November 9, 2015 (ElCajon)—The sign-up is now open for Jingle Paws, an annual holiday walk to benefit the El Cajon Animal Shelter through ACES, an organization that funds surgeries for shelter pets and helps meet other needs.  You can sign up online to walk with your pet at https://www.crowdrise.com/JINGLEPAWSWALKFORPETS2015 or arrive early and register at the event.

This year, Jingle Paws will be held at the beautiful Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College on December 5th.

November 9, 2015 (Alpine) -- Supervisor Dianne Jacob launched the ceremonial first pumpkin off a catapult at the 2nd annual Alpine Pumpkin Chunkin' contest in Alpine on Sunday, November 8th -- all for a good cause. This innovative event raised $4,500 to benefit the Alpine Education Association.

East County News Service

Photo: Lake Morena fire, by Claudia Millerbragg

November 9, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – A new study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society  predicts that the number of extreme fire risk days in California will rise from 10 a year to 60 by the year 2100—a six-fold increase.  The study was conducted by  the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Utah State University scientists.

The scientists found that climate change is already underway and responsible for extreme fire conditions starting in the 1990s, which go beyond normal fluctuations in climate conditions. But there are things that can be done. Besides reducing greenhouse emissions to potentially slow or reverse climate change, investing in more brush clearing and firefighting capacity is critical.

November 9,2015 (San Diego's East County)--East County Magazine founded and operates the East County Alert Service, which provides wildfire and other emergency alerts free via e-mail and Twitter.  You can sign up for our alerts  here:  http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/wild-fire-alerts .  Major alerts are posted also on East County Magazine’s Facebook Page.

We’ve recently learned about additional sources of information during local emergencies and other incidents of interest. The East County Emergency Updates page on Facebook (no relation to East County Alerts) is run by Santee resident Tina Nunez as a resource for East County and surrounding areas to help protect safety and well being of those in our communities and our neighbors.  Her site can be a helpful adjunct to our own alerts during developing situations in our region. In addition, the Brush Fire Partyline on Facebook includes timely posts on emergencies in our region.

Source: CAL FIRE

November 9, 2015 (San Diego)--Members of CAL FIRE Firefighters, along with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, will celebrate their 61-year partnership and kick off the fire fighters' annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to benefit children and adults affected by muscle disease throughout the San Diego area.

More than 300 members of CAL FIRE will fan out across San Diego County with boots in hand for this year’s drive during the week of November 9 through 13^th at intersections throughout the San Diego region.

East County News Service

November 8, 2015 (Sacramento) – California’s Secretary of State has approved signature gathering for a ballot initiative that if approved by voters, would end private utility corporations such as San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric.

Under the measure, the state would buy out the companies and operate a publicly owned California Electrical Utility District that would set electricity rates, build infrastructure and provide power. Bonds or taxes could be levied to fund costs. The measure’s backer, Ben Davis Jr., contends the state can provide power at lower rates for California customers and notes that nationwide, public utilities have 15% lower rates on average than privately owned utilities.

By Tommy Tidrow

November 8, 2015 (Washington D. C.) – New House Speaker Paul Ryan and his friends in Congress (most of whom have signed the Republican operative Grover Norquist’s “No New Taxes” pledge) have come up with a plan to fund a highway bill by privatizing the part of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tasked with collecting back taxes from individuals who owe as little as $200 dollars in unpaid income tax. 

The measure would have private collection agencies act on behalf of the government to collect delinquent taxes.  These are the people who have been sued for predatory practices, harassment and misrepresentation for years.    

These debt collectors will not be going after billionaires and corporations who put $150,000,000,000 Billion dollars in off-shore tax havens like the Cayman Islands.  Nor will there be any reform to the tax code that allows giant corporations like General Electric to pay no taxes at all.

By Robert Gehr © 2015

November 6, 2015 (El Cajon ) -- The annual Mother Goose Parade is nearly upon us, still going strong after nearly 70 years. This very popular event began in 1947 and some changes this year should breathe new life into this fantastic family attraction. This year, the parade shifts to a Saturday,  Nov. 21^st starting at 10 a.m.

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The 45-day review period for public comments on proposed changes to the County’s Tiered Winery Ordinance ends November 23^rd. 

In 2010, Supervisors established a Tiered Winery Ordinance. A key component of it was creation of a Boutique Winery tier, which allowed for tasting rooms in conjunction with ongoing agricultural vineyard operations. Since its adoption, a number of issues have arisen that affect implementation of the ordinance. Planning & Development Services (PDS) held workshops on January 17, 2014 and July 1, 2015  to gather information and comments to utilize in formulating the proposed amendments to the Tiered Winery Ordinance. See our prior coverage of the July hearing here, when some wineries voiced alarm over proposals they feared could put some wineries out of business, while others voiced support for suggestions such as limiting food offerings and sharply restricting entertaining at smaller wineries. 

One set of stakeholders whose voices have been largely ignored thus far have been consumers--the wine tasting public who may want to weigh in on whether they want to hear music at weekend wine tastings or be able to savor food along with wine when visiting local wineries. 

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (Ramona) – One of East County’s most unique holiday traditions is Pomegranate Days at the Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona. 

Instead of battling crowds at the mall on the post-Thanksgiving weekend, why not head up to the Pomegranate Festival to enjoy feeding pomegranates to camels, camel rides for kids 3-14 (just print the coupon below)  watching a turkey stampede  (as seen at the county fair),  tropical bird show, and this year, circus performers as the high-flying McCandles family brings their aerial show to the site.

You can also buy holiday gift items such as a new product this year, Camel Milk Bath Bombs. Owners claim, “Cleopatra herself never had such a luxurious milk bath!”

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (La Mesa) – A man armed with a rifle similar to an assault weapon entered the AM/PM gas station at 3775 Massachusetts Avenue in La Mesa at 1:25 a.m. and demanded cash.  After the clerk turned over money, the suspect left on foot and was last seen running eastbound on Waite Drive, according to La Mesa Police.

Officers from La Mesa Police Department searched the surrounding areas with assistance from the San Diego Police Department helicopter ABLE and a San Diego Sheriff’s Department canine team, but were unable to locate the suspect.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male adult in his 20s, approximately 5’9” tall, with a thin build. He was wearing a blue and gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a baseball cap. The suspect also wore dark sunglasses and had the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head.

Casa de Oro Youth and Residents Seek Answers

November 6, 2015 (Casa do Oro) -- Efforts of local teens with the East County Youth Coalition have spurred action with residents and business owners in Casa de Oro. What started as a neighborhood assessment of 12 of the19 licensed alcohol businesses  on Campo Road by the teens has led to questions by community members. They want to know why businesses and property owners are not meeting business standards related to advertising, trash, graffiti and loitering.

The diverse group met for the first time late September. Now they are closely examining options for improving their community’s quality of life. Another meeting is planned for Thursday, November 12 at 6 p.m in the Casa de Oro Library.

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (San Diego) – On November 3^rd, the  utility fraud attorneys at Aguirre & Severson  filed an action in Superior Court seeking to prevent construction of  the world’s first beach-front nuclear waste dump at San Onofre, or what critics call the “most irresponsible nuclear dump ever,” according to a press release issued by the attorneys, who filed the suit on behalf of Citizens Oversight.

The California Coastal Commission is chartered to protect our state’s coastal resources. But on October 6 approved the dump just 100 feet from the beach near San Onofre State Park in San Diego County to hold nuclear waste that remains toxic for thousands of years. Wastes would be stored in thin-walled steel casks guaranteed by the manufacturer to last only 10 years, though the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved them for up to 20 years of use. Salt water spray soaking casks could result in even earlier corrosion, yet there is no plan to remove casks even after 20 years. By then, the casks, each weighing 400,000 pounds, are apt to have degraded to the point where moving them safely would be nearly impossible, a press release issued by plantiff's attorneys contends.

Attorney Mike Aguirre called the Coastal Commission’s unanimous vote “an outrageous departure from its chartered responsibilities and the California Coastal Act,” adding, “We want the court to revoke Southern California Edison’s permit to pollute, and force Edison to find a safer location.”  The suit seeks revocation of the permit for the dump.

East County News Service

Photo by Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin, courtesy United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

November 7, 2015 (Washington D.C.) –A live webcast will be streamed Monday, November 9 at 3:30 p.m. at  http://ushmm.org/webcast-iraq as part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibition, “Our Walls Bear Witness: Iraqi Minorities in Peril."

Building-size images will be projected on the exterior of the muesum’s walls at night from Nov. 9-12 during FotoWeekDC 2015. These imaes will depict the Yezidi people and other ethnic and religious minorities who have been targeted by the self-proclaimed Islamic State in northern Iraq. The opening-night public program will include a panel of experts who will discuss the mass atrocities in the Ninewa province of Iraq and the plight of ethnic and religious minorities.

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (Spring Valley)--A community meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Casa De Oro Library community room, 9805 Campo Road, Suite 180 in Spring Valley.  The Institute for Public Strategies will provide a presentation on alcohol licenses in the area and share information on other community issues, with opportunities for your input.

This will be the third in a series of community meetings.