East County News Service

May 13, 2015 (San Diego) - San Diego Supervisors this week approved steps in response to state-mandated orders to slash water use during the drought.

May 12, 2015 (El Cajon) --  Heartland Fire & Rescue crews in El Cajon responded to reports of a commercial structure fire in the 100 block of Fletcher Parkway in the early morning hours on May 3rd.  Upon arrival firefighters found heavy black smoke coming from a commercial building at the site of the former El Cajon Police station.

May 12, 2015 (La Mesa) – At their upcoming meeting Wednesday May 13, 4 p.m., the Board will discuss a Drought Action Plan to meet state imposed water cuts of 20% to the District, including limiting all customers to watering two days per week, requiring 10-20% cuts by residential tier 3 users with penalties for violations, and increased enforcement on water waste reports.

May 11, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Police Department will be hosting its 4th Annual La Mesa Police Youth Leadership Camp from June 29-July 2, 2015. The purpose of the Youth Leadership Camp is to provide leadership training and life-enhancing skills, personal development training, academic enrichment, team building, and to teach responsibility to one’s family and community. Participants will engage in classroom instruction, discussions, and scenarios; athletic and academic challenges (team and individual); field trips to volunteer community service work; and other activities.

May 11, 2015 (San Diego) - The San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB), the primary supplier of blood to the majority of hospitals in San Diego County, will introduce their newest blood mobile with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 13, at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, 3020 Children’s Way, San Diego.

May 10, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - California Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) will listen to constituents and invite ideas to improve state government at a “Community Coffee” starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, at Santee City Hall, 10601 Magnolia Ave., Santee. The free event, open to the public, will be hosted by Santee Mayor Randy Voepel.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

Writing The Killer Treatment: Selling Your Story Without A Script, by Michael Halperin, (Michael Wiese Productions, Studio City, CA, 2002, 171 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

May 8, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - Who better to write a book about screenwriting and the movie and television industry, than Michael Halperin? He has been called “the foremost authority on screenwriting in America.” Halperin has written for television, screen, and stage, and has published both fiction and non-fiction books. Halperin’s Writing the Killer Treatment: Selling your Story without a Script, sets the standard for advice and instruction in modern storytelling for those aspiring to be screenwriters.

The craft beer scene has hit La Mesa with latest restaurant’s opening

By: Reema Makani Boccia

The craft beer scene in San Diego is taking the nation by storm, and Craft Kitchen Restaurant in La Mesa is the latest addition to the burgeoning industry. 

May 6, 2015 (El Cajon) – The spring series of the San Diego County Library Acoustic continues in May with nine concerts taking place throughout the month! The Acoustic Showcase series offers a wonderful variety of some of San Diego’s very best singers/songwriters, folk music performers, and story tellers. These concerts are FREE to the community.

East County News Service

May 6, 2015 (La Mesa)--Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) recently hosted a check-presentation ceremony to celebrate GHD’s ongoing support of Volunteers in Medicine (VIM), a nonprofit providing access to health care to uninsured residents by relying on volunteer medical professionals. From left to right: GHD board members Gloria Chadwick, Bob Ayres and Betty Stieringer, VIM CEO Maureen Hartin and GHD board members Michael Emerson and Randy Lenac. VIM’s clinic in El Cajon is staffed by more than 100 professional volunteers, including retired doctors, nurses and support staff, who donate thousands of hours in providing primary care services to more than 3,000 patients annually.

May 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County, recently hosted a check-presentation ceremony with Maureen Hartin, CEO, Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) San Diego, Inc. The ceremony celebrated GHD’s ongoing support of VIM, including a $150,000 grant awarded during GHD’s current fiscal year.

May 7, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH


• Tyson Foods plans to cut human antibiotics in U.S. chicken flocks by 2017 (Reuters)
• Why the conventional wisdom on hospice care was wrong (APM Marketplace)

TECH


• Measuring Earthquakes With More Than Just One Scale (NPR)
• EU to require cars to have automatic emergency call systems(AP)
• EU looks to cut use of flimsy plastic bags by 80 percent (AP)

NATURE


• Amazon: 1% of trees store 50% carbon (BBC)
• VIDEO: New York turns lights off for birds (BBC)
• Man-made Global Warming Likely to Be Moderate, Says Study (Reason)
• The green movement heads underground (APM Marketplace)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

May 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect 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 world and U.S. headlines include:

NATIONAL

• NSA phone surveillance not authorized: U.S. appeals court (Reuters)
• How Utah reduced homelessness by more than 90 percent (CS Monitor)
• U.S. government to pay New Mexico $73 million over radiation leak (Reuters)
• Exclusive: U.S. boosts bird flu emergency funds as Hormel cuts jobs (Reuters)
• Small town evacuated after oil train derails in North Dakota (Reuters)
• Ferry service between US and Cuba to resume (CS Monitor)
• Power Problems: Puerto Rico's Electric Utility Faces Crippling Debt (NPR)
• Surveillance planes spotted in the sky for days after West Baltimore rioting (Washington Post)

INTERNATIONAL

• European Union wants new rules for its digital economy (APM Marketplace)
• Virtual Volunteers Use Twitter And Facebook To Make Maps Of Nepal (NPR)
• Rocket-propelled grenade forced down Mexican helicopter(AP)
• On becalmed sea, Italy rescues nearly 4,000 migrants in 24 hours (CS Monitor)
• More than 50 Thai police punished over human trafficking links (Reuters)
• German spies curb Internet snooping for U.S. after row: media (Reuters)
• Kenya Pushes For Close Of Word's Largest Refugee Camp (NPR)
• Israel veterans group alleges Israeli misconduct in Gaza war (AP)
• Africa's richest economy surviving on borrowed cash (AP)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Kids Night Out

May 6, 2015 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon Recreation Department offers youth, ages 7 to 12, a safe and entertaining place to go on a Friday night, called a “Kids Night Out Party!”  This program  includes free swim, games, dinner and fun! The party takes place on Friday, May 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Fletcher Hills Center, located at 2345 Center Place in El Cajon.  The fee is $10 per child. Pre-registration is required. Hurry, space is limited! Register at any City of El Cajon Recreation Center or online at www.elcajonrec.org.  For more information, please contact Heather Birchard at (619) 441-1672.

By Jack Haworth

May 6, 2015 (San Diego) -- For the first time in more than 40 years, the SDSU Debate Team has placed as a team in the National Forensics Association Tournament. The team of Vincent Bellinghiere, Cody Meza, and Darron DeVillez, represented Aztec Forensics at the NFA tournament at Ohio University and placed 8th in Division III, competing in literature interpretation and platform speeches.

“Hundreds of universities across the nation compete in intercollegiate individual events, and only a select number qualify to compete at the national tournament,” said Bill Snavely, director of the School of Communication. “This is a great accomplishment for only three competitors against much more well-funded programs from across the country.”