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Recurring Columns

SOCIAL SECURITY GOES FOR THE GOLD

 
By Jeannette Nunes
Social Security District Manager
 
August 5, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Millions of Americans are following the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. The last time swimmer Michael Phelps competed, he brought home more gold medals at one time than anyone in the history of the Olympics. This week, he collected the 18th gold medal of his career.

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EARTHTALK® E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
 
August 1, 2012 -- Dear EarthTalk: I couldn’t believe my ears: “genetically engineered mosquitoes?” Why on Earth would they be created? And I understand there are plans to release them into the wild?
                                                                                      -- Marissa Abingdon, Sumter, SC

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ASPIRE CENTER STORY SHOULD INSPIRE – AND CAUTION

 
By Rick Rogers
Host of Front & Center: Military Talk Radio 
 
July 31, 2012 (San Diego)--The big news recently for San Diego County veterans was both expected and relieving.
 
The Aspire Center, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ proposed 40-bed medical facility in Old Town, finally won approval. Local veterans suffering mental and emotional wounds after their service will finally have a place of their own to recuperate under the best care available. 

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FROM THE CHIEF’S CORNER: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CHECKLIST

 
East County Magazine In House Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna
 
July 30, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Though right now we are concerned of the high fire danger it’s important to remember disasters both natural and manmade can strike at any given time according to Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna of East County Magazine.
This checklist (whether at home or work) should help you prepare for most any emergency says DiGiovanna. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

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FROM THE REAL ESTATE TRENCHES

 By Charlotte Reed, Realtor, SRES, CRS

 
Real Estate is my business...my only business
 
July 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –This week’s hot topics from the real estate trenches are: 
1- Scam of the week
2- Proposed "Good Faith Estimate Disclosure"
3- New Real Estate Laws
4- Free Light Fixtures
5- Current Mortgage  Rates 

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FROM THE FIRE CHIEF’S CORNER: SURVIVING A POWER OUTAGE

 
By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna
 
July 26, 2012  (San Diego's East County) -- Though a power outage can occur from a simple malfunction in the system, human error or a traffic accident involving a power pole. Keep in mind, this is the time of year when it is important to prepare for power outages. Excessive heat warning may cause utility companies to issue “rolling brown outs.”  The summer monsoon season can bring electrical storms causing power disruptions.  Most importantly as we approach Fall, the Santa Ana Winds bring a multitude of threats such as wildfires, but also power outages from downed powerlines. A power outage can be extremely annoying and inconvenient, but it won't be a horrible experience if you're prepared for the worst.

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EARTHTALK®: AIR POLLUTION IN NATIONAL PARKS E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
 
July 26, 2012 (San Diego) -- Dear EarthTalk: I was appalled by the pollution haze I saw on a recent visit to Acadia National Park in Maine, and was told by a ranger that it was from smokestacks and tailpipes hundreds of miles away. Is anything being done to clear the air in Acadia and other natural areas where people go to breathe fresh air and enjoy distant unobstructed views?                 -- Betty Estason, via e-mail

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EAST COUNTY EATER: O’S AMERICAN KITCHEN BLENDS BEST OF OLD AND NEW

Reinvigorated restaurant from founders of Pat & Oscars opens in Parkway Plaza

 375 Parkway Plaza, El Cajon
http://www.osamericankitchen.com/

By Ellinoa Blake

Photos by Miriam Raftery and Ellinoa Blake

 July 24, 2012 (El Cajon)--An abundance of my childhood memories are focused around food. One memory that stands out is sitting at a black and yellow booth, hot breadsticks in hand, at Pat and Oscars. This restaurant held memories of family dinners, or friendly lunches, so I was devastated when these restaurants closed. Now, with great joy I bring good news: the chain has been transformed into a delectable combination of new and old, a twist of familiarity and contemporary design, reopening as O’s American Kitchen.


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EARTHTALK®: EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONING, E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

July 24, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Dear EarthTalk: Has an alternative to air conditioning to keep rooms cool been invented that is significantly cheaper and/or that uses significantly less energy than traditional air conditioning?                                        
                                                     -- Ashutosh Saxena, Allahabad, India

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DREAM DOGS: LOOKING FOR FOREVER HOMES

 
July 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Skylar is a stunning pure white beautiful, spayed female husky with bright baby blue eyes.  She is being professionally trained and is spending her training in social situations with dogs and children. The new owners to this beautiful husky will come equipped with training.  Skylar is a pup who wants to be next to her owner, but needs an owner who can be a strong, active  leader.  Skylar is great with anything her master wants, as long as her master has established the dominant role. Strict yet loving rules must be given.

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EARTHTALK®: E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
 
By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
 
July 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s topics include:

        1) Meat consumption, health and the environment
        2) Challenging Canada's Prime Minister's efforts to weaken environmental protections
 
Dear EarthTalk: We’ve been hearing for years how producing red meat is bad for the environment while consuming it is bad for our health. How do other types of meat, fish, dairy and vegetable proteins stack up in terms of environmental and health impacts?     -- Julia Saperstein, via e-mail

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FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER: WATER SAFETY

 

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna,  East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--The hot weather is among us and many of us will (or already have) head for the water… Pools, lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relief from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take the proper precautions. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning. And most drownings occur in home swimming pools. It is the second leading cause of accidental death for people between the ages of 5 and 24. 

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FRONT AND CENTER: SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS

 
By Rick Rogers
 
July 21, 2012 ( San Diego) -- With numbing regularity the Defense Department rolls out another report on heartbreakingly high rates of troop suicides. 
 
Lately the numbers grow worse just when you think they should turn better. The military counted 154 suicides in the first 155 days of the year.

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FRONT AND CENTER: ANOTHER ASSAULT LOOMING FOR COMBAT VETS

 
By Rick Rogers
DefenseTracker.com
 
July 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- One war is over while another winds down.
 
A more important fight looms at home.
 
I’m not talking about troops wrestling with Post-Traumatic Stress, but battling unscrupulous predators mining GI Bill gold while delivering nothing but penniless pockets and sour futures.

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FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER: FLASH FLOOD SAFETY TIPS

 

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 18, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--We are in our summer “monsoon season” which can quickly and unexpectedly bring flash floods.More people lose their LIVES in floods than in any other weather-related event. 80% of flood deaths occur in vehicles, and most happen when drivers make a single, fatal mistake - trying to navigate through flood waters.

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EAST COUNTY EATERS: HISTORIC CHARM AND FRESH, FILLING FOOD AT EL CAJON’S DOWNTOWN CAFE

Downtown Café

182 East Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020

www.downtowncafe-ec.com

By Ellinoa Blake

Last week, after a morning of all work and no play, my editor and I craved escape from the heat wave --and more importantly a bite to eat.

We headed into the heart of El Cajon to the aptly titled Downtown Café.  We found welcome relief from the sweltering heat as we swung open doors and stepped into the Downtown Café, a bold corner centerpiece of Main Street rich with vintage flair and historic ambience.


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MEDIA WATCHDOG GROUP WARNS OF “SMALL BUSINESS BALONEY”, SAYS MEDIA FAILED TO FACT-CHECK GOP TAX CLAIMS

 
July 14, 2012 (New York)-- Barack Obama's July 9 announcement that he would extend the Bush tax cuts for income below $250,000 prompted Republican politicians and presidential candidate Mitt Romney to claim the policy is a tax increase on small businesses."

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FROM THE REAL ESTATE TRENCHES: THE BIG PICTURE, PLUS LOCAL REAL ESTATE NEWS

 
By Charlotte Reed, REALTOR, SRES CRS
Windermere SoCal Real Estate La Mesa Branch
 
July 13, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –This week in the real estate trenches, we bring you some “big picture” news of landmark state legislation and a major federal court case settlement, both of which have major ramifications for our local real estate market, lenders and consumers. We also include some local news highlights of interest to the East County real estate community. 

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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "MOONRISE" DAYDREAM

By Brian Lafferty

 


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CHIEF’S CORNER: LIGHTNING SAFETY TIPS

By Sam Giovanna

East County Magazine’s in-house fire chief

July 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) --Following proven safety guidelines can greatly reduce the risk of injury or death from lightning strikes.

Lightning safety tips

The following tips are provided by the American Meteorological Society and the National Lighting Safety Institution.


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: HIGH NOON

By Brian Lafferty

 

July 9, 2012 (San Diego) – Leave it to Oliver Stone to take sleazy, salacious, and lurid material and transform it into art. Very few filmmakers can make graphic violence so lyrical without pretension the way Stone does in Savages. On the surface the film is trashy, but if you look deeper, this trash has class.

 


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FROM THE CHIEF’S CORNER: POOL SAFETY GUIDELINES

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna  East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 9, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- The National Safety Council reports that 600 children and adults drown annually in swimming pools, 330 in home pools. By communicating these pool tips effectively as well as using common sense, your backyard pool can be a safe and pleasurable experience for children as well as adults.

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FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER: THE HEAT'S ON!

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna : East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief

The Heat is On!  Triple digit temperatures expected beginning Sunday and into next week!

July 8, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- If you work or play outside in the summer or areas that are warm all year you should know about heat stress safety tips. Heat stress is caused by over exposure to hot climates. You might not think it is possible but you can suffer from heat related injuries inside as well as outside. Heat stress occurs when your bodies core temperature rises above normal. Follow these heat stress safety tips to prevent an accident. 


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MARKETING MATTERS: TAKING THE SUMMER OFF?

 
Tips and tricks for business success and growth
 
By Rama Beerfas
 
July 6, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –  It's summer once again and it's easy to be distracted by the idea of beaches, poolside lounging, picnics and long vacations. After all, if the kids can do it, why can't we?
Well, we can. In fact, we should. Some time away from work can renew your perspective, recharge your willingness to work on the business, and give you some new insights as you involve yourself with things outside the scope of your usual workday.

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FRONT AND CENTER: TIME TO GIRLCOTT THE MILITARY

By Rick Rogers, DefenseTracker.com

July 3, 2012 (San Diego)--The scourge of sexual assaults in the military seemingly cannot be stopped.

With the military unable or unwilling to protect our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, it’s time women refuse to join the military and to disband the farcical Uniformed Code of Military Justice – an inadequate and unequal court system more interested in protecting the military than dispensing justice.

Cut off from it fastest growing pool of recruits – women – we’d find out exactly how fast our military leaders could correct this national embarrassment.  


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WRITER'S CALENDAR

 

 
LITERARY EVENTS
News and Calendar Items for San Diego County Book Lovers July 1 thru July 8, 2012
 
July 5 (Thursday, 7:30 pm) – Warwick's will host writer and photographer Mark Johnson who will discuss and sign his book Argyle Armada: Behind the Scenes of the Pro Cycling Life. This event is free and open to the public. In order to be signed the author's most current title must be purchased from Warwick's.

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FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER: 4TH OF JULY SAFETY TIPS

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna  East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 2, 2012 (East County) -- Each year, especially during the early summer weeks around the Fourth of July, thousands of people are treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries. While some are minor, many of these injuries are serious, for example, resulting in burns or blindness. In 2008, seven deaths from fireworks-related injuries were reported; perhaps these could have been prevented.

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EARTHTALK® E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

Dear EarthTalk: Who are the “Clean Air Ambassadors” and what are they trying to accomplish?
                                                                                          -- Brenda Coughlin, Pittsburgh, PA

June 29, 2012  -- Clean Air Ambassadors are everyday folks from across the U.S. who have committed to speaking up for everyone’s right to breathe clean, healthy air. The effort is part of the “50 States United for Healthy Air” campaign, a joint endeavor of Earthjustice, the American Nurses Association, the Hip Hop Caucus, the National Council of Churches and Physicians for Social Responsibility. In the spring of 2011 these Ambassadors—people from all 50 states and every walk of life—convened in Washington, D.C. to ask members of Congress, leaders at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and high-ranking officials in the Obama administration for stronger protections against air pollution.

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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: THE BAD NEWS TEDDY BEAR

By Brian Lafferty

 

June 29, 2012 (San Diego) – The average person would likely perceive teddy bears as cute, innocent, and sentimental toys. What about someone with a devilishly twisted sense of humor like Seth MacFarlane?

 


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FROM THE CHIEF'S CORNER: STRUCTURE TRIAGE DURING WILDFIRES

 

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna
East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
June 28, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--The last couple issues we discussed how you as a homeowner living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) can create defensible space as fire season truly is “year – round.”

 


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