July 13, 2013 (Santee) – As part of the Summer Concert Series in Santee, July 18 will be Blues & BBQ featuring music from Mercedes Moore Band and Bill Magee Blues.  The food will be provided by Phil’s BBQ and the beer garden features Manzanita Brewing Co. The event takes place at Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Drive, Santee from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

July 13, 2013 (La Mesa)—The  City of La Mesa presents “Movie Night Under the Stars” on July 26, at La Mesita Park. The movie, “Wreck it Ralph” (rated PG), starts at 8:00 p.m. with pre-show entertainment starting at 7:30 p.m. This is fun family entertainment at its best “Under the Stars.”

The movie is FREE to the public and will be shown on a 25’ x 14’ screen. Bring your lawn chair, spread out a blanket, sit back and enjoy.  La Mesita Park is located adjacent to the Junior Seau Sports Complex at 8855 Dallas Street, La Mesa.

By Miriam Raftery

July 12, 2013 (San Diego) – Mayor Bob Filner today announced support for an  independent investigation into any complaints of sexual harassment by women on his staff and added that he believes the investigation will clear him of legal wrongdoing.

“While I stand by my comments and pledge of yesterday to make changes to improve the workplace environment in my office, I am confident that a fair and independent investigation will support my innocence with respect to any charges of sexual harassment,” Mayor Filner said in a statement issued today. 

The announcement comes one day after three of his long-time supporters called for his resignation, alleging to have credible evidence of sexual harassment complaints made by multiple women who worked for the Mayor. None of the women have been identified and details of the alleged harassment have not been disclosed.

By Brian Lafferty

July 12, 2013 (San Diego) – The scariest story I’ve ever read was Stephen King’s The Mist.  Made into a 2007 Frank Darabont film I’m too frightened to see, it told of a band of New England survivors trapped in a grocery story by a dense fog and a horde of horrific creatures from another dimension.  At the end, the remaining survivors encounter a monster so humongous, that it would make a blue whale – the largest animal in Earth’s existence – look like a trout.

The Chariot Fire perimeter, in red, and the evacuation area shown in purple

July 12, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--Damage assessment teams are combing through the charred remains today of the Al Bahr Shrine Campground area off Sunrise Highway in Mt. Laguna.  CAL FIRE estimates 149 structures were damaged or destroyed when the Chariot Fire suddenly surged forward on Monday.  The fire is now 98% contained, after charring 7,055 acres.

The County encourages any residents who sustained losses in the Chariot Fire to visit www.sdcountyemergency.com for general recovery information. A Chariot Fire resources link is available here.

An important tip for residents returning to fire-damaged properties is to contact your insurance carrier before beginning clean-up efforts and consider using a professional contractor to avoid any potential hazards.

July 11, 2013 (Lakeside) – What could be more idyllic than to while away a summer’s day at a beautiful lake?  You can channel your inner Tom Sawyer as you explore Lake Jennings, where you can try your hand at fishing,  campin,g hiking trails to savor nature watching, or glide across the water’s surface aboard a rented canoe, motorboat, or paddle boat.

As a special treat for family summer fun seekers, the recreational side of Lake Jennings (a reservoir)  is open daily in July. Hours are Sundays through Thursdays 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays, 5;30 a.m. until midnight for those who wish to savor the outdoor experience under the stars after  sunset – or do some night fishing.

July 12, 2013 (Lakeside) -- The Lakeside Chamber of Commerce has named Bonnie LaChappa as the 2013 Lakeside Citizen of the Year with their Harry J. Spence Award. Bonnie, a lifelong Lakeside resident and an elected member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians Tribal Council, is well known for her tireless volunteerism in the East County community.

“Giving back and sharing have always been a big part of our Barona Tribal culture,” said Clifford LaChappa, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. “We are very proud of everything Councilwoman LaChappa has done in the community to earn this meaningful award.”

July 11, 2013 (La Mesa) – The Helix Water District Annual Water Quality Report is now available online in both English and Spanish.  Again this year, as in all prior years, Helix’s drinking water meets or exceeds all State and Federal drinking water standards. 

The annual 2013 Water Quality Report contains important information about drinking water in the Helix District.  The District encourages customers to read the report carefully and ask any questions they might have about water sources, quality, or distribution by contacting:  (619) 667-6248 or wqr@helixwater.org.

Photo: Filner and Frye earlier this year joined in presenting open government award to Terry Francke at Californians Aware, an organization Frye now heads after leaving the Filner administration.

By Nadin Abbott

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this story

July 11, 2013 (San Diego) – At a press conference today, three former supporters of Mayor Bob Filner called for his resignation, claiming to have credible evidence of sexual harassment involving multiple women.  They declined to provide any details on the alleged acts of harassment, nor have any of the women been publicly identified. However, Mayor Filner has acknowledged failing to respect women in his workplace and admitted to needing help.

Donna Frye, formerly Filner’s Director of Open Government as well as a past Council member and former mayoral candidate, joined with attorneys Cory Briggs and Marco Gonzalez in asking the Mayor to step down.   Hear audio of today's press conference from KNSJ 89.1 FM news:  https://soundcloud.com/mikehancock/frye

July 12, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news each week that could impact your health and our future.

Health

• Your medical devices could be vulnerable to cyber threats (Marketplace)
• Obamacare delay? Small businesses get a one-year reprieve (Christian Science Monitor)
• Second Opinion: Does Mom Qualify For Obamacare With A Green Card? (KPBS)
• Abnormal Brain Connections Found In Children With Autism (KPBS)
• State Says Kaiser Too Slow With Mental Health Help (KPBS)
• New TB drug class discovered (U-T San Diego)
• Good night's sleep 'protects heart' (BBC)
• Contact lens gives telescopic vision (BBC)
  
   

Science and technology

• U.S. energy companies seen at risk from cyber attacks: CFR report (Reuters)
•  How To Keep Your Smartphone Secure (NPR)
• DuckDuckGo Benefits From Internet Searchers Wanting Privacy  (NPR)
• Duel of the natural disasters: Earthquakes cause volcanos to shrink (Christian Science Monitor)
• T cell trigger found (U-T San Diego)
• Whale behaviour 'disturbed' by sonar (BBC)
• Dead fish fill Mexico reservoir (BBC)
• Thanks to clouds, some 60 billion planets are habitable in Milky Way (Christian Science Monitor)
• Russia loses $200 million satellites as launch ends in flames  (Reuters)
•  Microsoft develops 3D touchscreen (BBC)
• Arrest Caught On Google Glass Reignites Privacy Debate (NPR)
•  The battle over uranium mining near the Grand Canyon (Marketplace)

Click 'read more' and scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.

July 12, 2013 (El Cajon) --Colleagues on the Grossmont College campus are planning a special blood drive in conjunction with the Bloodmobile’s regular visit to the campus on Sept. 10.  They are urging blood donations in memory of Prof. Curtis Stevens, who was such a regal man that in joking awe they called him "His Royal Highness, The Emperor Curtis Stevens."

Blood donations in Dr. Stevens’ memory may be made not only on campus, but also at any of the six San Diego Blood Bank donor centers throughout San Diego County by mentioning his name and reference code C42.

By David Ross

Part I of several parts

On June 11, I became part of the story of the Chaparral Rebellion when my house on Palomar Mountain partially burned (photo, left).

In the 1980s a group of Western states fought federal intrusion in states rights called themselves the Sagebrush Rebellion. In San Diego County today a group of backcountry fire agencies are fighting to retain their autonomy from the two-headed coin that is the San Diego County Fire Authority and Cal Fire.

You might call this movement the Chaparral Rebellion.

July 5, 2013 (Descanso)--You’re invited to come “Back to the Old West” at Descanso Days on July 13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and join in some good old-fashioned backcountry fun at the historic Descanso Town Hall including live music, deep-pit barbecue, a parade, booths, prizes and more.

Guests can also cheer on entries in the Descanso Days Parade – Aussie, the Australian shepherd, on his motorcycle; a variety of unique and antique tractors; Eric Runningpath and Daughter (professional Native American dancers); and several mounted groups including the Grand Ladies of the Old West, the Winchester Widows, the Hole in the Wall Gang, and the Escondido Mounted Patrol. For excitement in the sky, members of the El Cajon Classic Hangar Club will fly over the Parade route in their WWII airplanes.

ECM reporters allowed inside evacuation area to assess damage

By Nadin Abbott; photos by Nadin and Tom Abbott

July 9, 2013 (Mt. Laguna)— For owners of property on Mount Laguna, the past 24-hours have been heart-wrenching.  The Chariot Fire has reportedly destroyed 108 structures along Sunrise Highway, including the Al Bahr Shrine Camp and one lost at the Sierra Club Guymon Lodge. The blaze has scorched over 7,055 acres and is now 40 percent contained. Highway 79 is open but Sunrise Highway remains closed from 79 to I-8.

Peering through thick smoke late yesterday at the Shrine Camp site (photo, left), we saw a husk of burnt metal and the charred remains of other structures.  We later learned that losses included the 87-year-old lodge and a dozen or more cabins.

July 8, 2013 (Descanso) -- The public is invited to support a historic building and enjoy all the pancakes you can eat at the Descanso Town Hall’s monthly Pancake Breakfast.  The second Sunday of every month (except July and December), from 8:30-11:30am, the Descanso Town Hall Association hosts a  Pancake Breakfast cooked by local residents. The menu includes pancakes, eggs, sausages, fruit, orange juice, and coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.