June 9, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A four-acre brush fire on Dictionary Hill in Spring Valley threatened homes in the 1400 block of Coronado.  The fire caused some damage to decks and external walls, Chief August Ghio of San Miguel Fire has confirmed.

Strong Mayor initiative also approved by voters
 

June 9, 2010 (San Diego) – By a resounding 68.9%, voters in San Diego County approved Proposition B, which imposes term limits for Supervisors. The measure is not retroactive to the current Board, but will limit future reigns to eight years.
 

But voters may not need to wait eight years for the opportunity to change two seats on the Board, which is currently composed of five Republicans who have served for decades. Both Ron Roberts and Bill Horn failed to gain the 50% majority needed to win outright in the primary—and both appear headed for run-off races against challengers in the fall.

By Miriam Raftery and Richard Darvas

June 9, 2010 (San Diego's East County) - Col. Rick Powell, a retired military officer and Green Beret with an extensive career in law enforcement as well as military service, has defeated Emma Turner, president of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board, to win the Republican primary in the 78th Assembly District.

Powell will face off in November against Assemblyman Marty Block, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Whitman, Fiorina win by large margins in Gubernatorial and Senate primaries

June 8, 2010 (San Diego) -- Former E-Bay CEO Meg Whitman trounced Steve Steve Poizner by a 64.4%-26.5% margin with 47% of precincts reporting as of midnight. Whitman,who spent more than $71 million on her campaign, will square off in November against former Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown.

June 8, 2010 (Poway) – The “Geezer Bandit” has struck for the tenth time, robbing the U.S. Bank at 14837 Pomerado Road in Poway (inside Albertsons grocery store) yesterday at 2:54 p.m.

The FBI, San Diego Police Department and San Diego Sheriff’s Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the unknown male bank robber believed responsible for holding up 10 banks in San Diego County since August 2009.

Author Steve Tarde, who has taught sports visualization to top sports stars, will read from his book, Gift to My Dad, and sign copies of his book at a special Father’s Day event at Cali Comfort Restaurant, 8910 Troy Street, Spring Valley on July 20th at 3 p.m.  Note: savor a free entree (with purchase of another) at Cali Comfort with coupon at bottom of the article.  



Review by: Dennis Moore

"This is a beautifully written story about fathers and sons." - Dennis Moore

June 8, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- Steve Tarde, a legendary teacher of visualization, has written a homage for all fathers: Gift to My Dad. Although this 84 page book is written in regard to his dad, it could just as well apply to my dad, and every other dad out there. It comes at a very poignant time, just before Father’s Day. Tarde’s book certainly resonates with me as it has a baseball theme, our national pastime that I played as a little boy. To many young boys, it was their fathers who gave them their first glove, and played catch with them. This is a beautifully written story about fathers and sons.

June 7, 2010 (El Cajon)--At 39 weeks along in her pregnancy, Nicole waited in line to walk at Grossmont College’s 49th annual commencement on June 3, when her water broke signaling the delivery of her fourth child. The 28-year-old didn’t want to leave the college and go to the hospital, while 4,000 people waited to celebrate the 1,398 students in the Class of 2010 receiving an associate degree or a certificate of achievement.

By Richard Darvas

Nothing but the Truth!

By Will Power

June 7, 2010 (San Diego’s East County)--If California were a woman, she'd be arrested for illicit propositions. But the propositions are of the political not romantic kind. Ever since the Initiative, Referendum and Recall were put into the California Constitution to counter the power of the railroads, the Initiative has been abused.

Now corporations are using the Initiative process to bypass the legislature, Two of the Propositions Proposition 16 and 17, are wholly financed by Corporate Power. These are written in doublespeak legalese and purport to be pro-consumer, but are really pro-monopoly gifts to corporate wealth.

Update:  Watch full video of the debate now posted here in 8 parts: http://www.youtube.com/user/EastCountyMagazine (on right, or click direct link to this debate:  

http://www.youtube.com/user/EastCountyMagazine#p/c/982657ADB2A569C8  ; also see:

By Miriam Raftery

June 5, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – After 43 years in public service, Grossmont Union High School Superintendent Robert “Bob” Collins is leaving the public sector to accept a position with a private company. Yesterday, community leaders in business, education and government held a surprise send-off event at Monte Vista Village in Lemon Grove to honor Collins.
 

The City and County both declared Friday, June 4th as “Robert Collins Day.” Charlene Zettel presented a proclamation from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Supervisor Dianne Jacob praised Collins as “best in class” and joked, “Our strategy is to weight you down with so many awards and proclamations that you will decide not to leave.”

HUNDREDS OF JOBS FOR LOCAL WORKERS: 

LMI teams up with Urban League, Heartland Coalition,  Progressive Environmental Services and Job Corps to address nation's worst environmental disaster

Update June 14:  LMI's team of 50 trained local workers have been delayed departing for the Gulf because BP has failed to provide payment for their transportation.  Hanson has called for President Obama to set up an escrow fund with BP money to be used to expedite cleanup of the spill. 

By Miriam Raftery
 

June 5, 2010 (San Diego) – “This is an unprecedented oil    spill,” Lakeside resident Mark Hanson, chief executive officer of Leadership Management International in San Diego, told a crowd of eager job applicants assembled at Urban League in San Diego yesterday. “Oil is now landing on one of the most pristine coasts in Florida and satellite images show a reddish glob of goop in the ocean that’s the size of several states.” 

Hanson, who also heads up Heartland Coalition, publisher of East County Magazine, led the successful effort for LMI to obtain a contract from Progressive Environmental Services (PES) of Virginia to provide hazardous materials training locally and ultimately send hundred of San Diego-area workers to Gulf coast states to assist in cleaning up oil from beaches, coastal wetlands, waterways and wildlife.