Some populations face extinction threat from freeways, sprawl, rat poison

East County News Service

Photo: National Park Service

June 25, 2019 (San Diego) -- The Center for Biological Diversity and Mountain Lion Foundation formally petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission today to protect mountain lions under the California Endangered Species Act.

The petition seeks protections for “gravely imperiled” cougar populations in Southern California and on the Central Coast, including all of San Diego County, the Eastern Peninsular Range as well as Santa Ana Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Monica Mountains, and north along the coast to the Santa Cruz Mountains.

 By Ben Christopher, CALMatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Sign at San Diego County Registrar of Voters Office in Kearny Mesa directs customers. Photo by Ken Stone

June 23, 2019 (San Diego) - Presidential challengers hoping to glide to victory through California’s newly relevant primary, a heads-up: Your electoral fate may hinge on convincing enough left-leaning millennials to send postcards over the holiday season.

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – The city of San Diego ranked second worst in the nation for rent hikes on  a one-bedroom apartment in 2018, at 17% with an average rent of $2,300, according to Rent.com. By contrast, the national average rent increase nationwide was 2.69% and California averaged a 4.48% increase in rents on one bedroom apartments during the same time period.

Rents are also skyrocketing in East County, where some communities had double digit rent hikes from March 2018 through March 2019 for 1 BR units:

Lemon Grove +15.66%

La Mesa +10.63%

El Cajon + 5.04%

Santee, by contrast, had only a modest 1.25% increase.

Spring Valley, the only unincorporated community in San Diego County with enough inventory to provide statistically valid data, had a 9.6% increase.

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2019 (San Diego) – Short-term rentals through Airbnb and similar services have provided lucrative side incomes for some residential property owners. But vacation rentals have also caused complaints from neighbors, including concerns over wild parties that in some cases also caused serious damage to the hosts’ properties as well as resulting in theft, drug use, and violent crimes including fatal shootings. 

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2019 (San Diego) – The deadline is June 30th for the public to submit comments on the County of San Diego’s draft Zoning Ordinance Update for Small Cell Wireless Facilities. You can read the draft ordinance and supporting documents here. Read concerns about the ordinance here.  

East County News Service

June 21, 2019 (Jamul) – On Saturday, June 22, Jamul Casino will ring in summer by hosting an All-Star Block Party featuring casino promotions, live entertainment, and celebrity guests.  The all-day event will feature:

East County News Service

June 21, 2019 (La Mesa) — The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will host its 6th annual Summer Bash Business Expo on Thursday, August 15 from 5-8 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center (4975 Memorial Drive).  Attendees can meet representatives from over 45 local businesses,  enterdrawings to win door prizes and savor foods and beverages from local restaurants, breweries and more.

By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – A generation ago, San Diego County was considered a bastion of conservatism and East County was solid red Republican territory. But that’s changing. First the city of San Diego turned blue and now has nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans. Then the county flipped; today 35.7% of all county residents are Democrats and 27.2% are Republicans, with 31.6% no-party-preference voters. Two of East County’s four incorporated cities now have more Democrats than Republicans, one is evenly split, and a fourth is still staunchly Republican.

East County News Service

June 20, 2019 (Sacramento) --  Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an apology through executive order on behalf of California to Native American people for the many instances of violence, mistreatment and neglect inflicted upon California Native Americans throughout the state’s history.

June 20, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• Rising fire insurance rates causing East County homeowners to pay up or move out (NBC 7)
• Court rules in county’s favor, strikes blow to Julian volunteer firefighters (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove starts strategizing on plans moving forward (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Here’s What San Diego’s Getting Out of the New State Budget (Voice of SD)
• SDG&E says there is a 100% chance it will start or contribute to a major wildfire (KPBS)
• Neighbors cry foul over proposed egg ranch manure plant (Ramona Sentinel)
• Judges orders 3 charter school shut down (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Public urged to file fire hazard reports online (The Alpine Sun)
• Uber says it will start delivering fast food by drone in San Diego this summer (The Verge)
• 15 beach-goers stung by stingrays in one day at (Coronado) beach (Daily Mail)

STATE

• California governor calls Native American treatment genocide (San Francisco Chronicle/AP)
• In Risk-Prone Areas, Fire Insurance Is Getting Harder and Harder to Come By (Voice of San Diego)
• California man suspected of threatening synagogue free on bond (Reuters)
• 3 of 4 Californians want to restrict housing in wildfire-prone areas, poll says (Los Angeles Times)

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

Being comfortable in your own skin

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

June 19, 2019 (San Diego) -- There’s a beauty about getting older—you become more comfortable in your own skin. The need for approval diminishes, you’re more confident in life and you can speak your mind without the fear of rejection. But if you want to stay comfortable in your own skin as you age, you need to protecting it properly!

By David R. Shorey

East County program manager, Institute for Public Strategies

Photo: Lakeside Life Town Hall was held May 29, 2019 at the Lakeside Community Center. Photo courtesy IPS

June 19, 2019 (Lakeside) -- Resident involvement is strong in Lakeside. This was very evident recently when more than 40 people came together at Lakeside Life: A Town Hall Conversation at the community center on the shore of Lindo Lake.

Knowing how emissions are created can help reduce them

East County News Service

Photo:  Undergraduate student Cain Silvey checking methane concentration in a field mesocosm with swamp milkweed in Dayton, Ohio that was part of the constructed wetland research area. The blue plastic tubes protect tree seedlings that are part of a different restoration project. Photo credit: Karla Jarecke

June 19, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) - Wetlands are an important part of the Earth’s natural water management system. The complex system of plants, soil, and aquatic life serves as a reservoir that captures and cleans water. However, as cities have expanded, many wetlands were drained for construction. In addition, many areas of land in the Midwest were drained to increase uses for agriculture to feed a growing world.