August 28, 2013 (Ramona) – The Olde Ramona Hotel Gallery is getting ready for its 24th Annual Fine Art Show.  Artists are encouraged to participate in the show and entries are due September 26 through 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 845 Main St., Ramona.  There is a maximum of three entries per artist.  Categories include: oil/acrylic, watercolor/watermedia, photography/computer art and other (collage, pen & ink, pastels, sculpture, graphics, other media.

August 28, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Man who killed SDSU administrator sentenced (10 News)
• Padre Dam Board approves full advanced water treatment demonstration project  ( Padre Dam Municipal Water District)
• Cleaning up the Sunroad Mess (Voice of San Diego)
• Parks worker to file claim against Filner (U-T San Diego)
• Domestic violence aide accuses Filner (U-T SanDiego)
• Is Filner settlement a good deal?  (by Barry Jantz, SD Rostra)
• AG’s Office: Criminal Probe Into Filner Under Way (Voice of San Diego)
• Filner wasn’t the only mayoral candidate with sexual issue (Voice of San Diego)
• Helix Water to raise rates for two years (U-T)
• Brett Anderson: DNA tests 'ridiculous' (U-T)
• Calif. girl: I texted with kidnapper, didn't call(U-T)
• Nuclear waste pools under scrutiny (U-T)
• Assemblyman Jones’ office admits to “minor mistake” on crime-immigration bill (Santee Patch)

STATE

• Yosemite fire keeps growing, threatening giant sequoias (+video)
• Yosemite fire burns area size of Chicago, threatens homes (CNN)
• California Committee Delays Acting On Fracking Regulation Bill (KPBS)
• California governor proposes $315 million plan to ease prison overcrowding(Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click "read more" and scroll down.

August 28, 2013 – The fall series of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase begins in September with 3 East County concerts throughout the month.  The Showcase series offers a variety of San Diego’s best singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers.  The concerts are free to the community.

“Leaders inspire people to reach beyond themselves.”—Former Secretary of State Colin Powell 

By Janis Mork

September 5, 2013 (La Mesa)- More than 500 people gathered at Journey Community Church in La Mesa on August 8 and 9 to watch a videocast of the 10^th annual Global Leadership Summit broadcast from Willow Creek Church in Illinois to over 300 host sites in 100 countries.  Bill Yaccino, Connection and Formation Pastor at Journey Community Church, hosted the event.

By Elena Butler

August 27, 2013 (Sacramento)--Governor Jerry Brown has signed into a law Assembly Bill 817, a bill that will allow appointment of up to five legal residents who are not citizens per jurisidiction  to work at polls on election day.

AB 817 sparked some controversy after it was introduced by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) in February. Bonta’s goal is to increase turnout of eligible voters for whom English has proven to be a barrier that keeps many from exercising their right to vote.

August 27, 2013 (Mt. Laguna) – The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has issued a Boil Water Order and Public Notification for the Mount Laguna El Prado Campground water system located on Sunrise Highway, Mt. Laguna, CA 91948 effective immediately. The water system serves a campground and public restroom.

The drinking water system has tested present for total coliform bacteria and absent for E. coli. Total coliform bacteria can come from soils and other sources in the environment and can indicate a problem with the water supply system. The Boil Water Order was issued to ensure all water used is free from contamination. The Boil Water Order will remain in effect until the distribution system has been disinfected and additional samples confirm the absence of bacteria in the water supply.

August 26, 2013 (La Mesa) – Late Saturday night, La Mesa Police were called to the emergency room at Alvarado Hospital to investigate a stabbing. The victim suffered two stab wounds to his thigh that are not considered life threatening.

The victim reported to police that the stabbing occurred around 8:50 p.m. in the 7500 block of El Cajon Boulevard in La Mesa The victim said he was waiting for a friend to give him a ride when he was approached by two males and a fight ensued over his property. The victim fought back and did not lose his property in the robbery attempt.

By Janis Mork

August  26, 2013 (San Diego) - “Bottom line - we’re all losers if we stay in the political advocacy. We need to get them on our side [and] come up with a political campaign that’s a winning campaign.” – Congressman Patrick Kennedy

Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy spoke in San Diego recently about a new project that began in 2012 called Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana).  

A background on San Diego marijuana issues was addressed followed by Project SAM at the offices of California for Alcohol and Drug Free Use. 

August 26, 2013 (San Diego) – The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors on Thursday said the agency is advancing plans that align with recommendations issued by the San Diego County Grand Jury in its May report, “Reduce Dependence on Imported Water.”

By Janis Mork

August 26, 2013 (El Cajon) - On August 12, Brian Castner, author of  The Long Walk, delivered a speech to faculty and staff at Grossmont College on how to reach out to military veterans.

His book, The Long Walk, tells the story of Castner’s outward struggle of serving in combat and inward struggle to find himself again after he had been home for a couple years.  

By Miriam Raftery

August 25, 2013 (Borrego) --A flash flood watch has been elevated to a flash flood warning today for north and central areas of East County, where heavy rain and flash flooding is occurring.  Heaviest rains are from Shelter Valley north to Borrego Springs, including areas burned by the Vallecito Fire and Banner fire.

Debris flows and flooding are occurring in these areas.  A SIG ALERT has been issued for Highway 78, which has been shut down in the San Felipe/Monument Valley area, where boulders have washed into the roadway.  At Tarantula Wash, one-way traffic controls will remain in effect for several days until roadway repairs can be done, according to the CHP website.

  Campgrounds may be impacted by flash floods and debris flows. Excessive runoff will also cause flooding of small creeks, streams, country roads and farmlands nearby.

A flash flood warning remains in effect for a broader area in our local mountains and deserts.  Monitor the news to learn if this becomes elevated to a flash flood warning, which means flooding is eminent or occurring.

“Today we had the worst flash flooding we have seen in years,” Bob Kutscher, a resident of Borrego Springs on Velite Drive, a main floodway for the Hellhole Canyon watershed wrote in an e-mail to ECM.  Here is a video that he shot of the flash flood on his roadway this afternoon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky2fhdoiHpA.  

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom Abbott

“The hysteria ended up playing into the hands of those who wanted a political coup--the removal of a democratically elected Mayor, purely by rumor and innuendo.” – Mayor Bob Filner

"I have never felt prouder of the people of San Diego." -- Michael Pallamary, leader of the recall effort

"It is time for San Diego to come together. It is time to heal." -- Todd Gloria, who will serve as Interim Mayor until a special election

August 24, 2013—Mayor Bob Filner will step down from office effective at 5 p.m. on Friday August 30, under a deal that will have the City pay limited legal fees to defend Filner against sexual harassment allegations.  Councilman Todd Gloria will serve as interim Mayor and a special election will be held 90 days after the mayoral seat is vacated to fill the seat.

The Mayor apologized for his “personal failings” and to those who have been hurt, but insisted that he believes he will be ultimately cleared of legal wrongdoing and further, contended that he is being forced from office by the city’s power brokers in a “political coup”  based on unproven allegations.  Hear his full resignation speech.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Jim Pelley

August 23, 2013 (Ocotillo ) – It looked like a scene out of the 1930s, when factory-scale farms removed topsoil in the Midwest, creating dust storms that swept across the western states, reducing vast areas to a Dust Bowl.   Is history repeating itself?

Residents of Ocotillo and other desert communities across the Southwest have recently voiced worries that industrial-scale wind and solar projects that stripped bare the earth would cause dust storms.  Yesterday, a monster-scale dust  cloud rolled across Ocotillo, blackening the sky and obscuring even the wind turbines that tower 500 feet above the town.

By Miriam RAftery

Photos by Richard Campbell and Billy Ortiz

August 23, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--A tropical storm system has moved into our area, bringing thundershowers, humid weather and dramatic lightning displays across East County’s mountain areas .The storm system is expected to weaken Saturday, but more thunderstorms and lightning are forecast Sunday through Tuesday across East County’s mountain and desert areas.   (View video of lightning  over Descanso on the Brush Fire Partyline’s Facebook Page)

In addition, a blowing dust warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for desert areas in San Diego and Imperial Counties.