August 29, 2015 (San Diego)—California highways have $57 billion in deferred maintenance and our state now ranks 45th out of 50 states in overall highway performance. Over half of our state’s highways need rehabilitation and 28%of bridges need repairs or replacement. But there is not enough money available to solve these problems, which are getting worse as time goes by. Those are among the dismal facts presented at a Cal Trans forum on transportation issues presented in San Diego this week.
By Monica Zech, Public Information Officer for the City of El Cajon
August 28, 2015 (El Cajon)--Music, art shows, classes and more are all coming up in El Cajon.
EVENTS
A Day of Free Music This Weekend In Downtown El Cajon
This coming Saturday,August 29, it will be a day of music at the Prescott Promenade. Starting at 12 noon, three groups will take the stage as to “make-up” concerts for those that were rained out in May during the Dinner & a Concert series.
Workers share how wage theft damages families, drives poverty; elected leaders share solutions to multi-billion annual wage heist
August 28, 2015 (San Diego)--Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) along with California Labor Commissioner Julie Su and local leaders will host a “Fair Day’s Pay” town hall with San Diego workers on Saturday, August 29 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The forum will spotlight how wage theft denies workers the opportunity to participate in the American Dream and leaves families in poverty.
The forum comes after a joint study by San Diego State University and the Center on Policy Initiatives found persuasive evidence of wage theft throughout San Diego’s food industry, with more than three-quarters (77%) of workers reporting having been victims of wage theft during the past year and a third saying theft from their paychecks occurs regularly. Wage theft plagues workers in many other low-wage industries, and adds up to billions drained from California’s economy each year.
August 28, 2015 (San Diego) – Native American dancer Chuck Cadotte seeks public help to find his lost regalia, or ceremonial attire which he lost en route to the Tachi pow-wow north of our region. A box containing the regalia festooned with many eagle feathers fell off the roof of his vehicle somewhere along his pre-dawn route this morning, which stared at Balboa Avenue onto 805 north, then I-5 north and the 405 freeway before the Castaic Lake exit, where he discovered the treasured items were missing.
“I’m at a loss,” he posted on his Facebook page. “If anyone out there has found my regalia items on the freeway, please, please call me to return my feathers.” It is illegal for non-Native Americans to possess eagle feathers, which are considered sacred in Native American culture. Cadotte adds that he has a permit to prove his right to possess them. His phone is 619-929-2875.
August 28, 2015 (Lakeside) -- The Heartland Foundation, publisher of East County Magazine, an award-winning community publication, has been named a media partner of the 2015 Kids Care Fest, a free, family-oriented event open to the public. Kids Care Fest, featuring free health care screenings, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds,12584 Mapleview St., Lakeside. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Aug 28, 2015 (San Diego)-- San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced today that Gary Snavely, a diagnosed pedophile and sexually-violent predator was ordered by Judge Louis R. Hanoian to return to Coalinga State Hospital, a mental facility, after violating the terms of his release. The violations included misuse of medications, failing to remain appropriately clothed at all times on his property while in public view, and failing to report any and all instances of sexual thoughts and fantasies involving sexual deviance to treatment staff.
August 28, 2015 (Alpine) – Baron’s Market is celebrating its first birthday in Alpine on Saturday, <August 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m . The festivities will include ice cream floats, hot dogs, trivia contests and a chance to win a bag full of gourmet groceries.
August 28, 2015 (El Cajon) – Miguel Angel Soria and Peter Alkatib at Diego Valley Charter School in El Cajon are working wonders, helping 80% of their students—all at risk and drop-out youth—graduate with a high school diploma and go on to college or a career pathway. They are also co-producers of the Chaldean Voices documentary film debuting soon on KPBS and in El Cajon to celebrate Chaldean-American month.
About 30% to 40% of the student body are Iraqi Chaldeans and most of the rest belong to other minority populations. The school offers flexible scheduling to accommodate students who must work or raise children, also providing tutoring and other help to assure their students achieve their dreams.
August 27, 2015 (Pine Valley)--U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a man at the Interstate 8 checkpoint last night who had two undocumented immigrants locked inside his car trunk.
August 27, 2015 (La Jolla Indian Reservation)—On September 3rd, the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians will celebrate the Grand Opening of California’s longest Zipline course, soaring above oak canopies with views of Pauma Valley and Mount Palomar.
Thrill-seekers can choose from four zipline courses ranging from 300 feet to over 2,500 feet in length, traveling at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. There are even parallel lines – side by side so you can share your adventure and enjoy spectacular views of Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, and the La Jolla Indian Reservation.
N. Scott Robinson to play instruments from Southeast Asia and beyond at free concert
August 27, 2015 (San Diego)--Local percussionist N. Scott Robinson will perform a variety of musical selections on several different instruments from around the world on Sunday, August 30th at 3 p.m. at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center. Joining Robinson as a special guest will be K.S. Resmi providing vocals and other Indian music.
Robinson will play songs using various instruments, including the lap-style frame drum, riqq, mediterr-asian tambourine, ghaval, handpan, hammer dulcimer, mbira dza vadzimu, berimbau and hindewhu.
August 27, 2015 (La Mesa)—La Mesa Police seek public help to locate Hispanic male suspect who robbed the WalMart store’s garden center in Grossmont Center at gunpoint on August 24 at 4:10 p.m.
Decision could impact Tule Wind in San Diego’s East County
By Miriam Raftery
August 27, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)—A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when it extended eagle take permits from 5 years to 30 years for wind energy developers. The rule had allowed the incidental killing of bald and golden eagles for up to three decades with no accountability, even though killing federally protected and endangered eagles is a felony subject to criminal prosecution under other circumstances.
August 27, 2015 (Jamul) – A 75-year-old man driving a Chevy Blazer is dead of injuries sustained in a crash that occurred at 12:50 p.m. on State Route 94 west of Steele Canyon Road in unincorporated San Diego County near Jamul.
According to Officer Kevin Pearlstein from the California Highway Patrol, the elderly driver’s vehicle drifted across a turn lane and into oncoming traffic, striking a Toyota Sienna taxi head-on.
August 27, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The Corners Fire burning near Lake Morena is holding at five acres with no structure threat, Kendal Bortissier with Cal Fire told East County Magazine at 3:40 p.m. today. Air and ground resources are fighting the fire.
Bortissier confirmed that a second fire is burning in Cleveland National Forest near Cameron station. USFS has not yet responded to our call requesting details.
Stephanie Nisan, the professor, and Rebecca Weinrib
By Mimi Pollack
August 27, 2015 (Blossom Valley)--Making a difference in the world seems to be the motto that Blossom Valley resident Rebecca Weinrib and Stephanie Nisan live by, especially in the world of homeless dogs. Together, they founded The Animal Pad in 2010, a rescue organization for dogs, with their own unique vision.
August 27, 2015 (Sacramento)—Senate Bill 350 aspires to set new standards for renewable energy in California that the authors day will grow the state’s economy and improve public health by cutting petroleum use, increasing energy efficiency in existing buildings. But opponents contend that raising taxes on gas and vehicle users’ fees would create economic hardship for some Californians.
Team advances in LLWS standings, will play Thursday
By Liz Alper
August 26, 2015 (South Williamsport, PA) --With a whopping 11-3 victory Tuesday night, the Sweetwater Valley Little League team shows no signs of slowing its roll. Sweetwater defeated Bowling Green East, the team from Kentucky representing the Great Lakes region, for the second time in the Little League World Series, following a big 14-2 win over the same foe on Friday night.
August 26, 2015 (Lakeside) - - Residents, environmentalists and medical experts presented strong evidence for why a proposed sand mining project in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley should not be approved. Opponents of Enviornmine’s proposed 167-acre project spoke out at tonight’s scoping meeting conducted by the county.’s Planning department. Public comment remains open until September 14th, after which an Environmental Impact Report will be drafted.
Dr. Christy Walker, an emergency room physician, testified about the confirmed presence of Valley Fever (coccidioides immitis) in El Monte Valley; evidenced in the treatment of both people and pets who contracted the potentially lethal illness in the Valley. She indicated that Valley fever does not just affect the lungs but can affect multiple organs. Her concern is that mining that lift layers of sand to dig the 100' deep, 182 acre wide mining pit would release fungal coccidioides spores d into the air, greatly increasing exposure and infection.
August 26, 2015 (Lakeside)--El Monte Nature Preserve, LLC, the company that aims to sand mine El Monte Valley in Lakeside, a designated county scenic view corridor, for the next 30 years announced this week that it has entered into a sand extraction and marketing agreement with West Coast Sand and Gravel, Inc.
August 26, 2015 (La Mesa)--Hart Optical Co., 8685 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa, is noting August as “Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month” with back-to-school tips about children’s vision. “Approximately one in four school age children have some type of vision problem which can affect their success in school,” said Michael Emerson, a Registered Ophthalmic Dispenser who has owned and operated Hart Optical Co. since 1987.
August 26, 2015 (Pala)-- The Pala Band of Mission Indians is proud to host its eighth annual “Honoring Traditions” Powwow August 28-30, 2015 at the Pala Rey Youth Camp on the Pala Indian Reservation. This event is free and open to the public.
August 26, 2015 (San Diego) -- “How is it possible to acquire genuine reviews for a book when most reviewers want FREE books to review? If a reviewer has a Free book have they been compromised or influenced to provide a good review? I have been approached by fellow authors requesting reviews on the understanding of you scratch my back and I will scratch yours! I have of course turned down all such requests! Over the past few weeks Amazon has started to address this issue by removing reviews that they consider to be inappropriate or not genuine or verifiable. I would be most interested in your understanding of the current and future book review process.” - Mike Wilkins
Let's first address the idea that a free book automatically means a positive review. That is not the case. Any author who has run a successful giveaway knows that you're more likely to get negative reviews than positive ones from people who download free books.
August 26, 2015 (Spring Valley)—The SAPS, a local Laurel and Hardy group, will show comedic classic films on August 29th in Spring Valley, featuring their favorite “students of laughter 101 in some of their greatest misadventures,” organizers promise.
The event, “Back to Skool, I mean School Night" SAPS at Sea event will take place in Williams Hall at Trinity Church, 3902 Kenwood Drive in Spring Valley. Doors open at 6:30 with show time starting at 7 p.m. A donation of $6 per person is requested.
Editor’s note: This essay paints a picture of what El Monte Valley could look like in the future; Sunrise Power Link has been built; solar and sand-mining projects are planned or proposed.
By Rob Foster
August 26, 2015 (Lakeside)--Early mornings, I like to walk outside with coffee in hand and sit down facing the morning sun. Gazing northeast the scar left from the Sunrise project are clearly seen. Sun lit power towers draped with wires and ten acres of stripped land below scenic El Capitan Mtn. SDG&E promised the ten acre site would be returned to its original undisturbed state. SDG&E destroys the ecosystem leaving an ugly scare in a matter of months. Thank you for the reminder of a broken promise.
August 26, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – A driver with a suspended license for a felony hit and run swerved into the path of another vehicle, causing serious injury to two people.
August 26, 2015 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:
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