East County Roundup - September

Links to top stories in other publications on East County issues

WATER RATIONING GROWS INCREASINGLY LIKELY

San Diego Union-Tribune (Sept. 26, 2008) --| For the first time since 1992, San Diego is facing the possibility of water rationing, a step that could happen as soon as January. The threat is expected to loom for years as Southern California readjusts to the tightest drinking water supplies it has experienced in almost two decades.

The Metropolitan Water District, the Los Angeles-based wholesaler that provides about 75 percent of San Diego County's supply, will consider as soon as January whether to cut deliveries to the 13 million people it serves -- including the San Diego County Water Authority, which provides water to the city of San Diego and 23 other local agencies.

REGION:  STILL NOT READY TO FIGHT FIRE

Move toward regional fire agency could be pivotal, some say

North County Times (September 20, 2008) -- As San Diego County moves into that scary time of year when hot, dry winds roar in from the desert and threaten to transform even the tiniest spark into an inferno, a question lingers: Could another deadly wildfire strike this fall?

The answer, experts say, is yes.

The disasters of 2003 and 2007 reduced much of the county to ashes. But two-thirds of the chaparral-carpeted backcountry remains and would provide plenty of fresh fuel for wind-fanned flames.

FARMERS PREPARE FOR TERMINATION OF WATER PROGRAM

California Farm Bureau (September 17, 2008) -- In a move that will affect crop production across much of the region, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California plans to end its discount program for agricultural irrigation water. The move, expected to be approved in October, will open the door to increased water costs for many Southland farmers…

ALPINE DEVELOPERS DELAY CASE TO 2009

The Alpine Sun (Septemer 18, 2008) -- The fraud case against three Alpine developers and one former employee got delayed again, this time to March 2009, because one attorney had to replace his retained attorney with a public defender.

… [David] Waitley, Paul Gonya, 64, Kenneth Stroud, 52, and Stroud’s ex-employee, Marie Frever, 39, all waived their right to have a speedy hearing. They have previously pleaded not guilty.  The developers are charged with 113 counts of grand theft in allegations they embezzled more than $1.4 million from their companies for their own use. Frever is charged with three counts of grand theft.

Gonya served on the Alpine Planning Group for four years as vice chairman and head of a subcommittee. He lost his re-election bid in November 2004. Waitley also served on the APG for four years and chaired the circulation subcommittee before he lost his seat in November 2006 election.

The developers are accused of embezzling from their companies, Real Estate International, Inc., (REI-NC) for their own use. All three men are accused of working together to defraud companies that were formed to build 52 semi-custom homes in Alpine, which was called the Stagecoach development….

COUNTY EXPANDS RAMONA GRASSLANDS

Ramona Sentinel (September 16, 2008 ) -- The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation has partnered with The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state to add more than 3,000 acres of high-quality habitat to the Ramona Grasslands Preserve, the county reported on Friday.

The acquisition increases the county’s ownership within the preserve to 3,470 acres, more than seven times its current size of 460 acres, said Dennis Parker with the county parks department. The new acreage includes the areas of Gildred Ranch, Davis-Eagle Ranch and Oak Country, and was purchased with county, federal and state grant funds for $30.4 million…

COUNTY ISSUES FOOD ALERT ABOUT RAW CREAM RECALL AND INFANT FORMULA FROM CHINA

Ramona Sentinel (September 13, 2008) -- San Diego County yesterday warned consumers about infant formula manufactured in China and about a specific raw cream from Fresno County.



The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Health Information Advisory about Chinese manufactured infant formula that may be contaminated with melamine. The action was in response to reports of contaminated milk-based infant formula manufactured in China…

READY FOR THE SEASON: FIRE OFFICIALS PLAN AHEAD

Ramona Journal (September 1, 2008 ) -- It's one thing for the local fire departments and other officials to advise residents on how to prepare for a fire, but are they taking their own advice? It seems that they are; the local departments are doing what they can to prepare for the eventuality of another large wildfire.

RESIDENTS ADVISED ON WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS

Ramona Journal (Septemer 1, 2008) -- As the unpleasant anniversaries of the 2007 Witch Creek fire and the 2003 Cedar fire roll around, many residents are trying to become more prepared for the reality of life in a wildfire zone. Local fire officials have plenty of advice and suggestions to assist proactive citizens.

Ramona Fire Marshal Calvin McVay advises everyone to have a personal family evacuation plan in place, along with a kit ready with a few days' worth of food and water.

MAN SENTENCED FOR DRIVING TOWARD WAR PROTESTERS IN RAMONA

Union-Tribune (September 20, 2008) -- A Ramona man who drove his pickup toward a group of war protesters in June was sentenced to probation yesterday, ordered to take anger-management classes and must perform 20 days of public service.

FIRE DISTRICT EMPLOYEE ADMITS EMBEZZLEMENT

Union-Tribune (September 9, 2008) -- A former bookkeeper who was later promoted to executive administrative personnel officer of the Borrego Springs Fire Protection District has pleaded guilty to having embezzled $276,874.

Cynthia Rena Parker, 45, entered her pleas Wednesday in San Diego Superior Court to charges of embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation of public money, Deputy District Attorney Richard Monroy said.

GUHSD’S Prop 39 bond will be on November ballot:  measure contains stipulation: no high school for Alpine unless district enrollment tops 25,000  

The Alpine Sun (August 13) -- Tensions were high at the Grossmont Union High School District board of trustees meeting, as members discussed and voted on the upcoming bond issue that Superintendent Bob Collins proposed to be placed on the November ballot.

Cuts  snare transfer students

Daily Aztec (August 18, 2008) -- A message from San Diego State to prospective transfer students: Come back next fall. The state of California has slashed the education budget by 10 percent, a move that has universities such as SDSU and CSU San Marcos closing the door on transfer students for the spring of 2009. Community college students who were expecting to attend SDSU this spring are now just spinning their wheels.

Grossmont High School Board supports gay marriage ban

San Diego Union-Tribune (August 1, 2008) -- The Grossmont Union High School District went on record yesterday supporting a November initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in California.

Water district begins solar plant work

Valley Roadrunner (August 13, 2008) -- Early August saw the start of the Valley Center Municipal Water District’s (VCMWD) 1.0 megawatt Lake Turner Solar Photovoltaic Project.

After over two years of planning and contract negotiations, it is anticipated that this green power project will be up and running by the end of December, 2008. When completed, the project will be connected to and produce enough solar electricity to meet 20% of the power needs of the district’s nearby Betsworth Pumping Station. One megawatt is roughly enough power to meet the needs of 5,000 homes.

Spinrise (Don Bauder City Lights column)

San Diego Reader (July 31, 2008) -- The campaign to ballyhoo the proposed Sunrise Powerlink has one beneficial effect: it is shining light on how San Diego's overlords try to use misinformation to manipulate public opinion.

New policy approved for Sharp Grossmont: Decision follows lapses at hospital

San Diego Union Tribune (August 16, 2008)  -- Officials for the public district that oversees Sharp Grossmont adopted a policy yesterday requiring that they be quickly notified when the La Mesa hospital reports a patient-care problem to state regulators.

Directors of the Grossmont Healthcare District made the decision after complaining that they were never told about recent medical and management lapses that led to at least three preventable deaths and put other patients in harm's way.

Snake train and vaccinate your dog

Back Country Messenger (August 2008) -- Veterinarians have rattlesnake vaccines that give your dog more time to get to the vet if they are bitten. This vaccine has to be given in advanced and it is a two part vaccine…Another highly recommended and successful training is Patrick Callaghan Rattlesnake Avoidance for dogs.

West Nile Virus: Dead bird count continues to climb – Residents are urged to eliminate mosquito breeding, fight spread of West Nile Virus

Mission Times Courier (August 13, 3008) -- West Nile virus continues its spread in San Diego County, and in the past week, 35 dead birds have tested positive for the disease, County Vector Control officials announced today.

Among the latest dead birds were 31 American crows, two Western scrub jays, and two red-shouldered hawks. The birds were found in Alpine, Boulevard, Carlsbad, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Del Mar Heights, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside,Ramona, Santee, Scripps Ranch, Solana Beach and Vista. This week’s count brings the year’s total to 251 dead birds. Eight sentinel chickens, seven mosquito pools, one horse and three humans also have been infected.

New Robot assisting doctors at Pomerado hospital

Poway News Chieftain (August 13, 2008) -- A robot seeing hospital patients — once considered science fiction — is a reality at Pomerado Hospital. For the last several weeks, patients in Pomerado’s intensive care unit have been checked on by their doctors with the help of a robot when the doctors could not be there in person.