January 27, 2013 (La Mesa) – Jack Shu, Board President of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation (CNFF), will be the featured speaker at the February 6 meeting of the La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club.  The meeting will be held at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa at 6:30 p.m.

Event continues each Saturday in January and February

By Miriam Raftery

January 27, 2013 (Ramona ) – A Ferruginous hawk, the largest hawk found in San Diego County, hunkers down on a treetop at the Ramona Grasslands preserve.  In a field nearby,  volunteers with the Wildlife Research Institute give visitors an up-close look at another of these magnificent birds (left), which winter in our region after migrating south from the northern U.S. and Canada.

Rainfall  moved the event indoors, where a Peregrine Falcon and a Screech Owl were shown off next. “We’ve never cancelled a single time,” WRI executive director Dave Bittner notes.  Later, as the weather cleared, Bittner displayed a golden eagle outdoors; a special report by the WRI warns that “our last remaining Golden Eagle territories in San Diego County are being threatened.”

January 27, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--Celebrity chef George Duran (of Food Network and TLC Ultimate Cake Off fame) has shared  this tasty tip for our readers.  Of course everyone has their own opinion on what makes the “best guacamole,” but Duran’s recipe for Crunchy Herbed Guacamole stands out amongst the crowd for two very delicious reasons. What George’s version has is the magic crunch factor, stemming from a fresh medley of diced radishes and chives, taking texture to another level.  Also, his recipe is prepared authentically, as it would be in a traditional Latin household by means of a Granite Molcajete (he uses one from IMUSA), to mince and mix ingredients. Not only does this method make a mean Guac, but it makes for a rich, festive presentation for parties, small get-together’s, or family dinner night.

Hunter among those voted against extending protections to all women

By Miriam Raftery

January 26, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) – One in four women has been a victim of domestic violence and nearly one in five has been raped during their lifetime, the Center for Disease Control reports.  Yet last year, House Republicans blocked reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act  (VAWA),  allowing it to expire rather than approve a Democratic proposal to expand  protections  from domestic violence for  Native American women, immigrant women and gay women.  

Now,  programs  funded by VAWA  for all women are in danger of disappearing, unless Congress takes action. Nationwide, VAWA supporters are organizing efforts to persuade Congress to pass a newly introduced VAWA bill before funds for all VAWA programs run out.

Advocates  of last session's VAWA measure hoped to end discrimination that has prevented  many women from getting help after violent assaults. Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other racial group; one in three has been raped.  Undocumented immigrant women are often afraid to report domestic violence for fear of deportation. Battered women in same-sex relationships have been discriminated against when seeking shelter 45% of the time.

January 26, 2013 (San Diego)--Wild animals are in trouble, and the problem is people who are careless with food and garbage.Coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to keep rodent populations under control. They are by nature fearful of humans.If coyotes are given access to human food and garbage, their behavior changes. They lose caution and fear. They may cause property damage. They might threaten human safety. They might be killed.

Relocating a problem coyote is not an option because it only moves the problem to someone else’s neighborhood. Help prevent deadly conflicts for these beautiful wild animals.

January 26, 2013 (Lemon Grove) – The next "History Alive" lecture, sponsored by the Lemon Grove Historical Society, on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove, will feature Alexander D. Bevil discussing "Angels at 7 o'clock," his illustrated story of pioneering women aviators who made history between World War I and the 1930s when aviation was in its infancy. 

"Faced with gender bias, ridicule and sometimes outright sabotage, these 'First Ladies of Flight' had a single-minded determination to fly," said Bevil, who has been a California State Parks historian since 1998 and is the current president of the Congress of History of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, the leading cause of CO is heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel which can be sources of carbon monoxide says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home DiGiovanna recommends. “When one sounds, they all sound!”

By Jamie Reno

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – The operator of the San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California made critical errors in the design of the plant's replacement steam generators and, as a result, the public was put in great danger last year, according to expert testimony Wednesday by an internationally renowned nuclear engineer at a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) hearing.

The chilling testimony, which was presented to the NRC Petitions Review Board, was accompanied by evidence showing that plant operator Southern California Edison should have been required to go through a license amendment process before installing the new steam generators in 2009 and 2010.

http://therenodispatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/design-flaws-at-california-n...

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Simple Energy announced the three winning schools in the San Diego Energy Challenge school competition. The San Diego Energy Challenge contest gave SDG&E customers in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) boundaries the chance to compete on behalf of their chosen SDUSD middle school to win cash grants. Participating customers earned points for their school of choice by saving energy on Reduce Your Use days and getting members of their community to sign up and support their team.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

January 26, 2013 (San Diego) – Wildfires are not the only hazard we have to concern ourselves with during High Winds and Red Flag Warnings.

Safety Tips:

The safest place to during high winds is indoors.

Watch for flying debris. Tree limbs may break and street signs may become loose during strong wind gusts. Keep an eye toward nearby balconies for loose objects that may fall.

January 26, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire’s San Diego unit welcomed 66 new members to its ranks in a special badge pinning ceremony this morning at Cal Fire’s facilities on Jamacha Road in El Cajon.  The new Cal Fire members are firefighters from the San Miguel Fire Protection District, which entered into a cooperative agreement with Cal Fire starting December 31, 2012. 

“The transition creates a new generation of cooperation, through a reduction of redundant staff positions while maintaining firefighter staffing at all 8 Fire Stations,” a press release issued by San Miguel Fire District states.

San Diego’s Congressional delegation splits votes

By Miriam Raftery

January 25, 2013 (Washington D.C.)—By a 285-144 vote, the House of Representative Wednesday voted to prevent the government from defaulting on its debt by suspending the federal debt limit until May 18, giving Congress time to craft a longer term solution.  The majority of Republicans supported the bill, HR 325, while most Democrats opposed – though  San Diego’s Congressional representatives voted just the opposite.

Democrats Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas  were among a minority of 88 Democrats who supported the bill, while Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa were among just 33 Republicans who voted no.

Photos by Stephen Harvey/Grossmont College photographer

January 25, 2013 (El Cajon)--Spring semester begins January 28 at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges in a restorative vein, with hundreds of classes added back as the result of California voters’ approval of Proposition 30, the governor’s sales and income tax measure.

The November victory at the polls allowed the colleges to restore 235 course offerings for the new semester that had been cut when the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District approved its budget .The action was taken to prepare for the worst-case scenario of the district losing $5.6 million in funding had voters rejected Prop. 30.

Peg Marcus, Grossmont College’s student body president, shares a laugh with the campus mascot, Gizmo, this week as the campus prepares for the start of the new semester Monday, Jan. 28. 

By Brian Lafferty

January 25, 2013 (San Diego) – Michael Apted is not a director that quickly comes to mind.  He's done some great films, like Coal Miner's Daughter (1980).  Other notable films he's helmed include Gorky Park (1983), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), and Amazing Grace (2006).  He's even directed a James Bond movie. (The World Is Not Enough, 1999.)