“A vote is too precious to limit.” – No Term Limits in La Mesa slogan

East County News Service

August 11, 2014 (La Mesa)--With the slogan “A vote is too precious to limit,” a group of La Mesa residents has joined together to form No Term Limits in La Mesa, to oppose a term limits initiative  in the city of La Mesa that will be on ballots this November. The group asks the public’s help to spread the word through a people-powered grass roots campaign using word of mouth, a website (www.NoTermLimitsInLaMesa.com ), social media and downloadable graphics to print your own flyers, car signs, posters and T-shirts.

The group objects to term limits on principle, Kristin Kjaero explained, saying “The Founding Fathers didn’t give us term limits, they gave us the Bill of Rights which guarantees our right to free expression. The most fundamental form of that expression is our vote, which allows us to put teeth behind our opinions.”

By Miriam Raftery

August 12, 2014 (San Diego)--A local legislator says she has received threats over introducing a bill that would help poor mothers afford diapers for their children, 10 News reports. 

AB 1516 would give $80 for diapers to every family with a child under 2 years old, if the family qualifies for CALWORKS, the state’s program that helps welfare recipients get jobs.  

The high cost of diapers prevents many parents from returning to work, since most child care centers require that children wear disposable diapers, so reusing cloth ones is not an option during working hours.

By Miriam Raftery

August 11, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A national report has singled out El Cajon as a negative example of how to handle homeless issues.  According to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty reported titled “No Safe Place,” El Cajon is among a growing number of cities putting homeless people in jail for sleeping in public places, without offering long-term solutions to help the homeless get off the streets and back on their feet.

North Coast Corridor Public Works Plan/Transportation and Resource Enhancement Program has “dire consequences to public health, climate change, and coastal integrity” says Duncan McFetridge, Cleveland National Forest Foundation co-director

East County News Service

August 10, 2014 (San Diego)--The Cleveland National Forest Foundation (CNFF) has sent a formal request to the California Coastal Commission to postpone project approval for the North Coast Corridor Public Works Plan/Transportation and Resource Enhancement Program (PWP/TREP). This project would expand and widen areas of Interstate 5 between La Jolla and Oceanside.

McFetridge has long contended that transit problems encouraging sprawl anywhere in the county puts added pressure on forests in the inland regions.

County News Service

August 6, 2014 (San Diego) -- San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously directed County staff Wednesday to start working on a program to promote agriculture. Ultimately, the program could open up nearly one-third of the unincorporated county to wineries.

By Miriam Raftery

August 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) - A “Super moon” and a meteor shower will both light up the sky this Sunday night, according to NASA.  The Super moon is caused by the Earth’s orbit bringing us closer to the moon, and it will be most visible in the early evening, appearing larger and brighter than usual.

August 8, 2014 (San Diego)--Need a car, boat, or other vehicle? Bidding for the County’s latest online public vehicle auction is now  open, so you can check out what’s available before these steals on wheels are going, going, gone.

Source: Helix Water District

August 7, 2014 (La Mesa)--Helix Water District’s board of directors voted yesterday to put Drought Level 2 into effect in response to the State Water Resources Control Board’s passage of mandatory water conservation measures to deal with the current drought.

Since February, the district had been in Drought Level 1, which called for numerous voluntary actions to eliminate water waste. Drought Level 2 makes them mandatory.  Residents and businesses are required to take the following conservation steps:

Coming soon: Finding Kitty

East County News Service

August 5, 2014 (San Diego)--Finding Rover, a new facial recognition software program, is helping to reunite lost pets with their owners. Here in San Diego, it even worked for Roxie, a Shibu Inu dog who turned up in the County Animal Shelter in Bonita.

August 5, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Southern California Edison has announced plans to dismantle the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Stations, which were decommissioned after radiation leaks, and restore the beach near the nuclear plants.

Hear our audio promo in our new studio:  http://kiwi6.com/file/pk5dpheb7i

August 1, 2014 (El Cajon) – As the newest tenants in the El Cajon Medical Center, the East County Magazine & Media Center will provide media coverage and community radio broadcast demonstrations during the East County Wellness Center’s grand opening event on August 5^th.  We invite our readers to stop by and join in the celebrations!

The wellness center offers zumba, yoga and pilates classes as well as massage services.  The grand opening festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with a ribbon cutting by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce at 6 p.m.  All event guests can enjoy a Wellness seminar, free chair massages, beverages and hors d’oeuvres, prize drawings and more. The East County Wellness and Yoga Center is located at 1625 East Main Street, Suite 205 in El Cajon, CA 92012.

East County Magazine & Media Center now offers audio services and more for local community members in our new recording studio. Stop by our suite 204 for a tour, radio broadcast demonstration, and drawing for prizes( including a free ad on East County Magazine (averaging 150,000 visits each month) and a complimentary 15-minute recording session/podcast  for your organization.)

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Mendez, left, from his Facebook page; Ingram, right, courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

August 3, 2014 (Lakeside) –A second body has been recovered from El Capitan Reservoir in Lakeside, following a boating collision Thursday.    Russell Mendez, 20, and Jeffry Ingram, 21 were killed after a Nitro vessel struck the boat while they were fishing, ejecting both men into the water.  Two men aboard the Nitro were treated for injuries and released.

July 30, 2014 (Santee) – On July 25, Santee sheriff deputies responded to a report of a possible drunk driver traveling on a motorcycle northbound on Carlton Hills Boulevard at a high speed.  The victim struck a parked vehicle. He was ejected, striking a telephone pole and then landing in the roadway.