Ordeal shines spotlight on East County’s failure to offer shelter for the homeless

“We are too late. We the community of East County have let our homeless vets down again.”  --a reader's post on Fox News story about the fire

By Nadin Abbott and Miriam Raftery; photos by Billy Ortiz and Nadin Abbott

May 12, 2013 (Lakeside) – It was a grim Mother’s Day for families displaced by a fire that ravaged mobile homes in Lakeside today, and for a homeless woman veteran who is hospitalized with serious burns.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography  in San Diego confirms findings May 9; world’s top scientists call for action

By Miriam Raftery

May 10, 2013 (San Diego) -- Measurements around the world confirm that the rise in carbon dioxide levels have surpassed 400 parts per million –the highest in our planet’s history.

Before the industrial revolution in the 1900s, when coal and oil began to be burned on a large scale, C02 levels were never higher than 280 ppm.

But in recent years, the levels have risen 100 times faster than after the last ice age—providing clear evidence that the rise is far beyond any cyclical changes ever seen before. In fact, leading scientists around the world warn, climate change may soon be irreversible unless drastic changes are made to reduce this level to 350 ppm or lower.

May 10, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Temperatures up to 100 degrees and thundershowers are forecast for our region, the National Weather Service reports.  The heat wave should peak on Monday, with a cooling trend to follow.  View a video from the NWS with the forecast from now through May 14:  

By Miriam Raftery

May 9, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- For the first time, the United States government will offer legal counsel to immigrant detainees with mental disabilities facing deportation hearings. This is the first expansion of the right to counsel in 30 years – the result of an ACLU lawsuit. Before to last week's federal court ruling, these individuals were not guaranteed legal representation  even though they clearly demonstrated tremendous difficulty in representing themselves in the complicated legal proceedings against them.

José Gonzalezis a 33-year-old man who doesn't know his own age and, in many aspects of his life, has the cognitive ability of a two-year-old. Both his parents are lawful permanent residents of the United States, and José had a pending petition for residency. Until last week's historic ruling, the government expected José to represent himself in a deportation hearing – after holding him for five years in a detention facility.

May 9. 2013 (Lemon Grove) – Detectives from the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Station and Crime Stoppers want your help in finding and identifying a driver responsible for a hit-and-run that injured a woman.

It happened on April 17 at around 12:30 a.m. as an 18-year-old woman was crossing the street in the 2000 block of Lemon Grove Avenue. The car hit the victim and just kept going. A friend of the victim saw the incident. She describes the car as a small, red in color with dark tinted windows. Parts of the car were left at the scene and determined to be from a red 2005 or 2006 Toyota Corolla. A photo of a similar car is included in this NIXLE message.

May 8, 2013 (Otay) – The County Medical Examiner has ruled the death of Reyna Carolina Genel, 16, a suicide.  

She had been reported missing after going jogging around the reservoir, her sister told authorities. On May 6, passerbys found her unconscious in the Otay Reservoir at the upper dam.

By Rebecca Williamson

May 6, 2013 (Santee) --  The Santee Fire Department responded to a call at approximately 11:00 a.m. and scaled the roof of the Santee Staples store on Mission Gorge Road.  Staff and customers were evacuated while firefighters checked the store for fires or potential hazardous situations.

By Miriam Raftery, Editor, East County Magazine

May 3, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) Updated May 7, 2013 – On Wednesday, May 8, San Diego County Supervisors will vote on legislation that could have devastating impacts across East County and the entire San Diego region. 

At stake is a proposed wind ordinance that could open wide vast tracts of East County for industrial wind development, putting residents across our County at risk of a catastrophic wildfire or deadly Valley Fever spores that can blow 70 miles or more.   There are many more reasons to oppose this ordinance, as well as the proposed gutting of Boulevard’s community plan, but these are two of the most compelling.  These and other disturbing facts are detailed below.

If you share these concerns, it's important to contact all five Supervisors.  It's especially important for San Diego residents to tell their Supervisors that you care about what happens to East County, since some Supervisors have shown an arrogant disregard for public health and safety outside of their own districts. Of course, a wildfire that originates in East County and burns into San Diego, or deadly Valley Fever spores that blow into urban areas, should clearly be of concern to all County residents and their representatives. You can contact Supervisors here and scroll down to learn more.  It's also important to show up and speak out at Wednesday morning's meeting at 9 a.m. at 1600 Pacific Coast Highway, Room 402.

By Miriam Raftery

May 2, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The First Amendment Coalition has issued advice to public officials in light of a court ruling that found private e-mails used by San Jose city officials to discuss public business must be disclosed if a Public Records Act request is received.   The ruling is on appeal and is expected to be upheld, according to legal experts, which would set a statewide precedent.

“Public officials beware: The appeal courts’ affirmance is likely to apply to all government emails, not just to emails written after the courts’ decision," the First Amendment Coalition warns. "That means the emails you write today, using a private account to discuss government business, will have to be disclosed in the future.”

The ruling poses as quandary for some local governing boards, such as the Alpine Community Planning Group, which relies entirely on private e-mail addresses for communications.

By Janis Mork

April 28, 2013 (El Cajon)- This past Tuesday, Michael Griffiths from the El Cajon Public Works Department gave a PowerPoint presentation to El Cajon City Council about the pavement maintenance program underway since 2006 and set for completion in 2014. City Manager Doug Williford stated that this program affects businesses and residents.

Before Griffiths began, he acknowledged junior engineer Katie Odiorne, who put the PowerPoint slides together. First, he presented a scale of old to new street pavings from 1-100.

April 29, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Two lost hikers are safe following an all-night search and rescue effort.

The hikers called the Sheriff’s Department on Saturday night to report that they were lost on the west side of Cuyamaca Peak, trapped in thick brush without any food or water .  Due to low clouds and fog, helicopters could not fly in the rugged terrain.

Deputies from the Julian Sheriff's Station requested assistance from the Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team. Search teams responded to the Paso Picacho Campground in the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park area Saturday at around midnight to search for the lost hikers.

April 27, 2013 (Poway) – A Sheriff’s K-9 dog search team located a body on Thursday, April 25 in the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve on Espola Road.  Searchers had been looking for Richard Carter, who was reported missing Monday by his wife.  Carter’s car was found parked at Blue Sky.

An identification of the body has not yet been made, pending an examination by the Medical Examiner. Cause of death has also not yet been determined.

Carter, 55, was despondent due to family problems, City News Service reported.

By Janis Mork

April 25, 2013 (El Cajon)-El Cajon’s City Council took a major step at Tuesday’s meeting toward revitalizing and reopening the East County Performing Arts Center.  

Council voted unanimously in favor of sending Pro-Tem Mayor Bill Wells and Councilmember Gary Kendrick to meet with two representatives from the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) to discuss feasibility of refurbishing ECPAC and also constructing a multi-use facility in front of the theater. Together, the two facilities would serve as a magnet for arts and culture in East County under the vision put forth by supporters.

Councilman Gary Kendrick spoke in favor of the plan. “I’m open to re-opening this. We need to fix the roof and take care of ADA issues. I spoke with Priscilla Schreiber (current GUHSD board member),” he explained. “The topic of ECPAC came up. Her idea is for the district to build a multi-use facility in front of the performing arts center rather than 10 multi-use facilities on each campus.”

April 24, 2013 (La Mesa)--Euene Rentfrow, reported missing April 22 in La Mesa, has been located in Escondido.

La Mesa Police had sought public help to find Rentfrow, who suffers from dementia.  Rentfrow, 72, had been seen at  San Diego RV, 7407 Alvarado Road. He was wearing a red and blue flannel shirt and camouflage pants.

April 23, 2013 (Spring Valley)—A 5-year-old girl was bitten on the foot by a snake yesterday while playing in a grassy common area of a condo complex at 8700 Spring Canyon Road in the La Presa area of Spring Valley.  CAL FIRE/San Miguel Fire District firefighters responded to the call shortly before noon.  With help from residents, firefighters from Station 16 located and confirmed it to be a rattlesnake.

The child was transported to Sharp Grossmont where she is receiving anti-venom.  "She is doing well, according to the mother," Leonard Villareal with San Miguel Fire told ECM today.

San Diego County Animal Services indicated there was a huge jump in snake calls yesterday. As the weather warms up, the snakes become more active.

Animal Poison Control Center offers several tips to avoid chance encounters with snakes: