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.

By Miriam Raftery

July 8, 2013 (Spring Valley) – The Spring Valley Community Planning Group will hear a committee report Tuesday night  on Master Craft Homes’ proposed residential development at Jamacha Boulevard at Sweetwater Springs Boulevard, the former Evergreen Nursery site.

 The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District headquarters, located at 2850 Via Orange Way in Spring Valley.

By Miriam Raftery

July 7, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A controversial housing project that could include up to 430 residential units on 204 acres will be heard by the San Diego Planning Commission on Thursday, July 11 at 9 a.m.  The public can attend and testify at the hearing, which will be held at Council Chamber, 12^th Floor, City Administration Building, 202 C Street in downtown San Diego.

The project proposed by Pardee homes has sparked substantial opposition from environmentalists and residents.  A 925-page environmental impact report details significant negative impacts on wildlife and the environment.  ftp://ecity.ci.santee.ca.us/DDS/FinalEIRCastlerock062013.pdf

Preserve Wild Santee’s Facebook page describes Castlerock as “a monstrous housing development in San Diego and Santee” which “proposes to destroy four vernal pools and fairy shrimp, without examining the cumulative impact of these projects …”

Photo left: View at start of fire from Sunrise Highway; photo by Erik Johnson

Update 4:30 p.m. -- The fire is now 2,500 acres.  An evacuation center is now open at Joan McQueen Middle School, 2001 Tavern Road in Alpine.  The fire is now just one mile from communication towers on Monument Peak, including the new KNSJ 89.1 FM station's transmitter. 

Update 12:30 p.m. -- Pine Hills Cafe and Tavern has sent an email advising that there are now mandatory evacuations for the following sites:  Shrine Camp, Laguna/ElPrado Campgrounds, & Horse Heaven Campground, and for two private properties.  The town is not evacuated, however, at this time and the cafe remains open for business.

View map of fire: https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/971143_561267857270007_1100094835_n.jpg

 

July 7, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- The Chariot Fire, which began yesterday near the Butterfield Ranch, is now 1,700 acres, according to estimates by air attack pilots. Cal Fire officially lists the fire size at 1400 acres as of 8:45 a.m. The fire is still only 10 percent contained and could burn for days, scanner traffic indicates.

The fire is burning nine miles southeast of Julian.  Sunrise Highway on Mount Laguna  reopened briefly after yesterday's shut down, but a hard closure has again been ordered from Highway 79 to Pine Valley. Voluntary evacuations of cabins and the Shriners campground have occurred as the fire burned into the canyon below the campground.  A structure protection team has been assembled.  

The fire is now under joint command of the U.S. Forest Service and Cal-Fire as it burns into Cleveland National Forest.  Firefighters have been contending with shifting winds and some have been treated for heat exhaustion. 

July 5, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- If you missed our Independence Day original dramatic presesntation of "Spirits of 1776," in which ECM editor Miriam Raftery interviews our founding fathers, you can now listen to it here:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

Thanks to our talented cast of performers:  Marie Johnson (Abigail Adams), Paul Kruze (John Adams), Leon Thompson (Chief Joseph Brant), John Falchi (Benjamin Franklin),Jake Christie (Patrick Henry), Mike Hancock (Thomas Jefferson), Dr. Kenmeth Hanson,(James Madison), Jason Smothers (Thomas Paine and King George III),  and Imani Robinson (Phyllis Wheatley).

Note: CDs of this presentation will  soon be available for use by nonprofits and other organizations for a nominal donation of $20  to East County Magazine. Contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. 

By Nadin Abbott

July 5, 2013 (San Diego)—Several hundred people from across San Diego County, including East County residents, held a rally and march through Balboa Park to the National Security Agency  (NSA) surveillance of Americans’ phone and internet records.

What compelled San Diegans to protest in the park on July 4, rather than going to a picnic or barbecue?   The activists are calling for restoration of Fourth Amendment rights to freedom from unreasonable search and seizure—rights born out of our founding fathers' struggle to win independence against tyranny.

July 6, 2013 (El Cajon) – The Kiwanis Club of El Cajon Valley presents Bunco at The Salvation Army, 1011 E. Main St., El Cajon on July 12, from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.  The evening will include a potato bar and raffles.  There will be prizes for 1^st and 2^nd, most wins most Bunco’s and a Boobie prize.  Bunco is a social dice game involving all luck and no skill.

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom Abbott

July 5, 2013 (Lemon Grove)—On July 2, the Lemon Grove City Council decided to table a motion to support a Constitutional Amendment that would overturn the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens v. Federal Elections Commission. 

The high court ruled in 2010 that corporations had a right to virtually unlimited campaign contributions.  Allowing companies to inject massive amounts of money into the political system has led to some of the most expensive elections in American history.

The effort was led by Councilmember George Gastil (photo). Before speakers from both Common Cause and Money out of Politics addressed the Council, Gastil went into some of the problems with the decision, which could ultimately impact municipalities such as Lemon Grove.

Updated July 3 with even more events!

Jumr 27, 2013 (San Diego's East County) --Fireworks , parades,a centennial-themed celebration and an address by an Abraham Lincoln reenactor for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg are among the Fourth of July celebrations in East County and San Diego’s inland areas this year. 

Here’s a rundown on some of the festive Independence Day events, listed in alphabetical order by community.

July 3, 2013 (San Diego) – As temperatures climb, it’s important to stay cool.  Seniors and those without air conditioning are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness.  The County has provided a list of “cool zones” where you can beat the heat, including places in East County, such as libraries and senior centers:  http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/programs/ais/documents/coolzones.pdf.   All are free and open to the public during designated hours.

July 3, 2013 (Alpine) – Viejas is planning four full days and nights of activities, all free, to celebration Independence Day this weekend. Activities include fireworks on the 4th, as well as music, outdoor movies, and the new ICONS show in the Viejas Outlets Show Court throughout the weekend. For a schedule of events, scroll down.

By Nadin Abbott

Photos and videos by Billy Ortiz

View video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFyIKMWlzdE&feature=youtu.be

 July 2, 2013 (Lakeside)—Firefighters from Heartland Fire, the U.S. Forestry Service, Cal-Fire and Lakeside Fire Department have attained 50% containment of a brush fire that consumed at least 110 acres Lakeside as of this evening.  The fire began along El Monte Road in light, flashy fuels this afternoon and burned portions of El Cajon Mountain (El Capitan).

July 1, 2013 (Alpine) – The Back Country Land Trust (BCLT) has owned and managed open-space landscapes in San Diego’s East County for over 20 years. The best example of these conservation lands is Wright’s Field preserve in the community of Alpine. Located in the heart of this small foothill town, Wright’s Field is a 230-acre nature preserve, saved from development in 1990 and preserved as open-space for wildlife, habitat conservation, and recreation such as hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

July 1, 2013 (San Diego) – If your pets could talk, chances are they “wouldn’t” give you a “lick in,” says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Dogs can develop heat stroke and sunburn in the hot weather, but one danger to dogs that's frequently overlooked is the potential for paw pad injuries and burns from walking a dog on hot pavement or sand. Walk the dog in the early morning or evening to avoid paw pad burns. Avoid walking the dog in the heat of the day, when the sun beats down, heating the pavement and sand. Walk the dog on the grass; it’s cooler for you and them. Are you taking your dog hiking? Would you like to hike barefoot in the heat on rocky terrain? Maybe your dog wouldn’t either! Make sure you have water for your dog while hiking and do so during a cool hour and “watch those paws!”