SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING PARTY

ATMOSPHERIC RIVER TO DRENCH REGION OVER EASTER WEEKEND

GROSSMONT HIGH SCHOOL BOARD SLASHES STAFFING, OVER OBJECTIONS OF VOCAL CROWD

CONSUMER ALERT FOR SAFELY FILING YOUR TAXES

VIEW OUR INTERVIEW: LA MESA ACTIVISTS OBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL BANNING REMOTE PARTICIPATION

WINTER STORM WARNING

EASTER BRUNCH AND EGG HUNT MARCH 30 IN EL CAJON

BIA SAN DIEGO PARTNERS WITH WORKFORCECONNECT TO UTILIZE JOBS PLATFORM, WHILE ADDRESSING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WORKFORCE SHORTAGE

RECENT FIRE DEATHS HEIGHTEN CALLS FOR FIRE PROTECTION BALLOT MEASURE IN SANTEE

MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK COMMUNITY NIGHT SLATED FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 4

COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND TANYA TUCKER LIVE AT THE MAGNOLIA MAY 19

UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS SHOW FLIPS IN TWO KEY RACES HOLDING

EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS

December 19, 2012 -- (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

STATE

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

EDUCATION TOUR: DECEMBER CHECKLIST FOR SENIORS

 

Education News and Notes

By Anat Tour, math teacher and children’s author/illustrator

December 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--December is a busy time for the holidays, but if you are a high school senior this is the season to get your college checklist in order.

In addition, here are my picks for this month’s top stories of interest to local students, teachers, and parents:

READER’S EDITORIAL: REFLECTIONS ON THE SANDY HOOK TRAGEDY

By Nadin Abbott

December 18, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--It's not easy to speak of what happened last week at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut, where a gunman opened fire. It is harder because this is not the first mass shooting, and probably will not be the last. But with the slaughter of 20 innocent children and 6 adults, we might finally hit a tipping point in how we look at guns and our culture.

I come at this not just as a gun owner, but also as a former first responder who saw firsthand what a NATO round or a Warsaw round can do to the human body. Mexico, where I worked with the Red Cross, is a place where these weapons are used regularly by the cartels.

TRAGEDY IN CONNECTICUT SPARKS MEMORIES OF MASS SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN EAST COUNTY

Education professionals and a Granite Hills shooting survivor offer advice for parents and students

By Miriam Raftery (Photo from Facebook memorial page)

December 14, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – News of today’s shooting at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 26 people including 20 children before taking his own life, has triggered strong reactions here in San Diego County, a region that has suffered through numerous school shootings.

“Personally I am very shocked and saddened…I have shed tears,” Fran Zumwalt, a teacher wounded in the 2001 Granite Hills High School shootings, told ECM.  “Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for those who lost loved ones today. No parents should ever lose a child.  I hope all of the citizens of Connecticut can feel the prayers of all of us—for their children, their families and their communities.”

PARADE OF LIGHTS FESTIVAL REFLECTS CENTENNIAL HERITAGE IN EL CAJON

By Miriam Raftery

December 18, 2012 (El Cajon ) – Vintage cars festooned in lights rolled down Main Street in El Cajon last week for the city’s first Parade of Lights.  The celebration continued at Prescott Promenade Park, where members of the San Diego Costume Guild garbed in Victorian attire—as well as some attractive Santa’s helpers, mingled with the crowd, evoking images of Christmas past and present. 

SYCUAN SPONSORS FAMILY HOLIDAY PARTY FOR PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

December 18, 2012 (San Diego)--For the 10th consecutive year, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, owners of the Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, sponsored the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s free annual family holiday party for people with MS, as well as their family members and caregivers. The National MS Society in San Diego said more than 600 people attended the 2012 event held on Sunday, Dec. 9 at the San Diego Community Concourse Golden Hall in Downtown San Diego. The holiday party featured a brunch, entertainment and gifts for children delivered by one of Santa’s helpers. Sycuan has sponsored the annual event since 2003.

BAJA CALIFORNIA PLANT FIELD GUIDE, 3RD EDITION, OFFERS A LUSH LOOK AT REGION’S FLORA

Baja California Plant Field Guild: 3rd Edition, by Jon P. Rebman and Norman C. Roberts (Sunbelt Publications, San Diego, California, 2012, 451 pages).

The desert regions of Baja California and Southern California satisfy my need for scientific adventure while providing a sense of excitement towards botany, reverence for nature and its unaltered  beauty, appreciation for the complexity of natural history, and an overall feeling of peace and purpose.  -Jon P. Rebman

Book Review by Dennis Moore                    

December 18, 2012 (San Diego)--Having lived in Baja California for a number of years and traveled all over this beautiful country of Mexico, from Cancun, Cantamar, Rosarito Beach and Tijuana, I have gained a great appreciation of the book written by Jon P. Rebman and Norman C. Roberts; Baja California Plant Field Guild: 3rd Edition.  For those with an interest in the outdoors south of the border, this book, rich with beautiful photographs and descriptions, would make an appealing holiday gift.

DANGEROUS TOY CAN BE LIFE-THREATENING: DUNECRAFT RECALLS WATER BALZ, SKULLS, ORBS AND FLOWER TOYS DUE TO SERIOUS INGESTION HAZARD

Toys expand 400 times in size, causing blockage in intestine if swallowed



December 18, 2012 (Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada today announced a voluntary recall of Water Balz, Growing Skulls, H20 Orbs "Despicable Me" and Fabulous Flowers toys imported by Dunecraft, Inc.

About 94,700 of the toys have been sold in the U.S. at major retail stores, internet sites and other locations, as well as 600 sold in Canada.

READER’S EDITORIAL: SYMPATHY SHOULD GO TO VICTIMS, NOT TO JILLIAN HANSON-COX

By Councilman Gary Kendrick

I have been very saddened by the discovery that my fellow El Cajon City Council Member, Jillian Hanson-Cox, was not the person I thought she was. I had always seen Jillian as a very warm-hearted, caring and honest individual.  The documents now on file in the federal district court convincingly show that she is just the opposite.

SHOULD SDG&E BE ALLOWED TO DOUBLE SMART METER OPT OUT FEES? CPUC TO HOST PUBLIC HEARING TUESDAY, DEC. 18 IN SAN CLEMENTE

December 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Flooded with complaints from ratepayers, the California Public Utilities Commission will hold a public meeting tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in San Clemente on whether to allow SDG&E to impose a hefty fee hike for customers who want to opt out of having smart meters on their homes.

Susan Brinchman of La Mesa, director and founder of the Center for Electrosmog Prevention, has led efforts to stop the fee hikes.  “Come join us to protest and speak out about smart meter opt-out fees in front of the CPUC judge making decisions on fees and whether to DOUBLE the opt-out fees,” she wrote in an e-mail to ECM. “We need speakers.”

FROST ADVISORY ISSUED

December 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a frost advisory in effect from 10 p.m. tonight, with frost likely again Thursday night.  The warning includes San Diego County valleys, desert areas and wind-sheltered locations west of the mountains.

Damage to sensitive plants is likely when frost occurs, so sensitive plants should be covered to protect them.

AZTECS TO TACKLE COUGARS IN POINSETTIA GAME THURSDAY AT QUALCOMM

December 19, 2012 (San Diego) – Tomorrow night’s Poinsettia Bowl game between the San Diego State University Aztecs and the Brigham Young University Cougars will be the 36th meeting between the two teams—and the first since BYU’s final season in the Mountain West in 2010.

Kick-off sis at 5 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium for this year’s Poinsettia Bowl, sponsored by the San Diego County Credit Union.

ALPINE FIRE DEPARTMENT COLLECTING TOYS & GIFT CARDS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

December 17, 2012 (Alpine)--The Alpine Fire District will be accepting new, unwrapped toys for our local families who have fallen on hard times. Throughout the years, your generous donations have brought great joy to many children. The toy barrel is inside the foyer at the fire station located at 1364 Tavern Road. Please stop by and fill the barrel so we can brighten the holidays for the children of our community.

MEDIA WATCHDOG: HOW MEDIA CONSOLIDATION AND CORPORATE CONTROL OF MEDIA—ESPECIALLY RADIO—HURTS DEMOCRACY

By guest columnist Jennifer Douglas, Save KLSD film writer/co-producer

December 17, 2012 (San Diego)--As we celebrate the holidays and ring out 2012, it’s also time to pay attention what is happening right now with ownership of the mass media. Sad to say, the mood is more Scrooge-like than reflecting the spirit of Santa or Jesus. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is about to deregulate the media--and San Diego’s very own media mogul, U-T owner/developer Doug Manchester, may buy-up even more media outlets.

READER’S EDITORIAL: IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO STOP THE 7-ELEVEN LIQUOR LICENSE

By Tom Myers

December 17, 2012 (Alpine)--Are you opposed to 7-Eleven selling beer, wine and spirits in the heart of Alpine? Do you think three liquor stores within walking distance of each other are too many? You can do something about it!

On December 3 the applicant, 7-Eleven, Inc., posted the required ABC notice on the fence at the corner of West Victoria and Alpine Blvd. This started the 30-day public comment period for transferring the liquor license from the Ranch Market to the proposed 7-Eleven at this new location. We believe moving this license will cause an undue concentration of licenses in the center of Alpine by clustering three off-sale license establishments within 600 feet of each other.

A BRIGHT DAY FOR BRITTANY

By Nick Pellegrino, East County Sports

December 17, 2012 (El Cajon) —Just like all of her classmates, Brittany Wnek grew up going to school, participating in a variety of school activities and sports -- just being an everyday kid.

Then one day she found her life consumed with hospital appointments, CT scans and MRI's, chemo, radiation and many surgeries.

NEIGHBORHOOD NATIONAL BANK REACHES 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Neighborhood National Bank committed to serving low-moderate income census tracts for more than a decade 

December 17, 2012 (San Diego)—Neighborhood National Bank has reached its 15th anniversary as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). The bank will celebrate its 15 year anniversary all-day open houses at each of its branch locations throughout the day on December 19, 2012. Guests are welcome to stop by any of the branches during business hours (9:00a.m.-5:00p.m.) for light refreshments and treats. 

BOOK REVIEW: OBAMA TALKS BACK

Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons – a Dialogue with America’s Young Leaders, by Gregory J. Reed, Esq., (Amber Books, Phoenix, Arizona, 2012, 294 pages).

Update: Obama Talks Back has received an NAACP Image Award nomination for literature. The winner will be announced live on TV from Hollywood February 1, 2013.

Book Review by Dennis Moore

December 17, 2012 (San Diego)--Gregory J. Reed, Esq., CEO and Founder of Keeper of the Word Foundation, has written a poignant and heartfelt book that resonates with me for a number of reasons: Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons – A Dialogue with America’s Young Leaders.

FBI LAUNCHES NEW WANTED BANK ROBBERS WEBSITE

Nationwide bank robber website - bankrobbers.fbi.gov

December 19, 2012 (San Diego)--Bank robbers last year walked away from federally insured banks, credit unions, savings and loan associations, and armored trucks with more than $38 million in cash, according to the last full year of FBI bank crime statistics. In one in five cases, the money was recovered. In the unsolved  cases,  surveillance  images  of  suspects  were  often  posted  online—on  FBI  wanted posters and elsewhere—to enlist the public’s help.

To further that effort, the FBI has launched a new Wanted Bank Robbers website at bankrobbers.fbi.gov, the first national system of its kind.

ORIGINS OF MAN REVEALED THROUGH DREAMS IN SCI-FI FANTASY NOVEL: QUANTUM LOVE GENE

The Quantum Love Gene, by Raymond J. Pilon (Choice MaKer Productions, Victoria, BC, Canada, 2009, 136 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

December 15, 2012 (San Diego)--The Quantum Love Gene by Raymond J. Pilon has been described as possibly a hotter product than Avatar, and after reading this spellbinding fantasy science fiction novel, I am inclined to agree. The book is based on dreams, which the author’s wife describes as “automatic handwriting.” It incorporates many of the aspects of Avatar, as well as some of those in Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles.

The premise of Pilon’s book is that we are all “Spirit Beings” and that we evolved from an ancient alien civilization called the Pleiadians that actually traveled to earth and inhabited our planet some 26,000 years ago. Pilon is a master story-teller in how he weaves together the mysteries of Stonehenge, the pyramids, the most intriguing crop circles, and many other unexplainable structures.

THIS IS NOT THE MAYAN CALENDAR

By Mayan Avitable

December 15, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--With all of the news surrounding the Mayan Apocalypse supposedly taking place on December 21, 2012, one aspect of the coverage has been glaringly incorrect. The graphic above has been used as an example of the Mayan Calendar. It is not. It is the Aztec Calendar. In fact, the Mayan Calendar is much more complicated.

The Mayans used a combination of three calendars: Haab, Tzolkin, and the Calendar Round. The Mayan calendar of 365 days is called Haab.  It is divided into 18 months of 20 days, each with a period of 5 days left over at the end of the year. This short 5 day month Uayeb was often seen as a dark time.  

COLORADO RIVER BASIN REPORT UNDERSCORES NEED FOR LONG-TERM WATER SOLUTIONS

Water Authority already is diversifying supplies, encouraging conservation

December 15, 2012 (San Diego County)--A new study of the Colorado River Basin’s water future released Wednesday offers the most thorough assessment ever done on the topic and serves as an important framework for meeting water demands in coming decades, officials with the San Diego County Water Authority said.

The study was issued by the seven Colorado River Basin states and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It outlines several strategies to reduce the potential for water shortages on the river system through 2060.

CHP TO ACCEPT NEW OFFICER APPLICATIONS

The law enforcement agency will accept applications for three days only in January

December 15, 2012 (Sacramento)--The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced today that it will accept applications in January from individuals interested in a career as a CHP officer.

“This is an opportunity to serve alongside some of California’s finest who provide the highest level of safety, service and security throughout the state,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “A career with a law enforcement agency like the CHP offers unlimited opportunities for someone who is looking for a challenge.”

ENGINEERING WITH LEGOS® WINTER CAMP FOR AGES 7 – 12 YEARS

December 15, 2012 (La Mesa)--Become a Play-Well Engineer! Students explore concepts in physics, architecture, mechanical and structural engineering, from Gear Cars to Battletracks. The engineer-designed curriculum challenges new and returning students to reach higher level of engineering comprehension while having fun.

Camp meets four days, Monday, December 31 through Friday, January 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Camp will not meet on Tuesday, January 1. Over 1000,000 pieces of LEGOS® are used. Campers should bring a snack and water bottle each day, everything else is provided at camp. This camp is not affiliated with the LEGO® Group.

FATALITY TRUCK CRASH KILLS PASSENGER IN LA MESA

December 15, 2012 (La Mesa) – A passenger has died after being ejected from a truck that collided with a raised concrete wall on the elevated ramp from westbound I-8 to southbound State Route 125 in La Mesa. According to CHP Officer Brian Pennings, the driver “failed to maintain control due to his unsafe speed for current conditions” on a rain-slicked roadway.

The 2000 GMC box-style truck driven by Jaime Espinoza, 32, of San Diego was propelled across both lanes after striking a concrete wall, then smashed again into another concrete wall on the shoulder. The force of the second collision propelled the right front passenger through the windshield and onto southbound SR-125 below.

TWO HIKERS RESCUED ON EL CAJON MOUNTAIN

December 15, 2012 (Lakeside) – The San Diego Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team performed a hoist rescue last night to save two hikers off El Cajon (El Capitan) Mountain in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley area.

“The hikers reported that they were lost, cold, wet and unprepared for the cold weather,” Sgt. Mike Forbes with the Santee Sheriff Patrol Station reports.

STORM TO HIT REGION ON TUESDAY

December 17, 2012 (San Diego) – A cold front is predicted to sweep through the county on Tuesday, with moderate to heavy rain and snow accumulating above 4500 feet. Dense fog will make travel difficult in mountain areas at night, the National Weather Service warns. In addition, a wind advisory is in effect for inland valley areas.

The weather is expected to improve Thursday through Saturday, though another storm is possible next Sunday or Monday—and with it, the prospect of a white Christmas for East County’s mountain communities.

ON THE SILVER SCREEN: BLOTTO PILOT (FLIGHT)

Doing some catch-up on films I’ve missed.

By Brian Lafferty

December 15, 2012 (San Diego) – Every now and then someone writes to Dear Abby, saying his friend or relative is addicted to alcohol and drugs.  The friend thinks nothing is wrong with him, but doesn’t realize the damage his addiction is causing to his relationship with his friends, family, and significant other.  Invariably, all Abby can advise the writer is that – as much as he’d like to believe otherwise – he can't change or rescue his friend or loved one from their problem.  Only the friend can change and, unless he admits he has a problem, there’s nothing that anyone can do.

Pages