Humans Unite

In a time that many consider the dog days of summer, Saturday in Temecula was certainly a day for dogs.

Sixty-four of them, in fact —- pure breeds and mutts —- ended up looking good, smelling better and feeling refreshed despite the 100-degree temperatures.

Dogtopia, a relatively new business on Commerce Center Drive, sponsored a four-hour dog wash that surpassed even their expectations by far. In all, they raised $1,216, which will be donated to the Murrieta Police K-9 Unit.

The wash is still going on today, so, if you need a lil puppy washed (or a big one..haha) drop by. All the money collected will benefit a great cause!

Falling prices have sparked new interest in the city’s First Time Home Buyer Program.

The program, which is managed by the city’s Redevelopment Agency, provides qualifying buyers with long-term loans to cover a down payment, making it possible for “moderate income” families to buy homes that they might not otherwise be able to afford.

For example, a family of four making no more than $77,400 a year is considered “moderate income” and they would qualify for assistance of up to 20 percent of the appraised value or purchase price of the home they are buying. A two-person household would qualify if the pair netted no more than $61,900 or less a year.

I seriously recommend, if you’re THINKING about getting your first home – do it NOW! It will save you so much money in the long run.

The City Council gave its unanimous approval Tuesday to a 215-room hotel project that could be the start of a large-scale revamping of Carlsbad’s southern Ponto beachfront region.

Council members also heard that night from about a dozen people with conflicting viewpoints on a proposal to ban night-time parking in a Rancho Carrillo neighborhood, and agreed to support an emotion-packed appeal to name a city ballfield for Carlsbad teen who died late last year.

The Hilton hotel project is proposed for an 8-acre site in the far northern end of the Ponto region, adjacent to the Hanover Beach Colony housing development. Several years ago, when the city first began discussing the project as part of a renovation plan for the entire Ponto region, a number of Hanover Beach residents expressed their opposition. And that includes me. Is there ANY area that we can continue to keep beach only? Such a tourist trap.

The $2.1 million skatepark at Carmel Mountain Road and Freeport Road was closed for five months as San Diego city officials tried to figure out why wooden structures at the 4-year-old facility were falling apart. The park reopened June 30 after workers removed the dilapidated wooden ramps, half-pipes and other structures.

Glad to see they’ve got this reopen and in operating condition again. The kids in the area just LOVE it…and were heartbroken when they shut it down. Took a little longer than it should have, but, at least it’s open. I might stop by and do a little skating myself. Been a while!

The Securities and Exchange Commission says a San Diego man who raised $70 million from 300 investors was running a scam.

The SEC complaint filed Monday in federal court and announced Thursday accuses MAK 1 Enterprises Group LLC and its 32-year-old chief executive, Mohit A. Khanna, of securities fraud. It says he raised money from investors in California, Texas, New York and elsewhere, promising returns of up to 55 percent.

The SEC says Khanna misspent money to pay for luxury properties and cars and he fabricated account balances.

District Judge Roger Benitez has ordered a freeze on the firm’s assets.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed similar charges in federal court.