By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- County Supervisor Joel Anderson has sent a formal request to the County’s Chief Administrative Officer and Sheriff, urging them to take action mirroring recent action by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to remove encampments along public roadways that pose critical safety concerns. Caltrans’ clearing of an encampment in the Berkeley area was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on April 27.

Source: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Photo © by Andrew James, courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park

May 12, 2022 (San Pasqual) -- A three-month-old giraffe calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has received a new lease on life, thanks to swift intervention by the conservation organization’s wildlife health and wildlife care teams to correct abnormalities that threatened the calf’s survival. The female youngster—named Msituni (pronounced see tune neee), which means “in the forest” in Swahili— received a pair of specialized giraffe-patterned orthotic braces that attached to her front legs to help correct a hyperextension of the carpi, bones that are equivalent to those in the human wrist. This disorder had caused the giraffe’s front legs to bend improperly, and made it difficult for her to stand and walk. Wildlife care staff said Msituni’s chances of survival would have been very low without the treatment provided by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance team in collaboration with orthotists from Hanger Clinic.

By Miriam Raftery

May 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service forecasts a heat wave this weekend through early next week, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal in San Diego County’s inland areas.

By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH

May 12, 2022 (San Diego) -- Recently, a draft was leaked of a potential Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade written by Justice Samuel Alito (Political Staff, 2022). East County Magazine published a previous op-ed by me entitled: “Abortion is a 1st Amendment Issue” (2020 Feb. 24).  The following are some additional thoughts based on the draft written by Justice Alito that will allow states to outlaw abortion.

Alito bases his opinion on, to some extent, original intent of our Founding Fathers, those who actually wrote our Constitution. At the time, the majority were slave owners. Others had indentured servants:  poor whites “contracted” for up to seven years’ labor. In many cases they were treated brutally (Garrett-Hatfield). Women had basically NO rights (Kuhn, 2022; Lange, 2015).

East County News Service

May 11, 2022 (San Diego) – The County of San Diego’s Planning & Development Services has prepared a revised Transportation Study Guide that establishes a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) threshold using the countywide average. It also designates which areas will or won’t need to have VMT analysis or mitigation. The actions follow a new state law, SB 743, which requires the amount of driving and length of trips – as measured by "vehicle miles traveled" or VMT – be used to assess transportation impacts on the environment for Calif. Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

The public has until June 13 at 4 p.m. to submit comments. Two public meetings are planned on May 24 and June 1: 

Source:  San Diego County Bar Association

May 10, 2022 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) announced its evaluations for seven candidates vying for three San Diego Superior Court judicial seats in the June 7, 2022 primary election.

May 9, 2022 (La Mesa) – Mary Genser, 91, passed away on April 20, 2022, following a long battle with dementia and COVID-19.  She was an accomplished artist, long-time La Mesa resident, and mother of East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery as well as David Genser of Poway.

She was born Mary Evelyn Vick on August 9, 1930 to Thomas Monroe Vick and Artie Ola Snider Vick in Weatherford, Texas. Raised on her family’s farm during  the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl along with her sister, Winnie Ruth Vick, she learned the values of hard work and integrity. 

“Life was hard, but life was good,” she once wrote of her early years.

This letter was written in response to La Mesa City Councilmember Laura Lothian's proposal to purchase land in Campo to house La Mesa's homeless population. The item is slated to be heard tonight, May 10. Tisdale sent copies of her letter to the city of La Mesa, Supervisor Joel Anderson, and Campo-Lake Morena's planning group chair Billie Jo Jannen.

By Donna Tisdale, Chair, Boulevard Planning Group (photo, left)

First and foremost, It would be the courteous and ethical thing to do to provide timely notice and ask the Campo - Lake Morena Community Planning Group to weigh in on your proposal to export your problem to their predominantly low-income rural community where most residents are already struggling to survive the pandemic, government-induced inflated cost of living, and a basically open US/Mexico border with daily smuggling activities. They don't need an additional problem foisted on them.

Rural residents have the added burden of an expensive commute due to the increasing cost of gas. We make many sacrifices in order to enjoy the benefits of quiet country living.  A serious lack of local services is one of those sacrifices ,including very limited medical and law enforcement .  In some cases, it may take days for law enforcement to answer a call to a rural home.

Exporting your homeless problem to Campo's underserved rural area is neither justified nor warranted for local residents or the homeless population. Shelters / alternative housing should be placed close to services, not an hour away.

By Miriam Raftery

May 9, 2022 (El Cajon) – Hakim Wakil Rashid, 52, has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a man in the head and back earlier today in downtown El Cajon.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

May 8, 2022 (San Diego) -- There’s a new wave coming to town – HEAT! Temperatures will exceed triple digit in the deserts and things will be warming up around most all of Southern California.

Here are some safety tips to help you beat the heat:

East County News Service

May 8, 2022 (San Diego) -- This month, Moms United to End the War on Drugs (U.S.) with partners Moms Stop the Harm (Canada), Recovering Justice (UK) and Red de Enlaces Nacionales (Mexico) are re-launching the #momsunited campaign (What Moms around the World Want for Mother’s Day).