| Panel: Build 'Early Action' projects on time
The staff came back Friday with other options: Delay other projects while carrying the Trolley forward, delay all of the early projects, or keep all of the projects on schedule and work to fill the gap later.The panel opted to keep every highway, rail and bus project on schedule.But in doing so, Santee Councilman Jack Dale reminded colleagues that they were committing themselves to "a mission to find additional dollars."And Del Mar Mayor Dave Druker, representing coastal North County on the panel, warned that if the mission fails, the agency will have to leave other projects behind in the second go-round of TransNet.Besides the Early Action Program, TransNet proposes to fund a slew of other projects. Those include popular North County projects such as car-pool lanes on Highway 78 between Oceanside and Escondido and widening of Interstate 5.The discussion was prompted by the need to adopt a TransNet financing plan as the agency prepares to sell $600 million in bonds this April to jump-start the 40-year campaign to make traveling around the county a little easier.The panel was persuaded to stay the course by John Meyer of Escondido, chairman of a regional watchdog group that oversees TransNet spending.
New home construction drops by largest amount in almost 30 years
Other metro-east communities, such as Belleville, Mascoutah, Smithton, Maryville and Godfrey, recorded declines of 15 percent to 25 percent. Economists said the current housing slump has already surpassed the 1990 downturn and will likely rival, if not surpass, the prolonged housing downturn in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period when the Federal Reserve was pushing interest rates to the highest levels since the Civil War in a successful effort to halt a decade-long bout of high inflation. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, is forecasting that median sales prices for existing homes will fall by 2.5 percent for all of 2007, which would be the first annual price decline on records that go back four decades. "I think this housing downturn will be unprecedented in terms of its breadth across the country and in its severity," Zandi said.
EMS flails against being gobbled up by Collier fire districts
Marco, Naples and EMS are not included in the above because as divisions of larger governments, all pass-throughs, subsidies and loans from other department funds could not accurately be accounted for. As Ave Maria University in eastern Collier, the Immokalee Fire Department will be responsible, in part, for providing fire-rescue service to the new town. Also, as residential and commercial development continues along U.S. 41 East — beyond the turnoff to Goodland — East Naples, Golden Gate and Ochopee will have to provide fire and rescue service. Golden Gate and Ochopee firefighters do not have ALS divisions. .
Now's her time to shine
College plans: Study broadcast journalism at Indiana University.
• Other interests: Member of the National Honor Society. Also competes for the track team, where she throws the discus and shot put and -- in a rarity for a thrower -- runs the hurdles.
"I'm telling you, I hated (the hurdles) during my sophomore year,'' Fergason said. "When I tried out for them, I thought it was the worst thing I've ever done, but I love a challenge.'' .
Update: Library Has 10 Copies of "Water for Elephants"
At what point will it be so ridiculously convoluted to hand merchants money that consumers will revolt? I can remember taking a product to a cashier, handing over some method of payment and leaving. Those were the days. Now, we're asked a growing number of questions as clerks punch in dozens of data points. "Do you have our preferred card? Can I have your phone number? Is there another number that might work? Do you want our card? What's your ZIP code? Debit or credit? You can swipe your card now. No, the other way. No, the other way. I'll just punch it in over here. Do you have another card? My computer screen is frozen, can you wait? I need to start over. What's your phone number? What's your ZIP code?" Then after you've run the gantlet of questions, they tell you how much money you've saved.
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