The 'Couldn't Have Happened to a Nicer Guy' Award

A rose to the jury that found local Minuteman leader Jeff Schwilk guilty of defamation.

Two Thursdays ago, a North County jury decided that the leader of the San Diego Minutemen should pay $135,000 in compensatory damages to Joanne Yoon for defaming her in e-mails and on a Web site where she was referred to in vulgar terms. Yoon worked as a camerawoman with organizations that monitored rallies at day-labor sites targeted by the Minutemen.Â

This decision merely affirms what many have long suspected about Jeff Schwilk's modus operandi. His vindictiveness has done himself, and his cause, no favors.

Schwilk plans to appeal, but let's hope this marks the end for a wayward activist whose underhanded, illegal tactics have now been proven in at least one court of law.

The 'Accountability' award

A raspberry to the city of Oceanside and MainStreet Oceanside for shoddy accounting practices.

Last week, the San Diego County Grand Jury issued a report criticizing the downtown Oceanside booster group and the city for poor accounting practices tied to the use of public money.

Oceanside contracted with MainStreet in 2000 and has provided it with more than $1 million. MainStreet oversees beach vendors and puts on special events such as the Sunset Market.

To both the city's and the MainStreet organization's credit, they have acknowledged the report's accuracy and are pledging to make amends.

The 'No Smoking' award

A rose to San Marcos merchants for refusing to sell cigarettes to minors.

Sheriff's deputies from the San Marcos substation orchestrated stings at numerous San Marcos stores in an attempt to see if clerks would sell cigarettes to minors without checking IDs.

Of the 30 stores approached by two 16-year-olds working undercover for the Sheriff's Department, all 30 refused to sell them cigarettes.

It looks like businesses are finally getting the message that selling tobacco to minors is more trouble than it's worth. Let's hope that kids are getting the message that trying to buy smokes is a lot harder than it used to be.

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Additional information:

Jury finds activist defamed opposition activist

OCEANSIDE: Grand Jury criticizes MainStreet Oceanside

SAN MARCOS: Stores rebuff minors seeking smokes in sting