SAN DIEGO COUNTY IS AMONG WORST-HIT AREAS IN NATION FROM GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, NEW FEDERAL STUDY FINDS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery June 17, 2009 (Washington D.C.)—Recent warming in the Southwestern U.S. including San Diego County has been among the worst in the nation, according to a newly-released federal report begun under the Bush administration and finalized by the Obama administration. Average temperatures here have increased 1.5 degrees during the past 20 years and are projected to soar three to five degrees above the historical baseline by 2050 and up to ten degrees by the end of this century, the report predicts. Further, precipitation along the Southwestern border region has fallen as much as 40% over the past 50 years. View the report, titled Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States: http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts View Climate Change Daily’s article on the report: http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2009/06/white-house-underscores-climate-impact View the report’s analysis on the Southwestern U.S. region: http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/regional-climate-change-impacts/southwest “This report is a game-changer," said Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Change Daily reports. "Much of the foot-dragging in addressing climate change is in the perception that climate change is a ways down the road and only occurring in remote parts of the planet. Climate change is happening now. It’s happening in our own backyards. It affects you and the things you care about." The report, issued each decade by the federal government’s Global Change Research Program, consolidates and translates into accessible language the latest climate science. It is nonpartisan, Climate Change Daily reports; federal courts ordered President Bush to release a draft last year, and that document provided the foundation for the final version. The report draws these sobering conclusions about our region: Projected summertime temperature increases are greater than the annual average increases in parts of the region and are likely to be exacerbated by expanding urban heat island effects. Further water cycle changes are projected, which combined with increasing temperatures signal a serious water supply challenge in the decades and centuries ahead. The prospect of future droughts becoming more severe due to warming is a significant concern, especially because the Southwest continues to lead the nation in population growth. Tourism, agriculture, and recreational activities are also at risk as temperatures rise and water supplies dwindle, the report projects. In addition, hotter temperatures will increase demand for energy to power air conditioning. In San Diego’s East County, the risk of more devastating fire storms is also heightened by hotter, drier conditions. San Diego’s coastal areas also face dire impacts from sea levels predicted to rise three to four feet over the next century—a scenario that could place Coronado and portions of downtown underwater, scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have previously warned in a seminar held here several months ago. Marine life and fishing are also likely to face negative impacts, including dead zones in oceans along some portions of the West Coast. Despite the report’s gloomy forecast, some scientists have expressed optimism that worst-case scenarios can yet be avoided. "We can do something about this," said Donald Wuebbles, a co-author and professor of atmospheric science at the University of Illinois. "What we’ve shown in this assessment is that we need to act soon. Sooner rather than later. That’s an important part of the finding. We want to avoid the worst of the (impacts) we looked at in these different projections." Printer-friendly version
WRANGLING RATTLESNAKES: A TRUE TALE FROM EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly versionBy Sandra Millers Younger Editor’s note: We’re so inspired by this reader’s “unrattled” attitude over a common backcountry fear that we’d like to make “Tales from East County Readers” a regular feature. Do you have a memorable East County experience to share? If so, please send your essay to editor@eastcountymagazine.org. June 17, 2009 (Lakeside)–It had to happen. Leaving suburbia for the raw beauty of San Diego’s backcountry meant that sooner or later I was going to meet a few rattlesnakes. But even knowing that, staying alert, watching my step, it came as a shock the day I opened my front door and found a three-foot-long Southwestern speckled rattler stretched full-length across the porch. Like some ditsy cartoon character, I slammed the door shut, grabbed a couple of quick breaths, then opened it a second time. Maybe I’d just been seeing things. But no, there really was a rattlesnake on my front porch, its head slightly raised, its eyes fixed on mine, its expression nonchalant, as if to say, “Hey, what’s up?” I closed the door again. Now what? Most people we knew killed any rattler that invaded their space. But my husband, Bob, and I just didn’t feel right about that. Maybe we’d seen too many episodes of “The Crocodile Hunter,” but weren’t we the real invaders? We’d barged into an ancient, perfectly functioning ecosystem, where each and every species played a unique and vital role in maintaining a delicate balance. Who were we to interfere? So we’d agreed on a catch-and-release rattlesnake policy. Trying to play it smart, we’d equipped ourselves with professional gear—snake tongs and knee-high, bite-proof boots we found online at snakeboots.com. (Yes, really.) Now all I needed was the guts to use them. But maybe I wouldn’t have to. My first instinct after finding a rattlesnake on the front porch was to call Bob. He was off running errands but graciously offered to hurry home and take care of the situation. Thank God! I was still fairly curious about the snake though, so I decided to watch it until Bob arrived. That way, if it left the porch, we’d still know where it was. I pulled on my snakeboots, grabbed the snake stick for self-defense, along with the big, covered bucket Bob would need, then exited through the garage and warily approached the front of the house. The snake had retreated to a corner of the porch behind a flower pot where it lay curled in a big “S.” I leaned against a wall a safe distance away. For the next 10 or 15 minutes, neither of us moved, but my mind was racing. It wasn’t just the snake I found unnerving now. It was me. Face facts, I told myself. You want to live in the backcountry, and snakes come with the territory. Literally. So are you going to learn to deal with them yourself? Or are you going to be the kind of woman who has to be rescued from scary critters by a man? O.K. I couldn’t wait for Bob. I had to wrangle this rattlesnake myself. Trying to visualize how it would go, I ran through every scenario I could imagine, even the possibility my new acquaintance might suddenly sprout gill wings and fly at my throat, like those deceptively cute and chirpy mini-dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The snake meanwhile was still just lying there, no doubt waiting for me to leave so it could go about its snaky business. I realized for the first time how beautiful it was—a long shiny loop of rusty orange triangles, flecked with bits of black, tapering to a series of black and white bands and, finally, that infamous rattle. Swallowing hard, I took the lid off the bucket, picked up the stick and stepped within reach of my uninvited visitor. It began to pull away as the tongs came closer, but I was still able to slip them around its body and clamp down—firmly, but I hoped not too hard. I didn’t want to injure it. Amazingly, there was no fight at all, just a momentary rattle as I lifted the snake up and into the bucket. Then I slipped the lid on, and the deed was done. I could not have been more impressed with myself. Bob arrived home about five minutes later. After a quick peek, he picked up the bucket, and we both walked a long way down the mountainside before tipping it and watching as the snake slid away into the brush, as nonchalant as ever. Since that day, I’ve wrangled a few more rattlers, each time with the utmost respect and caution. I know better than to think of them as friendly. But I no longer fear them. And I’d like to think that somewhere Steve Irwin is happy about that. Printer-friendly version
GROWING OLD “GRAY”CEFULLY: PHOTOGRAPHER LORI BROOKES TO PRESENT PHOTO SAFARI WORKSHOP JUNE 27 IN BOULEVARD
Printer-friendly version photographer Lori Brookes By: Dennis Moore June 15, 2009 (Boulevard)–Sacred Rocks Reserve in Boulevard, a 163-acre wilderness reserve with RV and tent camping sites, is offering lovers of nature and photography a one-day photo “safari” workshop with award winning photographer Lori Brookes. The event will be held from 9AM to 4PM on Saturday, June 27, 2009. Cost is $75 per person for the event and includes lunch. Site fees for car/tent campers ($27 per night) and RV campers ($37 per night) are additional. A dormitory style bunkhouse that sleeps ten is also available at a cost of $15 per person per night. Participants must make a reservation in advance for the workshop, as space is limited. The workshop will include two photo sessions on Sacred Rocks’ 163-acre nature reserve and a group review. “In being still and present to our surroundings, we deepen the experience of seeing by allowing nature, objects, people, and other beings come into focus,” says Brookes. “Then we have a chance as photographers to capture those transient moments with a sense of wonderment, awe and love.” After a thirteen-year career in banking and finance, Brookes returned to school and got her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the age of 40. She has since worked as a designer for an architectural firm, co-created a new line of children’s clothing, and worked as creative director for a marketing firm. Local San Diego photographer Brookes is the epitome of growing old gracefully. This award-winning photographer, best known for her “Sunflower” photo titled After The Fires, which was taken two years after the “Cedar Fires” that devastated San Diego County in late 2003, seems to exemplify acceptance of the belief that it is our nature and God’s plan that we all grow old. Some of us run from that simple fact, by coloring our graying hair, and submitting to face lifts and other surgical procedures. I actually started to dye the gray streaks in my moustache after my 15-year old daughter commented to me that it might make me look younger. Vanity! It was quite enlightening to sit before this lady and listen to her philosophy of life, particularly in regard to aging. She is now working on a photo-journal dedicated to the celebration of women who are embracing their age, gray hairs and all. It was refreshing in this day and age to listen to someone talk about all the positive aspects of aging. There is a life lesson for all of us in her message and philosophy. Brookes’ photo-journal, which she calls AGING “Gray”cefully, is a compilation of life lessons, through the camera lens. Shei says that title was divinely given to her, and that it is interesting how many people still only see the word gracefully! In her pictures of four aging women, one of which is of Susan Bainbridge, a notable East County artist, Brookes demonstrates the beauty of aging, exemplified by the graying streaks throughout her models’ hair. In the photo journals of the women of AGING “Gray”cefully, Brookes describes Valerie Boles as the “lovely long hair godiva,” also a talented artist-jewelry designer. Rita Monares, another model, revealed that her husband, Charles, convinced her to join him in grayness, further stating, “very sweet.” All of the women profiled in AGING “Gray”cefully are accomplished women in their own right, with one common thread; their celebration of being women who are embracing their age and finding beauty in this transition through life’s years. If there is such a thing as “a picture is worth a thousand words,” one only need to look through the photo-journal of Lori Brookes to discover this truth. She has an innate ability to capture through the lens of a camera the subtleties of life, as in her picture of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. She describes her picture of the aforementioned sunflower, titled; After the Fires, thusly: “I came across this solitary sunflower during a fundraising tour of private residences that were built or designed by James Hubbell. The sunflower was beaming against the backdrop of the charred Manzanita landscape. In that instant, the sunflower portrayed the essence of the cycle of nature, life and faith. Giving pause to understand the realization that even the darkness of a tragic event, this too shall pass and signs of life will once again spring up from the ashes.” In a way, that is a parallel to Brookes’ AGING “Gray”cefully, for it is looking at beauty in the most unlikely of places. There is a type of mystical quality, or poetry, to Lori’s photography. She says of it herself; “I don’t rely on a lot of fancy, technical tricks,” further stating; What I am after is life as it is happening.” Each time that Lori does a show she makes a contribution to some worthy cause, such as prevention and cure of multiple schlerosis or breast cancer. She will do the same for her show at Sacred Rocks. She says that Sacred Rocks Reserve is the “Perfect venue for what she wants to do.” Sacred Rocks Reserve is located near Boulevard, California, approximately 60 miles east of San Diego along interstate 8, at the head of the Pacific Crest Trail. Sacred Rocks is located at 1331 Shasta Way in Boulevard, California, 91905. For more information, call: (619) 766-4480 or visit: www.sacredrocksreserve.com. Participants must make a reservation in advance of the workshop, as space is limited. RSVP: To make a reservation: sacredrocks@gmail.com or call (619) 766-4480. Dennis Moore is a writer and author, having written a book about Chicago politics, The City That Works, Power, Politics and Corruption in Chicago. He is also a member of the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild, along with being the President of Contracts & Agency, LLC, a consulting and marketing firm. He can be reached at contractsagency@gmail.com or you can follow him on Twitter at: @DennisMoore8. Printer-friendly version
CRISIS PROGRAM SEEKS MORE VOLUNTEERS, 2 TRAININGS PLANNED
Printer-friendly versionJune 17, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)– Trauma Intervention Programs (TIP) of San Diego County, Inc., is a non-profit organization that partners with emergency responders to assist citizens in crisis following a personal tragedy, such as the sudden death of a loved one. Volunteers are called to the scene by police, fire, and sheriff and are trained to help fellow citizens who are in distress as a result of a traumatic event, such as an unexpected family death, victims of fire, crime, flood, suicide, homicide, or other traumatic incidents. Volunteers respond within their community. The first few hours after a traumatic event has occurred are very confusing for everyone involved and the TIP volunteers are trained to provide the necessary emotional first aid and other temporary support until the persons involved in the crisis are able to depend on family, friends, and others. This allows the emergency responders to return to service more quickly and feel confident that the victim will receive the assistance needed. TWO VOLUNTEER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY TIP is holding two volunteer training academies within the county: Beginning July 9th in La Mesa and beginning July 30th in Valley Center. Trained volunteers will respond to calls in the area of the county where they live. The academy costs $45 per person and is a 50-hour training on week nights and weekends. No prior experience is necessary. Interested citizens must be at least 16 years of age and have automobile transportation, insurance, and a cell phone. We are looking for adults and teens that are available for either day or night shifts. For a complete schedule of training times and further information regarding volunteer requirements call the TIP office at (760) 931-2104, or see our website: www.tipsandiego.org Printer-friendly version
CONGRESS GRANTS FDA AUTHORITY TO REGULATE TOBACCO PRODUCTS, PROTECT KIDS; LOCAL CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES DIVIDE VOTES
Printer-friendly versionCONGRESS GRANTS FDA AUTHORITY TO REGULATE TOBACCO PRODUCTS, PROTECT KIDS FROM SMOKING IMPACTS June 16, 2009 (Washington D.C.) The House and Senate have passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, designed to protect children and teens from the harmful effects of smoking. The bill grants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate the advertising, marketing and manufacturing of tobacco products to protect public health. San Diego Congressional representatives Brian Bilbray, Susan Davis and Bob Filner voted for the landmark measure, while Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa voted against it. Issa, the only San Diego representative to take tobacco industry money during the last election, received a $1,000 campaign contribution in 2008. "Tobacco remains the number-one cause of preventable death in America,” Rep. Filner (D-San Diego) stated in a press release. “Nearly half a million Americans die from tobacco each year – with another 8.6 million suffering chronic illnesses. This is absolutely a health crisis. By monitoring and regulating the sale and advertising of tobacco products, we can better protect our children and families.” The legislation allows the FDA to develop restrictions on the advertising and promotion of tobacco products. The bill also requires tobacco companies to disclose the ingredients in each product and gives the FDA the power to demand changes to those ingredients, such as banning flavors. The bill requires more specific health warnings and reinstates the 1996 rule restricting the marketing of tobacco products to youth. “Every day, more than 3,500 young people try a cigarette for the first time while another 1,000 become regular, daily smokers,” Filner noted. “About one third of these kids will die prematurely as a result. This bill gives the FDA the necessary power to prevent tobacco sales to kids and educate our youth about the very serious risks of these products.” The bipartisan bill, which now goes to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature, is supported by more than 1,000 organizations, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Phillip Morris USA, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company as well as six small tobacco product manufacturers have also come out in support of the legislation. The President, who has waged his own battle to quit smoking, has stated that he will sign the bill into law. Printer-friendly version
EL CAJON PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER BREAKS GROUND
Printer-friendly versionJune 16, 2009 (El Cajon)–El Cajon City officials will gather for the groundbreaking of the new Public Safety Center on Tuesday, June 23, 10:30 a.m. at 100 Civic Center Way. "This very special occasion was made possible by the generous support of the people who call El Cajon their home," a press relaese issued by the city states. "Their foresight in approving Proposition O in November 2004, to fund the Public Safety Center project, will create a community treasure for decades to come." The building will be 119,400 square feet with 212,750 square feet of parking garage, which will be located on 5.7 acres at 100 Civic Center Way, adjacent to City Hall. Printer-friendly version
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ON THE OPERATING TABLE
Printer-friendly versionDear Readers: June 15, 2009–President Obama held a townhall meeting this week and also spoke to the American Medical Association promoting his proposal to create a government healthcare system that would compete against the private health insurance system. "If you love your healthcare plan, you can keep it," Obama pledged. But if you’re uninsured or under-insured, you would be able to opt into a government system, which also aims to save money for businesses strapped by rising healthcare costs for workers. (View video of the healthcare townhall meeting: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGGGTv. View video of AMA address: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGGGkD.) A healthcare for all plan is also moving foward in the California Legislature. Republicans, meanwhile, have announced plans to unveil their own alternative proposal. We’ll have in-depth analysis later this week, but meanwhile we bring you two editorials with divergent points of view. Sylvia Hampton, past president of Healthcare for All California, makes a passionate argument for a single-payer healthcare system. Jim Stieringer, board president of Grossmont Healthcare, opposes single-payer or any government healthcare-for-all mandate. The healthcare debate has been fraught with inaccuracies and outright deceptions. Fact: Neither Obama nor any leading member of Congress has proposed "socialized medicine." Socialized medicine is when the government owns the hospitals and doctors work for the government, as in Great Britain. Single payer, by contrast, is when the government pays privately-run hospitals and doctors, including thhose in private practice. Patients still choose their own doctors. Medicare is a single-payer system, and advocates of single-payer seek to expand a Medicare-type program to cover more people. That said, Obama’s plan is not a single-payer plan. Neither are proposals put forward Senator Ted Kennedy or Governor Howard Dean. While there are variations in coverage, all would essentially create a government system to compete against–not replace–the private healthcare insurance system. So those with no insurance or who are under-insured could opt into the government system if they choose. Will any of these plans work? Can we afford them? Can we afford not to overhaul the healthcare system to help the millions who are uninsured or under-insured? These are important questions. Our business manager, attending a health fair this weekend, asked insurers present what they’ll do if the government sets up a competing system. Several admitted they would probably cut executive overhead and make improvements to be more competitive in order to attract and retain patients/clients. As for my opinion, whatever plan our elected officials enact should include clear requirements for certain procedures and treatments to be covered. A friend of mine died after her insurance company refused to cover a costly chemotherapy treatment for cancer, after a cheaper treatment caused life-threatening side effects. Another friend was shocked to learn that reattaching his intestines and removing a colostomy bag after bowel surgery was considered optional–not covered. This should not happen in America, in my views. On this point, both Hampton and Stieringer agree–though one would solve the problem through healthcare for all, while the other would address such outrages legislatively. As the healthcare reform battle heats up, count on us to provide you with facts and analysis–not hype or spin. Meanwhile, to your health! Miriam Raftery Editor Printer-friendly version
SENIOR FOLLIES OPEN JUNE 19TH THROUGH 28TH IN EL CAJON
Printer-friendly versionJune 16, 2009 (El Cajon)–The 3rd annual Senior Follies returns June 19th through June 28th as CCT Musical Theater pulls out all the stops. Senior Follies is a musical revue that will transport audiences back to the best music and dance of the twentieth century–from Ragtime to Big Band, from Swing to Barbershop–all highlighted by elaborate sets, costumes and lighting. The event will be held at the East County Performing Arts Center, located at 210 East Main Street. Call (619) 588-0206 or (800) 696-1929 for ticket information, or visit http://www.cctmusicaltheater.com. Printer-friendly version
FIREWORKS IN EL CAJON
Printer-friendly versionJune 16, 2009 (El Cajon)–The annual 4th of July Picnic and Fireworks will once again be held at Kennedy Park, located at 1675 East Madison Avenue. The picnic starts at 12 noon and the fireworks will begin at 9:00 p.m. Disabled parking will be available at the event. Arrive early and keep in mind that parking is limited at the park itself. The City of El Cajon urges you to be careful and patient when leaving after the fireworks are over and watch for pedestrians and heavy traffic in and around the area. Note: All City offices will be closed on Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day (July 4). Printer-friendly version
WHAT DO VIKING REFRIGERATOR/FREEZERS AND COFFEE GRINDERS SOLD BY STARBUCKS HAVE IN COMMON? BOTH ARE RECALLED FOR DANGERS TO CONSUMERS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery June 15, 2009 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced a voluntary recall of 45,000 Viking built-in refrigerators and freezers with doors that have detached and injured consumers. In addition, Starbucks is recalling over half a million Starbucks Barista Blade Grinders and Seattle’s Best Coffee Blade Grinders. More than 176 complaints have been reported that the grinders turned on unexpectedly or failed to turn off, causing hand lacerations in three cases. Viking has received about 57 reports of doors detaching, including four reports of injuries involving bruises, broken toes/fingers, and strains. Also, several incidents of minor damage to floors and counters have been reported. Consumers are urged to stop using the products immediately. See details below. VIKING RECALL Firm’s Recall Hotline: (888) 345-2650 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 Name of Product: Viking Built-In Side-by-Side Refrigerator/Freezers and Refrigerators with Bottom Freezers Units: About 45,000 Manufacturer: Viking Range Corporation, of Greenwood, Miss. Hazard: The refrigerator’s doors can detach, posing an injury hazard to consumers. Description: This recall involves Viking built-in 48-inch wide side-by-side refrigerator/freezers and the built-in 36-inch wide refrigerators with bottom freezers with model and serial numbers with date codes listed below. The refrigerators come in stainless steel and various colors and wood finishes and are built into the kitchen cabinetry. “Viking” is written on the front of the refrigerator. The model and serial numbers are located either behind the produce drawer or on the ceiling of the interior of the refrigerators. The 42-inch wide or freestanding refrigerators are not included in this recall. Model Numbers Starting With — Date Codes VCSB481, VCSB482, DDSB482, DFSB482, DTSB482, DDBB362, VCBB360, VCBB362, DFBB362, DTBB362, DTBB363 — All units VCSB483, DDSB483, DFSB483, DTSB483 — Date codes before 030104 VCSB483D, DDSB483D, DFSB483D — Date codes before 030105 VCBB363 — Date codes before 102005 DDBB363 — Date codes before 112305 DFBB363 — Date codes before 041006 The first six numbers in the serial number are the manufacture date of the unit in [mm][dd][yy] format, e.g., serial number 051903G0000000375 was manufactured on May 19, 2003 and serial number F01250210170 was manufactured on January 25, 2002. Sold by: Appliance and specialty retailers nationwide from July 1999 through April 2006 for between $4,725 and $6,400. Manufactured in: United States Remedy: Consumers with recalled refrigerators should contact Viking immediately to schedule a free in-home repair. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled refrigerator if the door isn’t sealing properly, is sagging, or fails to open and close properly. If the door is functioning properly, consumers may continue to use the refrigerator until it has been repaired. Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Viking toll-free at (888) 345-2650 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit Viking’s Web site at www.vikingrange.com To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recall product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09242.html RECALL OF STARBUCKS BARISTA SEATTLE’S BEST COFFEE BLADE GRINDERS Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 276-2950 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 Laceration Hazard Prompts Recall by Starbucks of Coffee Grinders; Made by Tsann Kuen WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Importer: Starbucks Coffee Co., of Seattle, Wash. Manufacturer: Tsann Kuen (Zhangzhou) Enterprise Co. Ltd. (“TKL”), of China Hazard: The grinder can fail to turn off or can turn on unexpectedly, posing a laceration hazard to consumers. Description: This recall includes the Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinders and Seattle’s Best Coffee(r) Blade Grinders with the following colors and SKU numbers: Brand — Color — SKU # Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Stainless Steel — 171884 Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Green — 195234 Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Pink — 195235 Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Orange — 220623 Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Teal — 220624 Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Cranberry — 242275 Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Olive — 344476 Starbucks Barista(r) Blade Grinder — Black — 454482 Seattle’s Best Coffee(r) Blade Grinder — Brown Metallic — 474881 Sold at: Starbucks and Seattle’s Best Coffee stores nationwide from March 2002 through March 2009 for about $30. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the coffee grinders and contact Starbucks to receive a free replacement grinder. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Starbucks toll free at (866) 276-2950 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. MT or visit the company’s Web site at www.starbucks.com To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recall product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09244.html ******************************************************** CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it: https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov. Printer-friendly version