East County News Service

October 23, 2019 (San Diego) – San Diego Congressional members Scott Peters, Duncan Hunter and Susan Davis have introduced bipartisan federal legislation to simplify permit requirements to operate the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plan, with a goal of providing purified, recycled drinking water for the San Diego region and reducing ocean pollution.

The bill, H.R. 4611, the Ocean Pollution Reduction Act II, was introduced in the House on October 4, 2019.

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

Photo: CC by SA-NC

October 24, 2019 (Bakersfield)--- Farmworkers' groups are celebrating the end of at least a decade-long battle to ban a toxic pesticide in California after the state Environmental Protection Agency announced a new deal with manufacturers of chlorpyrifos. The pesticide no longer will be sold to growers in California after Feb. 6.

Nayamin Martinez, director of the Central California Environmental Justice Network, said studies have linked chlorpyrifos to serious health effects in kids.

"It's a very dangerous chemical that can cause harm, especially in brain development, for unborn children and young children who live in close proximity where this pesticide is applied," she said.

Source:  City of La Mesa

October 23, 2019 (La Mesa) - City Manager Yvonne Garrett has announced her retirement effective December 30, 2019. Mrs. Garrett has served in several positions with the City of La Mesa, starting as the Director of Community Services in January 2000. Mrs. Garrett spent six years as the Assistant City Manager and Community Services Director prior to her appointment as City Manager in 2016.  Mrs. Garrett was the Director of the La Mesa Park and Recreation concurrently with her position in Community Services and in the City Manager’s Department. The Foundation is a private non-profit organization that raises funds for park improvements and facilitates recreational, education and cultural programs in La Mesa. 

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

October 23, 2019 (El Cajon) -- As part of East County Magazine's investigation of the Cajon Valley Union School District, ECM asked Superintendent David Miyashiro, EdD and school board President Tamara Otero to back up their often repeated claim that the district has reaped great benefits with its more than half-million dollars in expenditures on  videos over the five years. Both ignored multiple requests for verifiable benefits and for interviews.

On Friday, at 1:45 p.m., however, ECM received a response to our California Public Records Act request from Naomi Rodrigues, the district’s Executive Coordinator. Our request asked for any verifiable financial and enrollment benefits from the district’s paid marketing and promotional videos published on YouTube from July 2014 through Sept. 24, 2019.

“NO SUCH DOCUMENTS EXIST” wrote Rodrigues (photo, left) in her e-mail to ECM.  It is unclear if she was aware of our article published shortly before her response was received.

Although the district could not document any financial benefits or increased enrollment tied to its videos, less tangible benefits may include increasing student morale and boosting the district’s image elsewhere. Consistent with the latter point, Rodrigues listed four videos which she indicated have been featured and showcased by the San Diego County Board of Education.  (View full e-mail response from Rodrigues.)

By Olivia Li

October 23, 2019 (San Diego) - San Diego State University’s annual Aztecs Rock Hunger campaign is underway and runs through Nov. 10. This year, the goal is to raise 619,000 pounds of food for the 6-1-9, a play on San Diego County’s primary area code.

By Miriam Raftery

Update October 24:  As of 8 a.m. Thursday, power is shut off for 431 people in Dehesa, Alpine, Rancho Palo Verde, Santa Ysabel, Wynola, Pine Hills, East Descanso, Green Valley Falls, Cuyamaca, Viejas, West Descanso, Boulder Creek, Live Oak Springs, Boulevard, Jacumba, Japatul Valley, Buckman Springs, Morena Village. Resource centers have been opened in Julian and Descanso; scroll down for details.

October 23, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E is warning of a new round of potential power-shut offs that could affect up to 23,944 customers, with a red flag warning from 5 a.m. Thursday through 5 p.m. Friday evening.

The areas that could be impacted are Alpine, Barona, Barrett Lake, Boulevard, Campo, Cuyamaca, Descanso, East Poway, East Valley Center, Julian, Mesa Grande, Mount Laguna, Palomar Mountain, Pine Valley, Potrero, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo (portions), Santa Ysabel, Shelter Valley, Viejas and Warner Springs.

The utility’s site states that it makes several efforts to notify ratepayers prior to shutoffs. In many cases the system worked to provide customers with time to prepare for outages.  However, some rural residents have posted complaints on social media stating that they received repeated warnings of shut-offs that never occurred, and later had power shut-off with no warning.

October 23, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Virus could be the cause of mysterious polio-like illness AFM, study says (CNN)
• Health officials warn of possible measles exposure at Disneyland (ABC 7)
• Air pollution triggers ‘hundreds more heart attacks and strokes’ (BBC)
• Juul to stop selling several flavored products in the United States (CNN)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• NASA’s all-female spacewalk makes history: ‘One giant leap for WOMANkind!’ (Washington Post)
• Female astronauts answer questions from orbit (BBC)
• From Apple to wineries, California companies turn to solar amid outages (Washington Post)

For excerpts and links to full articles, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association 

Photo:  Rep. Duncan D. Hunter and his wife, Margaret, are seen in La Mesa at 2014 Polonia United event for Polish-Americans in the San Diego region. Photo by Miriam Raftery

October 22, 2019 (San Diego) - Giving prosecutors more time to bolster their corruption case against Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, the congressman’s wife has asked that her federal sentencing be delayed four months.

By Mike Allen

October 22, 2019 (Santee) -- The owners of the Carlton Oaks Golf Course submitted plans to the city of Santee to build 285 residential units on the site and other new development to create an upscale tourist attraction. The golf course itself will be moved and revamped to accommodate the new facilities.

East County News Service

October 21, 2019 (San Diego) – This fabulous fall favorite recipe for Pumpkin Bisque comes to us from Andy Williamson, farmer/owner of Grow Eco, a community supported agriculture farm in San Diego.  You can order boxes of fresh, seasonal local produce delivered to your doorstep on a weekly or every-other-week basis and get more delicious recipes on their website. 

East County News Service

October  21, 2019 (Poway) -- The effervescent and eclectic folk singer Steve Poltzhas been described as “quite possibly the most talented and engaging solo performer on this planet” by Front Porch Music.

Source: Helix Water District 

October 21, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- This Saturday, October 26, Helix Water District is hosting Helix Water Talks, a behind-the-scenes look at how their field operations crews maintain the vast water distribution system that delivers water from their treatment plant in Lakeside to 276,000 people in El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Spring Valley. 

Superintendent and school board president refuse to answer questions on videos; recent flash mob video cost over $21,500

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor; Miriam Raftery, Editor, also contributed to this report.

Photo: Superintendent David Miyashiro in CVUSD flash mob video

Update:  Shortly after publication of this report, the CVUSD belatedly responded  to ECM's California Public Records Act requst for documentation of any financial or enrollment benefits received by the district due to its promotional videos on YouTube.  Naomie Rodrigues sent an e-mail advising that "NO SUCH DOCUMENTS EXIST" but noted that some videos were published on the County Department of Education's website.  View our article on her reply and the district's lagging responses to other records requests. 

October 16, 2019 (El Cajon) -- The internet has revolutionized video marketing. From small businesses to government agencies, organizations can now harness resources at YouTube and other online portals to directly market messages to a target audience.

The Cajon Valley Union School District (CVUSD) has utilized its Youtube channel and other social media portals to disseminate professionally produced video marketing and promotional messages for its school projects and World of Work career path program.

Utilizing taxpayer money, the district has produced and promoted impressive videos such as “A Day in the Life of a Cajon Valley Bus Driver,” “Education and business leaders from Vista and Colorado tour Cajon Valley,” an invitation to a Grandparents Day event, Fall Festivals, Madison Avenue Elementary Lemonade Fundraiser, and numerous WoW (World of Work) videos. The District also produces a monthly “broadcast” with news and events directed to school personnel and staff.

Hefty costs

But critics say the CVUSD is making too much of a good thing, since these videos produced by the district have come with a high price tag.

According to information provided to East County Magazine by the CVUSD in response to a public records request, from July 2014 (when David Miyashiro became Superintendent) through June 30, 2019, the district has spent over half a million dollars -- $576,289.60 to be exact -- on marketing and promotional videos.