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The Starting Line – Fake Video About San Diego ACORN Yields $100,000 Settlement; Wingnuts Continue Defamation

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You’d think the right wingers would give it a rest. But the myth of the evil-doers at ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) continues to live.

Four separate investigations by various state and city Attorneys General and the GAO released in 2009/2010 cleared ACORN of any illegal activities. Law enforcement officials found its employees had not engaged in criminal activities and that the organization had managed its federal funding appropriately.  Videos purporting to show illegal activities were found to have been deceptively and selectively edited to present the workers in the worst possible light.

So it’s with some small satisfaction that former members of that group were in a celebratory mood yesterday after court documents were released revealing that James O’Keefe, the conservative activist whose hidden-camera stings were at the center of the controversy, agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former employee of ACORN.

INSIDE: North Park Water Tower, District 4 Dirt, Balboa Park Redux, Digging in South LA   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan presents March’s Las Monthly Ondas featuring: Art of Body : Body of Art – 6th Annual Día de la Mujer Exhibition at The Front

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By Brent E. Beltrán

Every March 8 throughout the world women and their male allies come together to celebrate International Women’s Day. For the sixth straight year the dedicated, hard working people at Casa Familiar’s The Front will organize an art exhibition and night of culture to honor and celebrate the artistic contributions of females in the San Diego/Tijuana border region.

As a member of the Red CalacArts Collective I had the honor of playing a minor role in The Front’s first women’s celebration. Now, as a writer, I am equally honored to help spread the word about this beautiful, annual event. Recently, I had the privilege to communicate with Leticia Gomez Franco, The Front’s Gallery and Exhibitions Director. She broke down the reason why art spaces like The Front are necessary, why it is important to celebrate día de la mujer internacional, what the local San Ysidro reaction to The Front’s work is and what makes their event so successful.   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan: What does Martin Luther King mean to you?

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On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day [in 2013] I attended the All People Celebration that took place at the San Diego Public Market here in Barrio Logan. With the event taking place in my neighborhood I wanted to put together a column that somehow related to MLK. Since every news media outlet in San Diego was covering the event I knew I had to think up a different approach than the rest of them. So, as I walked the two blocks from my apartment to the location of the celebration I decided that I would ask as many people as I could recognize a single question: What does Martin Luther King represent to you? These are their thoughtful responses.

“Non violent change. We gotta be a better society.”
– Bob Filner, Mayor of San Diego

“To me it’s about service to others. How are you doing something to make the world better? How are you part of making the world better. You do that by being in service. In my case, as a public servant, days like this make you feel good. It’s what you work for. It’s what you strive for.”
David Alvarez, San Diego City Councilman District 8 

And more than a dozen other San Diegans chime in….come on inside!   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan: Loyola University Students Experience the Community that is Chicano Park

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On a cold, blustery day in Barrio Logan’s Chicano Park my toddler son Dino and I had the opportunity to connect with some college students from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland who were in San Diego for their annual Project Mexico trip. Project Mexico is a program of the university’s Center for Community Service and Justice.

The Center’s website states that Project Mexico provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in a 10-day intense service and educational exchange with the peoples and communities of Mexicali and San Diego. During their stay in Mexico students participate in community directed projects and engage in cultural and social activities and education programs that address topics such as immigration, the environment, human rights and political and economic issues.   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan: January Happenings in Barrio Logan and Beyond

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Sometimes I take for granted the things that are happening in my barrio and the surrounding areas. I consider myself lucky to live in a community that cherishes culture in all it’s varied forms. I have Chicano Park, The Roots Factory, The Spot Barrio Logan and The Voz Alta Project all within two blocks of my apartment. My community is a living creature, alive and vibrant, with culture oozing out of it’s streets and alleys like sweat from a worker’s brow. For the most part I know what is going on around here.

Because I usually know the haps in Logan I sometimes fail to realize that others may not know what’s going on. Therefore as a service to not only my community but also the greater San Diego community at large I will regularly compile a list of cultural and activism related events that will be taking place. This list will not only feature events taking place in Barrio Logan and the rest of the Historic Barrio District but events elsewhere in San Diego that I think readers of this column and San Diego Free Press should consider attending. Most will be hosted by the places I normally frequent (and places I should frequent normally) and many will be related to Chicanismo, Native issues, lefty causes and other stuff that I’m down for. Please support these grassroots cultural happenings, spaces and organizations by attending their events and, if so inclined, throw a few bucks their way.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Pushback on Gun Control Proposals Reveals Sad Truths About the U.S.

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Like many Americans, news of children being killed at an elementary school, was overwhelming for retired teacher Roseanne Holliday a resident of Del Mar. She wanted to do something, anything, to make sure a tragedy like the Sandy Hook shootings never happened again.

After several days of thinking it over, she posted a sign on her property with the message “Stop Del Mar Gun Show and Sale”, and included her email address. Feedback from that sign led to a meeting with over 50 people and launching of a petition urging the Del Mar Fairgrounds to drop its involvement with the Crossroads of the West Gun Show.

  [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Mayor Calls San Diego Summit in Response to Sandy Hook Shooting

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Mayor Bob Filner, along with representatives from the San Diego Police Department and San Diego Unified, hosted a sit-down yesterday to talk about local responses and precautions in the wake of Friday’s school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

The Mayor cited his own struggle over talking with his two grandchildren about the Sandy Hook tragedy as being a motivation for calling the meeting. Police Chief William Landsdowne mentioned his opposition to legal assault weapons as the video tape from NBCNews7 rolled, quickly qualifying his statement as being a political matter not necessarily germane to the matters at hand.

A video monitoring system installed throughout San Diego schools over the past couple of years will now be interfaced with laptops in police cars, giving them the ability to see situations in real time as they respond to a situation. One thousand cameras are in place, covering hallways, lunchrooms, offices and building exteriors, according to SDUSD police Lieutenant Joe Florentino.   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan: Barrio Logan’s Northgate is a Deferred Dream Come True

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On December 11, 2012 the first major supermarket in San Diego’s Historic Barrio District (Barrio Logan, Logan Heights and Sherman Heights) in almost 40 years opened it’s doors to the public for the first time. For Barrio Logan residents the opening of Mercado Gonzalez Northgate is more than just the opening of a supermarket, it is a deferred dream come to true.

It took 21 years for the city and developers to build this market. Twenty one years of promises. Twenty one years to gain an amenity that most communities have.

Not since the closure in the early 1970’s of Safeway, on the corner of 25th and Imperial, has there been a major supermarket that services these predominantly Mexican-American communities. For over 30 years these communities demanded a supermarket. None of the major supermarkets like Vons, Albertson’s and Ralph’s heeded this demand. Fortunately, after all those years, a Mexican-American grocer family stepped up.   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan: Love Thy Neighbor. It’s Not About Charity, It’s About Humanity

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Giving Drive spans borders, cultures, and generations

On Saturday December 15 Ruben Torres, with some help from his friends, plans on loving his neighbors by organizing a toy, clothing and shoe drive for youth in Tijuana, Tecate, Rosarito and San Diego. Hosted by the fine folks at The Spot in Barrio Logan, the 3rd annual Love Thy Neighbor event will feature music by Karlos Paez, DJ Beto Perez, Rudy Roots and PEET-O Perez as well as an art show by Rebel, El ReSK and Fine Print.

Ruben Torres, a South San Diego native, used to spearhead the independent music label Rescue Records for the rock band P.O.D. and then started his own label, Cosa Nostra Records, where he managed, wrote and produced records for several successful artists. He eventually moved to Los Angeles where he had the opportunity to work with people and groups such as R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg, Run DMC, Robin Thicke, Papa Roach and many others. He eventually moved back to San Diego and launched his own Latin urban clothing line, Jefe Clothing.   [Read more…]

The Barrio Billboard John – WTF Was He Thinking?

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I had other plans. I was gonna write my next column about Ruben Torres’ 3rd annual Love Thy Neighbor Toy & Clothing Drive that takes place on December 15 at The Spot in Barrio Logan. The drive plans on bringing Christmas to thousands of kids throughout Tijuana, Rosarito, Tecate, and homeless families in San Diego.

Instead I have to write two columns. Do twice the work because some millionaire decided to put up a demeaning billboard in my neighborhood. In the community that I live in. The community I write about. Now I have to write about this jerk. And then write another column about something I care about in time to plug the toy drive that will bring a little joy into some kids’ lives.

On Wednesday December 3 a giant advertising billboard above Union Electric on 28th Street, viewable from Interstate 5, went up. But, instead of advertising some crap that people don’t need, a millionaire named Marc Paskin bought the space for $5000 to advertise his love interest. With a big picture of his smiling, ugly mug the billboard said, “All I Want for Christmas is a Latina Girlfriend.” And then listed an email address, ChristmasLatina@aol.com, to contact him.   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan Livin’ La Vida Logan: Estrella del Mercado Apartments Finally Open!

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By Brent E. Beltrán

On October 1, 2012 the latest addition to the renaissance of my much maligned community, Barrio Logan, finally opened up. The 92 unit Estrella del Mercado apartments is a beautiful, affordable housing community built by Chelsea Investment and Shea Properties.

This project has been in the works for over two decades and with the mid-December opening of the Northgate Gonzalez Market will reach the end. The site was initially going to be built by private developer Sam Marasco and the nonprofit MAAC Project (which built the nearby Mercado Apartments in the 1990’s). But, due to whatever legal, economic and political schemes and squabbles Marasco and city hall were up to, the project fell apart. Devastating a community that always ended up with the short end of the stick. Eventually the city of San Diego sued Marasco to get the land back. The city won in court and in 2010 gifted the land to the new developers who moved with lightning quick speed to get the project done.   [Read more…]

Desde la Logan: The Roots Factory Spreads It’s Artistic Branches From DJing and Serigraphy to the Barrio Film Festival

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By Brent E. Beltrán
In a broken down alley, between Newton Avenue and Main Street just off Cesar Chavez, adjacent to Ryan Bros. Coffee where Chuey’s Restaurant and Cantina once thrived, lays a factory whose workers create ideas with their bare hands and phat minds. A welcoming place where roots grow through creative souls. Roots that provide my working class community cultural nourishment. Artistic soup for a culturally hungry people.

This place, known as The Roots Factory, was founded through sheer heart and determination by Roberto Hernandez (aka Bob Green) and Ana Morales (aka Ana Brown). Since January 2011, these Chicano renaissance artists have used the factory as a weapon in their struggle to bring art to the masses of Barrio Logan and beyond. If Chicano Park is the parent of Barrio Logan arts and culture then places like The Roots Factory, Voz Alta and The Spot are it’s prolific children. These three arts organizations form a symbiotic cultural trinity producing vast quantities of much needed artistic happenings.   [Read more…]

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