November 5, 2012 (El Cajon) -- An anonymous Facebook ad attacking three El Cajon councilmembers and another candidate has been taken down--but not before hurling blatant falsehoods and misrepresentations into cyberspace.

The ad included an unauthorized use of the City's official seal with a message claiming that the E l Cajon City Council has been involved in "lies, cheats, scandals and much more."  A letter from the city attorney indicates such misuse for purposes of distortion is a felony.

November 5, 2012 (San Diego's East County) - IPN reports at 12:25 p.m. a major accident on Highway 84 at Barrett Lake Road has blocked lanes in both directions. A motorcyclist is down with serious injuries.  According to the CHP website, the injured rider will be airlifted from Barrett Cafe.

By Lynne Jennings, Board President, San Diego Guild of Puppetry

November 5, 2012 (San Diego)--To our dismay, we discovered last week that our small, hard working, non-profit has been unjustly portrayed for months in Steve Danon's campaign for SD County Board of Supervisors Seat  #3. Although it is clear that he does not feel the arts are worthy of funding(as is his right), he has for some reason made our small arts organization a prime target on his website and in the media. A refrain he has repeated over and over again has been: "No more  $10,000 taxpayer paid funds to the San Diego Guild of Puppetry”. Since we were mentioned specifically in E.A.Barrera's May 23, 2012 article, “Danon Seeks to Shake Up a Stagnant Board of Supervisors” We hope you will help us set the record straight  and let your readers know who we really are, what we actually do, why we were worthy of the one time $10,000 grant we received from the Board of Supervisors in 2004, and why we are worthy of continued funding.

November 5, 2012 (Spring Valley) -- Spring Valley – San Miguel Firefighters responded to fire in a detached garage at 2501 Bancroft Drive yesterday shortly after 4:30 p.m. When crews arrived on scene the garage was spewing flames and thick black smoke and had already set a three-bedroom home next door on fire at 2505 Bancroft, about 12 feet from the garage where the fire reportedly started.

“There were three people in the home when it caught fire. All evacuated safely, however one resident was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation and released,” San Miguel spokesman Leonard Villareal said.

November 4, 2012 (Lemon Grove)-- How can Lemon Grove find the money to repair its pot-holed streets, revive its downtown and restore its shuttered Recreation Department?

At a candidate forum Monday night, incumbents and challengers offered a wide range of proposed solutions. Read full coverage at Lemon Grove Patch.

By Nadin Abbott

November 3, 2012 (San Diego) -- The East Coast has been battered by Hurricane Sandy, which caused dramatic damage. Many of us in sunny San Diego may believe our only major risks are earthquakes and wildfires. But our region is not immune to hurricanes. The first recorded major hurricane to hit San Diego County was 1858. Then in 1976, Hurricane Kathleen reduced I-8 to rubble, washed out a railway and destroyed a bridge in San Diego’s East County, causing major flooding as far east as Ocotillo in Imperial County. View photos of Hurricane Kathleen's damage from a book written by a CalTrans engineer.

Wikipedia lists several tropical storms and hurricanes that damaged Southern California and Arizona. Moreover, with climate change,storm tracks are slowly moving north from Mexico, so we are at increased risk. Regardless, you should be ready for a disaster. Government authorities have warned for years that people need to be ready to be on their own for 72 hours. This is a general civil defense recommendation not limited to the United States.

November 3, 2012 (Alpine) – The Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber hosts a lunch with State Senator Joel Anderson on November 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Paparazzi’s Restaurant, 1347 Tavern Road, Alpine.  The topic for discussion is “An Update from Sacramento”.  Anderson, State Senator from the thirty-sixth Senate District, represents over 1,000,000 constituents.  He was named the “California State Senate Legislator of the Year” by the California Small Business Association and California Small Business Roundtable.

Tickets for the event are $20 and may be purchased at www.alpinechamber.com/membership/payments.html.

November 3, 2012 (El Cajon) – Brotherhood Lions Club is holding a free e-waste recycling event at the El Cajon Home Depot that ends Nov. 4.  The event is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 298 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon.  Unwanted, obsolete or broken televisions, computer monitors, LCD’s or laptops turned in to e-waste collection are eligible for a chance to win prizes.  The prizes include 10 $25 Home Depot gift cards, 10 $25 VISA gift cards and 20 $10 VISA gift cards.

November 3, 2012 (Tijuana) -- On November 1, 2012, the new border crossing from San Ysidro to Tijuana began operations. The crossing, known as El Chaparral, will have 22 lanes equipped with the latest technology for fast access to Mexico.

Vehicles headed southbound on I-5 will turn right once they reach the border onto the modern facilities which create a more convenient crossing into Tijuana and other locations.

Tips and Tricks for Business Success and Growth

By Rama Beerfas

November 3, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – As we approach the end of 2012, it is time to review the year's business successes, challenges and (dare I say it?) failures. If we want to make a difference to the growth opportunities we have available in 2013, then it is critical that we evaluate what worked, what didn't, and where we didn't pursue opportunities that we should have. From that assessment, we can develop a more informed plan for the coming year that will be more likely to succeed than a plan made from hopes, dreams and wishes.

November 3, 2012 (San Diego) -- Dear EarthTalk: I heard that the Arctic summer sea ice is at its lowest level since we began recording it. What are the implications of all this melting?   -- Jo Shoemaker, Bowie, MD

It is true that on September 16, 2012 the world reached a new low: The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported that the extent of sea ice across the Arctic was at its lowest since satellite record-keeping began in 1979. On that date the sea ice reached its summer minimum, 1.32 million square miles, half of what the average size of summer ice was between 1979 and 2000, and almost 20 percent lower than the previous record minimum of 1.61 million square miles set on Sept. 18, 2007. NSIDC added that, despite especially warm conditions in 2007 being much more favorable for sea ice loss than this year, the thinning of sea ice due to climate change has made the ice more vulnerable to breakup and melting.

November 3, 2012 (La Mesa)--The FBI and El Cajon Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the unknown male responsible for robbing the US Bank, 490 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon.  On Friday, October 26, 2012, at approximately 2:29 p.m., an unknown male using a demand note robbed the US Bank, located at 490 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, California.  After receiving a sum of money from the victim teller, the robber exited the bank and was last seen leaving as a passenger in a silver or gray Cadillac.

November 3, 2012 (San Diego) – Poll workers are still in demand for the Nov. 6 Presidential General Election. The Registrar of Voters needs a variety of positions filled.

A high demand remains for bilingual workers especially those who speak Chinese and Vietnamese.

Story, photos and video by Billy Ortiz

View video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Y0hc267sA

November 3, 2012 (Lakeside) -- On a cool, cloudy autumn morning on October 20 in East County a group of teenage Boy Scouts from troop 801 in Coronado arrived at the Lakeside River Park. They brought heavy timbers and other materials to build what they hope will become a nest for the Ospreys that frequent a pond at the River Park. 

By The Reno Dispatch Guest Blogger Martin C. Winer

November 3, 2012 (San Diego) -- One of the most devastating diagnoses a patient can receive is cancer, which can sometimes mean years of chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery affecting the patient’s quality of life. As a result, patients often look to the Internet hoping to find an alternative that will restore their health with greater speed and fewer side effects.

A simple Internet search produces a plethora of results with great promises but little backing research. Separating the silver from the dross often requires a graduate degree, so typically, the patient, in frustration, brings a ream of printouts to his or her oncologist, who usually hasn’t heard of half of the remedies or at best rolls his or her eyes at them. 

http://therenodispatch.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-dca-real-story-behin...