Year: 2011

  • County Students More Often Suspended For Non-Violent, Non-Drug Infractions

    By Kyla Calvert The California Endowment is calling on California schools to turn away from “no-tolerance” discipline policies commonly adopted after the Columbine High School shootings. They say the policies do more harm than good. A recent national report shows students who are frequently suspended are more likely to drop out of school and that minority students…

  • Governor Approves State Dream Act, Nixes E-Verify for Private Employers

    By Ruxandra Guidi The two bills faced Republican opposition and were passed right before the legislative deadline. Assembly Bill 1236, the Employment Acceleration Act of 2011, will not make it mandatory for private companies to use the federal employment verification system, or E-Verify. Assembly Bill 130, also known as the California Dream Act, will make…

  • National Spotlight on City Heights Farm

    By Adrian Florido City Heights is becoming a model for how land in dense urban neighborhoods can be put to productive use. Corn stalks, melon vines and nopal cactus flourish there. With the help of local advocates, some of that produce is beginning to trickle into local restaurants, helping refugees tap into the growing farm-to-table…

  • Backyard Goats Get the Hoof, But Chickens Still Clucking

    By Adrian Florido Pity the goat with hopes of feasting on a tidy backyard lawn. City planners have given them the hoof, for now.  After county health officials said they were concerned about the safety of consuming unpasteurized or improperly pasteurized milk from goats, planners said they needed to do more research before recommending changing city rules…

  • Bring Out Your Chickens and Mini Goats

    San Diego city planners have proposed rule changes that would make it easier to keep backyard chickens and for residents to become urban farmers. | Photo Credit: Sam Hodgson By Adrian Florido San Diego city planners have released proposed law changes that would make it easier to be a farmer within city limits. They include…