Steve Goble opined, “I think you can be anti-Zionist and not antisemitic.”  He said he would support any group being harassed or murdered, and indicated he would support the measure despite concerns it could “open Pandora’s box.”

Metschel said she would consider supporting the resolution if the IHRA definition was removed, which the mayor would not support.

The Council voted 4-1, with Metschel voting no, to direct the city manager to draft a revised version of the resolution, which is expected to be heard in two weeks.

By Karen Pearlman 

Photo, left:  Aaron  J. Byzak, Interim CEO, Grossmont Healthcare District

Updated March 11, 2025 with comments from Christian Wallis.

March 10, 2025 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District’s communications strategy consultant Aaron J. Byzak is adding a title, acting for a short time as the public agency’s interim CEO. 

At a GHD Board of Directors special meeting on Monday, March 10, the board voted 5-0 to appoint Byzak in the role effective immediately. 

Byzak, 47, will advise and help the board find the successor to its most recent CEO, Christian Wallis, whose contract was not renewed by the GHD board last week during a closed session on March 4. 

“At this point I feel I’m uniquely qualified to help ease the transition,” Byzak said. 

The contract terms include $18,500 per month in addition to Byzak’s previous public affairs contract with the district of $6,000 per month.

Created in 1952, GHD supports the health and wellness of East County through oversight of Sharp Grossmont Hospital, the operation of a public Health & Wellness library, healthcare career scholarships for local students, and a community grants and sponsorships program. 

GHD is governed by an elected board representing nearly 520,000 people residing within 750 square miles. 

As interim CEO, Byzak said he will lead a team of 15 professional staff and report directly to the GHD board.  

His term is initially set for a minimum of three months, during which he will also help facilitate the board’s search for a permanent CEO. Byzak said he expects the process of finding a new CEO for the district to take between three and six months. 

Byzak is co-owner and Chief Strategist for Galvanized Strategies, a strategic public affairs and fractional executive leadership firm with offices in California and Texas. He previously served on the executive team for Tri-City Healthcare District from 2018-24, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer. He also was a key member of the leadership team at UC San Diego Health from 2009-17. 

Byzak has been the communication strategy consultant for Grossmont Healthcare District for the past seven months. His contract with GHD says his job entails promoting the district in media relations, doing communications planning and brand positioning, offering opinion/editorial support and doing community engagement and outreach.

He has also been part of the GHD’s recognition and awards strategy, in which the district applies for honors and awards recognizing its programs and partnerships. 

“Although I am communications consultant for the district, I have an extensive background in hospital leadership and healthcare district leadership, so it made sense for them to go with somebody who’s already in the organization to help lead the staff that are here,” Byzak said.  

“As interim CEO, I’m going to make sure that their amazing, nationally renowned programs continue without any hiccups and we maintain all the positive relationships we’ve built with all of our community partners and to help advice the board of directors on the permanent CEO search.” 

Wallis’ employment agreement was to expire on May 17 and the GHD board voted 4-1 on March 10 not to renew it, with Nadia Farjood casting the dissenting vote. They also voted unanimously to offer Wallace a severance agreement. 

Wallis, 54, was hired by the district in 2021 and given a two-year extension in 2023. He succeeded Barry Jantz, who retired after 16 years of service.

Wallis (photo, left) said with the suddenness of his departure from the district, he was disappointed that he was not able to properly thank community members.

"I missed being able to not say 'Goodbye and thank you,'" Wallis told ECM by phone the day following the approval of Byzak's contract. "I want to thank the East County community for their support over the last four years," he added. "I was immediately embraced and proud to work on their behalf."

Of the legacy he left behind at GHD, Wallis said he is most proud of the collaborations the district had with its community partners."These relationships have helped improve the East County healthcare workforce pipeline, developed innovative methods to improve the emergency response process and dedicated much-needed awareness and resources to our rural community," Wallis said.

In an email to those close to the district, Amy Abrams (photo, right), chief community health officer for the GHD, called Wallis' departure "an unwelcome surprise to all of us on staff" and praised Wallis as "a great leader, well-respected in the community, and a catalyst for several impactful initiatives in our region. He'll be missed by many,” she added.

Abrams also said she is "very grateful to have (Byzak)'s healthcare leadership experience as well as his knowledge of the Grossmont Healthcare District's work in East County" as GHD staff moves through the transition.

During the open session of the March 10 meeting, the board had some pushback from new GHD representative Nadia Farjood (photo, left). Farjood said she was "deeply disappointed in and disheartened by the decision of my colleagues to not renew (Wallis') contract.”

"I am also shocked and befuddled by the decision because Mr. Wallis was a visionary, strategic, thoughtful, kind and capable leader, admired and beloved by both staff and the community during his tenure,' Farjood said. "He spearheaded transformative initiatives in collaboration with staff and community partners that have made tremendous strides toward improving community health and wellness in East County."

Farjood asked to waive privilege over the closed session discussion, asking GHD's legal team to release information from the March 4 meeting in order to "educate the public." Her request was not seconded by any of the other board members.

Also at the March 10 meeting, Michael Peddecord (photo, right), an emeritus of the School of Public Health at San Diego State, thanked Wallis for his accomplishments and said that "many others in the community would agree he brought a needed set of skills and a new perspective to the CEO position with his unique skills and experiences."

"(Wallis) understood the workings of medical care, public health and also the potential of the district to play a previously untapped leadership role in these spheres," Peddecord said. "His work in developing a strategic plan will help the district's grant-making activities and be more focused in the long-term efforts to provide a better value for our healthcare tax dollars."

Bob Ayres (photo, left), GHD’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, said he is confident in the appointment of Byzak. 

“We brought Aaron on a time ago as our media consultant and he’s not an unknown,” Ayres said. “We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Aaron’s caliber and experience step into this role. His leadership abilities and strategic insights are essential as we continue to advance our mission.” 

Byzak is a Vista resident and North County native with three decades of work in the healthcare industry. He has been honored five times by the San Diego Business Journal in the publication’s annual list of the 500 Most Influential People in San Diego. He is also a four-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. 

Barry Jantz (photo, right), the former CEO of GHD and current president and owner of Jantz Communications, said that he has known Byzak for many years.

He said that with Byzak’s diverse background in healthcare district governance and community health, and “given a number of significant matters before the district... he’s a great choice to step into the role at this critical time.” 

By Miriam Raftery

March 10, 2025 (San Diego) -- As President Donald Trump rolls out hefty tariffs on imported goods from America’s biggest trading partners—Mexico, Canada, and China,  American businesses and consumers are bearing the brunt, with higher prices on everything from steel and lumber to food and consumer products.

The action has drawn opposition even from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, normally a staunch Republican ally. In a press release, the Chamber warns, “Tariffs on Canada and Mexico will have a real, devastating impact on thousands of small businesses across the nation — and on all Americans in the form of higher prices.”

While the U.S. Chamber shares concerns about border security and the scourge of fentanyl, unfair trading practices, tariffs on Canada and Mexico won't solve those problems and instead would lead to higher prices for Americans, the business organization states.

Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark, in her annual State of American Business, said pointedly. “"The bottom line is this: tariffs are a tax paid by Americans and their broad and indiscriminate use would stifle growth at the worst possible time.”  She stressed that to boost economic growth, America must participate in the global economy. That includes seizing opportunities to increase trade. 

Trump has justified the tariffs as intended to encourage production of goods made in America and ultimately boost the economy.

He signed an executive order on February 1^st to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, and 10% on Chinese imports. He did so by declaring a national emergency over undocumented immigration and drug trafficking. Trump later paused the Mexican and Canadian tariffs by 30 days and extended an exemption for the auto industry.

China meanwhile countered by announcing hefty new duty charges on numerous American goods ranging from cars and agricultural machinery to crude oil, coal and liquified natural gas.

Next up in mid-February, Trump announced a whopping 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports,  metals that are used in many consumer products from vehicles to cookware. He also called for reciprocal tariffs on any goods that other countries tax,  a move that economists warn could create chaos for the global business community.

He’s also pledged to soon add tariffs on products from other countries, including a 25% tariff on some goods from our allies in Europe as well as tariffs on imports from India.

On March 4^th,  Trump doubled the tariff on Chinese imports to 20%.

After Trump doubled the Chinese tariffs, China imposed tariffs of up to 15% on numerous American farm exports and levied export controls on some two dozen American companies, Associated Press reports.

Canada slapped tariffs on over $100 billion worth of American goods over just 21 days. One  Canadian province removed all U.S.-made alcoholic beverages from store shelves, replacing them with Canadian liquor.  Canadian travelers have begun cancelling visits to the U.S., harming the American tourism industry.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheibaum has said her country will also impose retaliatory tariffs but has not yet provided details. 

In early March, Trump postponed the 25% tariffs on some Mexican and Canadian imports for a month, crediting Mexico’s president with working to reduce drug smuggling and illegal border crossings, though the U.S. has also ramped up border security under the Trump administration.

The impacts have sent the stock market tumbling, fueling fears of a recession. Trump has said he doesn’t know if a recession can be avoided.

The effects of the Trump tariffs are also being felt locally.

Brent Schertzer, managing director of apartment developer Holland Partner Group, told the San Diego Union Tribune that tariffs on steel and other building materials could add millions of dollars to large construction projects. He said that material suppliers will have no choice but to charge more for steel, or risk going out of business.

Alan Gin, a professor of economics at the University of San Diego, told KUSI Fox 5 that some of the biggest cost hikes for Americans will include vehicles, oil and gas, electronics, and groceries — further fueling the inflation that have already caused hardships for many U.S. households.

By Karen Pearlman

March 6, 2025 (La Mesa) -- The five-member Grossmont Healthcare District Board of Directors has decided not to renew the contract of CEO Christian Wallis.

Wallis, who was hired by the district in 2021 for a two-year contract at $215,000 per year, was given a two-year extension and a cost of living raise in 2023 to $247,424 annually. He succeeded Barry Jantz, who retired after 16 years of service.

GHD's board made the decision during its Tuesday morning board meeting on March 4 in closed session, after which the district’s legal counsel reported out with a public statement that the board voted 4-1 to not renew Wallis's contract.

GHD released a statement about Wallis's departure on Thursday evening, March 6:

"The Grossmont Healthcare District Board of Directors, in a 4-1 vote, has decided not to extend the CEO’s employment agreement beyond its current term, which expires on May 17, 2025. Additionally, the Board majority determined that a leadership transition was in the best interest of the organization, effective March 4, 2025. The Board also voted unanimously (5-0) to offer the CEO a severance agreement.

"We appreciate Christian Wallis’s service and contributions to Grossmont Healthcare District and thank him for his leadership. The Board remains focused on ensuring continuity and stability as we move forward and will provide further updates regarding interim leadership and next steps in the coming weeks.

"At this time, our priority is maintaining the organization’s mission and operations. We will not be commenting further on personnel matters."

A Navy veteran, when Wallis was hired, he had more than 27 years of leadership experience in the healthcare field in the private sector, the federal government and international healthcare settings.

He was previously regional/state vice president of Health Information Technology Support Services for Advocate Aurora Health in Illinois. He also served as the VP of operations for Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill.

The GHD website notes that a FY22-23 CEO evaluation took place in closed session on Nov. 18, 2022 during its Board of Directors meeting.

The board will have a discussion about replacing Wallis at a later time, possibly as soon as the week of March 10. The district's next meeting is 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 20.