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VOL. 9, NO. 4
Supervisors OK pilot program for testing water By Jared Whitlock
COAST CITIES — The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously, with Supervisor Bill Horn absent, to approve a yearlong pilot program that could significantly cut down the time it tak es to determine whether local waters are too polluted to swim in. Currently, the county Department of Environmental Health collects water samples several times a w eek throughout the year. In the e vent of poor water quality, closure signs are posted on affected beaches and the results are put online. The samples, however, take 24 to 48 hours to analyze. During this lag time, people could enter the water without kno wing pathogen levels are high, making them more likely to get sick. And in some cases,
beaches might be closed longer than necessar y because pollutants might have already left the w ater while the samples w ere being analyzed. “Any delay in identifying contaminated w ater puts people at risk, ” Supervisor Greg Cox said at the Board of Super visors meeting. “It is also an economic issue. Tourists need to know if our oceans and bays are safe to s wim in. Any delay given to our tourists visiting our beac hes puts our tourism economy at risk.” The new rapid testing only takes four to eight hours, depending on which beach and the kinds of pollutants in the water, according to Mar k McPherson, chief of the Department of Environmental Health’s Land and Water Quality TURN TO PROGRAM ON A14
USDA makes ruling on animal ride appeal By Bianca Kaplanek
The owners of the company that provides elephant rides during the San Diego County Fair didn’t get the exact response they sought in an appeal to the U .S. Department of Agriculture for a noncompliance issue. “But we’re happy the USDA acknowledged that we do a good job,” said Kari Johnson, who co-owns Have Trunk Will Travel with her husband, Gary. “They think we’re good people.” The company was cited for failing to maintain elephants under the direct control and super vision of a knowledgeable and e xperienced handler in August 2012 during the Centr al States Fair in Rapid City , S.D. The USDA inspector noted that during the rides, the elephant not being used was not secur ed and often
not supervised. Kari Johnson said the problems were corrected immediately at the site and an appeal was later submitted. Johnson said Ha ve Trunk Will Travel has been licensed by the USDA during the nearly 40 y ears that it’s been offering elephant rides. She said other than making upgrades as tec hnology and other factors have improved the industry, her company hasn’t done much to change how the rides are conducted. She said they appealed the report — their fir st ever noncompliance citation — because they believed the way the USDA enforces the regulations may have changed. Although their appeal was denied, language in the report was modified “to bet-
THE NOT SO GREAT ‘OZ’ Film critic Noah S. Lee weighs in on the new film, “Oz: The Great and Powerful” and finds it isn’t destined for history.
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Two Sections, 32 pages Arts & Entertainment . A11 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . B13 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B12 Food & Wine . . . . . . . . A12 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A13
MARCH 8, 2013
Home invasion suspect pleads not guilty By Sandy Coronilla
RANCHO SANTA FE — David Allen Grub, an accused Rancho Santa F e home invasion robbery suspect, was arraigned in San Diego Superior Court last Friday on three counts of robbery with gun use, and one count of residential burglary. He pleaded not guilty. Along with a second suspect who is still at-lar ge, Grub is accused of f orcibly entering a home in the 5400 block of El Mir lo on the afternoon of Dec. 20, 2012. He allegedly held a housekeeper at gunpoint during the robbery. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said if he’s found guilty of all
The rendering shows David Allen Grub, 43, (left) who was arrested in Alpine and charged with four felonies in connection with an armed home invasion robbery in Rancho Santa Fe. A second suspect in the home invasion robbery (shown right) remains at-large. Images courtesy San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
four felony counts he f aces Grub will be bac k in up to 26 years in prison. court for a preliminary hear-
ing March 14. After receiving a tip, the San Diego Sheriff ’s Department and Special Enforcement Detail, a tactical team that specializ es in serving high-risk w arrants, arrested Grub, 43, without incident in Alpine on Feb. 28 in connection with the home invasion robbery. The Encinitas Sheriff ’s Department is still searching for a second suspect who is described as a white male, in his late 20s to early 30s. The public is ask ed to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 with tips. Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for up to a $1,000 reward if the tip leads to an arrest.
Going paperless: student iPads studied at EUSD By Jared Whitlock
In Lindsay Duncan’s class at El Camino Creek, one fourth grade student look ed up the definition of “blubber.” One girl found a suitable picture of a whale and attac hed it to her presentation about marine life. Books, paper and pencils weren’t in the hands of an y of Duncan’s students — onl y iPads. These days, it’s a common sight in classr ooms throughout the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD). Every third through six-grader at EUSD has an iP ad, and the district is looking at rolling out more iPads for younger students. Meanwhile, researchers are looking at ho w the rapidly growing technology is impacting learning. Duncan is among those researchers. She recently wrote a thesis on iP ads in sc hools after surveying 120 f ourthgraders and their par ents last school year, when the pilot program debuted. Further, the University of San Diego is slated to release a study on the use of iPads in the district this summer. “Most people think all technology is g reat,” Duncan said. “Without rushing to that conclusion, my question w as: How might this affect kids?Are they (the iPads) motivational? And I w as interested in ho w students and parents perceive the iPads.” Duncan’s research indicates students lar gely believe
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A student at El Camino Creek puts together a presentation using an iPad. Every third through six-grader in the Encinitas Union School District has an iPad. New research, including a thesis and a study from the University of San Diego, is looking at how the iPads impact student learning. Photo by Jared Whitlock
the iPads are a v aluable tool. Parents also see the iP ads as beneficial, but some have some reservations with the technology. Notably, 90 percent of students said the iPad aided their learning. For one, they liked the instant feedbac k that comes with iPads. Students no longer have to wait days for test results — now it’s a matter of minutes. “The questions ar e still fresh in their minds and the y can figure out right then what they can work on or impr ove,” Duncan said.“We had to take a paper test a few weeks ago,and the students just didn’ t seem engaged.” Students overwhelmingly said the iPads made math easier to understand, more so than other subjects. Duncan said that’s likely because students are given a step-by-step animation of how to complete pr oblems. If they’re incorrect, the devices highlight wher e they went wrong on the spot. Also, she noted some
applications offer “awards” or “achievements” for completing problems, making learning more interactive and moti vational. “Those can be really motivational,” Duncan said. “Students really like challenges like that.” Most parents noted that their children were more engaged when using the iPads. They also liked that their c hildren were gaining exposure to a variety of computer pr ograms. Indeed, Duncan recalled how she recently let groups in her class decide which app they wanted to utiliz e for a history presentation. They could use a movie-making app, arrange slides or e xplain the inf ormation with a story panel app. But some parents weren’t as enthusiastic about the iPads. They worried the novelty of the technology would wear off over time, along with engagement. They stated it’s important that technology doesn’t replace hands-on learning.
To that end, Duncan estimates her class spends 40 to 70 percent of the da y on their iPads, and the students can take the devices home if the y have homework. It’s all a bout finding a balance, she said. “They still need P .E., to read from paperback books, to do cursive, to practice how to write and mak e things with their hands,” Duncan said. As for teaching, Duncan said the biggest c hallenge of the iPads is making sur e all of her students stay on task. Also, she has to f ocus on cutting down on distr actions inherent with the machines. There are some built in safeguards. The district filter s inappropriate websites and teachers can tr ack student progress from their own iPads to make sure each student is on the ball. “I know who needs help — it’s very targeted in that sense,” Duncan said. Beyond that, Duncan said she esta blished strict TURN TO IPADS ON A14