By Charlene Ayers, Ranters Roost

 July 9,2016 (San Diego's East County) --Charlene Ayers, founder of the Ranters Roost discussion forum, offers pithy analysis and barbed views on the San Miguel Fire Protection District board meeting July 6th, at which the board voted 4-3 to end its partnership with Cal Fire and return to being a free-standing district.  Below are parts 1 and 2 of her posts, reprinted with permission. Part I includes other agenda items Part II focuses on the decision to break off from Cal Fire.

PART I

To be or not to be…

The meeting was to start at 5:30 p.m.  I got there at 5 p.m. because Cal Fire likes to fill the seats with their employees.  There were only 10 seats left.   There was not the usual sea of dark blue taking up the room, just lots of folks, families, in plain attire.

By Liz Alper

Photo courtesy @Padres on Twitter

July 8, 2016 (Los Angeles) – The Padres conquered the Dodgers with a shutout win on Andy Green’s birthday last night.  Would they do it again tonight?  We shall see as Andrew Cashner took the mound against Scott Kazmir for LA.

“Precious moments were lost and that caused the fire to get out of control…Lives have been lost that may have been saved if they had been able to get water out of Lake Morena and not burned 6,000 acres in less than 12 hours.”—Karen McIntyre, Campo

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Karen McIntyre displays photos of Lake Morena before and after the City of San Diego drained away over 97% of the water.

July 8, 2016 (Campo)—At a heated meeting of the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group,  residents vented anger over the loss of homes and lives during the Border Fire.  Some fault the City of San Diego for draining Lake Morena, claiming lack of water delayed firefighting aircraft responses.

The residents are demanding changes—and some are talking about legal remedies to take back control of their local water supply.

By Miriam Raftery

July 8, 2016 (Mt. Helix) – Two mountain lions have been reported Monday by a homeowner on Mt. Helix.  La Mesa Today sent an alert warning the lions were seen  off Lemon Avenue in the Lake Helix area.  A CBS 8 news story ran two photos taken by the homeowner in unincorporated  La Mesa and footage of the location outside the home. 

The homeowner, who asked to stay anonymous, said the lions were on a hillside above a pool where her children were playing and two large dogs were present.

A long-time La Mesa resident  posted on a residents’ online forum that through the years he has previously seen mountain lions in the Boulder Hills area of La Mesa near Chevy Chase, above the La Mesa Village. 

East County News Service

July 7, 2016 (Alpine) - You're invited to spend the weekend under the stars at Viejas Summer Nights in Viejas Casino Resort in Alpine July 9 to September 4.

East County News Service

July 7, 2016 (Pine Valley) --Pine Valley Days will take place July 29^th and 30^th in the mountain town of Pine Valley.  A highlight of the two-day festival is a parade along Old Highway 80 through Pine Valley on July 29^th starting at 9 a.m. featuring horses, bagpipes, clowns, cars, dragons, marching bands and more. 

Other activities include a craft village at the Pine Valley County Park on Saturday, a Friday night deep pit barbecue and dancing in the park after dark, plus a burrito breakfast on Saturday and a music festival.

By Miriam Raftery

July 6,2016 (Mt.Helix) -- For the past several years, a pair of Cooper's hawks have been nesting in our ficus tree.   This weekend,we were treated to the sight of both parents and two fledgling hawks taking wing, then alighting in a cedar tree on our property.

By Liz Alper

Photo courtesy @Padres on Twitter

July 6, 2016 (Phoenix) - The Padres aren’t going to get a sweep opportunity this series, but they would get an opportunity to take the series from the Diamondbacks tonight.  Colin Rea started for the Padres against a rare, slumping Shelby Miller for Arizona.

July 6, 2016 (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:

U.S.

• Veep auditions in overdrive (The Hill)
• Even without charges, FBI rebuke leaves a heavy political cloud over Clinton (Washington Post)
• I’m a lawyer specializing in security clearance. Hillary Clinton got off easy (Washington Post)
• Dallas shooting leaves 5 police officers dead, suspect is killed (New York Times)
• Beyond Dallas, police come under fire in three states (Reuters)
• After Philando Castile’s shooting, Obama calls police shootings ‘an American issue’(New York Times)
• Why the case against Mississippi's religious freedom law was different (CS Monitor)
• Document spells out FBI rules to get journalists' phone records: article (Reuters)
• Traffic deaths jump 7.7 percent in 2015 to 35,200 (Reuters)
• Americans’ taste for  Mexican beer sucking up groundwater supply, mayor says (Guardian)

WORLD

• Car bombs target Baghdad shopping districts, 126 dead (CNN)
• Supplies run out in southern Mexico amid teachers' protests(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• World reacts to death of Elie Wiesel, ‘conscience of the world’(NBC)
• A Personal Retrospective: Was Elie Wiesel Happy? (Jerusalem Post)
• Suspected IS attack kills dozens at Istanbul airport (AP)
• EU referendum petition hijacked by bots(BBC)
• CIA weapons for Syrian rebels sold to arms black market: NYT(Reuters)
• Iraqi Military Video Shows Massive Attack On ISIS (NPR)
• Palestinian kills Israeli girl, 13, sleeping in her bedroom (CS Monitor)
• Why Beijing (and 45 other cities in China) are sinking(CS Monitor)

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

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image Credit: County Department of Animal Services

July 5, 2016 (San Diego) -- Dozens of dogs are waiting for their owners at the County’s three animal care facilities the day after Fourth of July fireworks exploded around the county. While it’s impossible to say exactly what drove each dog loose, they are known to panic at the noise and run off to escape. As of late Tuesday afternoon, 59 dogs had been brought into the shelters and more are still expected to arrive. Last year, 67 dogs came in the first few days after the Fourth of July.

July 6, 2016 (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:

LOCAL

• San Diego County Water Authority Votes To Raise Rates (KPBS)
• San Diego County home prices rise 6.3% (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Police identify suspect in string of deadly attacks against homeless (Times of San Diego)
• Photos: migrants from around the world come to Tijauana, to wait (Voice of San Diego)
• Planners okay expansion for two wineries (Ramona Sentinel)
• In Campo, 25 ft.from Mexican border, California’s Old West roots remain (Wash.Post)
• San Diego First To Hit Solar Power Cap In California (KPBS)
• Rates go up slightly for SDG&E, SoCalGas (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Plan for regional power grid raises hopes, doubts(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Photos: migrants from around the world come to Tijauana, to wait (Voice of San Diego)
• The Line Between Education and Advocacy on SANDAG’s Tax Proposal(Voice of SD)
• Report: Cybersecurity jobs jump in San Diego(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lawmakers move to revive abusive eminent domain  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Dense One Paseo project approved (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Initiative to legalize recreational use of pot in California qualifies for November ballot (Los Angeles Times)
• Study  up, California! You’ve got 17 statewide measures to vote on (KQET)
• Utility:  Keep deal that split costs from closed nuke plant(SF Gate)
• California may have a water ‘rainy day fund’(San Diego Union-Tribune)
• With Doomsday in Mind, California Officials Are Ceding Water to Arizona, Nevada (Voice of San Diego)
• Proposed Measure To Cap Hospital Execs' Pay Pulled From November Ballot (KPBS)
• CPUC has room to improve, state auditors say (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 7 charged with attacking KKK members during bloody California rally (Chicago Tribune)

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

By Miriam Raftery

July 5, 2016 (Washington D.C.) -- FBI Director James B. Comey announced Tuesday that his agency will not recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server as secretary of state.

By Liz Alper

Photo:  a patriotic Diamondbacks fan at Chase Field on the Fourth of July.  Courtesy @Dbacks on Twitter

July 4, 2016 (Phoenix) - After failing to get a sweep AGAIN, the Padres celebrated our nation’s Independence Day in the desert with a night game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Luis Perdomo started for San Diego against Archie Bradley for the snakes.

By Miriam Raftery

July 4, 2016 (San Diego) – Recently,  East County Magazine’s Radio Show  featured an interview with Amber Albrecht  from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).  The interview originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio.

 We talked about a new fast-track process for going solar and about renewable meter adaptors invented by SDG&E employees to help you avoid costly electrical panel upgrades when going solar.

Hear our interview by clicking the audio link below.

East County News Service

July 4, 2016 (El Cajon) — A female runner has reported being harassed twice in the past week along Westwind and Tyrone in El Cajon by two men (one white, one black) in their 20s.