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Heymatt: We all know the story of how many Lassies there were covering the collie’s illustrious career in show biz. How many Matthew Alices have there been? I have noticed a dramatic change in the style of writing from the first Matthew Alice columns to the most recent musings. Not a more mature or subdued style but a totally different pattern of writing. Fess up, Alice, if that’s your real name. What have you done with the original Alice? — Bob, via email

I guess it’s about time for this question to circle around again. “Who are you, Matthew?” “What are you, Matthew?” “How can you be who you say you are, Matthew?” “Why don’t I ever see you downtown?” “Where do the elves go at night?” Decades of the same questions that I re-answer from time to time, just to cut down on the volume temporarily. But this one has a twist. Sounds as if Bob maybe did a lit-crit paper on “The Evolution of Alice Grammar and Syntax” or something. Exactly how far back did you go, Bob? Did you get permission to search through the crumbling clip files in the Reader offices, back to the simple days when we were an eight-page beach broadsheet published out of a garage? Well, I claim the right to change. A totally different pattern of writing? Like, what? I didn’t use verbs and now I do? Poppycock. Granted, there was a time when I tried out each of the elves to see if any of them knew a topic sentence from a gerund. That failed pretty miserably, and since then I’ve cobbled everything together myself. So, until I get more details about how I’m completely different from the Reader’s salad days, I claim no harm, no foul. I’m me, and proud of it. But I’m open to examples of how radically different I used to be (full examples, with pub dates, please). Humph. What did I do with the original Alice? Well, the original Alice is now better dressed, with a cooler, classier air than the board-short hippie I used to be. Okay, does that answer everybody’s “who are you” questions for the next few years, at least? I hope so. We’ll throw out all the ones that are lurking in the files and start over clean. Yippee!

Hey, Matt: While passing the time with my fellow brothers here at the San Diego Rescue Mission, the subject came up regarding the term GRINGO. I think this means white American in Spanish, I said. But when corrected by a fellow brother, he said GRINGO means GREEN GOLD. He went on to explain that way back when people used gold as a way of buying and selling stuff. And when the U.S. came up with paper money that was green and did the same thing as gold did in commerce, the people, South (Mexico) of the border referred to the green paper money as GREENGOLD, and also that the people from North (USA) of the border were referred to as GRINGOS because they possessed the GREENGOLD! HUH!!! I have lived in San Diego for 38 years and hope you and the elves, if they are available (I know it’s Spring Break and they’re probably in TJ), can finally put some closure on this subject once and for all. — Stephen, San Diego

Green gold, eh? That’s probably the most convoluted, confounded, con-fusing explanation we’ve ever heard here. And we’ve heard a few. It’s bogus, of course. Sorry to say that ’bout a brutha, but he’s got it all wrong. But you already suspected that, didn’t you? You just wanted me to tell him so he wouldn’t get all grumpy with you. Glad to be of help.

Add “green gold” to the list of wrongheaded explanations: it comes from a song sung by Americans during the Mexican war, “Green Grow the Lilacs” (“green grow,” “gringo,” got it?) or from Americans’ green uniforms (the Mexicans yelled “Green go!” which is nutty since they’d be speaking Spanish, not English). So, what’s true?

First recorded use of “gringo”? In a Mexican publication of 1787; it meant “foreigner” or someone who speaks funny. Bird boy John J. Audubon in 1849 wrote that he and his party were hooted at and called “gringoes” by local Mexicans. An American book published in 1850 was titled Los Gringos: or, an Inside View of Mexico and California. So much for the “green gold” idea.

The word nerds have rooted around for a source for “gringo,” and they think they’ve hit on the answer. Consider the Spanish word griego, Greek. There’s an expression translated into virtually all European languages, which began in ancient Rome: “It’s all Greek to me,” meaning, “What the hey…?” Something Greek has always been something incomprehensible, especially speech. Likely that Americans were first griegos, then compressed to “gringos.” A much more boring explanation than “green gold,” but that’s the world of word nerds. You start out excited and end up with a big snooze.

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David Dodd April 1, 2010 @ 9:59 a.m.

Actually, what with being a gringo myself, I sleuthed the etymology out years ago. The word "gringo" appears in Spanish literature dating back to the sixteenth century, and you are correct, it comes from the word "Griego", meaning Greek, and this goes back to Roman times. When the Romans conquered the Greeks, they didn't exactly enslave the entire population; much of Roman history is bound to Greek thought and philosophy because the intelligent Greeks became a part of Roman society. It wasn't so much that the Greek was incomprehensible, more that the Greek accent speaking Latin was difficult to understand.

Likewise, in Spain back in the late 1500's, there were many Northern Europeans who migrated into Spain (that was where the gold was, after all), and while they learned to speak Spanish, it wasn't easy to understand them. Gringo was a wonderful bastardization of Griego in order to affect a similar meaning.

Matthew_Alice April 1, 2010 @ 1:04 p.m.

I should have known that you'd add some polish to my answer, Refried, gringo that you are. (And that's pa-lish, not poh-lish, though Polish is Greek to me.) Thanks for helping to make Straight from the Hip the wiseguy's answer to Wikipedia.

David Dodd April 2, 2010 @ 9:06 p.m.

Anytime, Matt. Another interesting aside concerning the perceived origin of the word "gringo": Here in Mexico, there are many natives that believe the word came from "Green, Go!", from when the U.S. invaded and marched into central Mexico (according to Mexican history books; according to U.S. history books, it was an "excursion" - somewhere in the middle lies the truth, I reckon). Supposedly, the green was in reference to the uniforms the Americans wore, as you mention. This is a highly romantic notion of a word invention, and it is almost impossible to convince any Mexican that truly believes this tale otherwise (believe me, I have tried on many an occasion). Even mentioning the fact that the U.S. Army uniforms were brown during that era draws complete skepticism.

Jay Allen Sanford April 2, 2010 @ 9:31 p.m.

It's time for the longtime MA puzzle to finally be solved once and for all. As a contributing Reader writer/cartoonist for over 15 years and counting, I've been sitting on the secret far too long. The mysterious columnist known as Matthew Alice is in reality, and has always been

aaaak --- thpppt

(Funeral donations to the family of the late Jayallen can be forwarded thru the Reader)

CuddleFish April 3, 2010 @ 3:31 a.m.

Big big check is in the mail as we speak.

Duhbya April 3, 2010 @ 4:47 a.m.

It's apparent by now that CuddleFish is actually spelled C-u-t-t-h-r-o-a-t T-r-o-u-t. The sole check to be considered should be a self-imposed dreckcheck. Yecch. Nasty, nasty vibes. Stand proud, Sarah, uh, I mean CF.

Matthew_Alice April 4, 2010 @ 6:49 p.m.

Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee! (Grandma Alice and elves joining in the chorus)

And RG, I did mention "Green go!" in my answer, I believe. It's truly a harebrained explanation, no?

David Dodd April 4, 2010 @ 8:12 p.m.

You certainly did, Matt, and I pointed that out while offering that the U.S. Army uniforms were brown at the time. Major buzz-kill for those who insist on believing. A future Mathew Alice article might wish to go into the origin of the name of my city, Tijuana. Yes, there really was an "aunt Jane", but did she really start this place? It's an interesting beginning.

SDaniels April 5, 2010 @ 12:03 a.m.

re #4: Having known two Reader writers, of course I am also sitting on the secret, but shall never never tell. Shame and a pox upon those who uncloak others' identities.

That, and-- goodness. Someone's at the door at this hour? Gotta go. ;)

David Dodd April 5, 2010 @ 12:47 a.m.

I'll never reveal that Matthew Alice is actually the same writer that goes by the name of... oh, hell another aftershock? Back to Twitter, I have a bunch of media hounds hungry for information.

Visduh April 5, 2010 @ 9:29 a.m.

There are so many of this sort of explanation that make wonderful stories. Too bad that most of them are not true! One piece of speculation is circulated and takes on a life of its own. Next thing you know it is accepted as fact.

Duhbya April 5, 2010 @ 1:51 p.m.

"That, and-- goodness. Someone's at the door at this hour? Gotta go. ;)"

Do share, SD - friend or faux?

My own interpretation as to the etymology of the word "gringo" has to do with the spending proclivities of turistas yanquis - as in watching the "green go".

SDaniels April 5, 2010 @ 3:39 p.m.

re: post 13:

Duhbya, "faux," rather... two CIA agents at the door. Agent #1 with a pencil thin tie (guess the Fed has a Prada budget these days for some 'outfits'), and a tone of voice just as menacingly thin and tightly knotted, wanted to know where I learned certain "informations" about one Matthew Alice.

Agent #2 just stood there, pointing his ears at me in a most intimidating fashion--which put me in such a fluster that I actually forgot to wonder how it was possible to point one's ears at a person.

I protested innocence, and averred that my part in this discussion was only a brief continuance of the silliness of a farce perpetrated by jayallen in post 4.

The two agents stared me down in the annoyingly (to them) soft, pink-tinted light of my foyer, but coupled with that glare, it was as effective as if they had directed a brutal 1000-watt bulb at my peepers. I was ready to drop the machinations, and sobbingly confess all I had--but just then, there was a wooden thump, without much resonation on the hallway's cheap linoleum tile. Then another--thwump! and two more in succession...thwump--thwa--thwump!

As Agent #2 had leaned forward, intent on ear-pointing, one of his lobes caught on Agent #1's razerous tie, and the two of them lost their land legs in a sudden complex tangle so hilarious that I wish I'd installed video cameras, so I could have it forever to replay in slow mo.

--Literally lost their legs--for there lay on my foyer floor for anyone to see: four little roughly carved pine stilts. Two elves in coats now daddy-length swathes of material, leapt nimbly to their feet, but the look on their faces, colored hotly in the aforementioned pink glow of the hallway ambiance bulb,-- oh god, that flush of embarrassment alone could have launched a reality show or two!

So...I finished..."It's a rather late hour, don'tcha think? But I've got some cocoa and Keebler cookies! In fact, I've also got some sewing to do...and vaccuming, and all sorts of things you guys are supposed to do in the middle of the night, right? Hey! Love those slippers--I'm looking for some like those--with the bell!"

They scrambled up, grabbing their stilts, and swished away with all of the dignity they could muster, hampered by long bridal trains of coat and pant leg.

"Grandma'll kill us" I thought I heard one of them mutter, then the hall door slammed shut.

Duhbya April 5, 2010 @ 4:13 p.m.

Re #14: Wow, who knew? Undercover CIA brownies among us? I'm just relieved that you survived intact. And I'm left with one nagging question from post #4 - who is "aaaak --- thpppt"? Al diel shala.

Matthew_Alice April 6, 2010 @ 3:11 p.m.

aaaak thpppt is what it says on my passport, which also bears someone else's photo. a surprisingly useful document. much can be accomplished while officials are thrown into confusion. And I can only offer a tip of the Matthew Alice hat to SD for enduring federal agents and papparazzi on my behalf. actually, I am who I say I am. Matthew Alice. Simple as that.

Matthew_Alice April 6, 2010 @ 3:17 p.m.

oh, and I might add that John Brizzolara once nearly came to blows with a bar tender over the Matthew Alice identity, a moment I've always enjoyed imagining. Brizz cowering, beer flying, yelling heard out on the streets.... Much ado about something or other, but not much.

CuddleFish April 6, 2010 @ 4:25 p.m.

"Much ado about something or other, but not much."

Finally! I been racking my brain trying to figure out why anybody would care about this. Suggestion: GAL.

magicsfive April 6, 2010 @ 5:47 p.m.

ok well i haven't read all of the above comments, but it is my understanding (at least from my 3rd grade world geography...or was it history..hey it was a long time ago) "GRINGO" did have something to do with the green uniforms, although it was "GREEN COATS" that they were saying, which came out sounding like "GRINGO". this is just what i remember. if someone has already pointed this out, sorry :) xx

Matthew_Alice April 7, 2010 @ 9:09 a.m.

I guess when you're seven or eight, magics, a teacher must seem like the ultimate source of all knowledge and enlightenment. Too bad this one was just passing along misinformation. The American uniforms weren't green, they were brown, to begin with. So if for some reason the Mexicans were yelling in English, the word would now be BROWNGO. I'm beginning to think that our atmosphere filled with little floating bits of nonsense is perhaps another cause of global warming. It could be....

magicsfive April 7, 2010 @ 11:20 a.m.

lol...ok, well i stand corrected then :) BTW I know your secret too :D my lips are sealed ;) xx

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Hooterville wholesaler -- and a character actor responsible for providing audiences with many a hoot -- has died. Frank Cady, who played Sam Drucker, the bald-headed general store proprietor who served the townsfolk in The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction was 96.

Frank Cady was born in Susanville, California on September 8, 1915 and his family later took up residence in Wilsonville, Oregon. He studied journalism and drama at Stanford University where, according to The Wrap, Cady served "an apprenticeship at London's Westminster Theater, where he appeared in four plays. It was in England that Cady made an early television appearance, on the BBC in 1938."

He returned to university for graduate work and met his future wife while teaching acting. Frank and Shirley Cady were married in 1940 and the couple remained together until her death in 2008.

Frank Cady never objected to being typecast. He told the Portland Oregonian in 1995, "You get typecast. I'm remembered for those shows and not for some pretty good acting jobs I did other times. I suppose I ought to be grateful for that. Because otherwise I wouldn't be remembered at all. I've got to be one of the luckiest guys in the world."

Long before setting up shop in Hooterville, Cady had amassed quite an impressive string of character parts. Generally portraying doctors, clerks, and janitors, Cady had stand-out appearances in several classic productions. He played a pair of reluctant witnesses in Anthony Mann's He Walked by Night and John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle. Cady kept "bartender" Spencer Tracy busy by ordering numerous mint juleps in Father of the Bride.

Cady's best remembered big screen role was without dialog and filmed almost entirely in long shot. Cady played the henpecked husband who lived opposite Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window. In order to avoid running stairs to the top floor of their apartment, he and his wife (Sara Berner) rigged a rope-and-basket that substituted as a dog-walker. Cady's pooch was one of Lars Thorwald's victims.

His last television appearance was, fittingly enough, as Mr. Drucker in the TV movie Return to Green Acres (1990). Soon after the Cadys retired to Wilsonville, Oregon in the '90's where he died on Friday. No cause of death was given.

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Witness testifies killing gang-related

VISTA - An alleged gang member accused in the death of a 66-year-old anti-gang activist in Oceanside last year said the man was shot because some of his relatives were in a rival gang, a woman testified at a hearing today.

Antonio Garcia, 17, faces a murder charge, with gun and gang allegations, for the the Nov. 4 death of Joe Delgado.

At the end of the preliminary hearing, Judge Runston Maino is expected to decide whether Garcia should stand trial as an adult.

The alleged gang member faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted, prosecutor Thomas Manning said outside court.

Authorities said Delgado was fatally wounded with shotgun pellets about 6:45 p.m., when he went outside his Missouri Street home to confront some alleged gang members vandalizing his car.

An Oceanside woman - who said she associates with members of the Center Street gang - testified that she picked Garcia and another gang member up on Nevada Street the night of the shooting, shortly after she saw police in the area.

"I just asked what was going on and they didn't answer," she testified.

"They were acting awkward, like something was bothering them. I would ask what was wrong but they didn't answer me. They didn't say nothing."

She said she drove Garcia and his companion to The Home Depot on College Boulevard in Oceanside, where the two got into a van.

"He (Garcia) gave me a hug and a kiss and he told me that he had to leave to T.J. (Tijuana)," the woman testified.

Another woman testified that she picked Garcia and his companion up in a van at The Home Depot and took them to her house, where they hid out for about two weeks.

When she read about the shooting in a newspaper, the woman testified that she confronted her house guests and asked if they had done it.

"I just said, `Was it one of you?"' she told the court, adding that Garcia just said. "Don't trip, don't trip."

As she continued questioning Garcia, he at first told her the shooting was "personal," then that it was because the victim had family members in a rival gang.

Fidel Solis Cruz testified that he, his son and niece were walking to his vehicle on Brooks Street when he passed by two men wearing hooded sweatshirts.

"Just as I was about to open the door I heard a shot," Solis testified. "I saw that someone fell backwards. My son threw himself on the ground."

Solis testified that the same men he had passed at Brooks and Missouri were the ones standing near the fallen man.

He could not identify the defendant as one of the men, however.


text:
PADRES: Kemp does it all for the Dodgers

Young outfielder beats Padres with bat, glove and feet

LOS ANGELES -- Was that Matt Kemp or Clark Kent running around in center field for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night?

The center fielder did everything short of leaping tall buildings in a single bound, making plays with his glove and bat to help his team rally for a rousing 8-5 win over the Padres in front of 54,628 at Dodger Stadium. A late collapse by the Padres' bullpen also played a key role in the team's eighth loss in 10 games and overshadowed an efficient start by Josh Geer.

The Padres' record fell to .500 at 11-11.

"Matt Kemp defensively saved four runs," manager Bud Black said. "Jody (Gerut's) ball in the gap, great closing speed. (Kevin Kouzmanoff's) looper, he had made a great catch. There's four runs right there, and offensively he did some damage, too.

"Kemp had a good game."

By the time he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Dodgers ahead 6-5, Kemp had bedeviled the Padres with his glove and feet. Then he added his bat to mix.

Kemp, a .309 hitter with five homers and 15 RBIs in 22 previous games against the Padres, ripped a first-pitch fastball from Edward Mujica into the left-field corner to drive in James Loney. On the throw home, the speedy Kemp advanced to third base. After scoring the tying run an inning earlier, he then crossed the plate on Casey Blake's RBI single to give the Dodgers an 8-5 lead.

The runs were the third and fourth allowed by the Padres' inexperienced bullpen and further fueled the sellout crowd. An inning earlier, the Dodgers scored two runs against rookie Luke Gregerson, who allowed four hits and walked one in one-third of an inning.

"The people don't matter. You've still got to pitch your game out there," said Gregerson (0-1). "There's a couple of pitches that I thought I threw well that they got their bats out there. They hit 'em just as well as I pitched 'em."

Kemp caught 'em even better.

The Padres led 3-1 and were looking for more when Gerut stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the second inning. Gerut, who switched spots atop the Padres' lineup with Brian Giles, drilled Jeff Weaver's pitch toward the gap in left-center field. But Kemp appeared almost out of nowhere as he raced far over from center field to take away a three-run extra-base hit.

Three innings later, Kemp did it again with the Dodgers ahead 4-3. With Gerut on second and two outs, Kouzmanoff appeared to earn a broken-bat single to left-center. But Kemp again came to the rescue with a diving catch, after which he pounded the ground in celebration.

"He's been getting me since spring," Gerut said. "He got me once on a dive. He got me … he's done that a couple of times."

Of late, few Padres starting pitchers have lasted deep into a ballgame. After he yielded back-to-back home runs in the third inning to hand the Dodgers a 4-3 lead, Geer seemed headed for an early shower as well.

But following the homers by Orlando Hudson and Manny Ramirez, Geer regained his composure and retired nine in a row and 11 of the last 12 he faced. Two of those outs came via outstanding plays by second baseman David Eckstein, who robbed three hits in all, taking two singles away from Russell Martin and one from Hudson. Geer credited Eckstein with another save when he came to the mound after the pitcher yielded consecutive home runs.

"He said he was coming here to give me a breather," said Geer, who became the first Padres starter to complete six innings since Chris Young pitched seven on April 22. "To keep the cool and stay relaxed. … I knew that, too … giving up a home run here and there, I'm not going to get too freaked out. I'm not going to feel the pressure at all."

The Padres reapplied pressure in the seventh inning and took a 5-4 lead. Adrian Gonzalez, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 12, doubled in Gerut and later scored on Kouzmanoff's RBI groundout.

Contact staff writer Dan Hayes at . For instant coverage, follow the Padres at .


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Dictionary Hill land could be preserved

SANDAG considers buying 180 acres

SPRING VALLEY — A Spring Valley hill long poised for a housing development may instead be preserved as open space.

The San Diego Association of Governments is evaluating a nearly 180-acre piece of land atop Dictionary Hill for potential purchase and preservation. The land could be acquired as part of SANDAG's environmental mitigation program.

Malibu-based developer WWI Properties for years had pushed a proposal to build more than 200 homes on 177 acres of the hill, which is a popular spot for hikers and dog walkers. But the company fell behind on payments and lost the property in a foreclosure sale in April. San Diego's Dunham & Associates, a private wealth management firm, bought the property for $4.65 million.

The next month, WWI Properties withdrew its proposal to build homes there, according to the county's Department of Planning and Land Use.

Future development remains a possibility, but another owner would have to start the process over again, said Gig Conaughton, a public affairs officer with the department.

WWI officials could not be reached for comment, and a consultant once hired to work for the company said last week he was no longer affiliated with the project.

SANDAG officials said they are currently doing an appraisal of the property to determine whether to try to purchase the land. A Dunham official said last week that the company typically sells land it has acquired through foreclosure sales and that it considers anyone making an offer. It's unknown how long the process will take, said David Hicks, a SANDAG spokesman.

The environmental mitigation program is funded through the voter-approved, Transnet half-percent sales tax. It focuses on protecting, preserving and restoring native habitats to offset disturbance caused by the construction of regional and local transportation projects.

Some residents said they were thrilled that SANDAG was taking a look at buying the land.

Carol Guerrero, who can see part of Dictionary Hill from her home, said she's part of Dictionary Hill Open Space Advocates, a community group devoted to preserving the land, which drafted letters to several public agencies this year encouraging them to consider preserving the land.

“This is a great moment,” Guerrero said.

She said the development project not only would have harmed environmentally sensitive habitat, but also would have led to additional traffic tie-ups and blasting that could have harmed the foundations of many homes on Dictionary Hill. If SANDAG and other public agencies choose not to buy the land, Guerrero said, her group will keep working to find another prospective buyer.


text:
House panel advances global warming bill

— Legislation imposing the first nationwide limits on the pollution blamed for global warming advanced in the House late Thursday, clearing a key committee despite strong Republican opposition.

The Energy and Commerce Committee approved the sweeping climate bill 33-25 after repeatedly turning back GOP attempts to kill or weaken the measure during four days of debate.

The panel's action increases the likelihood that the full House for the first time will address broad legislation to tackle climate change later this year. The Senate has yet to take up the issue.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the panel's chairman, said the bill represents "decisive and historic action" to increase America's energy security and deal with global warming. "When this bill is enacted into law, we will break our dependence on foreign oil, make our nation the world leader in clean energy jobs and technology, and cut global-warming pollution," said Waxman.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has promised to press for passage of climate legislation this year, but prospects remain uncertain, especially in the Senate. President Barack Obama has told Congress he also wants a bill this year, ahead of international climate talks in December.

The House bill requires factories, refineries and power plants to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and six other greenhouse gases by roughly 80 percent by mid-century and hasten the nation's energy shift away from fossil fuels by putting a price on carbon dioxide releases.

Only one Republican – Rep. Mary Bono Mack of California – crossed party lines in support of the legislation. Four Democrats voted against it. She said that while she had concerns about the bill, including its cost, the country can't wait "to make needed changes to our energy policy."

Waxman had vowed to get the 946-page bill out of his committee before Memorial Day. Pressure on lawmakers to leave for the holiday recess pushed the committee to wrap up late Thursday after considering more than 80 amendments.

"The American people are overwhelmingly calling for a new direction ... to take action in a way that changes forever our relationship with imported oil, with the loss of jobs overseas, with the pollution that is causing greenhouse gas warming on our planet," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a co-sponsor of the bill.

Republicans argued that the pollution cuts would lead to soaring energy prices and threaten economic growth by imposing new costs on energy-intensive industries already facing economic hardships.

"We don't want to put the economy in jeopardy," said Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the committee's ranking Republican. He offered an alternative that would have scrapped the cap on greenhouse gases and a requirement to produce more electricity from renewable sources. It was defeated 35-19.

Barton said he had "serious concern about the redirection of our energy policy in America."

"For the sake of our nation, I hope to some degree you are right. I'm afraid that you're not. We will see," Barton told Waxman minutes before the vote.

The legislation calls for the government to issue pollution allowances, or permits, to businesses that could be traded on the open market. The bill initially would give away 35 percent of the allowances to electric utilities to prevent higher energy costs from being passed on to consumers. The government also would sell 15 percent and use the money to provide direct relief to lower- and middle-income families.

To get the support of Democrats from coal and industrial states, Waxman had already agreed to give away significant emissions allowances to industries in their states, including the electric utilities, steel manufactures, automakers and refineries. The deal also lowered the bill's targets for renewable energy and required a smaller reduction by 2020 in the emissions blamed for global warming.

Democrats this week added language to create a clean energy bank to disperse grants for new forms of energy and inserted a "cash for clunkers" program that would provide rebates to consumers who turn in gas guzzling vehicles for more fuel-efficient cars.

Republicans said there were other ways to accomplish the same goals.

"I guess our argument on this is there is so much a better way to do this ... through innovation versus this big government mandate," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. "Believe in this next generation of Americans and you will be surprised how fast we can meet these goals without ... the largest energy tax in the history of the United States."

Environmentalists called the committee vote historic, even though some said they hoped the bill would be strengthened.

"The takeaway is that climate legislation is on a path to the president's desk," said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund. "This bill is a breakthrough."

The bill is H.R. 2454.

On the Net:

House Energy and Commerce Committee:


text:
Russia to hold open tender for helicopter carrier

— Russia will hold an open tender for two warships of the class it had planned to buy from France without inviting other bidders, the Russian defense minister said Friday.

Anatoly Serdyukov said the French shipbuilders would be welcome to take part in the bidding next month along with other foreign participants. He was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on a trip to Armenia that the results would be announced later this year.

Russia earlier had said it planned to buy a Mistral-class assault ship from France without opening a bidding process. Russia wants to build more such ships at its own shipyards under license.

In Paris, an official at the presidential palace said Friday that France sees no reason to worry about the Russian decision and that negotiations were continuing. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to publicly speak on the issue.

Russian officials have said they were also looking at similar ships built by Spain and Netherlands.

On Thursday, Russia's state-controlled United Shipbuilding Corporation said it also had received an invitation from the government to take part in the bidding.

Its spokesman Igor Ryabov said that his company would hold meetings with Mistral builders in late August to offer setting up a joint venture. The Russian corporation could invite the French to help build the ship at one of the two shipyards in northwestern Russia, he said.

The Mistral, which could carry up to 16 helicopters and dozens of armored vehicles, would allow Russia to land hundreds of troops quickly on foreign soil.

The possible deal has alarmed Georgia, which fought a brief war against Russia in 2008, as well as the ex-Soviet Baltic nations in NATO.

Russian news reports said a key issue of contention in the talks with France on selling the ship had been Russia's demand that it be fitted with the proprietary state-of-the art command and control system more advanced than the technology the Russian navy has.

Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.

The Associated Press


text:
Second annual Food for Fines program set for Chula Vista

— Chula Vista library-goers can avoid paying late fees if they bring in nonperishable food instead.

The Chula Vista Public Library launched its second annual Food for Fines campaign Nov. 22; it extends through Dec. 23.

For every food item donated, $1 worth of fines will be waived, up to $10 per library card. All donations, including canned food and dried pasta, benefit South Bay Community Services.

All three branches of the library — Civic Center, South Chula Vista and Eastlake — are participating in the campaign.

“In this economy, it is sometimes very difficult for people to pay their fines. This program enables library users to clear their records while helping local families who are in dire need of food, especially around the holiday season,” library officials said.

Nonnutritious items, such as candy and chips, as well as damaged containers and expired foods, will not be accepted. • (619) 293-1725 • Twitter @newswriter_gal


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Qualcomm’s Firethorn Begins Rollout of Wireless Gift Card Ahead of Holiday Season

Three years ago, San Diego’s Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) paid $210 million in cash to acquire an Atlanta mobile banking startup called Firethorn Holdings. At the time, some commentaries emphasized that mobile banking in the United States was emerging at a snail’s pace. Even Firethorn founder Tripp Rackley told GigaOm last November, “It’s going to be a long time before mobile payments take off; there will be a lot of people trying to make that happen. But until we go into a grocery store and see people pulling phones out to pay, we won’t be there.”

This year, however, Qualcomm’s Firethorn is showing new signs of life, with a series of announcements that suggest the mobile commerce subsidiary has some big plans for the shopping season just over the horizon:

—In March, Qualcomm named a 25-year veteran of the financial services industry, Rocco Fabiano, as Firethorn president (replacing Rackley), saying he would provide strategic leadership as Firethorn expands into new markets.

—Firethorn said in early August it had signed American Apparel, the Los Angeles-based clothing manufacturer, to accept its “Swagg” mobile application in time for the 2010 holiday season. Swagg is a mobile application for smart phone users that enables shoppers to purchase a “virtual” gift card that can be stored, personalized, and exchanged on smartphones.

—Less than a week later, Firethorn disclosed a collaboration with Discover Financial Services (NYSE:[[tickerDFS]]) in which the Discover Network will provide core processing services for payment transactions when Firethorn’s Swagg customers use the service at certain merchants (such as American Apparel).

—Earlier this week, the florist retailer and gift shop, 1-800-Flowers.com (NASDAQ: FLWS), the world’s largest florist and gift shop, also signed on as a Swagg-participating merchant in what appears to be part of a recurring announcement tactic, calling attention to its “growing list” of participating merchants.

Taken together, the recent spate of announcements reflects the steps that a new bank payment card and transaction-processing network might take to establish itself. Instead of launching a credit card, though, Chip Fishburne, Firethorn’s vice president of financial and merchant services, says the mobile commerce subsidiary has initially focused its resources on building technology for an electronic gift card.

SWAGG logo“Our whole concept is to eliminate plastic,” Fishburne told me by telephone recently. In developing its Swagg initiative, Fishburne says Firethorn also is addressing a common complaint among consumers, who grouse about balances that remain on the card and losing the card itself. Firethorn’s Swagg “gift card” consists of a 16-digit code that is stored on a smartphone and which can be transferred to a friend or relative, and makes it easier to offer loyalty-based programs to consumers.

“We’ve gotten a lot of consumer feedback, and everybody wants to get a deal,” Fishburne says. They really want offers that are relevant and targeted.”

Fishburne noted that the existing gift card industry has mushroomed into a multi-billion-dollar business in part because of the convenience of including a card with a birthday card, and other special occasions, such as weddings and Christmas. With an e-version of the card, however, Fishburne says users will have the ability to personalize their gift card with a text message, and eventually with a photo or video.

The application is designed for smartphones, and will be available initially through Apple’s iTunes and the Android marketplace. While Firethorn has a broad focus, Fishburne says the brand and promotion of the brand is initially focusing on the 18 to 35-year-olds who are most likely to adopt the technology—a strategy that is especially clear on the Swagg website. “It’s kind of got a cool, hip association with it,” Fishburne said. “We’re clearly anxious to get it out.”


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Take a hike: San Elijo Hills planned with trails in mind

Hikers on some days in San Elijo Hills can see to the ocean.
Hikers on some days in San Elijo Hills can see to the ocean. Priscilla Lister

When San Elijo Hills, a 1,921-acre, 3,400-home master-planned development in San Marcos began in the mid-1990s, more than half of its acreage — 1,115 acres — was set aside as permanent open space.

When its first residents moved in during 2000, their neighborhood’s amenities included 18 miles of hiking/biking/horseback riding trails, that also welcome leashed dogs.

The highest peak in North County is reached on one of those trails, the Double Peak Trail, covered in this column recently.

I explored another trail in the San Elijo Hills system that afforded amazing views virtually 360 degrees around. I enjoyed a splendidly clear day in early November, and since that kind of weather is more common in fall and winter, grab your hiking stick and head for these hills.

I carved out a loop trail that began at the Sunset Trail at the northern edge of San Elijo Hills Park, a 19-acre community park that fronts the town square. This park is also the main trailhead for that 18-mile network of trails.

Most of the trails are paved, and my route followed the hills and valleys of this canyon-dotted terrain, making for some semi-strenuous ups and downs.

Heading out on the Sunset Trail, School House Way Access, I descended a short way to a T-intersection, where I turned right (north), hiking down and up some canyons. You’ll see a huge power tower ahead, which is basically where I headed.

The Sunset Trail eventually hits a suburban street, where gates prohibit vehicular access to these trails. Take a right here, past another gate across the road, and walk a short way up to the continuation of the trail on your left, here made from decomposed granite.

This trail winds up, again heading for that power tower. Where the grade is so steep that a sign here asks bikers to walk their bikes uphill, an alternate switchback trail immediately to the right takes hikers up to the same spot more gradually.

As you look around, you can see the Batiquitos and Agua Hedionda lagoons, the power plant on the coast in Carlsbad, and even a faraway glimpse of high-rises that are likely in the UTC area.

At the top of that switchback, the trail hits another intersection: left to Lake San Marcos trails and right to the Ridgeline Connector Trail. I took the left to see the lake.

Going up and down again, I soon saw glimpses of Lake San Marcos, created in 1946 from a dam built on the south end of San Marcos Creek. In 1962, the Frazar brothers bought 1,648 acres from the Clemson and Wells families who had owned the land since 1927. The Frazars created their 2,500-home master-planned community here around that lake.

While you can continue to the Lake San Marcos Trails, I took a sharp right turn onto the Ridgeline Connector Trail to continue my loop. This is the final climb up to that power tower on the top of the ridge. I saw the only interesting wildlife here: a roadrunner. But from this elevation, I was also at almost the same height as the soaring hawks. And from here you have that 360-degree view all the way to Palomar Mountain as well as the ocean.

The Ridgeline Trail continues for 2.25 miles; it’s part of this trail system’s 10K running loop.

But I stayed on the Ridgeline Connector to return to the Sunset Trail and my starting point. Note that where a large sign declares the trail straight ahead is “Not a Trail, No Neighborhood Access,” the Ridgeline Connector takes a right turn and heads back down to that switchback part and the Sunset Trail back to the park.

Sunset Trail, San Elijo Hills Park

BEFORE YOU GO: Visit the community’s visitors

center, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, at 1215 San Elijo Road, San Marcos, and pick up a pocket-sized trail

map. It’s free.

TRAILHEAD: To reach the Sunset Trail head, from

Interstate 5, exit at La Costa or Leucadia, heading east

to Rancho Santa Fe Road, where you turn north (left),

turning right onto San Elijo Road and left onto School House Way. You can also reach San Elijo Road via Twin

Oaks Valley Road off state Route 78.

San Elijo Park is at the public end of School House

Way, right before a gated neighborhood. There is

ample free parking; park at the northern end of the

lot where the trail head begins.

DISTANCE: My loop was about 3.5 miles round-trip;

allow two hours.

DIFFICULTY: Moderately strenuous.


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— Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a $1 million fire at a 10,000-square-foot home whose residents escaped safely early Saturday.

Smoke alarms going off about 6:20 a.m. alerted residents at the home on Rancho Santa Fe Lakes Drive. A converted garage was engulfed in flames that were spreading into the house when firefighters got there, officials said.

It took firefighters from the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department about 25 minutse to get the blaze under control, Rancho fire spokeswoman Julie Taber said.

Taber said the home was not inhabitable and the Red Cross was assisting the residents.

pauline.repard@uniontrib.com • (619) 293-1865


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Arthur Wenner's recipe for challah was published in Bon Appétit magazine.
Arthur Wenner's recipe for challah was published in Bon Appétit magazine.

Almost Grandmother’s Challah

Makes 2 loaves

1/2 cup plus 2⁄3 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

2 tablespoons dry yeast

1 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup sugar

5 large eggs plus 1 additional large egg yolk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

7 1/2 cups (about) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon water

Combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in large glass measuring cup and stir until yeast dissolves. Let yeast mixture stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In large bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat 5 eggs until blended. Add oil, salt and 3/4 cup sugar and beat until pale yellow and slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Beat in 2/3 cup warm water. Add yeast mixture and beat until blended. Remove whisk and fit mixer with dough hook. Add enough flour, 1 cup at a time, to form smooth dough, beating well after each addition. Beat on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour by tablespoonfuls if sticky. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.

Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, then with clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Cover with plastic and clean kitchen towel and let rise 30 minutes.

Grease 2 large baking sheets. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Divide each portion into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 9-inch-long rope. Braid 3 ropes together; pinch ends together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough pieces, forming 2 braids. Place each braid on baking sheet. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm area until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk yolk with 1 tablespoon water to blend. Brush dough with egg mixture. Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 40 minutes total. If loaves are turning brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil until bread is done.

Transfer loaves to rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)

Arthur Wenner of La Jolla called to offer us his recipe for “Almost Grandmother’s Challah,” which was published in Bon Appétit magazine in 1995.

Challah is a braided bread that is traditionally eaten on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays (except for Passover, when eating leavened bread is not allowed).

Wenner said he wanted to share his recipe with U-T readers, because “I’ve never had anybody tell me it wasn’t the best they’ve ever had.”

To share or request a recipe, email


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North County’s race for supervisor is coming down to the short strokes. In roughly three weeks, ballots will start arriving in mailboxes. The primary election will be half-baked before June 5.

Monday’s candidate forum, sponsored by the Escondido Republican Club, raised a few obvious questions, the answers to which may be helpful to voters who couldn’t recognize the five District 3 candidates in a police lineup.

Is Steve Danon TOO GOOD a candidate?

It will remain a matter of speculation if Danon’s early-bird campaign against Supervisor Pam Slater-Price persuaded her to retire or if, after 20 years, she was ready to call it quits anyway, as she has said. The unarguable fact is that Danon stole a long march on the field, allowing him to hone his reformist agenda while racking up an impressive raft of endorsements on the right side of the political spectrum, including the Republican Party.

No wonder. For all of his adult life, Danon has lived and breathed politics. He’s incredibly disciplined, driving a simple, coherent message. He’s polished, unflappable, even self-deprecating at times.

And yet ...

After the forum, I was talking to a husband and wife, longtime Escondido residents. I asked them who they’d likely vote for. Carl Hilliard, they said. They like the business experience of the Del Mar mayor. They viewed Danon as too smooth, too nakedly ambitious. The fact that Hilliard’s of a certain age did not bother them, perhaps because they, too, are of a certain age.

Will Hilliard’s negative attack against Danon draw blood?

If he’s going to finish in the money — that is, in the top two, thus qualifying for the November runoff — Hilliard’s going to have to do two things:

Claim a significant percentage of right-leaning voters and finish ahead of Dave Roberts, the Solana Beach deputy mayor — and lone Democrat in the race — whom Slater-Price anointed as her chosen successor.

Hoping for a game change, Hilliard is attacking Danon’s ethics, alleging that he’s campaigned while on the clock as Congressman Brian Bilbray’s chief of staff. Not surprisingly, Roberts is happy to echo the charge. The enemy of my enemy is my friend ... until we turn upon each other.

My take: Danon knew his job/campaign time management would be on full display at some point. He may have fudged when convenient, but I doubt he went rogue. He has a paper trail to prove his virtue.

Will two fringe candidates play a role in the outcome?

Monday’s forum was enlivened by two Republicans — Bryan Ziegler, a county attorney and reserve deputy, and Stephen Pate, a Hollywood transportation coordinator and proud Teamster.

Wearing a jean jacket, firefighter cap and exuding hostility toward politics (and politicians) as usual, Pate treated his appearance as public art, holding up a dress suit as if he’d just picked it up from the dry cleaners. His cheeky slogans brought a smile: “A Snowball’s Chance” and “Not the Golfer.” Pate distributed cupcakes, a reference to a jest he made to a columnist about winning the endorsement of schoolchildren with the help of cupcakes.

Ziegler, a self-described tea party candidate and a devout Christian, brought a world view that appeared to resonate among the Republicans in the room.

In his closing statement, Ziegler related a story about his son wanting to take his Bible to school. Ziegler had a talk with the teacher and principal “and they allowed him to bring his Bible to school and talk about his faith in Jesus ... and that’s going to lower crime rates to put the Bible, God, back in schools.”

At that point, a voice rang out, “And you’re cute, too!” The room erupted in warm laughter.

Back in the ’90s, the conventional wisdom of local elections was often overturned by “stealth candidates,” unknowns who overperformed after fliers showed up on windshields in church parking lots. Ziegler could be a throwback to those days. If Ziegler can get his small-government message out, he could hurt Danon among values voters.

Is it a foregone conclusion that Danon and Roberts will face off in November?

No. Hilliard is a candidate of personal wealth who’s willing to go negative to make room for himself in a GOP-leaning district. For his part, Roberts, if he’s to make the runoff, will have to turn out Democrats as well as independents and moderate Republicans who take signals from Slater-Price.

If Danon were to finish out of the money, it wouldn’t be simply a rejection of a single politician. It would be a stunning rejection of North County’s GOP establishment. Hard to envision it happening.

With the green flag about to wave, I don’t have to tell the gentlemen to start their engines. Their spin machines are off and running.


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BLOTTER: Two car-surfers hurt after falling from top of vehicle in Menifee

MENIFEE ---- Two men were hurt just after midnight Friday in Menifee when they fell while car-surfing and were then hit by the young woman driving the car on which they had been riding, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

The two men, ages 23 and 25, received numerous cuts, scrapes and bruises and were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar after the 12:45 a.m. incident on Scott Road about two miles west of Interstate 215, according to CHP Officer Nathan Baer.

The men were riding with Kara Marie Simmons, who was driving a 2002 Kia about 35 to 40 mph on Scott Road, when they climbed out of the rear windows and onto the car roof, Baer said.

Simmons, of Homeland, came upon a slower-moving vehicle in front of her Kia and hit the brakes, causing the two car-surfing men to fall onto the street in front of Simmons' car, Baer said. Simmons then ran into the two men, the officer said.

Simmons, 19, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and booked into Southwest Detention Center in French Valley, jail records show.


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PADRES BRIEFING: Correia starting for Pirates on zero days rest

No rest for the weary, right?

Or anyone else in the Pirates' bullpen, for that matter, after Sunday's 19-inning win in St. Louis.

The Pirates used eight pitchers in the game ---- including today's probable starter, left-hander Wandy Rodriguez. Now, they'll call on right-hander Kevin Correia to start a day after he pitched two scoreless innings in the marathon.

Correia will be the first Pirates pitcher since Pascual Perez in 1981 to appear in relief and start games in consecutive days.

A former Padres pitcher, Correia, 31, is 9-7 with a 4.56 ERA. He has struck out 60 and walked 35 in 124 1/3 innings.

Elsewhere in Padres land ...

Pittsburgh Pirates (67-54) at Padres (53-7)

Probable pitchers: RHP Kevin Correia (9-7, 4.56) vs. RHP Edinson Volquez (7-9, 4.31)

Time: 7:05 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports San Diego

Radio: 1090 AM, 860 AM (Spanish)

Stats to note

  • Padres RHP Edinson Volquez is 1-2 with a 13.38 ERA over his last four starts. He is allowing a .349 average to opposing batters over that stretch.
  • The Padres are 15-3 over their last 18 games against the Pirates.
  • Pirates RHP Kevin Correia is 3-2 with a 4.89 ERA in 21 games, seven starts, against the Padres. He also has a career 4.42 ERA at Petco Park. Correia, of course, pitched for the Padres in 2009-10.


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Report: Haley Steelers' next offensive coordinator

— The Steelers will hire former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley to be their offensive coordinator, according to an ESPN report.

The move, first reported by 610 AM in Kansas City, has not yet been announced.

Haley will replace Bruce Arians, now with the Indianapolis Colts.

The 45-year-old Haley, fired by Kansas City on Dec. 13, went 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the 2010 AFC West title.

He spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City. He was offensive coordinator for Arizona in 2007-08, helping lead the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance.

Phone messages left for Haley by the Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The Steelers went 12-4 this season but lost the AFC North title to Baltimore on a tiebreaker.

The Chiefs were 5-8 when Haley was dismissed. His last game was a tough one. Kansas City lost, 37-10, to the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, and it was their fifth loss in six games. Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 128 yards in the performance, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct that may have sealed his fate.

The next day, he was fired.

"Timing in these situations is always difficult. There never seems to be a right time," Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said at the time. "We just felt the inconsistent play the team has experienced throughout the season, including yesterday's game, made today the right day to do it."

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City rattled off four straight wins and briefly pulled into a tie atop the AFC West. But that was followed by a home loss to previously winless Miami, the start of a disastrous six weeks in which the losses mounted.

"We've had one of those years where we've had injuries, and injuries to key players, but that's typical in the National Football League," Hunt said then. "As a team, you have to find a way to overcome that, and we just weren't able to do that this year. Our play was up and down the entire season and at times it was up and down during a given game, and I think those contributed to our decision."

Without a bye, the Steelers had to play a road game at Denver to open the postseason. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers fell to the Broncos, 29-23, in overtime.

Haley is the son of Dick Haley, formerly the director of player personnel for the Steelers from 1971-1990.

The Associated Press


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Ryan Mathews could be the latest Norv Turner running back to see heavy touches. JOHN GIBBINS • U-T
Ryan Mathews could be the latest Norv Turner running back to see heavy touches. JOHN GIBBINS • U-T

Emmitt Smith. LaDainian Tomlinson. Ricky Williams.

Over the past two decades, some of the best running backs in the business had their number called again and again with Norv Turner running the show.

The Chargers coach could make Ryan Mathews next.

While some coaches would rather not lean so heavily on a single running back, preferring to disperse responsibilities more evenly in a committee attack, Turner doesn't mind.

He's done it before.

“People who understand my history and look at it, I've had a large number of backs get a lot of carries, a dominant number of carries," Turner said. "I've had a few guys who've led the league or led the conference in rushing. I do believe, based on my experiences, Ryan is a guy who is capable of, at some point, doing that.”

The Chargers covet Mathews' ability as both a rusher and receiver, and given his skill set, it's conceivable he could annually be among the NFL's leaders in touches, beginning as early as 2012.

Under Turner, that's nothing new.

A Turner running back led the league in touches, which are carries plus catches, six times between 1991 to 2007, an average of more than once every three years. Smith, Tomlinson and Williams each accomplished it twice.

From 1991 to 2008, his primary running back finished in the top five in touches 11 times. The 49ers' Frank Gore notably saw a career-high 373 touches in 2006, good for sixth most that season.

Of Turner's workhorses, Smith came first.

With Turner coordinating the Cowboys offense from 1991 to 1993, Smith was the NFL's rushing leader all three years. He handled its most touches in 1991 and 1992 — 414 and 432, respectively — and had the second most touches in 1993 (340) despite missing two games.

From 1994 to 2000, Turner head coached the Redskins.

Terry Allen averaged 342.5 carries between 1995 and 1996, second most in the NFL over that span. Stephen Davis rushed for a league-high 100.4 yards per game in 1999 with 290 carries in 14 games. He had 332 rushes in 2000.

In 2001, Turner became the Chargers' offensive coordinator, and a rookie Tomlinson paced the NFL with 398 touches. The coach then detoured, assuming the same role with the Dolphins for two years.

There, Williams' workload was epic.

He led the league with 383 rushes in 2002 and 392 in 2003. The 775 carries in two seasons are the most by a player in NFL history.

Other heavy workloads under Turner: Former Raiders running back LaMont Jordan had a career-high 342 touches in 2005. Tomlinson had a league-most 375 touches in 2007 and another 344 touches in 2008.

It's no secret. The Chargers plan to increase Mathews' workload.

Eighteen running backs played more than his 532 snaps last season, and 12 handled more than his 273 touches.

Turner said he's not concerned about Mathews' ability to take on more responsibility. A thumb injury suffered in Week 7 against the Jets was Mathews' most lingering physical issue in 2011.

"That has nothing to do with durability," Turner said. "That has something to do with luck …

“I think we're a good offensive football team. We're going to have balance, and the guy who's going to get the opportunity to carry the football is going to get some real good looks.”


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Dodgers sale finalized; Magic now among owners

Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp (27) hits a homer off a pitch by Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Juan Nicasio during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 30, 2012 in Denver, Colo.. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp (27) hits a homer off a pitch by Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Juan Nicasio during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 30, 2012 in Denver, Colo.. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) — AP

— The tumultuous Frank McCourt era is over for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The $2 billion sale of the team to Guggenheim Baseball Management, a group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson, was finalized Tuesday.

McCourt met with Dodgers employees Tuesday, expressing his appreciation, and introduced new controlling owner Mark Walter, said Howard Sunkin, a spokesman for McCourt.

Walter is chief executive officer of the financial services firm Guggenheim Partners. The team will be run by former Atlanta Braves President Stan Kasten. They will hold a news conference Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

"The Dodgers move forward with confidence in a strong financial position as a premier Major League Baseball franchise and as an integral part of and representative of the Los Angeles community," according to a joint statement by McCourt and the new owners.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said he's pleased the sale is finished and the Dodgers can have a fresh start after the "unbecoming events of recent years."

"It is my great hope and firm expectation that today's change in ownership marks the start of a new era for the Los Angeles Dodgers and that this historic franchise will once again make the city of Los Angeles proud," Selig said in a statement.

The timing couldn't have come at a better time for Dodgers fans, who are excited about having their team leading the National League. The team had a 16-7 record going into Tuesday night's game in Colorado.

"I think the fans of LA are pretty excited about the new ownership and what it's bringing. As long as L.A. is happy, I'm happy," slugger Matt Kemp said. "As long as we're winning, I'm happy."

The Dodgers have won six World Series titles but none since 1988, when they were still owned by the O'Malley family that moved the team from Brooklyn to California after the 1957 season.

The sale was part of a reorganization plan after McCourt took the team into bankruptcy last June. A federal judge approved the deal last month.

The sale was supposed to close Monday, the day McCourt was to make a $131 million payment to former wife Jamie McCourt as part of their divorce settlement. The team's statement said all claims will be paid. Jamie McCourt did receive her payout on Monday.

McCourt bought the team, Dodger Stadium and 250 acres of land that includes the parking lots from the Fox division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. in a $430 million deal in 2004. Fox bought the team in 1998, then sold it to McCourt.

Despite the Dodgers making the playoffs the first four out of six seasons under McCourt's ownership, the off-the-field saga took attention away from the team as he and Jamie McCourt became involved in a protracted divorce battle during which their lavish spending habits were revealed in court documents and testimony.

In April 2011, MLB appointed former Texas Rangers President Tom Schieffer to monitor the Dodgers on behalf of Selig, who said he was concerned about the team's finances and how the Dodgers were being run.

The team filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after Selig rejected a proposed broadcast rights deal with Fox Sports that McCourt said would have alleviated worries about covering payroll.

The team's debt stood at $579 million as of January, according to a court filing, but McCourt stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars.

The sale price set a record; Stephen Ross forked out $1.1 billion for the NFL's Miami Dolphins in 2009, and Malcolm Glazer and his family took over England's Manchester United soccer club seven years ago in a deal then valued at $1.47 billion.

The previous record for a baseball franchise was the $845 million paid by the Ricketts family for the Chicago Cubs in 2009.

NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw said the ownership issues didn't weigh on the team last year because it was out of the players' control. He said the squad has had an opportunity to meet the new owners and he's excited about the future.

"It's the end but it's also the beginning," Kershaw said. "It's a cool time."

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report

The Associated Press


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Obama confers with European heads before summit

— The White House says President Barack Obama has discussed developments in Europe with leaders of Germany, France and Italy before an upcoming economic summit in Mexico.

Obama on Wednesday followed up on discussions he held at the G-8 meeting at Camp David with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (AHN'-geh-lah MEHR'-kuhl), French President Francois Hollande (frahn-SWAH' oh-LAWND') and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti. At Camp David, Obama and the world leaders said their governments must promote growth and cut the debt to address the European debt crisis.

Europe's economy is expected to be a leading topic when leaders of the G-20 convene in Mexico next month.

The leaders also discussed the situation in Syria.

The Associated Press


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— In a Labor Day finish filled with some of golf’s biggest names, Rory McIlroy sent his stock soaring in the Deutsche Bank Championship.

McIlroy overcame a three-shot deficit Monday in five holes, and then survived mistakes on the final two holes to close with a 4-under 67 and escape with a one-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen.

McIlroy joined Tiger Woods as the only three-time winners on the PGA Tour this year, and with one of his wins being the PGA Championship, that might be enough for his peers to vote him player of the year. He also finally built a comfortable gap at No. 1 in the world.

Oosthuizen had a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff, only it slid by on the right side for a 71.

Woods made an early charge to get back in the hunt, though he never got closer than three shots until a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th gave him a 66. He finished in third place, two shots behind, and earned enough money to become the first player to surpass $100 million in PGA Tour earnings.

Next on the money list is Phil Mickelson — more than $30 million behind at $66,805,498 after finishing fourth. Mickelson also had a 66 and tied for fourth, along with Dustin Johnson, who had a 70 and likely played his way onto the Ryder Cup team. Brandt Snedeker made a strong case for a captain’s pick with a 65-67 weekend to finish sixth.

Davis Love III will announce his four picks this morning in New York, completing a 12-man team that already includes Woods, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Mickelson.

McIlroy didn’t make it easy on himself. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland had a three-shot lead with six holes to play, and only a clutch bogey putt on the 17th hole kept him from losing all of his lead.

“I had a couple of wobbles coming in, but I obviously did enough and I’m very excited to get a victory,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy finished 20-under 264 and moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, assuring he will have a shot at the $10 million bonus at the Tour Championship later this month.


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This is a column about two absolute bums and the damage they have done to themselves, to their game and to us.

One bum, we will forgive, those of us who even still care. The other bum, we will never forgive, just hopefully forget. But they both have perpetrated irreparable damage.

(By the way, the use of the word “bum” here is not like the lovable way the Dodgers were referred to in Brooklyn, nor in place of “panhandler.” This is bum, as in the word we teach toddlers until they’re old enough to say b-u-t-t.)

Anyway, like a lot of you, I don’t follow baseball as much as I used to.

The reason my attention from time to time wanes, unlike many of you, is not because I find baseball boring nor that I have been turned off by drug cheats. I continue to love the game. I just get paid to focus the majority of my attention on the Chargers — you know, the guys who play America’s current national pastime.

The Chargers took a day off Sunday at the conclusion of training camp, allowing me a chance to check in with the former national pastime. And in the past few weeks, while I’ve been chronicling the NFL team that is short on NFL players, there have evidently been some revelations in MLB.

First, Alex Rodriguez is a selfish jerk. (What? No way.)

And Ryan Braun was lying. (Oh. My. Get. Out.)

Having been a baseball beat writer as a 20-something during the Great Steroid Days of the 1990s, I was as complicit as anyone in simply allowing the cheating to occur. Chemically enhancing yourself wasn’t technically illegal in baseball, and I fell prey to the “everyone is doing it” rationale that was being preached in clubhouses, front offices and by my elders in press boxes. Almost 20 years later, I can hardly be justified in any indignation over players using performance-enhancing drugs.

But it is almost 20 years later. The rules have changed, the perception has changed. Those in baseball are legitimately tired of all this. They want their game cleaned up.

And these two guys are the biggest names in the latest and greatest of all of baseball’s string of drug disgraces.

The way both have handled it has compounded their sins. The damage they have done to baseball and to fans of the game is incalculable. We move forward with the rotten feeling we can’t trust anything anyone in uniform says.

But Braun appears to be getting something I don’t think Rodriguez ever will.

Braun, according to a Fox Sports report, has begun the process of apologizing to his Milwaukee Brewers teammates and others. After righteously denying wrongdoing two springs ago, he is now in the midst of a 65-game suspension and, at age 30, presumably with much baseball ahead of him, Braun is supposedly getting real. We’ll see. But if he does come clean, and if he stays clean, he deserves to play on.

Deception without correction is called habitual. It speaks to a lack of character. You admit, pay your price, change, go forward.

Now, Rodriguez could someday acknowledge the veracity of what is reportedly overwhelming evidence against him that he for at least three years used PEDs and then worked to cover it up. But there is equally enormous indications he never will. Mostly, I can base that on having talked with him (or been talked at by him) on multiple occasions, his actions over a couple decades in the game and the most recent Machiavellian machinations.

Not only does he appear to have repeatedly misled the public and baseball officials about his PED use, evidence suggests Rodriguez actively sought to frustrate MLB’s investigation and in doing so reportedly leaked information about other players’ drug use.

The man is pathological. And he’s bad for the game.

Pete Rose made news last week by saying he chose the wrong vice — that if he had been into booze or beating women rather than gambling, he would not have been banned from baseball for life. On the surface, Rose is correct. But the surface is just a cover. Underneath it is the reality that you don’t get to choose your vice, and Rose’s particular unhealthy passion of betting on games is a poison to the integrity and the good of the game.

An unrepentant A-Rod (that could become the word that substitutes for a similar hyphenated colloquialism that means the same thing as bum) has also damaged the integrity of the game.

We’re not currently talking about the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Boston Red Sox or Miguel Cabrera and getting excited as much as we’re talking about the latest in the Rodriguez saga and getting disgusted (and then disinterested).

It is for that — his repeated use, lies, alleged obstruction of justice and continued fight — that Rodriguez deserves to be banned from baseball for life.


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Idol chatter: Mr. Finch's exit interview

Curtis Finch Jr.
Curtis Finch Jr. — Courtesy of Fox

Curtis Finch, Jr. was available on a conference call the other day after his elimination from American Idol. Following are his comments. Maybe it was his personality rather than his vocal ability that left him as the first of the Top 10 to be eliminated. You can decide for yourself...

What kind of album do you see yourself making?

CF: “I see myself being a very inspirational type singer, just talking about love, just talking about how you can overcome, and how you can make it. I don’t really know what that entails at this moment, but I just know that I really live to inspire everybody across America.”

If you had the opportunity to sing with one singer, who would it be?

CF: “It would definitely be Marvin Gaye. I think he’s an incredible singer.”

Do you regret your song choice (“I Believe”) this week?

CF: “I don’t regret any decision I made on the show. Because American Idol has been so influential in my life. I don’t just make these decisions on a whim. I always say to myself, ‘If I can commit myself totally to the song and the lyrics, then I’m going to commit to it.' So I don’t regret a thing.”

What were your plans for next week?

CF: “The same as every week. To really give it my all and do the best that I could. But America didn’t see it that way, so here I am.”

Do you think that Nicki Minaj missing your performance (she was 15 minutes late and Curtis sang first) affected your votes considering what a big fan she is?

CF: “Absolutely not. She (Nicki) is not the only judge on the panel. At the end of the day, if I get done singing and those judges have no response, it’s still up to America to use the phone, or use the American Idol app or go online and vote for me. I think things were really inevitable. You really can’t change yesterday, you can only just focus on tomorrow and make sure that everything is in line for my future as it pertains to my career.”

Is there any embarrassment being the first one to be sent home?

CF: “Absolutely not. I really feel like if I was gonna get eliminated, there’s no embarrassment in getting cut 10th or 5th. It really just is what it is. I get a chance to tour with these guys. I get the chance to travel the world and grow as an artist with these guys. No embarrassment. All gratefulness.”

When you were singing for the save, did you think there was a chance the judges would keep you?

CF: “You never know with American Idol. Some things work in your favor and some things don’t. They didn’t choose to use the save on me, but I’m sure whoever they choose to use it on – since everybody left is extremely talented – it will be well deserved.”

Do you feel you have grown as an artist since first auditioning for the show?

CF: “I feel like I’ve grown so much, because really, you have to sing for this show – be it for live recordings or dress rehearsals for the show daily. I’ve had to be vocally prepared for that. I had to rest up at night, as much as I can, and I had to really prepare. I feel like there’s so many things I know now that I didn’t know at first. I feel like I’m overcoming.”

How do you feel about Nicki’s positive reaction toward you?

CF: “It made me feel good. Because, really, I sing from my heart, and I really felt like I’ve touched Nicki’s heart in such a way that she didn’t want to see me leave.”

What was going through your mind when you found out that the results would be ranked?

CF: “I always really expect the worst, so I won’t be surprised. When the cameras are on you, you really can’t go back and redo any facial expressions or anything that you may want to say or do. I was prepared to make it through or to go home. So, here we are.”

What would you say to your fans to persuade them to keep watching the show?

CF: “I really want everyone who has been supporting me to keep supporting my friends because I’m talented, I know that. But at the same time, there’s nine talents that are still left that are incredibly talented. I want them to call and vote for them as well because these guys deserve to be – every single one of them – the next American Idol.”

Were you bummed that Nicki missed your performance?

CF: “When I got off stage, she was the first face I saw. She gave me a high five and told me I did a good job. That was very warming for me, because I’ll always live for the great support from all 4 judges.”

What direction would you like to take his career?

CF: “I want to go in a love direction. Because I really feel like God is love. As long as I’m not singing anything provocative or anything that can offend anyone across the world–that I would be doing things that make people feel better about their day. What I love about music is that people just want to feel things a certain way. You really don’t have to be offensive to do so.”

What was it about Idol specifically that appealed to you, rather than another competition reality show. Did you audition for anything else?

CF: “No. Absolutely not. American Idol searches around the world for talent, all across the world. People really get a chance to be discovered. Without American Idol, there would not be The Sing Off, or The Voice or these other shows that people…In my opinion, there always has to be an example of something. There always has to be a chalkboard for somebody to learn something off of. American Idol is that. It’s the original. It’s the best. The No. 1 show. I love it.”

What was first running through your head the first time you sang in front of a huge audience?

CF: “I really want to make them smile, because I really feel like I just exude joy. And so I really want everybody that hears me sing to feel happy. Because there’s so many things going on in the world to frown about. So to hear a gift–nothing I’ve given myself, but something I felt that God has given me be used to in such a way to put a smile on people’s faces. It’ s the best feeling in the world.”

Were you shocked that you ended up in last place?

CF: “Not at all. People are always watching how you handle things. It’s my responsibility, whether things work in my favor or not, to remain calm and to know that I have to set the best example when eyes are on me.”

Did you ever find out which judges voted no on the save?

CF: “I really don’t try to harp on or think about who said no, because that was something done in the past, and I can’t go back and change it, and anybody that’s upset about it can’t go back and change it. I just really look towards the future, and just strive to be the best that I can be, where I am now.”

What was it like to have a close friend by his side (Candice) as you auditioned (he knew her last season, too)?

CF: “It was amazing, because I know the struggle of no. I know the pain of no. And so to feel the joy of yes, it feels epic.”

What did Mariah say to you when you came off stage after your elimination?

CF: “She always gives me great feedback. So she didn’t really say anything different than she had been saying since I’d been on the show–to keep my head up, remain consistent and remain 100 percent authentic.”

Who would you like to go on tour with, Charlie or Aubrey?

CF: “Either one. I really wish they could bring every contestant that sang Idol for the season back, because this season was filled with extremely amazing talent. It doesn’t matter to me. They’re both awesome. I hope they both can come back, actually.”

Were the judges critical enough of you this year?

CF: “The judges always talk with so much passion. However they feel about a contestant, be it light or a bad light, they’re going to say it. So, there’s this thing that exists called favor. And I really feel like I have been favored in this competition. There’s nothing that I did on my own. I really feel like it’s God . The fact that I brought consistency every time I sang, and I gave it my all, I think the judges recognized that.”

To put your Idol journey into perspective … what were you doing at Easter this time last year?

CF: “I was back home in St. Louis rehearsing for a performance at my church.”

Can you elaborate on the connection you had with Mariah?

“What you see on television is basically what you get. She’s been supportive of me both privately and publicly. She said I made her cry, and that there was moments that I sang that she really needed that in her life. She didn’t really say anything in private that she hadn’t already said publicly.”

Are you thinking far ahead into the future?

CF: “I’m always thinking far ahead. I’m always looking to see what my next step will be. First of all, the summer tour is coming up, with the other Idols. So I’m very elated about that because I get to grow as an artist. with them. I get to cry, I get to laugh, I get to act goofy, I get to hang out with the other nine contestants. I’m having a blast. I’m definitely looking forward to then. I would love to sit down in the studio and work with Alicia Keys, R. Kelly , maybe go on Glee one time. Do some acting. Maybe Broadway. Really the sky’s the limit. There are no limits when it comes to what I feel like I’ve been gifted to do. We shall see. Tune in guys.”

Do you have any good stories from being inside the Idol house?

CF: “No.”

Besides Candice, who else has he been close to?

CF: “Burnell, Devin, Kree, Angie…because really, I thought when I was leaving St. Louis, that I was leaving my family. I didn’t know that God would give me another one once I got here. We’ve just become so close and so kindhearted towards each other because, not only do they possess such huge gifts as it pertains to vocal ability, but they are very charismatic and very loving and adorable people. I love being around them.

The season has been dubbed “the girls’ to lose.” Does that put the guys at a disadvantage?

CF: “Absolutely not. The talent that has been found and put in the top 10 is very amazing. America is going to have a huge task ahead of them, because everybody there are vocal beasts. ”

So, the guys really have a chance?

CF: “Absolutely. All of them. You can pick one. Everybody has something that they bring different to the table, and when they do that effectively, it goes through the TV and the voters pick up the phone and they vote, or they go on the app and they vote, or they go on American and they vote. These contestants…their gifts come straight from their heart and it reaches the hearts of American people all over the world.”

Again, which judge do you think said no when you sang for the save?,

CF: “I think it’s pretty obvious that Nicki said yes. I really don’t know. I was focusing on singing my heart out at that moment. Whoever was saying yes or no really didn’t matter, because I really feel like the fans said yes. And as long as they said yes, then my heart is happy.”

What did you think about what Jimmy Iovine said about your song choices? Would you have changed things up next week?

CF: “I guess we will never know."

Do you agree with the judges that your performance wasn’t as strong as previous weeks?

CF: “I always give 100 percent How that’s perceived by the judges….I wouldn’t be on American Idol if I wasn’t going to give my all anyway.”

Who was your biggest influence growing up as a child?

CF: “My parents. I’m a huge family guy They really trained me up to really be an awesome young man and I still look up to them to this day.”

What was your favorite moment from your time on American Idol?

CF: “Probably the time I got a chance to sing ‘I Believe I Can Fly.’ Because I just remember the energy from the audience was amazing, and to open my eyes and to see the judges standing on their feet. It just felt like I was standing in a room full of believers, knowing that they can do anything once they set their minds to it.”

What was the best piece of advice you received from any of the judges or Jimmy that you really took to heart and used?

CF: “After ‘Superstar,’ Randy asked me how old I was, and I said, ’25.’ He was like, ‘That’s good. I think you can sing anything, so I want to make sure that you understand that you should keep it young.’ That’s why I tried to change up my dressing style–a nice jacket with some jeans–just to be relevant to America.

Did you really want to win, or was the Top 10 your goal?

CF: “I’ve always felt that I had to sing looking toward the end, even during my Chicago audition, I was thinking about the finale. You have to work in order to be successful. I can never go through the motions, if I want to do my best. My mindset was definitely thinking about the confetti coming down and the crown being on my head.”


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Authorities believe the trend of sexting -- sending sexually explicit pictures via cellphone -- has gained popularity among teens across the country.
Authorities believe the trend of sexting -- sending sexually explicit pictures via cellphone -- has gained popularity among teens across the country. U-T file photo

Local authorities are reaching out to parents for help in alerting their children to the dangers — and criminality — of sexting, a growing national issue that now includes about two dozen teenagers countywide being investigated for sending or receiving sexually explicit photos of minors on their cellphones.

The law-enforcement campaign included a meeting Thursday night at Cathedral Catholic High School in Carmel Valley, one of the schools with students being scrutinized for sexting. Other suspects come from the San Dieguito Union and San Diego Unified school districts.

At the meeting, which attracted about 100 people, San Diego Police Officer Jordan Wells told the audience that monitoring children’s phones and having frank conversations about sexting could spare the kids everything from public embarrassment to criminal prosecution. He said sexting not only could lead to a child pornography charge, but that the people shown in such photos could face long-term problems such as extortion or colleges and prospective employers finding the images during online background checks.

In at least one case, sexting was linked to a girl’s suicide.

“The fact that we have to have this conversation is unfortunate, but in a way I’m glad,” Wells said. “This is a national problem.”

Before the meeting, Wells said this about his standard caution to parents: “The playground is now the Internet. You don’t expose (your children) to dangers without seeing what’s out there.”

Wells, who has worked in the police department’s Juvenile Services division for five years, organized the Thursday event after authorities announced they were looking into reports that 20 to 30 boys and girls, ages 13 to 18, used their cellphones to send or forward lewd pictures of minors. The investigation is continuing, officials said.

During the Thursday session, a mother asked for advice on what to do if she found inappropriate photos on her child’s cellphone.

“Be a parent,” Wells said. “I can’t tell you to destroy evidence, but be a parent.”

He then elaborated by saying that parents generally shouldn’t worry about going to police with such evidence, because authorities are ultimately trying to help children, not label them as sex offenders or pedophiles.

Sexting has been around since at least 2006, said Bill Alpert of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

Alpert said Thursday from his office in Washington, D.C., that his organization conducted a 2008 study and found that 18 percent of boys and 22 percent of girls had sent nude photos of themselves to friends via their cellphones. The report also said 33 percent of boys and 25 percent of girls had seen lewd photos not originally intended for them.

Another study, this one in 2011 from the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, took exception with the findings from Alpert’s group. The New Hampshire researchers said the 2008 study and other analyses often define sexting or use sampling methods that are vague or outright flawed. They recommended that journalists say there are no consistent and reliable findings at this time about the prevalence of sexting.

In San Diego County, at least one youth has been prosecuted on a child pornography charge because of sexting, said Sgt. Anthony O’Boyle of the Encinitas Sheriff’s station.

O’Boyle said he was working in Lemon Grove in 2011 when he arrested a Rancho San Diego teenage boy for having lewd pictures on his cellphone. The photos were of his girlfriend, and the teen was charged with possession of child pornography and eventually sentenced to probation.

While only the receiver was prosecuted in that case, O’Boyle said senders also risk facing charges.

Wells said he has talked with children who had things extorted from them after someone came in possession of one of their sexually explicit photos. He also has talked with youths who feel suicidal after their nude photos were passed around.

“You may say, ‘What’s the big deal?’” Wells told the audience at Cathedral Catholic High School. “When you’re taking a kid to a mental health facility because they tried to kill themselves, you tell me it’s not a big deal.”

In what may be the most high-profile example yet of the hazards of sexting, Ohio teenager Jessica Logan hanged herself in 2008 after complaining about constant bullying at school from peers who saw a series of nude photos she sent to her then-boyfriend’s cellphone. Jessica’s parents sued the school district for not doing enough to protect their daughter. They received $154,000 as part of a settlement.

Besides the emotional, educational and career damage that sexting can cause, the shared photos could end up in the hands of pedophiles, Wells said.

And in yet another threat, he said, a once-private image sent to a significant other could find its way to a “revenge porn” website after the relationship ends. Under a new California law, people who distribute sexual images of their exes can face six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

To prevent sexting, Wells urged parents to monitor their children’s cellphones with certain designated software – and to let the kids know they’re being monitored. That will help teens who are being pressured to take risqué photos of themselves explain that they can’t because their parents will find out, Wells explained.

He also said youths shouldn’t rely on software promising to make photos disappear from a cellphone seconds after those images have been opened, because some programs can override that safety feature.

And Wells recommended that parents put filters on their children’s phones and computers, but he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to deny them technology altogether.

“I actually think it’s a great thing to let them have all the technology they can,” he said. The alternative, Wells said, is to let them find out on their own when they’re adults – when they don’t have their parents to offer insights about the ethics of cyberspace conduct.

But Alpert – of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy – advises parents not to monitor their children’s phones because it sets up a level of distrust and confrontation that may do more harm than good.

Both he and Wells agree that parents should talk openly with their children about moral standards for online activity and the potential repercussions of improper cyberspace behavior.

For more resources, Alpert suggested that people visit Wells recommended the Internet Safety 101 section at or the San Diego Police Foundation’s SafetyNet program at

(760) 529-4939

Twitter: @utsdschools


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5 held captive in 2005 as robbers searched for money in house; 2 shot at close range

— A man accused of taking part in a Valencia Park home invasion robbery and shooting in 2005 that left two people dead was convicted Tuesday of murder and other felony charges.

Tamoyia Morris, 36, was charged with the killings of Meico McGhee, 30, and Sacha Newbern, 25, who were among a group of people held captive in the home while robbers searched for money they believed had been hidden there.

McGhee and Newbern were shot in a bathroom.

This was the second time Morris had been tried in San Diego Superior Court in connection with the shooting. Last year, a different jury was unable to reach verdicts stemming from that incident, but found Morris guilty of murder and other charges in a 1995 drive-by shooting in the Skyline neighborhood.

In both trials, Deputy District Attorney Anthony Campagna argued that Morris was among a group of men who broke into a house on Velma Terrace on Nov. 25, 1995, because they believed a gang member had stashed away money there. Morris’ DNA was found on a door.

Five men and women were held at least five hours while the intruders searched the house and backyard. No money was found.

Eventually, McGhee and Newbern were forced into a bathtub where they were shot at close range.

The prosecutor said during the trial that it was unclear who actually fired the bullets that killed McGhee and Newbern, but Morris was at least an aider and abettor in those acts.

“One of the people in that house pulled that trigger,” Campagna said. “Maybe it was two people.”

In addition to murder and an allegation that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a street gang, the jury on Tuesday found Morris guilty of attempted robbery, burglary and five counts of false imprisonment. He was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Because of special-circumstance allegations of murder during a robbery and a burglary, Morris faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Defense lawyer Stephen Cline argued in trial that Morris was not at the house during the shooting. He said Morris may have been in the home some time earlier, which would explain why his DNA was found there.

The attorney said the prosecution’s case relied heavily on a witness whose testimony was based on rumor, not fact.

“Mr. Morris wasn’t there,” Cline said. “It’s that simple.”

Another man, Michael Baraka Mason, was convicted of murder last year in connection with the Velma Terrace shootings and a separate fatal shooting in Normal Heights. He was sentenced in April to multiple terms of life in prison without parole.

Judge David Gill scheduled Morris’ sentencing hearing for Aug. 14.