Total contribution includes matching program for team member donations to
American Red Cross; public donations also encouraged

By Brian Lafferty

March 27, 2011 (San Diego) – I’ve seen movies that begin full speed and with ambition but collapse under their own weight. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been movies that try to be extremely low-key but eventually implode for the same reason. A Somewhat Gentle Man goes for the mundane and something in me kept anticipating a collapse. When it became apparent three-quarters of the way through that this wouldn’t happen, I sat back and enjoyed.

March 26, 2011 (Lyons Valley) – A teacher reports that she was approached by the driver of a bright yellow pick-up truck on Friday, March 25th at 9:30 a.m. while she was walking near the Lyons Valley Trading Post. She said the driver backed up and stopped, then asked “What color panties are you wearing?”

March 26, 2011 (Ramona)--If you've ever wondered what an artist’s studio really looks like, now is your chance to see for yourself. Eighteen award winning artists from Ramona have been invited to open their studios to visitors. Meet these artists, discuss their work and process, and even add to your art collection if you're so inclined.

"Celebration of life" service set for April 1
 

March 26, 2011 (Ramona) –The San Diego Medical Examiner has identified Kevin Montgomery Birse, 22, of Ramona as the driver who perished in a vehicle accident on March 23rd on San Vicente Road, just east of Wildcat Canyon Road in Ramona.

By Brian Lafferty

Black Death is playing only at midnight tonight at the Ken Cinema.

March 26, 2011 (San Diego) – Black Death is one of the fresher horror films I’ve seen in recent years. It has a structure loosely reminiscent of Psycho: I expected the movie to be about one thing but then the film unexpectedly switches gears halfway and becomes about something different. Both convey different types of horror (all of which is not your typical kind of horror) in their own respective ways.

March 24, 2011 (Escondido) – Enter the Faire to at Felicita Park, Escondido, where ye will mingle with inhabitants of the "Village of Falconbridge.” There, the Age of Chivalry will be recreated amid an idyllic forested setting. Travel back to a distant place in time to share memories and glories of the reign of Her Majesty, Elizabeth I.

March 25, 2011 (Alpine) – The Alpine Sheriff Station is hosting a free “Kidzwatch” crime prevention program on Friday, April 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The program, held during spring break, is open to ages 7-11; parents are welcome but are not required to attend.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS AND GROWTH

By Rama Beerfas

March 1, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – This is a QR code:
 

You’ve probably seen them on postal packages, in print ads and catalogs, even on an iPad commercial; but do you know what a QR code is and how it can benefit your business?

A QR (Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional matrix barcode that can be decoded (“read”) by smartphones that have a QR decoder app installed. Created in Japan by a subsidiary of Toyota in 1994, these codes have been commonly used there and in Europe for over ten years for a variety of purposes. In 2010, they started appearing in the US in marketing applications.

March 25, 2011 (La Mesa) La Mesa Police Department today arrested Domingos Oliveira, 50, of Spring Valley for soliciting the murder of his 19 year-old daughter’s boyfriend. Police were notified by the suspect’s daughter and boyfriend, after several posters had been placed on the campus of Grossmont College within the past two weeks.

March 25, 2011 (San Diego) – An armed suspect at San Diego Police headquarters has led police to call for non-lethal forces, Incident Page Network reports. According to ECM news partner 10 News, the man is armed with a knife and mentally unstable.

By Miriam Raftery

March 24, 2011 (Washington D.C.) – Today, North American Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced that NATO will take over enforcement of the no-fly zone. The U.S.-led coalition will continue to take the lead in handling air strikes against Libyan ground forces and a naval blockade.

Allied coalition forces led by the U.S. have crippled Libyan air power, though Libyan ground forces continue to wage attacks on rebel forces in several cities amid a civil war.

By Miriam Raftery
 

March 24, 2011 (Santee) – Padre Dam Municipal Water District announced today that its Board of Directors voted on March 22 to end its agreement with Sudweeks Development LLC to construct and operate a cable ski park at Santee Lakes. Sudweeks “was unable to proceed with the project and requested a settlement. The lack of available financing in the current economy played a major role in Sudweeks’ request,” a press release issued by the district revealed.
 

“We saw the cable ski park as a new and exciting family recreation opportunity, and as an innovative use of recycled water for recreation, which is what Santee Lakes is all about,” said Padre Dam’s General Manager, Allen Carlisle. The project, which would have been built on Lake 1, also included a restaurant, pro shop and recreational beach area.
 

But Julie Naggar, who has led opposition to the project, said she is relieved by the cancellation. “I just think it’s a win for the neighborhood… The people who love this park come here for the beauty of it. A daily ski park would have been unbearable, with the noise and the crowds.”

By Christopher Mohr

March 24, 2011 (San Diego) - The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), an organization providing support for American soldiers injured in combat, is holding a series of local events this weekend that are part of the grand opening of the organization's new office in San Diego's Liberty Station.

Public participants are sought to join the ride and raise funds to help America's wounded combat veterans.