July 7, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Coming off a record start for summer schedule, Senior Poker Tour moves to Pala Casino July 30-August 3, 2014.

Senior Poker Tour had a record setting event earlier this month with its SPT Venetian Deepstack Seniors Championship. The prize pool for a non WSOP event for players 50+ reached a quarter of a million dollars and crowned a new champion, Mitch Hecht of Toronto Canada. He took home $50,000 for his efforts besting 431 players over two days of play.

Hear our interview on the Central American immigrants:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

Updates on Murrietta, Congressman Juan Vargas' visit with immigrants in El Centro, and our interviews from this rally, including Enrique Morones of Border Angels. Rev. Beth Johnson from the Palomar Unitarian Universalist congregation and Everard Meade, Trans-Border Institute at USD, providing historical background on the Central American situation.

By Nadin Abbott

“What we need is humanitarian solutions. Sending the children back to sure death is not humanitarian.” – Enrique Morones, Border Angels

“This is a failure to enforce federal law at the federal level.” Murrieta Mayor Alan Long

July 2, 2014 (San Diego)—Yesterday, dozens of anti-immigrant protesters blocked buses carrying 140 immigrants from Central America, mostly women and children. Shouting racial slurs and carrying signs demanding the migrants be sent home, the protesters forced the buses bound for Murrieta to turn around and go to San Ysidro instead.  The buses carried migrants from Texas, where holding cells are over flowing due to a massive influx of families and children.

Today, Border Angels held a rally in support of the immigrants and began a donation drive for toys, clothing, diapers to welcome the immigrants, most of whom were fleeing violence and threats of death in their homeland.

But what’s fueling the surge in immigration from Central America?  To understand what’s happening today, we have to look back several decades into the history of the region and the role of U.S. foreign policy in Central America.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

Readers

July 6 (Sunday, 4:00 pm) — Young adult writer John Corey Whaley will sign his book at The Yellow Book Road, 2750 Historic Decatur Road No. 101, San Diego. For additional information, go to http://www.yellowbookroad.com/ or call (619) 955-5188.

East County News Service

Photo, left: Carl Meyer, leader of successful "stop Blackwater" effort in Potrero at a 2008 victory celebration

July 6, 2014 (San Diego's East County)--Blackwater, the private military contractor that has sparked considerably controversy through the years, is back in the headlines.Many East County residents recall the successful battle waged by residents in rural Potrero to prevent Blackwater from building a paramilitary training camp in San Diego's backcountry. 

Potrero residents held a recall election and removed all five planning group members who voted for the Blackwater facility and staged a march through adjacent federal forest lands that would be threatened by the project, drawing international attention before Blackwater ultimately withdrew its plans.

Now, the New York Times reports that around that same time back in 2007, Blackwater blocked a State Department inquiry into allegations of violence against civilians in Iraq by the company’s personnel.  The investigation was halted after Blackwater’s top manager in Iraq threatened that he “could kill” the government’s chief investigator—and that “no one could or would do anything about it” according to State Department reports, the New York Times article states.

July 6, 2014 (El Cajon) – Randy Jordan snapped this photo of the fireworks final at El Cajon’s 4^th of July celebration in Granite Hills/Kennedy Park.

July 5, 2014 (Alpine)--The Alpine Library hosted a Summer Reading program on Saturday, June 28, featuring exotic birds from around the world.

Dear  Readers:

A year ago when KNSJ radio launched, the station promised to air our live wildfire and emergency alerts. Saturday is their anniversary party - please send a message TODAY asking them to honor this promise!

In the July 2013 Chariot Fire the station did go live and I reported on the fire on Mt. Laguna.  For a few weeks, KNSJ aired our alerts with a delay of an hour or so, promising to improve technology to get real live alerts. Later KNSJ stopped airing wildfire alerts at all. I’ve pleaded with KNSJ to air Viejas Wildfire Alerts as promised, which we offer them free, to save lives and keep you safe. In the backcountry when power lines burn and some have no cell service,  battery-powered radio is often the only way to get news during fires.

KNSJ’s CEO says having the federal emergency broadcast system  in place is enough, but it’s not. It wasn’t activated during recent fires in East County.  KNSJ's CEO and Board  refuse to even guarantee a start date for alerts or an exact dollar figure that would guarantee these would air. They ask for more money, without delivering on promises made to donors who already gave to support getting alerts on the air.  KNSJ also has zero live broadcasting, even for breaking news during fires.

TAKE OUR POLL AND SEND A MESSAGE TO KNSJ:  Should the FCC ask KNSJ to keep its promise and air live Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts & have live news broadcasts during wildfires?

PLEASE VOTE HERE:  http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/poll/should-fcc-ask-knsj-keep-its-promise-air-live-viejas-wildfire-emergency-alerts-and-have-live-ne

E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: We often see and read reports about environmental threats to women’s health, but aren’t there also concerns about which men should be especially vigilant? -- Jay Walsh, Boston, MA

Photo Credit: CLUC, Flickr

Indeed, women aren’t the only ones who should be worried about environmental threats. A recently released report (“Men’s Health: What You Don’t Know Might Hurt You”) by the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) concludes that environmental exposures may have major negative impacts on men’s health as well, and outlines ways that guys can avoid some of the major risks.

East County News Service

July 4, 2014 (San Diego) – Three children suffered moderate to major injuries in a rollover crash at 1:09 p.m. today on I-15 north of State Route 52.

The driver told the California Highway Patrol (CHP) he was traveling at 65-70 miles per hour in the number one lane when he felt the right rear of his Toyota vehicle sink. The Toyota collided with the center divide and rolled onto its roof.

July 4, 2014 (El Cajon) -- Janis Mork, host of East County Magazine Show's People Power segment, sat down last month for an interview with Star Bales, El Cajon's recently appointed Councilmember and one of the first Iraqi Chaldean women to hold public office in the United States.  Councilmember Bales shared her thoughts on key issues of interest to residents in the El Cajon community--and why she's proud to be an American.

You can now hear an audiocast of our interview here: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

By Miriam Raftery

July 4, 2014 (La Mesa) – On the heels of the American Legion  backing out of the Park Station proposal, the City of La Mesa announced today that it has cancelled a Planning Commission Public Hearing on the project’s specific plan and environmental impact report that had been slated for July 16. 

The announcement issued by Bill Chopyk, Director of Community Development for La Mesa, specifically states that the hearing is cancelled “due to a change in the application and project description because the American Legion has withdrawn as a co-applicant. A new notice of public hearing will be distributed to interested parties once the specific plan and environmental documents are revised and ready for Planning Commission consideration and further public review.”

Photo, left:  Cal Fire Chief Joe Rinaldi discusses need to cancel parade for safety's sake.

By Nadin Abbott

Photos Tom and Nadin Abbott

July 4, 2014 (Julian) The Fourth of July parade was an unintended victim  of the so called “Banner Fire” east of Julian, which destroyed two homes and injured a firefighter. The fire started at around noon and by this morning it has charred 217 acres, with 40 percent containment according to Captain Ken Bortisser of CAL FIRE.

The following road closures remain in effect: State Route 78 at Manzanita Drive, and  Manzanita Drive at Lakeview Drive.

The decision to cancel the parade, announced late yesterday by the California Highway Patrol and CAL FIRE, sparked consternation among some residents.

By Miriam Raftery

July 2, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--Eagles, America’s national symbols, have special status under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Killing an eagle, or engaging in activities that lead to the death of an eagle, is currently punishable by  a $5,000 fine and one year in prison.  Felony convictions can result in far stiffer penalties – up to a $250,000 fine or two years in prison – and the fine for an organization that kills an eagle can be up to a half a million dollars.

By Mimi Pollack

July 2, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - There is an old expression about a boy and his dog, but in this case it is a Tibetan spiritual teacher and his dog, Tashi, a nine year old Pomeranian, and the resident dog at the Drikung Kyobpa Choling [DKC] Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Center in Escondido, CA. DKC was founded in 1996 by Drupon Samten, the spiritual director, and his long time assistant, nun, and fellow animal lover, Ani Chodron. Tashi was a gift to them.