STATE TUITION BREAK FOR STUDENTS IN MEXICO

College program for those living within 45 miles of border

Low-income students residing in Mexico will now be eligible to pay in-state tuition at nine community colleges in San Diego and Imperial counties.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 13 signed Assembly Bill 91 from Assemblymember David Álvarez, D-San Diego, creating a five-year pilot program that will benefit students living within 45 miles of the California-Mexico border.

“Those of us in the border region have often believed that California, and specifically San Diego, benefits tremendously from our unique location and our collaborative binational relationship that we have with Baja,” said Álvarez. “And this bill is just an extension of that reality for so many people.”

The law will become effective in January.

Álvarez, who largely represents South County, estimated that nearly 170,000 people cross the border daily, of which at least 7,000 are students of all ages.

“The more prepared workforce we have as a region, the better we will be able to compete economically,” he said.

He said the proposed law arose from considering what happens to those students who wish to continue their studies but don’t because of financial issues. Álvarez also pointed out the growing number of students moving to Tijuana due to the cost of housing.

Community colleges that form part of the program are Cuyamaca College, Grossmont College, Imperial Valley College, MiraCosta College, Palomar College, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College and Southwestern College. Under the program, each school can receive up to 150 students every school year.

The law stems from a 2015 proposal that allowed students near the California border in Nevada to pay a discounted tuition rate at Lake Tahoe Community College, according to a news release.

Students living in Tijuana praised the new law on Wednesday. Christopher Garcia, a political science student at Southwestern

bors sharing horror stories on social media.

But the frustrated residents object to that. They say they’re not exaggerating, things are definitely different and there are more coyotes acting more aggressively.

“This incredible surge of coyotes lately is not following the usual pattern of latenight or early-morning hunting,” North Park resident Ruben Hernandez wrote on NextDoor. “It’s almost 24/7.”

Data collected by the Humane Society, which handles animal control and wildlife issues for 13 local cities, and by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife don’t indicate any surge in coyote-related calls or reports this year.

And neither agency plans to shift away from their longtime approach of only removing coyotes when they are sick enough to need treatment or when they pose a direct danger.

Humane Society spokesperson Jordan Frey said it doesn’t make sense to remove

urban coyotes, because they are living in their natural and permanent habitat: San Diego’s canyons and other wildlife-friendly areas nestled among the city’s neighborhoods.

Removing them from neighborhoods or killing them also wouldn’t make much of an impact, said Ken Paglia, a spokesperson for state Fish and Wildlife.

Relocated coyotes typically return to the neighborhood or quickly get replaced by other coyotes who discover the area has adequate food, water and cover for them to survive, he said. And coyotes reproduce quickly, he said.

Frustrated residents say such a hands-off approach may have made sense in the past, but not with the coyotes becoming so brazen.

“There’s definitely been a change,” said North Park resident Cuauhtemoc KishKish. “They’re coming into the yard and acting like they own it. I think these officials have to be more proactive and protect pets and people.”

The problem appears to be nearly citywide, based on comments from NextDoor. Recent resident complaints

about coyotes have come from Loma Portal, East Village, Hillcrest, Valencia Park, Golden Hill, Bay Ho, Carmel Valley, University City and several other neighborhoods.

On Sept. 10, Rebecca James of Burlingame warned her neighbors.

“Hey all, a huge coyote just jumped my 6 ft fence into my backyard. This happened just after 10:30 am. Fortunately my roommate scared it off, but my pups were hanging out in the yard.”

On Sept. 13, Rick Hodgskiss of North Park showed pictures of his dog and a coyote engaged in a staring contest through a window.

“Coyotes seem to be getting a lot more bold,” Hodgkiss said. “My dog was going nuts. Coyote was cool, calm and collected and won the stare-off easily.”

Granfors said she understands why wildlife officials aren’t changing their tactics, but she thinks it’s a mistake.

“Doing nothing is not enough because this problem is real,” she said. “It just seems like there’s a little something more they could

do.”

Frey, the Humane Society spokesperson, said the perception of increased coyote presence could be partly because summer is their mating season.

Data from the Humane Society, which handles coyote complaints for 13 local cities including San Diego, doesn’t show any increase in coyote reports this year. There were 1,355 reports in 2022, and reports for this year seem to be moderately below that pace at just over 700 so far.

Data from state officials, who respond to coyote incidents countywide, show an increase from 56 reports in 2022 to 69 through the first nine months of 2023.

Residents with coyote complaints can call the Humane Society at (619) 2997012, option 1. They can also file a state wildlife incident report at apps.wildlife.ca.gov.

The Humane Society and the state both recommend

residents focus on coyote hazing, which they describe as “humanely deterring coyotes from homes and residential areas.”

Recommended hazing includes deterring coyotes by eliminating available food, confronting them firmly when you see one, throwing sticks or rocks at them and using whistles or air horns to scare them.

Eliminating available food includes removing fallen fruit from the ground, never feeding pets outside, tightly closing trash cans, regularly raking around bird feeders and never composting meat or fish scraps.

“Although coyotes are a valuable part of our ecosystem, you should never intentionally feed them,” the Humane Society website says. “Deliberately providing coyotes with food is a surefire way to get them accustomed to people and will ultimately lead to their demise.”

Recommended noisemakers include whistles, air horns, bells, soda cans filled with pennies or dead batteries and pots and pans banged together. Items to throw at coyotes include sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls and rubber balls.

Other recommended tactics include using hoses, water guns with vinegar water, spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray, bear repellent or walking sticks.

The website says to never run away from a coyote, but to instead confront the animal firmly.

“Stand tall, wave your arms and yell at the coyote, approaching it, if necessary, until it runs away,” the website says.

The site also recommends rollers be added to the top of fences to keep coyotes out of yards. Details are available at coyoteroller.com.