By Carlette Anderson

January 21, 2014 (San Diego's East County) -- Each year the president proclaims February to be Heart Month.

Would you know how to respond if your child stopped breathing or someone you love had a heart attack? As parents we all want the very best for our children. However when it comes to knowing what to do if our child stops breathing, we panic and call 911.  Every year, we hear about children who have drowned in a pool because no one knew how to perform CPR. If CPR is administered within the first two to three minutes the child has a good chance of surviving with no brain damage. After four minutes the child can have severe brain damage and after six minutes the chance of survival is slim. Most parents would like to know how to perform CPR but with their busy schedules it is difficult to find the time to attend a class.

The good news is now you can learn CPR online in the comfort of your own home at www.cprpros.com.

January 20, 2014 (El Cajon)--The City of El Cajon will be hosting an informational community meeting about the City’s new regional special event called “America on Main Street.”  The meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 East Douglas Avenue. 

The City of El Cajon expects 30,000 people to attend the June 14 American on Main Street event, celebrating with American and ethnic foods, live entertainment, youth activities, games, a Ferris wheel, rides, a petting zoo, handmade crafts, display booths and more. The mission of El Cajon’s America on Main Street is to provide an opportunity to enhance civic pride, attract regional participation, and contribute to the economic growth of the downtown district.  The event will brand El Cajon as a place of rich diversity, shared tradition, and community.

January 20, 2014 (East County) A full brush response has been dispatched south of Community Building Rd near Dulzura. Fire crews are using Highway 94 to reach the area. According to the Incident Page Network this is a 1 acre brush fire with a slow rate of spread and no current structure threats.

A separate fire at Graves in El Cajon prompted by a vehicle striking a storage facility was upgraded to a second alarm but is now under control.  SDG&E has been dispatched to the scene due to electrical damage. Due to the heavy smoke Fire requested Gillespie close down the landing strip briefly due to visibility issues.

A new fire is burning in Poway at Twin Peaks Road; a helicopter has been requested.

By Miriam Raftery

January 18, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) --  What’s on the agenda this week at local boards and commissions impacting East County?   Find out in our Local Government Report.  This week, we have information on meetings in Lemon Grove, Santee, La Mesa and Jamul.

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2014 (Sacramento) – Governor Jerry Brown has issued an emergency declaration due to the third straight year of drought in California.

“We’re facing perhaps the worst drought that California has ever seen since records began being kept about 100 years ago,” the Governor said. He  asked all Californians to cut water use by 20 percent. Water conservation is voluntary for now, but could become mandatory if  conditions worsen.

The Governor also directed state agencies to hire more seasonal firefighters.

By Jamie Reno

Jan. 16, 2014  (San Diego) -- It’s been a pretty positive week in Washington for our troops and veterans. As you've probably heard, Congressional negotiators have shockingly agreed on a $1.1 trillion spending package that almost everyone says is a pretty good deal. Go figure! And one of the real positives of this whopping budget agreement is that it gives active-duty military a one percent pay raise. 

But wait, there's been even more surprising action from this historically do-nothing Congress.  Read more at the Reno Dispatch.

On January 17, the Kiwanis Club of La Jolla granted Noah Homes $2,500 for energy saving appliances. Noah Homes is a nonprofit in Spring Valley that provides free housing and care to 70 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Noah Homes’ vision as a self-sustaining and recognized model of care includes solar panels that are already in the works and other environmentally friendly cost-saving measures. In addition to energy saving appliances, Noah Homes is taking steps in sustainability including planting a vegetable garden, installing solar panels and switching to environmentally friendly hand dryers.

Program Includes Motets from the Florilegium Portense, Bach Motets, and Contemporary Works 

January 17, 2014 (San Diego)--Bach Collegium San Diego (BCSD), the city's premier early music performance ensemble, will collaborate with the San Diego State University Chamber Choir for performances on February 7 and 8, 2014.

While Bach maintained a backbreaking schedule producing weekly cantatas for his church, the motets sung at St. Thomas were likely taken from the Florilegium Portense, two volumes of early 17th-century compositions which Bach is known to have procured for his choirs, containing the music of Hassler, Lasso, Gabrieli, and others--some of the popular works of his day. These performances will explore motets contained in the Florilegium Portense, including Bach's own motets Komm, Jesu Komm and Lobet den Herrn. In addition, contemporary works by Copland, Lauridsen, Whitacre, and Montoya are on the program.

Community Solar Program Supports Creation of a Strong Solar Community: Learn More at a Free Solar Seminar Feb 15 at Jamul Restaurant and Bakery

January 17, 2014 (Jamul) – With the vision of creating a strong solar community in Jamul, local business Sullivan Solar Power announces its launch of the Jamul Solar Program. The company is offering cash incentives in addition to the federal tax credit to property owners within the unincorporated community of Jamul. The innovative program allows residents in Jamul to go solar for no upfront cost and receive substantial cash-back awards for their involvement.

“With many residents looking to declare energy independence from the utility and foreign fossil fuels, Jamul is the ideal community to adopt solar in the masses,” said Daniel Sullivan, founder and president of Sullivan Solar Power.

By Marsha Kay Seff

January 16, 2014 (San Diego)--When I was a caregiver to my parents, some people faulted me for placing my folks in a retirement community, rather than moving them in with me.  But I never felt guilty about my choice.

For our family, the arrangement was the best option.

By Janis Mork and Miriam Raftery

Julian Rudd-Falls, Mark Gavit also contributed to this report

January 15, 2014 (La Mesa)- Students, faculty and community leaders turned out to celebrate yesterday’s dedication of the new performing arts complex at Helix Charter School.  The new center features a spacious theater, a black box room for smaller productions, dance room, a digital music lab, choir room, scene shop, and prop storage.

The dedication opened with students playing bag pipes and included the official ribbon cutting by Helix executive director Dr. Mike Lewis, a tour, speeches by education leaders and elected officials, and a dramatic musical performance from some of the students. 

“This landmark facility will benefit our students for many years,” said Grossmont Union High School District  (GUHSD) Superintendent Ralf Swensen.

Our December shows are now online—including special reports on East County issues, holiday specials, interviews with top newsmakers and people making a positive difference in our community.  Click here for a list of our December shows with links to listen online.

You can also hear our one-hour show live when it airs on KNSJ 89.1 FM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. and reruns Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9 a.m.  Or listen live online during those hours at www.KNSJ.org.

Off My Rocker, by Kenny Weissberg (Sandra Jonas Publishing House, Boulder, Colorado, 2014, 311 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

January 15, 2014 (San Diego)--Kenny Weissberg, the former producer and promoter of the internationally acclaimed Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay series in San Diego, has lived the life that many of us could only dream about.  It is reflected in his wildly entertaining tell-all book, Off My Rocker.

January 15, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- On March 7^,  the cities of La Mesa and Santee will hold their annual Miss La Mesa and Miss Santee Pageants.  Pageant organizers are currently seeking outgoing residents ages 13-26 to participate in a program that has been a tradition in the cities since the late 1960’s and includes a mentoring program for young women.  The pageants are sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce and focus on community service. 

The 2014 titleholders will all receive scholarships which have been funded through past local talent and fashion show fundraising events. 

The contestants will be scored on personal interview, speech, poise and personality, sportswear, evening gown and an on stage question. There is no swimsuit competition.