Options range from “splash” and “equestrian” camps to “web design” camp and more

"You may remember that when the City of San Diego experienced the devastating wildfires in 2007, the citizens of Yokohama donated over one million yen to the Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund." -- Harry Bishop, San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Society

March 21, 2011 (San Diego) – Victims of the 2007 wildfires our region received help from San Diego's sister city, Yokahama Japan. Now, some local residents are seeking to give back to Japanese people in need. The San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Society is establishing a disaster relief fund for victims of the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

“We are asking everyone to join us to help those who lost loved ones, homes, and communities to this disaster,” Harry Bishop told East County Magazine.

March 21, 2011 (San Diego) -- ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting 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 global and national news stories include:

• Allied forces strike Gadhafi compound; leader’s whereabouts unknown (CNN)
• Fukushima reactors begin to cool down (Times of India)
• Syria protesters torch buildings (Al Jazeera)
• Hamas digging “terror tunnels” along border with Israel (Jewish World Daily)
• Yemen president fires government (BBC)
• Yemen in state of emergency after protest massacre (Reuters)
• Judge blocks Wisconsin anti-union law (Los Angeles Times)
• How close is your home to a nuclear power plant? Put in your zip code to find out (CNN)
• Japan finds more types of radiation-tainted food (Huffington Post)
• Armed men attack Reuters Gaza bureau (Reuters)
• Government claims unlimited discretion to look through your laptop at the border (ACLU)
• In Japan, production of consumer brands popular halted after earthquake (Washington Post)

March 20, 2011 (Borrego Springs) – Copter 10, crewed by Cal-Fire and San Diego Sheriff personnel, was dispatched to aid a downed hiker in Palm Canyon in the desert at Borrego Springs around 4:55 today. “Initial reports were that the victim had overdosed on a hallucinogenic drug and had possibly sustained a spinal injury,” Deputy Scott Bligh said.

By Miriam Raftery

March 20, 2011 (Santee) – An estimated 20,000 people turned out to run, walk, bike and party atop the last link of Highway 52 at yesterday’s “Sea to Santee” celebration. Now open to traffic, the new freeway segment is the last link connecting Highway 67 in East County to Interstate 5 and La Jolla.

Transportation improvements have historically heralded changes in East County, starting with cattle drives and the coming of stagecoach and railway lines in the 19th century. Invention of the "horseless carriage" brought construction of Highways 94 and 80, connecting East County to San Diego and Arizona. The aviation era led to the airfield at Gillespie Field. More recently, construction of Interstate 8, Highway 67 and now Highway 52 further improved access to East County for visitors from around the county and across the nation. 

The new highway will also make it faster for East County residents to reach San Diego destinations including employment and yes, beaches.  Surf's up, Santee!

HOMEOWNERS & COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASK PUBLIC TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO SLOW FORECLOSURES; RAMONA CITIZENS LAUNCH NATIONAL REFORM CAMPAIGN

March 20, 2011 (Valley Center) – An electrical fire that started in the basement has severely damaged Saint Stephens Roman Catholic Church in Valley Center, causing an estimated $150,000 in damage. County building inspectors have found the structure to be unsafe, requiring immediate stabilization before salvage and repair can begin.

March 20, 2011 (San Diego)--The San Diego Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers about a new identity theft scam involving phony e-mails supposedly from the federal government’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The phishing e-mails are requesting personal information from a W-2 form that are prepared by employers.

By Brian Lafferty

March 18, 2011 (San Diego) – I want to make one thing plain: I Saw the Devil is not entertainment. It is sickening, repellent, unrelentingly violent, depraved, and twisted. That last sentence makes it sound like it was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. Instead, it is a great film for exactly those reasons. It is definitely not for everyone but if you’re looking for a revenge film done right, and you don’t mind subtitles, then here’s a film for you.

By Tracy Emblem

March 18, 2011 (San Diego) – The National Weather Service has issued a severe weather alert for San Diego County due to a strong storm system forecast to reach our region Sunday night and Monday. Light showers may occur earlier and extend through Tuesday. Significant rain, gusty winds and mountain snow is predicted starting Sunday night.

March 18, 2011 (San Diego) -- His phone rings in the middle of the night. He works around the clock tracking down killers. Now after 29 years on the job, Lt. Dennis Brugos is trading in his badge for the laid-back lifestyle of a retiree. His last day is on March 30th.

Lt. Brugos came face-to-face with many horrendous crimes during his time on the force. His work is difficult, but he says nothing is more gratifying than bringing a killer to justice and closure to families who have lost loved ones.

March 18, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting 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 global and national news stories include:

• U.N. Security Council authoritizes action against Moammar Kadafi: U.S. and allied forces begin preparing for military operations against Libya despite doubts the outgunned rebels can be saved (Los Angeles Times)

• Libya announces ceasefire; violence reported in Misrata (CNN)
• ‘Chernobyl solution’ could be last resort for Japanese reactors (MSNBC)
• House votes to end money for NPR, and Senate passes spending bill (New York Times)
• Saudi king offers more handouts, security boost (Reuters)
• Japan to move part of high-tech production to Mexico in wake of disaster (Rian)
• Japan races to restore power at reactors (Reuters)
• U.S. reactor pools store more spent fuel than Japan’s (Anchorage Daily News)
• Japan nuclear fears lift solar stocks (CNN Money)
• With U.S. nuclear plants under scrutiny, too, a report raises safety concerns (New York Times)
• AT&T & Verizon offer free calls to Japan (MSNBC)
• World considers nuclear-free future (Russian Times)
• Radiation sickness: who’s most at risk? (CBS)
• Quake sell-off wipes $287 billion off Tokyo stock market (Reuters)
• Volcano in Southern Japan erupts (Los Angeles Times)
• Escalating Yemen violence kills 3, injures hundreds (Reuters)

Core damage confirmed at 3 reactors; spent fuel rods a rising concern at 4th;
U.S. urges evacuation within 80 kilometers (50 Miles) around stricken plants

March 16, 2011 (San Diego) – The United Nations has released a forecast indicating a radioactive plume from damaged Japanese nuclear reactors at Fujushima Daiichi cold reach the Aleutian Islands off Alaska on Thursday and Southern California late on Friday, then east to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and likely points beyond.

The U.N. has not issued a statement on how much radiation the plume could contain, however numerous other experts have indicated that amounts are expected to be small and below levels likely to harm human health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is setting up additional radiation monitors on the West Coast as a precaution. An existing monitor in San Diego is currently non-operational, according to the EPA’s RadNet real-time radiation monitoring database online.

Murray Jennex, a nuclear expert at San Diego State University, told by ECM of the non-operational monitor locally, called back a short time later to reveal, “We’re going to set up monitoring here and try to get real numbers."