SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Donkeydell Park, tucked away beneath a cover of massive eucalyptus trees behind the neighborhoods in the Andover tract, is one of Bennington Vale's oldest fixtures, having had its sod laid before construction on the first homes began in the late 1960s. While most residents in San Narciso visit the county's sprawling recreational areas to swim, play tennis, exercise, ride horses or just enjoy a warm day in a beautiful setting, the teens of Bennington Vale seldom stray from Donkeydell Park. Despite its unfortunate name -- the origins of which have remained a source of dispute and mystery for decades -- and its deceptively dingy appearance, Donkeydell endures as a secret oasis to those who seek it out. The field is a rolling swath of green, the length of two football fields. Father back, several tree houses, a wooden fort and a concrete pit that might have been intended for a pool can be found. Donkeydell also has a much richer history for the community's high schoolers, most of whom lost their virginity amid the squalid jungle gyms. But now, city officials want to close it down. Local teens say they won't let that happen without a fight.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Donkeydell Park, tucked away beneath a cover of massive eucalyptus trees behind the neighborhoods in the Andover tract, is one of Bennington Vale's oldest fixtures, having had its sod laid before construction of the first homes began in the late 1960s. While most residents in San Narciso visit the county's sprawling recreational areas to swim, play tennis, exercise, ride horses or just enjoy a warm day in a beautiful setting, the teens of Bennington Vale seldom stray from Donkeydell Park. Despite its unfortunate name -- the origins of which have remained a source of dispute and mystery for decades -- and its deceptively small appearance, Donkeydell endures as a secret oasis to those who seek it out. The field is a rolling swath of green, the length of two football fields. Farther back, several tree houses, a wooden fort and a concrete pit that might have been intended for a pool can be found. Donkeydell also has a much richer history than the larger county parks. But now, government officials want to close it down. Local teens say they won't let that happen without a fight.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- The November 6 presidential election between incumbent Barack Obama and presumptive opponent Mitt Romney will likely be decided by a number of "swing states" where unemployment and the economy remain more vote-worthy issues than gay marriage or bullying. The most recent Census Bureau data concludes that the U.S. poverty rate has risen to its highest level since 1993. Nearly 60 percent of Americans can expect to spend at least one year living below the poverty line. And despite the celebrated job growth statistics, the 8.1-percent unemployment number remains a fallacy. Studies show that nearly five million job seekers who are no longer eligible to collect unemployment benefits have abandoned the workforce altogether in despair. That means they're also no longer counted in the published unemployment reports. In reality, the rate of joblessness in the United States looms closer to 11 percent. Further complicating these issues, especially in the battleground states being courted by Obama and Romney, the abysmal housing market continues to be a sore spot. The foreclosure rate is 5.6 million, and experts anticipate it to rise through 2012. But in a serendipitous twist, this perfect storm of dire circumstances has woven a silver mantle for the ailing nation through the birth of alternative housing and cottage industries in U.S. shanty towns.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Attorney General Kamala Harris issued a statement Thursday announcing that California will receive up to $18 billion in relief benefits under a federal-state mortgage settlement. Of that money, $12 billion will be allocated to cutting debt for the state's distressed homeowners and to assist with short sales, a more favorable alternative to foreclosure proceedings. The decision comes on the heels of rules introduced in October 2011 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to help underwater homeowners refinance their mortgages at lower rates through the federal Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). "If you view the situation as a microcosm," said Len Waybill, chief economist for San Narciso's Peter Pinguid Society, "these homeowners are now no different than AIG or Lehman Brothers. They've become institutions so large and interconnected to other financial players that their failures would be disastrous to the economy." As a result, millions of responsible Californians, who opted to rent instead of signing risky subprime loans during an outrageously overpriced market, are now scrambling to bury themselves in as much debt as possible in hopes of becoming "too big to fail."

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On May 21, House Republicans overwhelmingly rejected a measure to increase the government’s debt limit, acting on a vote staged by GOP leaders to pressure President Obama to commit to deep spending cuts. Without raising the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August 2, the Treasury Department anticipates that it will lose the ability to meet the government’s obligations without further borrowing. But as the deadline looms, and with Republicans and Democrats stalled at a partisan impasse, creditors have already begun implementing extreme measures to recover their money. Such a step was taken Tuesday when Bank of America’s chief executive, Brian Moynihan, announced that his company was foreclosing on the White House.