By Kristin Kjaero

February 14, 2010 (La Mesa) -- How will water rates change as of July 1, 2010, and will individual water budgets be imposed as part of the process?

The Helix Water District (HWD) Board will discuss these February 17 and March 17, 2010 respectively.

by Christopher Mohr

(EL CAJON) - A common baseball axiom states that good pitching always beats good hitting. Six innings of one-hit shutout pitching by Grossmont College starter Greg LaBarre made it difficult to argue with such reasoning. His dominant performance on the mound helped the Griffins to a 7-0 win Saturday over the visiting Lancers of Pasadena City College.

by Christopher Mohr

February 14, 2010 (Coronado) - The Christian High School Patriots boys basketball team from El Cajon learned quickly in Friday night's game that they would not get the same hospitable treatment that many visitors to the island receive.

The Islanders of Coronado High School, unlike their counterparts at the local hotels and resorts, were not very nice hosts and established early that this game would be physical and even bruising at times. Both teams combined for an unusually high total of 36 fouls. It was the kind of treatment that one might expect from the top two rivals of the Central League.
 

February 14, 2010 (Rancho San Diego) – If your company has a “help wanted” ad, you can now place your job listing free in the Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter, The Bridge.

“We will also list job fairs as a free community service,” said RSDJ Chamber President Valerie Harrison.

Master Burner Gas Grills Sold at Lowe’s Stores

February 13, 2010 (Washington D.C.) The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the Sagittarius Sporting Goods of China, recently announced a voluntary recall of Master Forge five-burner gas grills. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately and contact the manufacturer for a free repair kit. 

February 13, 2010 (Palomar) -- Cal Fire will continue a prescribed burn to reduce dead and dying vegetation on Palomar Mountain near the Palomar Observatory starting on Tuesday, February 16th.   Burning will be conducted by Cal Fire crews on week-days. Smoke may be visible from many miles away.

February 13, 2010 (Alpine) – The County Coroner’s office has identified Ruben Dario Fernandez, 35, of Chula Vista as the driver who was killed yesterday in Alpine. Fernandez was driving a Lancer eastbound of I-8 west of East Willows Road around 6:45 in the morning when he collided with a slow-moving truck, lost control and plummeted down an embankment, striking a boulder.

IRAQI IMMIGRANTS WAITING HOURS FOR SERVICES FORCED TO GO HOME EMPTY-HANDED

February 12, 2010 (El Cajon) –Iraqi immigrants began lining up at 5 a.m. today to recertify documentation and quality for social service benefits at the Chaldean-Middle Eastern Services Office at 343 Main Street in El Cajon. But shortly after 9 a.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue crews responded to a medical aid call. They found a crowd estimated at 500 to 1,000 people congregating in and around the second floor office.

February 13, 2010 (San Diego)----San Diego Self Storage’s Jamacha Point facility in Spring Valley donated 100 corrugated boxes for shipping supplies to benefit earthquake victims in Haiti. The boxes transported items collected at the Light of the World Church, including clothing, medical supplies, food and water.

“Kiss Your Landlord Goodbye” – free seminars Feb. 27 in La Mesa, March 1 in El Cajon

Share creative ideas to assist people of all ages with tips to save money and improve their lifestyle!

By Nancy and Dawn Clement

February 10, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- Uncle Sam wants to give you money to a buy a house, but you must hurry because there is a deadline; you must be in escrow by April 30 and must close escrow by July 1, 2010.

This program is the Homebuyer Tax Credit, and in November of 2009 was revised to include both first-time buyers and buyers who already own a home.

ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR BALLOT INITIATIVE TO LIMIT LABOR SPENDING
 

By Miriam Raftery

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service should investigate bird deaths at wind farms

By Jim Wiegand, Wildlife Biologist

February 12, 2010 (San Diego)--Every day at wind farms across America threatened or endangered species are killed from collisions with blades of the prop wind turbine. This is considered legal because the offending wind farms either hold the "incidental take permit" or were not required to have one because they did not fully disclose environmental impacts of their activities. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services requires the procurement of an incidental take permit for any individual or private industry if threatened and endangered species will be killed in a project. This killing is referred to as "take" -- and the perrmit holder has immunity from prosecution.

By Steve Haiman, Academic League Coordinator

February 9, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- Never mind about the Super Bowl last Sunday--the Grossmont Union High School District had its version of the the Super Bowl last week at West Hills High School.

By Tracy Emblem

February 11, 2010 (San Diego) -- Government is and should be in the business of stimulating the economy to help its citizens achieve national goals like putting people back to work. When Ike Eisenhower returned from Germany after World War II, he said we need an interstate highway system to move our people and goods coast to coast like Germany’s rail system. The same could be said today about rebuilding our country’s crumbling infrastructures.

San Diego, CA (Feb. 9, 2010)—A full-color plant list with photos, called the Nifty-50: Plants for Water Smart Landscapes, is now available to the public through the Water Conservation Garden and participating nurseries.