The fence that runs along the U.S./Mexico Border

Operation Gatekeeper, the border enforcement policy implemented in 1994, created nearly 800 miles of border fence along the U.S- Mexico boundary in an attempt to deter illegal immigrants from crossing into the United States.

While the fence has worked to decrease the number of immigrants illegally crossing the border, activists are blaming the strategy for the dramatic increase in migrant deaths. At least one migrant dies each day while trying to cross the U.S-Mexico border.
As Carly Figueroa reports, activists are calling for a resolution to the issue, but San Diego Congressman Brian Bilbray defends the policy.

By Alex Myrwold

The next time you buy a big-ticket item, driving a extra few miles may save you some money, depending on the city where you live.

Within the neighboring cities of south San Diego County, the sales tax rate varies from 8.75 percent to 9.75. While 1 percent might not seem like much, the savings would be $22 for a $2,200 television set bought in Santee or San Diego instead of El Cajon or National City.

That could add up to hundreds of dollars for a business outfitting its offices with computers or a family remodeling a living room.

Allan Lewis, a financial and tax adviser and La Mesa resident, said he drove to Santee to buy his Sony TV. “It was an extra five-minute drive and I saved 20 dollars,” he said.

Jennifer Stirling, a student at San Diego State University, also said she avoids cities like La Mesa and El Cajon where the sales tax is higher. “The sales tax is ridiculous,” said Stirling, “Why can’t all the cities just be the same across the state?”

The California legislature approved 1 percent state-wide sales tax increase that took effect April 1, 2009, to alleviate a $42 billion deficit.

Because of shortfalls in local budgets, voters in El Cajon and National City’s further increased the sales tax in those cities to 9.75 percent while La Mesa residents approved an increase to 9.5 percent. Other cities, including Santee, chose not to follow suit.

“Santee did not raise the sales tax because we are a low tax, balanced budget, conservative city,” Santee mayor Randy Voepel wrote in an e-mail. “Taxes are simply a re-distribution of wealth and Santee only takes what we must to preserve public order.”

They also may be benefiting from the increase in neighboring cities. Now, shoppers can go to Santee, San Diego, or Chula Vista to save a 1 percent in sales tax.

Lewis said although people may travel across city lines for expensive items, he predicts the city will more than make up for the lost revenue with all the small items.

“When you’re getting to a two, three, or four percent difference within city limits, then I think it will hurt the city,” he said, “but with 1 percent, I don’t think the general population thinks about it.”

Smaller stores may not see much of a difference, but stores specializing in big-ticket electronics might. Nathan Burd, a manager at a Best Buy in Santee, said he’s seen a small increase in business from people who live in cities with higher tax rates.

“We definitely welcome it,” he said.

By Reem Nour

The California State University system is experiencing the largest budget deficit in its history, with a cut of $584 million. To cope with the budget crisis, the CSU system has increased the student fees by $672 per year; mandated two employee furlough days per month to reduce faculty and staff pay checks by 10 percent; and imposed policies to limit student enrollment.

Opposition to these budget cuts has prompted protests and rallies throughout the state. As Reem Nour reports, students in San Diego who want to get into college are just as concerned as those who are trying to get out.

By Curt Russell

San Diego auctioned off its police horse unit in February to close a $179 million budget gap. The move was meant to save nearly $250,000 a year. View the slideshow to see what some of these well-trained animals went for during the public bidding.

When Jennifer Stoneburner graduated from San Diego State University last year, she had everything going for her: good grades, a steady circle of friends, involvement in campus organizations and a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

But what many didn’t know was that Stoneburner’s promising future was a far cry from her past.

She had grown up homeless on the streets of San Diego.

 Her parents split when she was 11, and Stoneburner’s mom took the kids, leaving Arizona for California. Stoneburner, her mom and younger brother lived in their car for the next four years, occasionally scrounging up enough money to get a cheap motel room.

Eventually, the Stoneburners heard about San Diego’s Monarch School – a school that exclusively serves homeless children and provides them with necessary resources. Lured by the promise of free food and bus passes, Stoneburner and her brother enrolled.



“I wasn’t doing very well at the time. I was using drugs and ditching school,” said Stoneburner, now 27. “I would just go to get food and free stuff.”

But then came the reality check. Mom continued to battle with drug addiction. And when one of her mom’s acquaintances overdosed and died in their hotel room, police took the kids away.

“We were placed with a strict foster family, and that forced us to get clean,” Stoneburner said. She also landed her first job at age 16, working as a peer advisor at San Diego’s Storefront shelter, a facility serving homeless and runaway youth.

Things were looking up until charges against Stoneburner’s mom were dropped a year later. This allowed the family to reunite, and Stoneburner to slip back into her old behavior.

It wasn’t until her boss at the Storefront took her in for a serious intervention that Stoneburner began to see the full picture.

“He took me into his office and said ‘I think you’ve relapsed.’ I ran out of there crying. But I knew he was right,” Stoneburner said. “They could have fired me, but they chose to give me another chance. They believed in me. That was 11 years ago, and I’m still working here today.”

Stoneburner says that it was a fear of disappointing them that drove her to turn her life around. She began focusing on her studies at Monarch, motivated by the constant check-ins on behalf of the Storefront staff.

“It wasn’t just, ‘Don’t be late to school.’ It was, ‘Tell me about your finals.’ Their expectations kept me straight.”

And even though Stoneburner faced the temptations of life on the street almost daily, she clearly remembers the day she made the decision not to give in anymore.

“I had a group of friends that had a master key to a car. It opened every make and model of a certain car, and they were going joyriding. I wanted to go so bad,” said Stoneburner. “But I thought, ‘If my boss knew I was riding around in a stolen vehicle, he would be so disappointed.’ So I didn’t.”

It’s a choice that many homeless youth eventually have to make. Tara Barrows, program coordinator at Monarch, said she admires that many of them decide to take the path to education.

“No matter how a family ends up homeless, it’s never the kids’ fault. The kids are always innocent,” Barrows said. “So for the kids to really recognize that an education is the way out of the situation and to commit themselves to that, that’s really an achievement in itself.”

After graduating from Monarch, Stoneburner went on to complete her undergraduate studies at San Diego City College before enrolling at SDSU.

Her experiences on the street – coupled with her psychology degree – has Stoneburner working full-time as a case worker at the Storefront. She provides counsel to homeless children — just like the staff members who once counseled her.

Her daily duties include working closely with the 12-to-17 year old homeless youths. Stoneburner charts their path after they leave the Storefront, and coordinates arrangements with shelters, schools, foster families and job agencies. She’s now responsible for deciding the best course for the kids and starting them on that path.

It’s a job that Stoneburner finds to be truly satisfying. She says she’s come full circle — becoming one of the very staffers that she says changed her life as a youth. Now she’s paying the favor forward.

“I want to help other kids that were like me. I know what they’re going through, and I see a lot of my experiences in them. I want to give them the stable environment that they need to grow,” Stoneburner said. “Because that’s what the Storefront gave me.”

Some mid-level managers in San Diego County may have nowhere to go but down because of the bad economy. With unemployment now at 9.3 percent in the county, applications at many fast food restaurants and other chain stores are higher than ever, but the applicants aren’t typical entry-level job seekers.



Ray Villarreal, general manager of the McDonald’s located on El Cajon Boulevard, has seen a steady increase in the number of former mid-level managers showing up at his weekly open-interview calls for applicants.



“We receive close to 40 applications on any given week at our open interviews,” Villarreal said. “In the past months we have seen a lot more (applications) than we ever have, many of them with experience outside of the food industry.”

One of those applicants is Nick Woolley, 22, who moved to San Diego three years ago from Arizona. Woolley was a manager at an electronics store in the Phoenix area for about two years, but he can’t find anything close to that title in San Diego. He has been rejected by more than 10 different big-name employers, including McDonald’s, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Baby’s R’ Us and Chick Fillet. Even ice cream stores wouldn’t hire him.


“I knew it had nothing to do with me, but rather the economic times; it’s hard if you’re young,” Woolley said.



A college education is no longer the key to success in this economy. Some college graduates with professional experience might now find themselves flipping burgers. 

“Not all of them are (former mid-level managers), but I have definitely seen an increase in the past few months,” Villarreal added. “And they don’t always end up in manager positions here.”



Local employment agencies also are seeing an increase in the number of mid-level managers who are being laid off because of the economy. Diana Barnes, president of A-Star staffing, a local employment agency in San Diego, said these type of professionals are the hardest hit.

“They are finding it hard to find suitable positions with salaries comparable to the ones they had,” Barnes said.


Barnes added that many of those who can’t get jobs in the profession they trained for are choosing to go back to school to learn a new trade that may prove successful in the future.


But those who aren’t willing to retrain are taking jobs that require much lower qualifications than a college degree. Some of these jobs include receptionists, administrative clerks, and commission-only sales positions. 


“These are extraordinary times, and they need to do whatever they can do to learn a new skill or craft –– it’s a matter of survival these days,” she said.


Coming straight out of school into this economy is an even more difficult prospect. For Myriam Adel, a recent San Diego State graduate, the job market couldn’t be any tougher. With her film, theater and communications degree in hand, Adel set out to find a job that she had worked so hard for in college, but after a long search, those opportunities just weren’t there.



“I then started to look for internships, both paid and unpaid,” Adel said. “I sent out my résumé to so many different people that when I got letters of rejection, I didn’t even remember applying to that company.”


The search became a long, arduous process for Adel as she set her sights on industries that she hadn’t gone to school for, and wasn’t passionate about.


“I began to search for jobs as a receptionist on Craigslist, jobs as a hotel clerk or even just at restaurants,” she said. Despite leaving her career plans on hold, Adel hopes her current situation isn’t permanent. She is now working as a hostess at a restaurant downtown and is saving money for a theater internship in New York.


Adel, like many recent graduates, is learning just how tough the job-finding process is, however, a recent survey by the SDSU Career Services Center shows that more than half of all graduates are employed.

Out of the 1,455 responses to the survey, 54 percent of the December 2008 graduates found full-time employment straight out of college, with 75 percent of these individuals securing their position while still attending SDSU.


Although the numbers might seem promising, James Tarbox, director of SDSU Career Services pointed out that the majority of individuals who respond to these surveys are more inclined to do so because they already have jobs, which might skew the figures. Tarbox also noted that although these numbers help with the assessment of job opportunities, university surveys such as this one are primarily six months behind current economic trends, and an upcoming survey in May will give more insight into the current state of employment for graduates.


“Compared to last year, traffic at our center is up 30 percent and we are slammed with walk-ins,” Tarbox said. 

With trends in the job market changing because of the shifts in the economy, Tarbox and his counselors at the career center are pushing new methods of networking to graduating students and urging them to be more flexible with the jobs they initially look for.


“We have found that many of the people who are finding jobs straight out of school have primarily found them through friends and family,” Tarbox said.


Tarbox also said that although the May figures aren’t in yet, he has already begun to receive calls from students and colleagues who are telling him how hard it is to find a job these days – a statement those already in the workforce know all too well.

Charles Stewart, 86

A quick read through Charles Stewart’s resume raises questions about an intriguing life story.



Stewart has acted in more than 200 different commercials, movies and plays and once received awards for Best Documentary and Best Commercial. 
As an athlete, he has competed in two Los Angeles marathons, 70 triathlons and the first ever rollerblade marathon. He also played four years of varsity tennis at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and coached tennis at Occidental College for four years.



Stewart also served his country in the Navy during WWII while stationed in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on the USS Iowa and Wisconsin

At 86, Stewart is still keen on his favorite pastime — tennis.

The sport has helped him remain active and sharp. He enjoys it so much that he even teaches children how to play on the court at his Encinitas home.

FAMILY: 
Wife, Kay, three daughters and one son. Stewart’s son also teaches tennis in La Jolla.
 


MEDICAL HEALTH
: Takes medication to keep his blood pressure low, but it is just a precautionary step for his age.



MOTTO
: “The secret to living a long life is to enjoy it, investigate it and be a part of it.”


FUN FACT: 
Stewart can professionally imitate six different accents including: German, Russian, Irish, New York, British and French.



Rosamond Loomis, 98

Nearly 100 years old, Rosamond Loomis has lived a long life. 

After graduating from Hollins University in Virginia in 1929 with an English degree, the aspiring teacher obtained a master’s from Harvard University. Her degrees were mere starting points for her aspirations to one day help gifted students all over the country. She went on to teach in cities and towns across the United States.

In Charleston, South Carolina one of her students was Barbara Pierce, who later became First Lady Barbara Bush. She says the greatest achievement in her teaching career was the position of head mistress of Bishop’s School in La Jolla, which began in 1953 and lasted until her retirement in 1963. 



“It was during my first year at Bishop’s, during the commencement, where I knew I had made it,” Loomis said. “I was asked to give a speech to the all girl audience and special guest (former First Lady) Eleanor Roosevelt. It was then, after seeing all the girls touched by my words, that I knew I had finally made it to where I wanted to be.”



Although Loomis isn’t as mobile as she used to be, her favorite hobby is still staying in contact with nearly all of the friends she has made in her extraordinary life. Despite breaking her right wrist several years ago and being diagnosed with osteoporosis, Loomis still finds time to keep in touch with those she loves.



“You can say my biggest hobbies aren’t really hobbies, they are interests. Interests in people in my life,” Loomis said.
 
Today, Loomis stays in touch with most of her former students. She attends church every week, visits Bishop’s School from time to time, attends keynote speeches at local community centers and writes for the Hollins University newsletter.

Her career in academics is noteworthy, but what remains close to her heart are her 31 stepchildren. Loomis married at 52, something her mother “never thought she would see before she passed away.” Although she never had her own children, Loomis was able to take care of and raise her husband’s children and ultimately, their future families.



“I have lived a long life because I have always been responsible for somebody or something my entire life,” Loomis added. “I have never felt sorry for myself, I have been rich in friends all my life and for that I am grateful.”



She considers herself fortunate enough to have a loving family who comes to visit her regularly, and “a family of students all over the world” that still write to her.




DIET: 
Loomis starts off each day with a bowl of hot cereal, fruits and four prunes. She prides herself on eating foods with low salt and refuses to eat fried meals.



EXERCISE
: Loomis will take walks from time to time with the assistance of a walker.



FAMILY: 
Husband passed away 14 years ago at 93, has 31 stepchildren, two brothers, one nephew, two grand nieces, two grand nephews and one great grand niece.



MEDICAL HISTORY
: Suffers from osteoporosis.



MOTTO
: “Living a long life to me is about being happy, and staying true to who you are.”



FUN FACT: 
Loomis received over 100 birthday cards for her 98th birthday, from friends and past students, some of whom sent letters from as far as Afghanistan, Norway and France.



Katy Wilson, 86

From the twisting pathways of England, to the vast farmlands of France and the tiny Mediterranean villages of Greece, Katy Wilson has taken her love of walking all over the world.

Wilson, 85, spent two decades traversing the globe on international walking tours. She’s been on 21 trips and has logged thousands of miles on foot. When her age inhibited her from traveling as much as she used to, she brought her love of walking home with her. Now, once a week, Wilson leads a group of senior citizens on a four-and-a-half-mile walk around the greater San Diego area.



”I’ve always loved walking and being with a group makes the experience that much more enjoyable. It’s a great way to take in your surroundings and the world around you. It’s important to stay active and I feel so fortunate to have seen so much.”



Wilson pairs her walking routine with twice-weekly workouts at her local gym, where she alternates between the Stairmaster and lifting free weights. A physical education teacher for 30 years, staying fit comes naturally to Wilson. She grew up hiking in Colorado and danced and placed tennis in college. Wilson says her active efforts have allowed her to maintain continuous good health.



”I was raised healthy from a young age — plenty of sleep, good food — and I’ve tried to carry all of those things into my adult life. As a P.E. teacher, I was lucky enough to make my living jumping around,” said Wilson. “I think it comes down to having that basic knowledge of what it takes to be healthy, and then applying that to what you do each day.”



DIET: 
Vegetarian: lots of greens, fibers. No sweets, fats. Allows herself occasional wine with dinner.

EXERCISE: 
Long walks, gym workouts.



FAMILY
: Husband: George, deceased. Three sons.



MEDICAL HISTORY
: Perfect health. For prevention, takes a multi-vitamin and enzyme pills each morning.



MOTTO: 
”Life is a gift you open everyday.”



FUN FACT: 
Though Wilson is strict about not having sweets in her diet, she admits to one routine that she won’t break: having a margarita every Friday with one of her sons.



Peter Berkos, 86, at his home in Encinitas



”I was thinking to myself: ‘It can’t get much better than this.’ To be up there, looking out into the crowd and seeing these faces who you admire and have been lucky enough to work with over the years — and to be recognized by them with [an Oscar],” said Berkos. “It was one of the highlights of my life.”



Credited with sound production for more than 400 television and film projects, Berkos led his field. As President of the Motion Pictures Sound Editors Guild, he successfully fought to obtain full screen credit recognition for sound editors. Now 86, Berkos has retired from the industry, but a daily reminder of his 35-year career can be seen in his Rancho Bernardo home, where the Oscar still stands perched high on his writing desk.



These days, Berkos writes fiction novels — a hobby that he’s dabbled in since childhood, but didn’t fully pursue until after retirement. Seven days a week he wakes up at 6 a.m., prepares a healthy breakfast of fruit and cream of wheat, and sits down to write. Each day is different for Berkos, who sometimes writes for just a few hours, or all day. He’s a big believer in variation and says the key to his contentment is optimism.



“I roll with the punches, and I try to keep an active mind. I don’t internalize stress, and I don’t let people get me down. It’s important to not let negativity surround you, and to have positive people to lean on.”



Berkos looked to those positive people for support nine years ago, after his wife Sally Ann died suddenly of cardiac arrest just four months after their 50th wedding anniversary. Devastated, he found comfort in his faith, friends and family — especially his twin brother, Paul.



”Growing up together, we were always close, but we’re even closer now,” said Berkos. “Paul helped me pull through the hard times more than he’ll ever know. He’ll always be my best friend.”



DIET: 
Healthy basics: fruits, eggs, Slimfast. Allows himself occasional wine with dinner. No red meat, nothing fried.



EXERCISE: 
Prefers simply to “keep moving” — via working around the house or running errands around town.



FAMILY
: Wife: Sally Ann, deceased.



MEDICAL HISTORY: 
Perfect health. For prevention, takes an aspirin every morning and gets an annual doctor’s checkup.



MOTTO
: “Roll with the punches — and don’t let people get you down.”



FUN FACT: 
Berkos is often noted for his work as sound designer on the 1978 television series “Battlestar Gallactica.” He created the voice of the Cylons.