By Miriam Raftery

April 21, 2012 (La Mesa) – La Mesa resident Frank Read, former proprietor of Read Pharmacy, celebrated his 100th birthday in November 2011—shortly before the city of La Mesa ushered in its centennial year in 2012. 

In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, he shared boyhood memories of our region—and recollections of his many adventures along the roads he’s traveled in his extended life.

By Miriam Raftery

March 1, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – What are the cumulative impacts on our region from the loss of federal, state and county public lands?  In the span of just  a few short years, we’ve lost vast tracts of our most beautiful properties once set aside by the federal, state and county governments as preserves for future generations. Wildfires, budget cuts, and now, massive energy projects are destroying our region's scenic wonders. 

 East County Magazine has sent our photographers into the wilds of San Diego’s East County, as well as just over the border into neighboring Imperial County, to document the destruction of our inland treasures. 

 March 1, 2012 (Julian) -- Imagine making a brutal desert crossing on a San Diego-bound stagecoach and coming to a station with water, food and the first sign of greenery for miles.  Or marching east across the desert during the Civil War as a Union volunteer from California, determined to reach Arizona or New Mexico to halt invading Confederates. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 7, 2012 (San Diego)—The U.S. military is tackling a major battle: striving to rely on renewable energy to meet half of all energy that it uses by 2020. 

“That’s a tall order,” Captain Marko Medved, Operations Officer for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest.  Marko spoke last weekend at Forging a Sustainable Future, a two-day symposium sponsored by UnitedGREEN.  Captain Medved’s job? Makinge the military bases of the Southwest energy efficient.   That’s over one million acres—and he reports, “We’ve made significant gains.”

March 7, 2012 (Washington, D.C.) —In preparation for the release of new unemployment figures this month, Representative Duncan Hunter, joined by a group of House lawmakers, introduced the Real Unemployment Calculation Act on March 1.

The legislation requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to factor, as the primary measurement of unemployment by the federal government, individuals who give up looking for work—currently reflected in the U-5 calculation.

We still have tickets left! Students $10; $35 tickets for ECM subscribers

March 1, 2012 (San Diego) – If you care about the future of our region, come join a grassroots movement and discussion to shape the energy, water, transportation and food policies of tomorrow.  Should we be investing in rooftop solar or wind farms?  Algae-based fuels or offshore drilling? Greenbelts and community gardens? These are questions that can dramatically affect the future for our children in San Diego and East County.

The Conference will be held in ENS 280; park in lot 2.  Find a map and details at www.unitedgreen.org .  The event kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday with a continental breakfast.   Famed environmental leader and nationally-known “Ring of Fire” radio host Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will deliver the keynote speech at 3:30 on Saturday. Other participants include members of Congress and Congressional candidates,  scientists, environmental planners, authors and educators. 

We still have tickets left! Students $10; $35 tickets for ECM subscribers

March 1, 2012 (San Diego) – If you care about the future of our region, come join a grassroots movement and discussion to shape the energy, water, transportation and food policies of tomorrow.  Should we be investing in rooftop solar or wind farms?  Algae-based fuels or offshore drilling? Greenbelts and community gardens? These are questions that can dramatically affect the future for our children in San Diego and East County.

The Conference will be held in ENS 280; park in lot 2. There will be plenty of signage. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday with a continental breakfast.   Famed environmental leader and nationally-known “Ring of Fire” radio host Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will deliver the keynote speech at 3:30 on Saturday. Other participants include members of Congress and Congressional candidates,  scientists, environmental planners, authors and educators. 

• Mayor: City’s structural deficit over (10 News)
• San Diego has most expensive gas in nation (UT San Diego)
• Low rainfall may mean more local conservation (10 News)
• Get to know new District 9 candidates: Speak City Heights (Voice of San Diego)
• Teen struck by trolley was becoming ‘man of integrity’ mentor says ; has shown improvement from brain injury (La Mesa Patch)
• Case shows flaws at special police force (UT San Diego)
• Boy accused of killing friend receiving ‘extraordinary care’ (10 News)
• Heroin use jumps 229 percent amongst county’s young adults (Santee Patch)
• Refugee moms and their American daughters bond through cooking (KPBS)

• Consumer advocates, unions back healthcare ballot measures (Sacramento Bee)
• California Republican party endorses auto rates initiative (Sacramento Bee)
• Fewer than 1 in 3 California registered Republican (Sacramento Bee)
• Democrats want to extend guaranteed retirement savings to private sector (Sacramento Bee)
• Investigation alleges abuse cover-up at California centers for the disabled (KPBS)

“The only reason to consider gutting planning groups is to give free rein to every developer who wants to overwhelm a rural town—and keep the locals in the dark.”  -- Patsy Fritz

By Miriam Raftery

March 1, 2012 (San Diego) – It wasn’t quite a public flogging, but it came close.  Rural residents and their community planning representatives showed up at a County Board of Supervisors’ meeting yesterday to verbally excoriate those considering recommendations made by a developer-stacked “Red Tape Reduction Task Force. The Task Force wants to eliminate community planning groups(CPGs) or discourage participation through measures such as eliminating indemnification of planners against lawsuits, imposing term limits, and eliminating the County’s Resource Protection Ordinance.  

“None of the Red Tape Reduction Task Force members were required to submit conflict of interest statements,” observed Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale.  “They failed to disclose huge vested interests and profits to be made. That is illegal.”

By Nadin Abbott

February 29, 2011 (San Diego)--David Cobb from Move to Amend came to San Diego on a barnstorming tour . The organization aims to get money out of politics and to amend the Constitution to end corporate personhood.

Update 9:30 p.m. Lanes are reopened.  ECM news partner 10 News reports the woman was struck while walking on the center median. She was taken to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. 

February 29, 2012 (Bonita) – All lanes of State Route 54 westbound are closed after multiple vehicles struck a pedestrian, according to the CHP website at 7:53 p.m. Incident Page Network reports the collision is now a fatality.

By Miriam Raftery

February 29, 2012 (La Mesa) – Emotions ran high at last night’s La Mesa City Council hearing.  Supporters seeking to form a Planned Business Improvement District (PBID) must gather signatures from owners  with assessments totaling over $189,050.  Thus far, owners of properties assessed at about $90,000 have signed a petition in support, but many other property owners turned out to voice strong opposition to the plan. 

The City of La Mesa owns properties totaling $60,000 in assessments—two-thirds of the remaining sum needed--and could play a pivotal role in determining whether or not the PBID will move forward. 

El Cajon tops list for East County at 50; La Mesa has 7 yet crime rate has gone down

By Miriam Raftery

February 29, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Under court order to reduce prison overcrowding, the state passed AB 109 to allow transfer of many prisoners to county jails. In San Diego County, that resulted in 950 prisoners being released early to ease overcrowding in the County jail.  Tonight, La Mesa Police Chief Ed Aceves shared statistics on how many of those prisoners have wound up in East County communities.

"We will never put our heads down, we will play our hearts out, and we will play for Coach because he will be on the turf with us.” – Clay Meyer, Valhalla Saga

February 29, 2012 (Santee) – Frank Yancey was “an inspiration for all those who served under him,”  Clay Meyer  wrote in the Valhalla Saga.  The school’s varsity football coach passed away February 13 at his home in Santee of an undisclosed cause.

Yancey coached 18 season at West Hills High, five at El Cajon Valley High and his last five at Valhalla.  His East County roots included playing as an offensive lineman at Santana High School and Grossmont College, as well as later at San Francisco State.

Coach Steve Vickery inducted into National High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame

By Ryan Schuler

February 28, 2012(Lakeside)--It’s no secret that El Capitan High School is a powerhouse when it comes to baseball in San Diego. Coming off a 2011 season in which the squad was ranked California's No. 18 team by ESPN’s CalHiSports and reached the San Diego Section CIF Division III finals, the Vaqueros are back in the CalHiSports state rankings again, this time in the preseason.

Led by reigning California Coaches Association State Baseball Coach of the Year Steve Vickery and 6-foot-5 senior southpaw Troy Conyers, the Vaqueros enter the season ranked No. 4 in California.

February 28, 2012 (San Diego)—A coalition of students and faculty at San Diego State University plan to walk out of class Thursday, March 1 at 12 noon. A rally will follow at the Scripps Cottage Patio, 5500 Campanile Drive, as part of a National Day of Action for Education at universities across America.

Over the last decade, students in the California State University system have seen their tuition and fees more than double. At the same time, budget cuts have reduced course availability and increased class sizes.

By Miriam Raftery

February 28, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – In September, ECM reported 30 construction violations by SDG&E related to Sunrise Powerlink, including serious safety hazards that briefly grounded helicopters. Today, the San Diego UT reports 42 new citations for helicopter flights from October through January. These include flying too close to protected bighorn sheep, dropping another compressor, falling transmission wires, and a door plummeting off a helicopter.

SDG&E was also ordered to replace 10 shiny steel towers in Cleveland National Forest that were supposed to be dull grey.  Ironically, state regulators at the CPUC have refused to order similar corrective action in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley, where an identical promise was made--and broken.

Next president will appoint Supreme Court justice who will be swing vote;  at stake are women’s access to birth control and abortion, attorney tells local law students  

By Nadin Abbott

“We’re at a critical point,” Dr. Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who argued  Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, informed San Diego students at Thomas Jefferson School of Law last week. She warned that rights of women protected under the landmark decision are not secure.   

Wedddington spoke on leadership as well as women’s rights--and how dramatically times have changed. Recalling the start of her career, she told the audience, “The world I grew up in, was very different.”

Student tickets $10; $35 tickets for ECM subscribers

February 28, 2012 (San Diego) – Named among Time Magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet”, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has led legal battles to protect clean water, help indigenous tribes preserve homelands, and defend our environment around the world. 

The famed environmental lawyer, author, “Ring of Fire” radio co-host, and member of one of America’s most prominent political families will be the keynote speaker Saturday, March 3 at the “Forging a Sustainable Future” conference at San Diego State University.