August 18, 2012 (El Cajon) -- August 26 is known as Women’s Equality Day. On that date in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was signed, giving women the right to vote.
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From Fire Chief Sam DiGiovannaEast County Magazine’s “In-House Fire Chief”
August 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- School is starting to begin for many of our districts. It’s important to use extra caution while driving as excited students will be walking, bicycling, driving, riding buses so excited and may not be paying attention while traveling to school and back home. Here are some safety reminders:
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
By Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine’s in-house Fire Chief
August 16, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Below is a checklist of documents that are commonly lost in a fire. Under the type of document is the institution or agency to contact for a replacement. Do not forget to take any medications.
If you are asked to evacuate, please do so immediately… Don’t become part of the existing problem!
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
August 14, 2012 (San Diego) -- Up until presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney named Wisconsin Congressmember Paul Ryan as his running mate on August 10, the safe bet seemed to be that Romney was going to base his general-election strategy on “a referendum, not a choice.” For one thing, that’s Politics 101: as pioneering American political scientist V. O. Key said in the 1960’s, Americans vote on issues but “retrospectively and negatively.”
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August 11, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Each year, Social Security announces the top baby names for boys and girls, based on Social Security card applications for babies born in the previous year. If you have children or you’re friends or relatives with those who do, chances are you might know a few babies with the “in” names.
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
August 9, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- Dear EarthTalk: What ever happened to the idea of turning Mt. St. Helens into a national park?
-- Esther Monaghan, Boston, MA
Mt. St. Helens, one of the less prominent yet massive peaks of Washington State’s Cascade Range, made history on May 18, 1980 by erupting with the force of 500 atomic bombs, devastating 230 square miles of formerly verdant forest and killing 57 people.
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August 8, 2012 (Lake Jennings)--I am going to make an assumption here, but I believe that the Hummingbird is everyone’s favorite backyard bird.
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By Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine In House Fire Chief
August 8, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--As spring and summer time calls people and snakes alike to the outdoors, encounters with snakes become inevitable. California has a variety of snakes, most of which are benign. The exception is California’s only native venomous snake - the rattlesnake.
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August 5, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Millions of Americans are following the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. The last time swimmer Michael Phelps competed, he brought home more gold medals at one time than anyone in the history of the Olympics. This week, he collected the 18th gold medal of his career.
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August 1, 2012 -- Dear EarthTalk: I couldn’t believe my ears: “genetically engineered mosquitoes?” Why on Earth would they be created? And I understand there are plans to release them into the wild?
-- Marissa Abingdon, Sumter, SC
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July 31, 2012 (San Diego)--The big news recently for San Diego County veterans was both expected and relieving.
The Aspire Center, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ proposed 40-bed medical facility in Old Town, finally won approval. Local veterans suffering mental and emotional wounds after their service will finally have a place of their own to recuperate under the best care available.
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East County Magazine In House Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna
July 30, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Though right now we are concerned of the high fire danger it’s important to remember disasters both natural and manmade can strike at any given time according to Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna of East County Magazine.
This checklist (whether at home or work) should help you prepare for most any emergency says DiGiovanna. Don’t wait until it’s too late!
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July 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –This week’s hot topics from the real estate trenches are:
1- Scam of the week
2- Proposed "Good Faith Estimate Disclosure"
3- New Real Estate Laws
4- Free Light Fixtures
5- Current Mortgage Rates
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July 26, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Though a power outage can occur from a simple malfunction in the system, human error or a traffic accident involving a power pole. Keep in mind, this is the time of year when it is important to prepare for power outages. Excessive heat warning may cause utility companies to issue “rolling brown outs.” The summer monsoon season can bring electrical storms causing power disruptions. Most importantly as we approach Fall, the Santa Ana Winds bring a multitude of threats such as wildfires, but also power outages from downed powerlines. A power outage can be extremely annoying and inconvenient, but it won't be a horrible experience if you're prepared for the worst.
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July 26, 2012 (San Diego) -- Dear EarthTalk: I was appalled by the pollution haze I saw on a recent visit to Acadia National Park in Maine, and was told by a ranger that it was from smokestacks and tailpipes hundreds of miles away. Is anything being done to clear the air in Acadia and other natural areas where people go to breathe fresh air and enjoy distant unobstructed views? -- Betty Estason, via e-mail
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July 24, 2012 (El Cajon)--An abundance of my childhood memories are focused around food. One memory that stands out is sitting at a black and yellow booth, hot breadsticks in hand, at Pat and Oscars. This restaurant held memories of family dinners, or friendly lunches, so I was devastated when these restaurants closed. Now,with great joy I bring good news: the chain has been transformed into a delectable combination of new and old, a twist of familiarity and contemporary design, reopening as O’s American Kitchen.
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July 24, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Dear EarthTalk: Has an alternative to air conditioning to keep rooms cool been invented that is significantly cheaper and/or that uses significantly less energy than traditional air conditioning?
-- Ashutosh Saxena, Allahabad, India
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July 23, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- Skylar is a stunning pure white beautiful, spayed female husky with bright baby blue eyes. She is being professionally trained and is spending her training in social situations with dogs and children. The new owners to this beautiful husky will come equipped with training. Skylar is a pup who wants to be next to her owner, but needs an owner who can be a strong, active leader. Skylar is great with anything her master wants, as long as her master has established the dominant role. Strict yet loving rules must be given.
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July 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s topics include:
1) Meat consumption, health and the environment
2) Challenging Canada's Prime Minister's efforts to weaken environmental protections
Dear EarthTalk: We’ve been hearing for years how producing red meat is bad for the environment while consuming it is bad for our health. How do other types of meat, fish, dairy and vegetable proteins stack up in terms of environmental and health impacts? -- Julia Saperstein, via e-mail
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By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--The hot weather is among us and many of us will (or already have) head for the water… Pools, lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relief from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take the proper precautions. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning. And most drownings occur in home swimming pools. It is the second leading cause of accidental death for people between the ages of 5 and 24.
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July 21, 2012 ( San Diego) -- With numbing regularity the Defense Department rolls out another report on heartbreakingly high rates of troop suicides.
Lately the numbers grow worse just when you think they should turn better. The military counted 154 suicides in the first 155 days of the year.
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July 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- One war is over while another winds down.
A more important fight looms at home.
I’m not talking about troops wrestling with Post-Traumatic Stress, but battling unscrupulous predators mining GI Bill gold while delivering nothing but penniless pockets and sour futures.
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Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine “In-House” Fire Chief
July 18, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--We are in our summer “monsoon season” which can quickly and unexpectedly bring flash floods.More people lose their LIVES in floods than in any other weather-related event. 80% of flood deaths occur in vehicles, and most happen when drivers make a single, fatal mistake - trying to navigate through flood waters.
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Last week, after a morning of all work and no play, my editor and I craved escape from the heat wave --and more importantly a bite to eat.
We headed into the heart of El Cajon to the aptly titled Downtown Café.We found welcome relief from the sweltering heat as we swung open doors and stepped into the Downtown Café, a bold corner centerpiece of Main Street rich with vintage flair and historic ambience.
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July 14, 2012 (New York)-- Barack Obama's July 9 announcement that he would extend the Bush tax cuts for income below $250,000 prompted Republican politicians and presidential candidate Mitt Romney to claim the policy is a tax increase on small businesses."
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July 13, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –This week in the real estate trenches, we bring you some “big picture” news of landmark state legislation and a major federal court case settlement, both of which have major ramifications for our local real estate market, lenders and consumers. We also include some local news highlights of interest to the East County real estate community.
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By Brian Lafferty
By Brian Lafferty
By Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine’s in-house Fire Chief
By Mark Gabrish Conlan
By Greg Dunne
By Sam DiGiovanna, East County Magazine In House Fire Chief
By Charlotte Reed, Realtor, SRES, CRS
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