June 10, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --How do you run a successful KDP Select giveaway? You seem to always rock them. – Jennifer Gilbert
Anyone who visits my SJ Publicity Facebook page regularly can see I'm an advocate of KDP Select giveaways. There are some authors who balk at the idea of giving away free books, but I look at a free ebook as a free sample. Don't you love free samples and the people who give them out?
June 10, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s Destination East County includes an Olympic Day, dancing, live music, film showings, fishing, classic cruising and more. Plus we’ll also have a preview of coming attractions including Boars and Brew, Blues & Jazz, a vintage train ride, a Father’s Day brunch with Cowboy Jack, and a desert sky photo shoot starring the Milky Way. So stay tuned for all of these events and much, much more!
June 10, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
June 10 ,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:
June 10, 2015 (Sacramento)—Since 1978, Proposition 13 has frozen property taxes for California owners until a property sells. But now a proposed constitutional amendment would change Prop 13 to require annual assessments of large commercial and industrial properties.
The measure, Senate Constitutional Amendment 5, exempts homeowners, owners of rental residential properties and agricultural properties, which would not be impacted. The measure also includes a tax break for small businesses, instead targeting larger commercial and industrial property owners for the tax hike.
The bill would exempt from taxation up to a half million dollars of personal property used exclusively for business purposes. It also gives businesses an exemption of up to a half million for equipment and fixtures—an action that would eliminate the tax on equipment and fixtures entirely for 90% of businesses, whether they own or rent their place of business.
June 17, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Air Show San Diego will take to the skies over Gillespie Field in San Diego June 20 and 21. This year’s “AirShow San Diego” (formerly known as “Wings Over Gillespie”) will feature a representative collection of aircraft and acts to support the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII.
June 10, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free program on “Dispelling the Myths of Hospice,” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24. The program is part of the library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
June 9, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)—The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today accepted a donation of $276,000 from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation for the purchase of 80 AVL (automatic vehicle locator) equipment for rural San Diego fire departments.
June 9, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – If you’ve got a traffic ticket in California, here’s some good news: courts can no longer make you pay bail in order to challenge the ticket. There is a catch though – you have to show up at the arraignment to ask for a trial. The change, an emergency rule adopted by the Judicial Council, which oversees the state’s courts, is effective immediately.
June 8, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – A new study by the Veterans’ Administration reveals that women veterans are killing themselves nearly six times more often than women who never served in the military. The carnage is even higher among young veterans: women ages 18-29 have a suicide rate 12 times higher than nonveterans.
Photo: Heartland Fire & Rescue Chief Rick Sitta delivers good news at El Cajon Council meeting
June 9, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – If you live in the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa or Lemon Grove, your fire insurance rates will soon be going down. That’s because Heartland Fire & Rescue, which provides firefighting services for all three cities, has received a class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO).
The ISO rates 47,000 fire departments across the United States and of those, only 98 have attained a class 1 rating, including only 8 fire districts in the entire state of California. “Class 1 communities are very rare, and some of these scores are the highest we’ve ever seen,” says Stephanie Ruscansky from the ISO, who notes that only a small fraction of 1% of all agencies rated attain a Class 1 rating.
June 9, 2015 (Sacramento)--The California Senate approved a bill last Tuesday that would raise the minimum legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21 as part of an effort to reduce smoking by young people.
Photo: American Pharoah at Preakness, Creative Commons image from Maryland Gov Pics
June 9, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - The winner of horse racing’s Triple Crown won his first race at Del Mar, right here in San Diego County--and may soon be coming back. Track officials at Del Mar have told the Union-Tribune that they may increase the prize money for the upcoming Pacific Classic in hopes of enticing the owners of American Pharoah to compete.
June 6, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --This week's column welcomes a guest author, Sherrie Miranda. Sherrie is a resident of Chula Vista and the author of the historical fiction novel, Secrets and Lies in El Salvador: Shelly's Journey, which tells the story of an American visiting El Salvador during the time of the Salvadoran Civil War. The story is based in part on the author's experiences in El Salvador. If you'd like to learn more about Secrets and Lies in El Salvador, it is on sale for $0.99 on Amazon and on two best seller lists.
No permit, no debt repayment plan yet, but the clock is ticking
By Kristin Kjaero
June 9, 2015 (La Mesa) – Although the City Council sent them back to the drawing board with a requirement that means they must come up with a repayment plan for $37,229 they owe the City before any new special event applications from them will be processed, the La Mesa Village Merchants Association yesterday evening sent e-mails to all 2014 Oktoberfest vendors soliciting applications and payments for booth rentals for a 2015 Oktoberfest.
The e-mail states, “Even though it was very hot during the day, the event was a great success. We hope that you feel the same way and will consider joining us again this year.”
The Merchants group owes the City $33,996 for Police, Fire and other support services provided for the 2014 Oktoberfest, and said at the last City Council meeting that they’d spent the revenue from it on Christmas in the Village instead of paying back the City’s General Fund.
The e-mail gives the vendors a date, time, fees for booth rental (ranging from $500 for crafters up to $2,100 for food vendors plus $100 cleaning deposit), and where to send their checks, but does not mention the debt issue or problems with their previous application which triggered a City Council policy change regarding special event applications and permits.
June 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--It was right after buying a new “fixer-upper” home that I realized a few things; I had an immense project on my hands, one that would include a great deal of buying, reusing, and inevitably discarding, because there were a number of details that prevented the new place from feeling like home. The other thing I realized was that trends were changing in the home-design industry, and that a bigger focus than ever was being put onto products that were energy efficient, environmentally conscious, and made with an intent focused on more than just aesthetics.
June 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Volunteers who pick fruit to feed the hungry have an urgent need for sites to glean spare fruit from backyard gardens and farms in order to continue to supply churches and food pantries that distribute the produce.
June 8, 2015 (San Diego) – Last week, we reported that Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a proposal to restrict protesters to “free speech zones” outside the County administration, ban amplified sound, require permits for events bigger than 200 people and impose fines for those who violate these rules. Supervisors will also consider rule changes to impact all county parks.
But the proposal is drawing strong reactions – and so far, all the comments we’ve received have been negative toward the county’s plans. Here are some of the comments we’ve received from people who don’t want their free speech rights limited:
June 8, 2015 (Lakeside) – Lakeside residents have launched an online petition asking Bill Horn, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, to save El Monte from a proposed sand-mining project. View or sign petition here.
This ill-conceived, destructive and dangerous project poses a clear public safety threat. It would also destroy a place so beautiful that it’s been designated a county scenic view corridor and a focal point in long-range San Diego River Park preservation plans. Mining here could also contaminate a major drinking water supply and potentially spread deadly Valley Fever across our region.
Climate Action Campaign's Executive Directore Nicole Capretz addresses legal problems of La Mesa's CAP; Senior Planner Chris Jacobs takes notes.
June 8, 2015 (La Mesa)--On Wednesday, June 3, concerned citizens came together at a hearing of the La Mesa Planning Commission to press for a stronger Climate Action Plan (CAP). The hearing proved a reminder of what ordinary citizens working together can achieve.
June 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Drowning incidents are dramatically on the rise locally and statewide. Parents whose children have drowned say the day of the tragedy started out just like any other day. No matter how the drowning happened or where it happened -- pool, spa, or any other body of water -- one thing was the same, the seconds that claimed their child's life slid by silently, without warning, it happens just like that and can never be brought back. Drowning is Preventable reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.
June 8, 2015 (Santee)--Toyota of El Cajon joined forces with the Padres Volunteer Team to help the San Diego River Park Foundation remove trash and debris from the San Diego River Watershed in the Forester Creek area of Santee on Saturday, June 6. The cleanup event targeted 20 sites along the river’s watershed, with the goal of collecting over 3,600 lbs. of trash in three hours.
June 9, 2015 (Sacramento) – The California Assembly has passed Assembly Bil 96, a measure to protect elephants and rhinos by strengthening rules on the ivory and rhino horn trade. AB96 by Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins would end the state’s exemption for selling ivory imported before 1977 The bill would also impose stiff civil and criminal penalties for ivory sales. Atkins, a San Diego Democrat, says California is a top market for ivory and that this could significantly reduce demand.
June 7, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Artist Chuck McPherson has picked up six awards at the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar, after having a record nine entries accepted. The talented artist grew up in Spring Valley, lives in La Mesa and regularly dazzles crowds with his innovative performance art and colorful style at local charity events (he’s been known to add lipstick, coffee grounds and other audience-provided items to his works).
June 7, 2015 (San Diego) – Police are searching for two suspects, one armed with a machete-type knife, who assaulted a driver Sunday morning in the Fairmont village area and stole his gray Chrysler 300 car.
June 7, 2015 (San Diego) – San Diego Police seek help to find Isabella Keating, a 10-year-old girl who disappeared after leaving Horton Elementary School on Wednesday, June 3rd around 2 p.m. and has not been seen since then. The school is located at 5050 Guymon Street in the Euclid area.
June 7, 2015 (San Diego) –Tropical Cyclone Blanca is making its way north from Baja, Mexico, bringing a threat of rain and thunderstorms to Southwestern California.
June 7,2015 (Sacramento) – San Diego Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez served up pumpkin pies to legislators in an effort to win approval for her bill to require double-time pay for most employees forced to work on holidays such as Thanksgiving.
By Mickey Kasparian, President, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135
Mickey Kasparian, President of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 135 released the following statement after President Obama’s local news interview regarding Fast Track Authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
June 7, 2015 (San Diego) --Instead of talking into a satellite camera, President Obama should listen to the hard-working families of California who overwhelmingly oppose fast track. He says that the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is different than past trade agreements that failed a majority of Americans, but thanks to leaked drafts and a negotiation process that included 600 corporate lawyers, it’s apparent that this deal will be a disaster for everyone but the wealthiest corporations.
The level of secrecy that surrounds TPP is deeply troubling. If this deal is truly good for hard-working men and women, then why can’t we read it? If the President believes this is a great deal, why can’t he prove it to us? American workers deserve to see the uncensored truth of this agreement.
June 10, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.
June 10 ,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:
June 10, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free program on “Dispelling the Myths of Hospice,” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24. The program is part of the library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
No permit, no debt repayment plan yet, but the clock is ticking
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