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Half a million in Madrid sing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as peaceful protest
“Move Your Money” campaign urges transfer of money from big banks to local financial institutions by Nov. 5; “Solidarity” leader Lech Walesa joins forces with Occupy Wall Street
By Miriam Raftery
October 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement and similar demonstrations against financial institutions and corporate power in Spain and Germany, a “Global Day of Protest” on Saturday, October 15 brought millions of people into the streets in protests held in 950 cities worldwide.Thelargest occurred in Madrid, where an estimated half million Spaniards joined together to sing Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and raise hands to show that theirs was a peaceful protest. (Click video to view).
The movement is attracting some strange bedfellows—drawing support this week from labor leaders, Solidarity's Lech Walesa, and even a co-founder of the conservative Tea Party movement.
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October 17, 2011 (El Cajon) – For the second time in less than a month, a car lost control on an East County freeway and crashed into an East County car dealership. Around 2:15 p.m. yesterday, a Honda Civic ran off I-8, severely damaging a pickup truck at Carl Burger Dodge in La Mesa.
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October 17,2011 (San Diego) -- Trolley construction will necessitate the closures of downtown area Trolley stations and streets for the weekends of Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 28-30. The work is all part of the $620 million Trolley Renewal project to rebuild the Orange and Blue Trolley lines. The closures will begin at 9 p.m. on Fridays and end late Sunday nights or early Monday mornings. Riders should allow an extra 30 minutes for travel time.
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October 18, 2011 (La Mesa)-- After 10 years as General Manager of the Helix Water District, Mark Weston announced he will retire on December 30. On Tuesday at 6 p.m., the Board will provide staff with directions on recruiting a replacement. The meeting will be held at 7811 University Avenue in La Mesa.
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Oct. 16, 2011– A medical marijuana advocate stricken with scoliosis threatened to jump off an overpass above State Route 163 on Friday night after the U.S. Department of Justice announced plans to raid and shut down hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state.
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
October 16, 2011 (San Diego) -- The following story is reprinted with permission from http://GrokSurfSanDiego.com.
WHO
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of San Diego, will begin installation of the next deep monitoring well site. The drilling and well installation is being done by USGS Research Drilling Unit, which aids USGS scientists throughout the western United States.
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October 18, 2011 (San Diego) -- Last spring we learned via John Pilch (President, San Carlos Area Council–SCAC) that SDG&E was filling water tanker trucks from street fire hydrants for use as construction water for the Sunrise Powerlink Project, and more recently, that they had expanded the operation with construction of a “water filling station” behind a San Carlos shopping center (click here for the filling station story) to fill even more tanker trucks.
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October 14, 2011 (San Diego) - A SIG alert has been issued and Highway 163 has been shut down at University Avenue. According to the CHP website, a man is threatening to jump off a bridge at 10th Street.
ECM news partner 10 News reports the man is a mental patient with a bag next to him, on the outside of the guard rail. A negotiator is at the scene.
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Update October 19, 2011: The San Diego Medical Examiner reports the body was a 65-year old man who died of smoke inhalation. His identity has not yet been released.
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October 14, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego Police issued a warning yesterday to Occupy San Diego protesters camped at the Civic Center Plaza downtown to remove their belongings. While participants may continue to stage a sit-in as long as they wish, camping out will no longer be permitted.
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October 14, 2011 (San Diego)--The public is invited to the funeral service for San Diego Police Officer Jason Prokop, who was killed in an off-duty traffic collision on I-15 October 1 while he was rendering aid to a motorist. The service will be held on Sasturday, October 15 at 11 a.m. at the Rock Church, 2277 Rosecrans St., San Diego.
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“I urge the Commission to treat SDG&E’s proposal the same way SDG&E has treated East County in recent years: Ignore it. Reject it. Trash it.” – Supervisor Dianne Jacob
By Miriam Raftery
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October 13, 2011 (El Cajon)—A woman was struck by a pickup truck and killed in the 600 block of East Washington this evening at 7:50 p.m. According to El Cajon Police, she was wearing dark clothes while crossing the street with a companion. The victim is believed to be a Middle Eastern woman in her 40’s, according to Lt. Frank La Haye.
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October 13, 2011 (La Mesa) – University Avenue in La Mesa has been reopened after authorities found no explosives in an abandoned U-Haul truck. Damian Payne, a 35-year-old transient, has been arrested and charged with auto theft and possession of stolen property.
The U-Haul had been stolen on October 8 in Santee, according to a press release issued by La Mesa Police.
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October 13, 2011 (La Mesa) – An investigation is underway into an abandoned U-Haul truck with a broken window in a no-parking zone near the new La Mesa Police Station at 8085 University Avenue.
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October 13, 2011 (La Mesa) -- Re: "Reader’s Editorial: The Shame of La Mesa -- Council Votes Against Fair Trade, Bows to Corporate Interests Over Helping People," in which Meg Jensen expressed her disappointment at their decision to decline a proposal by the Fair Trade Towns USA ("FTT").
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October 13, 2011 (Spring Valley) –A 16-month-old child apparently drowned in a backyard pool in the 1200 block of El Kelton Boulevard in Spring Valley.
ECM news partner 10 News reports that the child, who was found unresponsive in the water about 6 p.m. last night, was taken to Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa but was pronounced dead a short time later.
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The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has issued a Boil Water Order and Public Notification for Wynola Farms Water District located at 4470 Highway 78, Julian, CA 92036 effective immediately.
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October 12, 2011 (Santee)—Without a squawk of opposition from the audience, the Santee City Council voted 3-2 to let city residents keep chickens. Roosters, however, are still banned, since only hens for egg production are allowed.
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October 12, 2011 (El Cajon) -- You can be a part of the party – and history. Excitement is growing as plans continue for the City of El Cajon's Centennial Celebration in 2012, organizers report. The exact date of the City's 100th Birthday is Monday, November 12, 2012, but events are in the planning stages for the months leading up to that date.
The Centennial Celebration Committee, led by Councilmember Jillian Hanson-Cox, is now accepting volunteers.
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Update October 23: ECM News partner 10 News reports that the victim was Kyle Wyborn Pearson, 42, according to a spokesman with the Imperial County District Attorney's Office. Pearson had missed a pretrial hearing on charges that he killed a Caltrans employee in a hit-and-run car accident.
Jim Pearson told ECM that his brother was "a great man." Kyle Pearson "served our nation in the Navy and was kind in all things," he added. The victim was "very bright" and was also a musician who loved living in San Diego, according to his brother. "He is now gone, and we miss him greatly."
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Ruling today on smart meter opt-out for SDG&E customers sparks added interest among local ratepayers
By Miriam Raftery
October 11, 2011 (El Cajon) – SDG&E wants to hike utility rates by over 17% in the next four years.Tomorrow, East County residents will have a chance to voice their views on the proposal at two hearings held by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The public meetings will be held at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m. at the El Cajon City Council Chambers, 200 East Main Street in El Cajon.
The rate hike is opposed by the CPUC’s own Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA), which conducted an audit that found SDG&E inflated its costs. The DRA recommended that SDG&E lower—not raise—its rates.
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Update October 12: A second cougar sighting occurred today within a mile of the school.
October 11, 2011 (Poway) – Chaparral Elementary School in Poway has sent a warning letter to parents advising that the Sheriff’s Department reported that a mountain lion, also known as a cougar, had been seen in the neighborhood this morning.
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October 11, 2011 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa City Manager Dave Witt has announced the selection of 25-year La Mesa Police Department veteran Edward (Ed) Aceves as the City’s new Chief of Police.
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"There are an estimated 1.4 billion people living in poverty and existing on less than $1.25 a day...Good news is that you can do something about this!" --La Mesa Fair Trade
October 10, 2011 (La Mesa)—On Tuesday, La Mesa’s City Council will consider a resolution to declare the community a “Fair Trade"city.
About two dozen cities nationwide have already been designated "Fair Trade Towns USA" including Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and other major cities as well as smaller communities such as Taos, New Mexico and Burlington, Vermont. Supporters have established a website at http://lamesafairtrade.blogspot.com.
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October 9, 2011 (Ocotillo) – ECM has received photos and an e-mail from Jim Pelley, a motorcyclist who reports finding metal cables strung two feet off the ground across roadways in Ocotillo frequented by off-road vehicle enthusiasts.
The cables were attached to an SDG&E helicopter “pulling cables from tower to tower,” Pelley reports.”This is a serious situation and I am worried that someone will not see this cable and a serious accident will result with either the off road vehicle or the helicopter.”
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October 9, 2011 (La Mesa) – La Mesa resident Susan Brinchman, director and founder of the Center for Electrosmog Prevention, has announced that she will join the Occupy San Diego effort downtown with rallies to draw attention to health issues involving smart meters.
“Smart meters are an excessive form of corporate abuse of our bodies and our rights,” Brinchman wrote in an email to supporters and media. “Let us join our anti-smart meter efforts to the Wall Street protests in our local cities and towns.”
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October 9, 2011 (San Diego) -– As part of its national drive to end veteran homelessness by 2015, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and its community partners will host a Homeless Veterans Outreach Campaign event on Oct.12, 2011. The event will inform the public about the many programs available for veterans who are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in San Diego County.
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