State of the County address also calls for improved public safety, oversight of senior care facilities, and support for agricultural entrepreneurs

By Miriam Raftery

January 30, 2014 (San Diego) – In her state of the county address yesterday, Chairwoman Dianne Jacob  said the County has saved nearly $2 million a year by buying 90 percent of its electricity from sources other than SDG&E.  “The problem is, consumers don’t have the same right. You can’t shop around like the County.  But if it’s good enough for government, it should be good enough for you,” she said, then announced support for a community choice aggregation to give consumers new choices in where to buy electric power.

January 30, 2014 (San Diego) –The winter series of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase continues in February with seven concerts taking place throughout the month—including East County performances in Rancho San Diego, El Cajon, and Lemon Grove.

The Acoustic Showcase series offers a wonderful variety of some of San Diego's very best singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers. These concerts are free to the community. To date, More than 12,000 people have attended these concerts.  Scroll down for a full details on this month’s artists  performances in East County, or visit the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase website for a full list of all performances countywide.

By Richard Lederer and Caroline McCullagh

January 24, 2014 (San Diego)--Tinkering is a time-honored American pastime. Many men and women can’t leave well enough alone. They’re always trying to create something or improve something. As with most creative people, they benefit from the work of those who came before them, but they add that little spark of genius that can take their invention figuratively or literally into the stratosphere. Here are some of our best:

January 29, 2014 (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 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:

U.S.

• Obama said what? State of the Union explained (CNN)
• Obama to use executive action to raise minimum wage for federal contractors (The Hill)
• What's your Facebook credit score? (Marketplace)
• Farm bill conference strikes compromise (The Hill)
•  DEA Struck A Deal With Mexico's Most Notorious Drug Cartel (Business Insider)
• NSA also serves economic interests: Snowden Interview (AFP)
• U.S. Border Patrol drone goes down off Pt. Loma (10 News)
• Pig Virus Continues To Spread, Raising Fears Of Pricier Bacon (NPR)

WORLD

• Ukranian Prime Minister and government resign (BBC)
• 'Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance' (NPR)
• 29 dead in clashes on anniversary of Egypt uprising (Reuters)

Scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.

January 29, 2014 (Spring Valley) – February is Black History Month. To celebrate, the Spring Valley Library will hold a free community event on Saturday, February 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. 

Entertainment will be provided by the Martin Luther King Jr. Choir and the WorldBeat Center’s drummers and dancers.  The public can also meet and greet legendary National Hockey League player Willie O’Ree.  In addition, crafts, refreshments and health screenings for all ages wil be provided.

SDSU News Center

January 29, 2014 (San Diego)--San Diego State junior Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif./Center HS) has been named to the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today. It is the second straight season that Miles made the initial 50-player list.  View: 2014 USA SOFTBALL COLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

Miles (2013-14), who redshirted last year, and Erin Floros (2007) are the only Aztecs to ever be named to the pre-season watch list.

January 28, 2014 (Alpine)—February 5 is the deadline to submit nominations for the 2014 Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce Leadership & Public Service Award. You can phone, e-mail, fax, go online or mail the names of the Alpine and Mountain Empire people, organizations or businesses you think deserve to be recognized for outstanding leadership or public service last year. Hosted by the Chamber, the awards will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Viejas DreamCatcher Lounge in Alpine.

Review by Julian Rudd-Falls

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery,  8697 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa http://www.lamesabistro.com/   

January 25, 2014 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa Bistro and Bakery has a diverse menu of tasty foods.  Serving breakfast and lunch, this Bistro and Bakery is perfect for anyone look for a good dine-in.

 Upon entering La Mesa Bistro and Bakery, I noticed it has an extremely long list of specials near the entrance. I grabbed a menu from next to the register, and stepped into line. Although I had two or three people ahead of me, I wasn’t truly sure I would be able to browse their very large menu in time to choose a food I’d like to eat! Depending on what mood you’re in, their menu offers dishes from burgers and waffles to healthful fruit smoothies.

January 28, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Bullying amongst pre-teens and teens happens everywhere. Social media has made it really easy for bullies to harass and stalk their victims without suffering any repercussions. 32% of bullying victims engage in “self-harmful” behavior.

By Martin Eder

January 28, 2014 (San Diego)--Legendary folk singer, activist,  environmentalist, leftist, songwriter, and troubadour extraordinaire Pete Seeger passed away on Monday, 27 January, 2014.

This very weekend, KNSJ held a tribute concert to  Pete Seeger thanks to our invitation of George Mann, who joined us in this musical retrospective celebration of his life. We may have been the last sing-along event of Pete's songs, while he was still alive. As part of the audience, we were uplifted by his spirit and words: "If I had a hammer, I'd singing in the morning, I'd sing it in the evening, all over this land... It's a song of justice, it's a song of freedom, it's a song of love between my brother and my sister all over this land, all over this land..."

Tuesday morning, Amy Goodman and Democracy Now spent the bulk of the broadcast celebrating the life and contributions of Pete Seeger and his cultural activism. Listeners were reminded just how important the programming of our new community radio station is to our values and our information, knowing that KNSJ is the only local station to be honoring Pete Seeger today. This tribute is but one of 1,000 reasons why we need a strong and vibrant, and culturally poignant people-powered radio.  Listen to the podcast on DemocracyNow.org at http://www.democracynow.org/2014/1/28/we_shall_overcome_remembering_folk_icon?autostart=true  including interviews with Pete Seeger and video of him in concert.

Elected officials, school district urge student participation at college aid workshops

January 25, 2014 (San Diego)--High school seniors, local elected officials and San Diego Unified School District representatives announce plans to increase the number of San Diego-area high school students applying for free college financial aid. Students are urged to attend one of 13 upcoming “Cash for College” financial aid workshops.

In 2013, San Diego region workshop participants were offered more than $3 million in federal and Cal Grant aid.

Seniors who attend a workshop and apply for a Cal Grant by the March 2 deadline could also qualify for an extra $1,000 Cash for College scholarship offered at each workshop. The workshops, titled “Free Application for Federal Student Aid & Califiornia Dream Act Application Workshops, will be held between January 25 and March 1. Workshop information is available in a pdf document here and also at www.calgrants.org/workshops.

January 17, 2013 (San Diego) – On January 25^th at 7 p.m., George Mann will perform a concert at Church of the Bretrhen, 3850 Westgate Pl., San Diego.  The concert will feature songs from the historic 1941 tour know as the “Almanac Singers” – activists who toured the nation bringing folk music back to the people and spreading a message of unionization.  

Songs featured include music of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and the Almanac Singers from these classic troubadours.

View video of groundbreaking

January 27, 2014 (Boulevard)--Drive 60 miles east of San Diego out Interstate 8 and you’ll reach Boulevard, a sparsely populated rural community of about 1,750 people. Your view will encompass manzanita trees and granite boulders, but no shopping malls or gleaming high rises. In fact, you won’t see a lot of newer buildings at all, and you won’t be surprised to learn the town’s fire station is a converted court office.

That last part won’t be true for long though. On Thursday, County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dianne Jacob joined County officials and community members to break ground on a new $3.5 million fire station, which will serve a 78-square-mile area.

Editor's note: A local clinic has disputed portions of this editorial .  For details, click here.

By Sylvia Hampton

January 24, 2014 (San Diego)--Since the January 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision striking down all state laws prohibiting doctors from performing abortions, the anti-abortion forces have done everything in their power to make abortion as difficult to obtain as possible. Hundreds of state laws have been passed and then struck down by the courts because they placed an undue burden on women or were simply medically unsound.  So the crusaders resort to trickery and bearing false witness.