October 17 03 San Diego Reader

Wheeling and dealing Has uncertainty generated by the Cheetahs indictment of San Diego city councilman Ralph Inzunza thrown a wrench into the school district's plans to unload a large piece of property it owns on Commercial Street just east of downtown? Inzunza and his backers have been pushing hard for the district to spin off the real estate for development as condos, apartments, and various commercial uses. Earlier this year, the councilman showed up with a well-organized group of his backers at a board meeting to speak personally in favor of the move, departing loudly disappointed when the required super majority vote for selling off the land could not be mustered. One principal supporter of the proposal is boardmember Katherine Nakamura, wife of architect Kotaro Nakamura. Her political backers include Inzunza; rental properties in the Commercial Street neighborhood belonging to his brother Nick, mayor of National City, bore pro-Nakamura signs during her 2002 campaign. After the board turned down the initial proposal, school district superintendent Alan Bersin -- another Inzunza ally who has frequently met with the Eighth District councilman, according to official calendars released by Inzunza in June -- ordered his staff to keep pushing the deal. Part of the Bersin strategy included establishing "Commercial Street Redevelopment 'Short List' and 'Ranking' Committees," according to a May e-mail from district property aide Louis Misko. The "community" advisory group members, ostensibly independent from district staff, were to recommend a development proposal from those submitted by competing interests, some including Inzunza's campaign backers. A July e-mail from Misko's boss, Bob Keisling, to Bersin honcho Lou Smith outlines how members of the so-called citizens committees are to be picked by Misko and signed off by Smith and the district's Facilities Management division. The public was not invited to apply. Of one proposed member, Connie Zuniga, Misko wrote: "She has an open mind and will be considerate of the District's needs and concerns." For public consumption, the appointments were to be fronted by school-board member Ron Ottinger. "Louis has outlined the background for each below and a recommendation that they be appointed by Ron Ottinger as the rep for this district," says Keisling's July e-mail. "I'd recommend that you approach Ron Ottinger and see if he is willing to nominate these people. If so, we will take it from there to see that it gets done. If not, then I'd recommend that we nominate them from Facilities [Management]." Contacted last week, Misko declined comment. At press time, the revised Commercial Street deal had yet to see the light of day.

Not too hot to handle To pick up a little extra cash, the San Diego Unified School District board has quietly approved installation of cell- phone microwave-transmitting stations at various local schools, starting with Point Loma High. Parents worried about radiation danger will be comforted to know that "numerous studies have been done on the effects of electromagnetic fields in general and wireless facilities specifically, with no harmful effects reported," according to a report from district chief of staff Terry Smith ...