Source: goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 8, 2018 (Berkeley) - Justice Sueing scored a season-high 23 points, Paris Austin added 15, and California rallied to defeat San Diego State 89-83 on Saturday night.

Copyright 2018 by Sam Warren

“Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the backyard and shot it.”  —Truman Capote 

December 8, 2018 (San Diego) – From a writers’ and editors’ holiday potluck party to author book signings, writing classes and library events, there’s a lot happening in our local literary community.

CLICK TO SCROLL DOWN FOR A LIST OF BOOK EVENTS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Robert Gehr, left:  El Cajon Library closed temporarily due to flooding.

December 7, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Storms over the past two days brought much needed rain to our region, up to 3 inches in some areas.  But the downpour also causing flash flooding in many areas.

Several cars became caught up in rushing water up to four feet in southeast county, where major flooding occurred on Otay Lakes Road by Pio Pico RV Park and also on Highway 94 between the Jamul Casino and Jamul Estates.  Jan Hedlun, a motorist delayed due to the flooding, says  that 45 minutes after Cal Trans closed the highway, “There was no one directing traffic or telling stranded travelers to turn around and find another way home, as there has been during priori events. “No signs were being posted to prevent people from coming down Highway 94.” She asks why CHP or Border Patrol agents were not brought in to assist and why funding has not been allocated to fix the roads/drainage in these two recurring trouble spots.

In El Cajon, the County Library is closed today due to damage inside caused by flooding. 

Thunder, lightning and power outages also occurred across the region due to the storm.

East County News Service

December 7, 2018 (La Mesa) -- Picture it – a horse-pulled wagon filled with carolers young and old making its way through suburban streets as the neighbors call out Christmas greetings.  It’s the annual Hayride and Chili Dog Dinner at The Table: United Church of Christ of La Mesa, 5940 Kelton Avenue, La Mesa 91942.

December 6, 2018 (San Diego) -- The National Weather Service has issued flash flood watchings, warnings and advisories across our region. A flash flood warning, the most severe alert, is in effect now through 8:30 p.m. for  Chula Vista, Descanso, El Cajon, National City, La Mesa, Poway, Imperial Beach, Ramona, Coronado, Alpine , portions of the San Diego city  limits, and Mission Valley.  An advisory is in effect for a broader area spanning the entire county from coasts to deserts.

Thunderstorms are producing heavy rain across the warned area.  A half to nearly an inch of rain has already fallen with another inch or more expected. 

Do not attempt to drive across a flooded roadway and stay indoors during thunder and lightning.

December 6, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) --- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a  variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Michael Cohen's Trump Tower revelation could implicate Trump in a bribery scheme involving Russia (NBC News)
• Trump presidency could hinge on whether he knew of plan to give $50 million penthouse gift to Putin (USA Today)
• Mueller: Flynn gave ‘substantial assistance’ to probe, deserves little to no prison (Politico)
• Attorneys General Drop Subpoenas on Trump Organization, Fed Agencies (Courthouse News)
• Nation bids goodbye to Bush with high praise, cannons, humor (AP)
• George H.W. Bush's Oval Office note revealed who he truly was (Jewish World Review)
• Senators accuse Saudi crown prince of complicity in Khashoggi murder (Washington Post)
• Aftershocks rattle cleanup efforts after powerful Alaskan earthquake  (Reuters)
•  Six charts on the immigrants who call the U.S. home (BBC)

WORLD

• A new president takes power in Mexico (Medium)
• Mexico's new president announces US migration deal - and thanks 'friend Jeremy Corbyn' for attending ceremony (UK Telegraph)
• France considers ‘all options’ to quell violent protests (CNN)
• Special Report: How Iran spreads disinformation around the world (Reuters)
• Ukraine bars entry to Russian men of combat age, EU sees renewal of sanctions on Russia (Reuters)

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

You're invited to our Holiday Party!

‘Tis the season to be jolly! Join East County Magazine, East County Wildfire & Eergency Alerts and the East County Dining Club at our

Feasting & Merrymaking Holiday Party

Sunday, December 16th, from 3-7 p.m.

at our editor's Mt. Helix home: 4438 Hideaway Place, La Mesa 91941

• Kaleidoscope Carolers

• Guitarist/vocalist Paul Nichols

• Holiday feast

• Prizes galore

• Meet the media and community VIPs

Tickets in advance: $15 and bring a dish to share ($20 at the door)

(Volunteers and staff are comped free.)

All others, please buy tickets online:

Number of Tickets

Be sure to RSVP! (619)698-7617 or editor@eastcountymagazine.org and please let us know if you’ll bring an appetizer, main dish, side dish, desert or sealed beverage

Our party is open to all East County Magazine or wildfire alert subscribers, dining club members,  their guests and our friends.  You can subscribe FREE at the top right side of our homepage.

Giveaways:  All guests will receive pass for a child 10 or under to the American Crown Circus performance in January in Chula Vista, plus free certificate for skincare dermabrasian treatment at Alvarado Skincare Institute in La Mesa. 

Raffle: Prizes include restaurant gift certificates, spa/skincare gift certificates, children's books, wine lover's basket, jewelry, hand-knitted scarves, candy and more!

Thanks to our sponsors: American Crown Circus, California Coat Credit Union, Red Lobster, Giardino, Alvarado Institute of Skin Care, Julian Wine and Chocolate, Barnes and Noble, Julian Weaving Works, Gypsy Treasures and more to come.

Invite your friends and family-the more, the merrier!

Source: City of El Cajon

Photo:  Community Garden at Little House

December 6, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon is currently underway with the development of a Climate Action Plan, a policy document intended to establish the City’s sustainable strategies. Identifying sustainable strategies for the City is a way to establish standards that can help improve El Cajon’s quality of life. 

December 6, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Woman gives birth using womb transplanted from deaddonor (Guardian)
• Changes In Brain Scans Seen After A Single Season Of Football For Young Players (NPR) 
• Measles resurgence 'due to vaccine hesitancy', WHO warns (BBC) 
• Who owns your medical data? Most likely not you (Jewish World Review) 
• Millions flock to free tests as Egypt seeks to eradicate hepatitis C (Reuters)  

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Plot twist: Mitochondrial DNA can come from both parents (Ars Technica)
• Marriott's Starwood database hacked, 500 million may be affected (Reuters)
• Scientists to swap dusty old kilogram for something more stable (Reuters) 
• Unexpectedly Vanishing Quasars Are Mystifying Scientists (Wired)  
•  Earth has two extra, hidden 'moons' (National Geographic)  

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

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Miriam Raftery, Editor, also contributed to this report

Initial public comments deadline is Dec. 19

Hear audio of meeting

December 5, 2018 (Rancho San Diego) -- If a large contingent of residents in Rancho San Diego and Jamul have their say, a proposed sand mine in their community won’t get built. Over 200 residents opposed to a sand mining project that would replace Cottonwood Golf Course on Willow Glen Road engulfed the meeting room at the Rancho San Diego Library last week, overflowing into the lobby and onto a patio. 

Public comments and a petition

Initial public comments are being accepted until December 19^th by the County’s Land Use Environmental Planner, Bronwyn Brown, at Bronwyn.Brown@sdcounty.ca.gov as part of the official scoping process.

Barry Jantz, spokesperson for the opposition, told the crowd that a petition to gather signatures against the project is available for printing and circulating at the website www.StopCottonwoodSandMine.com. The group circulated a flyer and asked that petitions be submitted to the Stop Cottonwood Group by December 15th.

By Mike Allen

December 5, 2018 (Santee) -- Santee’s Mast Park, the city’s oldest and most used park, is getting a facelift that will retain current features but create some new amenities intended to make it even more family-friendly.

The nearly 50-year old park, where city leaders and other government officials gathered Dec. 4 for a ceremonial groundbreaking, was due for an upgrade; plans to do so have been on the books since 2011.

By Miriam Raftery

December 4, 2018 (El Cajon) – Following news reports that a shelter for immigrant children in El Cajon failed to report several runaway youths to state authorities, the El Cajon City Council will add a discussion of the problems to the Council’s agenda at its December 11^th meeting.

The facility run by Southwest Key houses primarily unaccompanied minors but also some children separated from parents at the international border.

East County News Service

December 4, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – The 11th annual San Diego Pottery tour will be held this weekend, December 8th and 9th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Nine studios are on the tour, including several in East County.  See list below, and for details, visit http://www.sdpotterytour.com/.

Company seeks to have Commission approval to remove charge prior to next summer  

Source: SDG&E

December 4, 2018 (San Diego)  – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to eliminate the state-mandated high usage charge, which impacted more than 105,000 customers this past summer. Eliminating the charge for high energy users would minimize bill spikes during months when energy usage is high. 

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 4, 2018 (San Diego) - San Diego State water polo head coach Carin Crawford has announced the signing of three players to National Letters Intent. Joining the Aztecs for the 2020 season will be center Jordan Duggan (Santa Barbara, Calif.), utility Katie Ratcliff (El Cajon, Calif) and goalkeeper Hannah McCarley (Riverside, Calif.).