Photos by Ron Logan, Miriam Raftery, and Merton Gaudette
March 10, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Candy Jenkins was looking forward to seeing environmental evidence presented to a federal judge in San Diego on Monday. “I live on El Capitan Mountain,” said the Lakeside resident, who alleges that SDG&E is building Sunrise Powerlink towers only 2,000 feet from an eagles’ nest. She has photos, and says the eagles are tagged and the locations documented by the County. “Towers weren’t supposed to be within 4,000 feet,” she said. “We’re bringing this out today in court.”
Told by this reporter that the hearing had been cancelled because Judge Michael Anello announced that he will be ruling on the written record only, Jenkins expressed shock. “It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “Whatever happened to democracy in America?”
March 10, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) --ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views.
Top global and national news stories include:
• Saudi Arabia police open fire at protest in Quatif (BBC)
• Wisconsin Gov. bypasses Legislature, cuts collective bargaining
• Iran’s Rafsanjani ousted as head of state
• Damaging boulder auctioned for charity
• One dead as Muslims, Christians clash in Cairo
March 9, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- You just never know what you might encounter on the trails in East County! Photographer Daren Sefcek headed out to the Anza-Borrego Desert to take photos of wildflowers in bloom--and captured a close-up of this yellow-backed spiny lizard on the trail.
March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) --After a courageous battle with cancer complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Richard “Rick” Allen Smith, 67, passed away peacefully at his home in Lakeside on February 18th. He held leadership positions on Lakeside's fire and planning boards, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations.
“His dedication to the community of Lakeside will have a lasting affect for many years to come and his experience and wisdom will be sorely missed by all who knew him," said his daughter-in-law, Michelle Dimsey. "He maintained his trademark sense of humor and “can do attitude” all the way to the end.”
March 9, 2011 (Anza-Borrego) -- The rains have come and gone, leaving fresh air and sunshine to blanket the majesty of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego Desert Park Foundation invites you to spring into action with activities to fulfill your sense of wonder and appreciation for the park.
March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) – San Diego River Park Foundation and Family Kayak Adventure Center invite you on a guided tour of East County’s El Capitan Reservoir, one of the only places where you can kayak on the San Diego River.
Cost is $50 for adults, $35 for children and includes kayak, paddles, life vest, basic instruction, lake entrance fee, guide and a light lunch. The event launches on Sunday, March 13 from 9-11 a.m., with lunch to follow.
March 10, 2011 (Alpine) – A gardener working behind Alpine Pizza and Pasta in the vicinity of Alpine Blvd. and Arnold Way yesterday shortly before 10 a.m. was attacked by an "aggressive" swarm of bees and stung repeatedly on the head and neck, Alpine Fire Chief Bill Paskle reports.
School was in session Saturday morning at Granite Hills High School, as over 300 middle school students and around 100 Granite Hills students took part in S.T.I.N.G. (Student Teachers Igniting The Next Generation), where classes were created and instructed by the participating Granite Hills juniors and seniors.
The brainchild of Granite Hills senior, Andy Keller- who modeled the event after the SPLASH programs at MIT, Stanford, and University of Chicago (where college students teach high school students), S.T.I.N.G. aimed to “instill a love of learning for a lifetime.”
March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) -- Lakeside Fire Department responded to a reported multi-family residential structure fire at 8810 Winter Gardens Blvd at 38 minutes past midnight. Units from El Cajon and Santee also responded, along with medics. Heartland Fire Dispatch reported to the responding units en route that the fire was located in the storage units in front of the Mountain View apartments.
March 10, 2011 (Lemon Grove) –Three people were stabbed at the Sportsman’s Pub in Lemon Grove last night at 11:22 p.m. According to Sgt. William Hout with the San Diego Sheriff’s substation in Lemon Grove, two are in critical condition and the third victim is in serious condition.
March 10, 2011 (San Diego) - Steve Fisher, San Diego State men’s basketball head coach, has earned Mountain West Conference co-coach-of-the-year accolades, the league announced Monday. Fisher, in his 12th season at SDSU and 20th overall, garners his first-ever conference coach-of-the-year award and shares it with Brigham Young’s Dave Rose.
Fisher led the Aztecs to a share of the Mountain West regular-season title with a record of 14-2. He was previously named national coach of the year in 1992.
March 10, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) --On a serious-meets-funny note, Rep Duncan Hunter Jr's (R- El Cajon) newly-submitted "Life at Conception" bill, HR 374, would grant citizenship rights to pre-born human beings -- that is, from moment of conception, rather than at birth.
March 9, 2011 (El Cajon)--The 2011 season of the Cajon Classic Cruise has added additional shows, theme nights and will start a month earlier than previously announced.
March 9, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego-based Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar project, currently the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the U.S., has been awarded “Solar Project of the Year” by Renewable Energy World as part of the 2011 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards.
March 9, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Census data released yesterday shows California’s population grew 10% over the past decade. The public now has an opportunity to voice opinions on how districts should be redrawn for state legislative, county supervisorial, and city council districts. View census data at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/
March 9, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--Do you do any upper body exercises on your dog walk? If you are like most people, you either run or walk with your dog,which is a great lower body workout but what about the upper body?
March 8, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid and Santee Mayor Randy Voepel on Friday crowned winners of the cities' 2011 pageants, a glamourous tradition since the late 1960s.
Miss La Mesa Katie Martin, Miss La Mesa Teen Monica Popp, Miss Santee Maria Maes and Miss Santee Teen Savannah Keener were formally presented with their crowns.
March 7, 2011 (Santee) –Golden lights glowed from the interiors of floating and waterfront cabins at Santee Lakes--cozy havens which will soon be accommodating overnight guests. I took a sneak-preview stroll along Lake 7 at twilight—witnessing the transformation from daytime to nightfall in the campground.
March 8, 2011 (Rancho Jamul) – Rangers at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Rancho Jamul invite you to join in an easy to moderate “”Discover Wildflowers” hike with a U.S. Fish & Wildlife service ranger, featuring native plant experts from RECON Environmental Inc. The hike will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 9-10:30 a.m.
March 8, 2011 (San Diego)—Young actors ages 6 to 18 are invited to audition for an upcoming musical production of The Sound of Music. Young actors will find plenty of opportunities to learn their craft and dazzle onstage,” a press release on the auditions states. Scholarships are available. Everyone who auditions will be in the show!
Auditions will be held Thursday, March 17 from 4-8 p.m. at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Ave., San Diego. Scroll down for details on the show and auditions.
March 8, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- The following local, state and national education news items are excerpted from a very informative e-newsletter published by Doug Deane, chair of the Business Education Committee at the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce.
Our picks for Deane’s top education stories from the latest issue include:
Mother says Madrid police indicate son may have been drugged, Sacramento Bee reports
March 8, 2011 (San Diego) – The body of Austin Taylor Bice, a San Diego State University exchange student studying abroad in Spain, has been found in the Manzaneres River near the Spanish nightclub where he was last seen February 25th, SDSU’s news center announced today.
“The San Diego State campus is saddened byt his tragic news which confirms our worst fears,” SDSU president Stephen Weber said in a prepared statement. “Our thoughts this morning are with Austin’s family and friends who have our deepest sympathies.”
March 7, 2011 (El Cajon) – A fire at a home located at 154 N. Westwind Drive in El Cajon last night caused $75,000 to $100,000 in damage, displacing three men and causing minor injury to one.
“Upon investigation, it was found that the tenants of the home had been using propane gas inside the home for lighting and heat since the electrical power had been turned off to the house,” a press release from Heartland Fire & Rescue stated. “One of the tenants, while attempting to transfer propane to smaller containers, accidentally set off the blaze.”
March 8, 2011 (San Diego) – Ignacio Manriques Sanchez, 73, was struck and killed while riding his bicycle Sunday at 7:31 a.m. The victim was pedaling westbound in the 8200 block of Skyline Drive in the Jamacha/Lomita area when a woman driving a Dodge Caravan in the same direction struck the cyclist, according to San Diego Police Officer J. Jacobsen.
March 8, 2011 (Sacramento)-- Assemblymember Marty Block (D-Lemon Grove) announced today that his legislation to provide a tax exemption benefit to widows or widowers of disabled veterans has cleared the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee by a unanimous vote.
“AB 188 would correct an error that currently prevents surviving spouses of disabled veterans who move to assisted living facilities for health reasons from qualifying for a property tax exemption afforded to their spouse,” said Block, who represents the 78th Assembly District.
TOKYO FLOODED BY TSUNAMI
lleges that SDG&E is building Sunrise Powerlink towers only 2,000 feet from an eagles’ nest. She has photos, and says the eagles are tagged and the locations documented by the County. “Towers weren’t supposed to be within 4,000 feet,” she said. “We’re bringing this out today in court.”
March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) – San Diego River Park Foundation and Family Kayak Adventure Center invite you on a guided tour of East County’s El Capitan Reservoir, one of the only places where you can kayak on the San Diego River.
March 10, 2011 (Lakeside) -- Lakeside Fire Department responded to a reported multi-family residential structure fire at 8810 Winter Gardens Blvd at 38 minutes past midnight. Units from El Cajon and Santee also responded, along with medics. Heartland Fire Dispatch reported to the responding units en route that the fire was located in the storage units in front of the Mountain View apartments.
March 10, 2011 (Lemon Grove) –Three people were stabbed at the Sportsman’s Pub in Lemon Grove last night at 11:22 p.m. According to Sgt. William Hout with the San Diego Sheriff’s substation in Lemon Grove, two are in critical condition and the third victim is in serious condition.
March 10, 2011 (San Diego) - Steve Fisher, San Diego State men’s basketball head coach, has earned Mountain West Conference co-coach-of-the-year accolades, the league announced Monday. Fisher, in his 12th season at SDSU and 20th overall, garners his first-ever conference coach-of-the-year award and shares it with Brigham Young’s Dave Rose. 
By Mike Copass
March 9, 2011 (El Cajon)--The 2011 season of the Cajon Classic Cruise has added additional shows, theme nights and will start a month earlier than previously announced.
Kids and adults are encouraged to enter photos by April 15 deadline
March 9, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Census data released yesterday shows California’s population grew 10% over the past decade. The public now has an opportunity to voice opinions on how districts should be redrawn for state legislative, county supervisorial, and city council districts. View census data at 
Story and photos by Miriam Raftery
March 8, 2011 (San Diego)—Young actors ages 6 to 18 are invited to audition for an upcoming musical production of The Sound of Music. Young actors will find plenty of opportunities to learn their craft and dazzle onstage,” a press release on the auditions states. Scholarships are available. Everyone who auditions will be in the show!
March 8, 2011 (Sacramento)-- Assemblymember Marty Block (D-Lemon Grove) announced today that his legislation to provide a tax exemption benefit to widows or widowers of disabled veterans has cleared the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee by a unanimous vote.
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