SAN DIEGO – Changes could be coming to San Diego Unified School District campuses in light of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Board Members voted unanimously Tuesday night to have all the district safety procedures reviewed.

The issue was brought forth by Board Member Scott Barnett, who has two of his own children attending school in the district.

“I feel confident that today we’re doing the best we can,” said Barnett. “That doesn’t mean we can’t improve procedures and reexamine them, everything from a potential violent situation to natural disasters.”

Barnett said the school district already utilizes many security measures. Those include, but aren’t limited to, police officers on campus and safety plans in case of evacuation or lock-down.

Barnett said the safety plans should be reviewed to make sure the district is doing the best it can “without making the campuses armed fortresses.”

Board member Kevin Beiser said the issue is at the forefront for educators.

“As I was visiting schools today this was the first issue on our conversation with administration at the sites,” said Beiser. “About what opportunities do you have to make your school site even safer then how we have our current safety plans?”

Barnett said he expects the safety review will take about 30 days and staff will return to the board with an update and suggestions.

No matter what comes from the review, School District Chief of Police Rueben Littlejohn said he is ready to respond.

“We will take this seriously,” said Littlejohn. “And we will take an omnipresent approach of trying to provide a presence everywhere, at all times, which is needed when looking at what happened in Connecticut.”

Barnett said bond money was already set aside for school improvements prior to the Sandy Hook shooting. That money could be used for upgrades such as fire alarms, security cameras, fencing or phone systems to name a few examples. He wants to ensure the district uses the money in the most efficient way possible.

SAN DIEGO — A San Diego Unified School District Board of Education member is scheduled to ask his colleagues Tuesday night to call for a district-wide review of safety plans in light of the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.

The proposal by Trustee Scott Barnett would direct staff to review plans at each campus to determine what steps could be taken to increase student and staff safety and security, and report on potential costs of improvements.

The report should take into account threats to students, teachers and staff at district facilities, and dangers posed by potential natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods or tsunamis, according to Barnett.

Twenty children and six adults were killed in the Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown, Conn. Gunman Adam Lanza, 20, died of a self-inflicted gunshot at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and the body of his mother was later found in her home.

“This tragedy should spur us to take a detailed look at potential scenarios where students, staff, and visitors could be threatened, and ensure we have considered all safety and security options,” Barnett wrote in his proposal.

He said no one wants schools to become “armed fortresses,” but the district needs to make sure it is “fully and properly prepared” for potential dangers.

At a recent news conference, Board of Education President John Lee Evans said student safety has been a top priority for the panel.

“A lot of people don’t realize we have cameras at the schools, that we have phones in all the classrooms, that we have procedures for people coming in and out of the schools to make sure the parents know that our kids really will be safe in our public schools,” Evans said.

The SDUSD has its own police department and works closely with the San Diego Police Department. The agencies are preparing to deploy technology that will stream video from campus cameras directly into police vehicles.

SAN DIEGO – Some Del Mar residents want to put a stop to the annual gun show at the fairgrounds in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.

After learning of the shooting massacre, former kindergarten teacher and Del Mar resident Rosanne Holliday posted a sign in her front yard asking people to write the Del Mar Fairgrounds Board of Directors to stop the gun show.

“I would like not to see other children killed and other people killed in these mass shootings,” said Holliday. “The hardship that the parents will face is going to last forever. They will never get over it.”

Other Del Mar residents joined Holliday in creating a petition and plan on presenting it to the 22^nd District Agricultural Association at their monthly meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s about taking a position and saying that we don’t think this should be done on public land,” Holliday said.

The Crossroad of the West Gun Show holds five shows a year and has been coming in Del Mar for 20 years. It generates about $300,000 annually for the county.

Del Mar Fairgrounds spokeswoman Linda Zweig said they are sensitive to the issue, but gun shows are legal in California.  California has some of the toughest gun sales laws in the country and the gun show at Del Mar is attended by every department of law enforcement in the county.

“The truth of the matter is that we are a public venue. No one can come in here, buy a gun and walk out. There are very strict rules and regulations,” Zweig said.

“You’ll never ever be able to legislate evil people,” said American Shooting Center owner Mark Halcon. “They’re going to do it no matter what.”

According to Halcon, buying a gun at a show is not different than buying at store. The 10-day waiting period and background check is the same.

“[The gun] has to be registered. You have to wait the 10 days and pick it up at different store,” he said.

Still Rosanne Holliday said it’s better to do something than nothing, even if it only makes statement.

“I just figure if it’s one gun that doesn’t get in the hands of people that shouldn’t have it, its worth my little sign out in front of my house,” she said.

SAN DIEGO — Twenty-six Christmas trees were lit in Kearny Mesa Thursday night to remember the Newtown shooting victims.

The tree memorial was created by the San Diego Association of Realtors and is outside the organization’s office at 4845 Ronson Court. The trees will remain lit until Christmas for the public to visit.

“Even though we’re 3000 miles away,” said Kim Holmes, San Diego Association of Realtors. “To let the people of Newtown, Conn. know that we here in San Diego mourn with them and we feel their pain. The entire nation is wrapping them up in prayer and lifting them up and they will not be forgotten.”

Twenty small trees represent the Newtown Elementary students killed last Friday. Six large trees represent the slain staff members.

During a ceremony Thursday evening, the public lit candles and prayed before the tree lighting.

“By lighting these,” said Laurielynn Barnett, realtor. “Their spirit goes on.”

Ornaments on each tree bear the faces of the victims. Visitors can leave other ornaments, cards and gifts on the trees to be sent to Newtown after the holiday.

“We brought about six or seven little Christmas ornaments,” said Bud Churchill, San Diego resident. “That have been handed down from family members here and there. Those were the ones that went on. The store bought ones we still have on our trees. These had meaning and family behind it.”

Visitors said they’re glad to have a local memorial where they can pay their respects.

“I think that everybody is hurting,” said Barnett. “And it just gives us a place to come and be together and so much of healing from hurting is being together and having someone to share with.”

SAN DIEGO – Members of the San Diego community are finding creative ways to show their support for Sandy Hook Elementary.

A picture may be worth 1,000 words but the artwork at Art Soup in Encinitas speaks for itself.

The studio opened its doors to healing local kids and their parents by sending their art projects with warm sentiments to the community of Newtown, Conn.

“This affects everybody even if you’re not in Connecticut,” Art Soup co-owner Michael Golden said.  “We wanted to be able to express our feelings all the way from the West Coast to the East Coast and show everybody the support that we have.”

Art Soup is collecting artwork at the Encinitas location and the owners hope the warm wishes will go a long way.

“As parents and citizens we just feel a responsibility and a duty for service and to give back to our community,” Art Soup co-owner Tiffany Golden said.

If art isn’t your thing, a San Diego canine celebrity is barking up support for Sandy Hook Elementary as well.

Ricochet “The Surfing Dog” launched an online fundraiser to send a guardian angel teddy bears to every student at the school.

“We all want to know that we are safe in the world and after something like that, it shakes you to the core,” Puppy Prodigies Executive Director Judy Fridono said. “We all want to know that we have a guardian angel watching over us. This is just a physical thing that the kids can hold.”

Several organizations like the San Diego Association of Realtors, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Police Officers Association, San Diego Chamber of Commerce, South Bay Family YMCA and Point Loma Nazarene University are teaming up to honor the victims of the massacre.

Twenty-six Christmas trees are up in front of the SDAR building in Kearny Mesa. The public is invited to decorate the trees before a lighting ceremony Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

“We were impacted by this as much as any other community across the country,” SDAR CEO Mark Mercurio said. “We wanted to show that we care and we understand what they’re going through. We’re trying to have a display for everybody in San Diego to mourn and share their grief as well.”

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Police made a strong presence around Carlsbad High School this week after a student called threatening to bring a gun to school Friday.

“The student is no longer at school and we don’t believe there is a continued threat,” said Carlsbad Unified School District spokeswoman Marilyn Campbell. “We have an added police presence at the school for precautionary measures.”

The threat took place the same day elementary school students and faculty were killed during a mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.

“The Sandy Hook incident has shaken communities across the nation,” said CUSD Superintendent Suzette Lovely. The district reported Friday’s threat on Tuesday stating that they did not want to alarm parents.

The same concern has other districts in San Diego County re-evaluating their security systems.

Director of Communications for the Chula Vista Elementary School District Anthony Millican said they have many security measures similar to Sandy Hook Elementary.

“It’s just tragic, but we’re trying to look at this as an opportunity to learn,” said Millican.  “For example, the school day starts at 8 or 8:15.  When the gates are locked there’s only one way in and one way out.”

Most campuses are kept secure with a surrounding fence.  Anyone who walks on campus is greeted by a computer system that requires visitors to log in and state the reason why they are at the school.

“We know the names. It even takes a picture of the individuals that come onto our campuses,” said Millican.

Frequent disaster drills are conducted at all of the district’s 44 schools.  Recently, the drills have an emphasis in lockdown scenarios.

“The kids will often tell you they like it because for children their favorite game is hide and seek,” said Millican.  “When you tell them ‘let’s practice hiding,’ they get it quick.”

In the event of disaster, the district’s all-call public announcement system sounds.

“We can make an announcement from any phone and it will go over every schools speaker,” said Millican. “It’s with a heavy heart we adopt these types of procedures. We don’t want to make a school like a prison.”

Two of Myra Scott’s three children go to Chula Vista elementary schools.  She said the security procedures are her peace of mind.

“They’re a little bit safer than the other schools they went to before,” said Myra. “I know I can drop them off and by a certain time they close the gate.  Nobody can come in or out without an I.D.”