ARSONIST SOUGHT; SHERIFF ALSO SEEKS VANDALS WHO SRAYED RACIST/ HATE GRAFFITI AT SCENE OF FIRE
Printer-friendly version $10,000 REWARD OFFERED September 4, 2009 (Vista) – Vista is not in East County. But an arsonist anywhere in our County poses a threat to us all. One spark on a windy day can spread a fire far beyond its origins. San Diego County Sheriff’s Vista detectives and Crime Stoppers seek the public’s help to find an arsonist who torched public vehicles, causing $50,000 in damage. Authorities also seek vandals who sprayed racist/hate graffiti, including swastikas, on public vehicles and buildings at 1790 Shadowridge Drive in Vista, a fenced yard owned by the City of Vista. Below is a description from Crimestoppers: On the evening of August 19, unknown suspect(s) gained entry into a fenced yard that belongs to the City of Vista, located at the Buena Vista Park. The suspect(s) vandalized city vehicles and city property. The vandalism consisted of various “hate/racist” type graffiti sprayed on city vehicles and building. The suspect(s) also shoved dirt into one of the City vehicles’ gas tanks. On August 20, 2009, at about 2300 hours, the Vista Fire Department responded to a fire at the same fenced yard at the park. Two vehicles and part of an out building were engulfed in flames. The same type of hate/racist graffiti was discovered on a building inside the yard. The fire was determined to be arson and caused about $50,000 worth of damage. San Diego County Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $10,000 reward in this case; $1,000 for arrest and $9,000 for arrest and conviction to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of the suspect(s) responsible for this arson. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the identity of this suspect to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest. Anonymous email and text messages can be sent in via www.sdcrimestoppers.com. Printer-friendly version
40-ACRE FIRE AT HIGHWAY 94 & BORDER CHECKPOINT
Printer-friendly version September 4, 2009 – A fire on the south side of Highway 94 and the Border Patrol checkpoint at Sycamore Canyon has been contained at 40 acres, CAL-FIRE spokesperson Roxanne Provaznik reports. Full control of the Checkpoint Fire is projected for 5 p.m. today. The fire began late this morning within an island of unburned fuels from the 2007 fires, Provaznik said. At least 13 engines, 3 helicopters, 4 air tankers, 2 water tenders, 2 bulldozers and 100 firefighters were dispatched to battle the blaze. Cal-Fire received assistance by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fire & Wildlife, S.D. Sheriff’s Helicopters, SD City Helicopter, and U.S. Border Patrol. Cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Printer-friendly version
SHERIFF ISSUES URGENT “BE ON THE LOOKOUT” BULLETIN: SEEKS SEXUAL ASSAULT SUSPECT IN CREST
Printer-friendly version September 4, 2009 (Alpine) – The Sheriff’s Alpine & Rural Crime Prevention union has issued an urgent request for public help to locate a man accused of committing a sexual assault in the Lilac Lane area of Crest around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2. The suspect is described as a white male adult in his 50’s, 5’10", 170 lbs. with a medium build and short, bushy white hair. He was wearing a light colored shirt and shorts. The suspect was walking a 40 lb. black and white bull terrier (a breed popularized as Spuds McKenzie in beer commercials, shown in photo). He claimed he lived on Eucalyptus near the park. The alert was issued by Paula H. Dickenson of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Alpine Station in an e-mail sent to Alpine Crime Convention networks. If you have any information, contact Detective Richard Bolter at his desk phone # 619 659-2610. Printer-friendly version
EDITORIAL: THE HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM BATTLE
Printer-friendly version By Brina-Rae Schuchman Chair, TrueVoteSanDiego The structure of our government in Washington is not making it easy to get changes we seek and need. The Health Insurance Industry ran amok during the Bush Years because Bush et al showed contempt for government, citizens, regulation, fair play, justice, peace, responsibility, service, commitment, etc. Of course the industry must be controlled. Of course there must be minimum rules to help create an even playing field. Insurers are supposed to be providing a public service, but they made ‘making money’ their goal; the paying subscribers were damned. The idea of rejecting the insured for ‘prior conditions’ and other denials was made up by them to cut their payouts and defraud their subscribers. Isn’t it interesting that they all did the same sorts of things? Sounds more like collusion than competition and ‘free market’, doesn’t it? Those are crimes. They got away with it. That is a crime. If they are going to be in this important public business, they HAVE TO do certain things and not do others. I notice no one is talking about the huge salaries the company officers paid themselves, leaving less to pay to real healthcare providers. There need to be limits just as the Congress and President salaries have limits. We must assure that all citizens have excellent medical care when they need it. Whether they buy insurance from our government or from private insurers, we must –limit salaries of ceo’s, directors and stock dividends. Limit administrative costs. –not allow denial of coverage for ANY medical need, including women’s reproductive health care. Period. –makeover the Medicare System in relation to Supplemental private companies. (Why have them? Why are they involved at all? They cost too much and do too little.) –consider extending Medicare to everyone who wants it, for an affordable payment each month. Let’s remember that the Congresspeople have wonderful ‘government’ provided’ health insurance options . If we all had that, we would be well taken care of. We have to DEMAND a Public Health Insurance Option that gives EVERY kind of necessary health care. Anything less is UnAmerican. When people say that federal funds will not be used for reproductive health care, needed abortions, or contraceptives, they are crossing the line between Separation of Church and State and THAT is Unconstitutional. There can be NO interference with any citizen’s freedom to obtain needed medical care of any kind except if frivilous and abusing the system. All Rights and needs and their privacy have to be respected. Those who say they don’t want their taxes used for women’s health care are discriminating against women.I am not interested in my taxes paying for killing and war. I have not been able to withhold taxes and stop war that way. Maybe we should talk about that. Right now, my husband and I are on Medicare, and we have something taken out of our Social Security for Medicare each month, but Medicare pays providers far less than seems fair. We have EXPENSIVE Blue Shield Supplemental, which costs us nearly $6000 a year, which only pays 20% of the small Medicare approved amount. What controls are there on the Blue’s charges, which keep rising; and administrative costs, high ceo salaries etc? Do we really need them? I imagine it costs TONS for Blue to pay out those tiny few dollar checks. What a waste of paper, time, money and postage. What if we Seniors paid Medicare some of what we are paying the Blues and we got rid of the Blues? Let’s have THAT option too. The mythic bird of American governance has a lot of broken bones and is hobbling about. Its not helping us get our needs met very well. Because politics is politics, and not good governance, good luck to us all. The opinions in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, please contact editor@eatcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version
2 MAJOR ACCIDENTS SNARL I-15 AND I-8 NEAR SDSU
Printer-friendly version September 4, 2009 – A car struck a pedestrian on Westbound Interstate 8 at College Avenue, near San Diego State University, at 12:49 a.m. One person has been declared dead on arrival. The victim’s name has not been released pending notification of relatives. In a separate incident, racing vehicles crashed in the Southbound land of I-15 near Adams Avenue at 10:19 p.m. last night, sending debris flying which struck a car in the northbound lanes. A patient was treated for major injuries at the scene of what authorities describe as a major accident. No details are available at this hour. Printer-friendly version
SEPTEMBER FESTIVALS OF THE MONTH: STOMP, PLUCK & SWING IN EAST COUNTY!
Printer-friendly version September 4, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)—This Labor Day weekend marks the beginning of a fun-filled month of festivals and other fantastic events in San Diego’s East County. Here’s our guide to the year’s most diverse array yet of unique and mostly free or low –cost activities. Start by rocking out to the season’s last Concerts on the Green in El Cajon tonight. Then savor the waning days of Indian summer at a Native American pow-wow at Barona Reservation Friday through Sunday, Sept. 4-6. On Saturday, Sept. 5, bare your toes and jump in for the Julian Grape Stomp at the Menghini Winery (photo)—then cap off the night at Ramona Main Stage, where Back to the 80z presents a Prom Night concert. Can’t get enough of all that wine-making merry-making? Ramona-based Hacienda de Las Rosas will hold a "Stomping of the Grapes" fest outside its Old Town tasting room on Labor Day, Sept. 7. Next week, Cajon Classic Cruises revs up on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Next weekend, Sycuan hosts its pow-wow, where tribal dancers and drummers from across the nation compete for $125,000 in prize money Sept. 11-13. On Saturday, Sept. 12, East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery and KCBQ’s Rick Amato will co-moderate a Sheriff’s candidate debate at the East County Performing Arts Center in El Cajon at 3 p.m. Also on the 12th, El Cajon hosts a fire expo, La Mesa holds its “Sustain La Mesa” environmental festival, and the Heritage of the Americas Museum offers a lively presentation on explorers Lewis & Clark. Put on your dancing shoes—or just come cheer on contestants at the San Diego Senior Olympics ballroom dance competition Sept. 13 at Cottonwood in El Cajon. If running for office is more your sport, check out Run Women Run, a candidate recruitment fest for qualified women. Later in the month, help beautiful our community at Lake Murray Sept. 19 as part of Coastal Cleanup Day. Then head to the mountains for some good old fashioned pluckin’ and strummin’ at the Julian Bluegrass Festival Sept. 19-20, sponsored by the Julian Lions Club. Or join the Hispanic Heritage Month Fiesta at the Spring Valley Library on the 19th. Bargain hunters won’t want to miss the El Cajon Elks Parking Lot Sale on the same date. Tale a swing–all for a good cause! September 12 is the deadline to register for the “Play to Protect” golf tournament held Sept. 26 to benefit Scripps Ranch Fire Safe Council. On Sept. 24, La Mesa Chamber of Commerce hosts its golf tournament to benefit Camp Hope – followed closely by Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber’s “It’s in the Hole” golf tournament October 16—early bird rates are good through Sept. 15. Want to pick up a good deal on an unusual gift item –such as a fossil or gemstone? Check out five simultaneous sales at the Heritage of the Americas Museum at Cuyamaca College on September 25th. Also on the 26th, the YMCA hosts its now-legendary “Urban Branding” event to raise funds for the new McGrath Family YMCA in Rancho San Diego. September’s finale is the Menghini Arts & Music Festival Sept. 26-27—two days of art, music, food and wine-tasting on the outskirts of the historic mountain town of Julian. Check our Calendar and our Festivals sections for details on these and other great events—including free medical seminars and personal safety classes in addition to fun and festive celebrations. Printer-friendly version
STAY COOL AT KNOTT’S SOAK CITY & OTHER FUN SPOTS IN SAN DIEGO’S EASTERN REGION
Printer-friendly version September 4, 2009 (Chula Vista) –Looking for a place to keep cool over this sweltering Labor Day weekend? Make a big splash with the kids by taking them to Knott’s Soak City. Located in the eastern portion of Chula Vista, the water park features a variety of water rides and pools for kids and the young at heart. What better way to end the summer and cool off amid triple-digit heat? (For additional fun places to stay cool in our eastern region of the County, see our 2008 story, “Cool Places to Beat the Heat” at http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/?q=beattheheat.) At Knott’s Soak City,, take a four-man raft ride on Pacific Spin, or zip down four high-speed slides on the La Jolla Falls ride (complete with Banzai, Dropoff, Pipeline and Straight Shot segments). Or experience tube slides on Palisasdes Plunge and the Solana Storm Watch Tower. Those are just a sampling of the activities available here. There’s also a family raft ride, a wave pool, Lazy River, a Gremmie Lagoon (children’s pool and activity area), and Tyke’s Trough. Also check out the Family funhouse with junior body slides. Height requirements vary, so check rules for each ride. Cabana rentals and locker rentals are also available. Food for your hungry crew includes Mexican, fried chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, orange and teriyaki chicken as well as an assortment of mouth-watering desserts, such as funnel cakes, ice cream, and candy at Surfer Dick’s, plus shopping at the Wipeout! Surf Shop. To reach the park, head south on 804 and take the Main Street/Auto Park Drive exit and head east for approximately two miles. Turn right on Entertainment Circle. Knotts Soak City is at the end of the street, next to the Coors Ampitheater. Save money by buying tickets ahead of time online; tickets cost $22.99 for adults over 61 and $19.99 for kids over age three if purchased on the Internet. Season passports are also available. For more information, visit http://www.knotts.com/public/park/soakcity/san_diego/index.cfm. Printer-friendly version
SDG&E MOVES FORWARD ON NEW SUBSTATION IN EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly version September 3, 2009 (San Diego)—San Diego Gas & Electric Company has announced plans to develop a new ECO Substation and electrical infrastructure in East County that the company says will connect with its existing power network and enable delivery of clean energy to its customers. The move has drawn praise from key alternative energy interests, but some backcountry residents see the move as a ploy to ease the way for SDG&E to bring power up from Mexico and tie into the company’s controversial planned Sunrise Powerlink project. “Experts agree that a lack of electrical infrastructure is the most significant barrier to tapping into the vast potential for renewable energy in this region,” Debra L. Reed, president and chief executive officer for San Diego Gas & Electric, stated according to an SDG&E press release. (The company did not return calls for this story.) According to the release, the planned new substation, along with the company’s planned Sunrise Powerlink high voltage transmission line and recently announced partnership in a wind project on the Campo Indian reservation, aims to boost the emerging renewable energy industry in eastern San Diego and Imperial Counties. SDG&E reports it has already secured 26% of its power supply for 2012 from renewable sources and is ahead of the voluntary commitment the company made to supply 33% of its power from clean energy sources by 2020. The center of this planned renewable energy hub is ECO, an electric substation planned near Jacumba, that SDG&E says would transmit renewable energy including wind, solar and geothermal via the existing Southwest Powerlink. Currently awaiting review by the California Public Utilities Commission, the project is also touted to improve reliability to backcountry communities and reservations by rebuilding a 50-year old substantion in Boulevard. The substation would also connect to a new 13-mile, 138-kilovolt power line to connect to the Southwest Powerlink near the border. New communications equipment is also planned. “This type of infrastructure is critical to delivering electricity generated by proposed wind projects in and around San Diego County,” said Nancy Rader, executive director of the California Wind Energy Association. Monique La Chappa, Campo tribal chairwoman, also praised the project. “SDG&E’s ECO project is going to ensure that renewable energy development like our wind project and many others become a reality,” she said. “We are excited to expand our leladership in developing renewable energy on tribal lands and look forward to our project bringing green jobs and clean air benefits to all of San Diego County.” But Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Planning Group and a leader in the battle to halt construction of Sunrise Powerlink, accused SDG&E of portraying the project as something to help local communities when in fact the key beneficiary would be SDG&E. “They talk about increasing the energy reliability for our rural communities out of one side of their mouth and out of the other they are saying they need to shut off our power when the wind blows too hard. How reliable is that?” she asked, referring to the utility’s proposal to shut off power during high fire-risk conditions. “They say they need to shut off our power because they are worried about fires generated by their lines, yet they are planning to install the new Sunrise Powerlink, the ECO Substation, more powerlines, and new industrial wind turbines on the Campo Reservation. All of these can ignite fires and also interfere with fire fighting, allowing fires to spread. Their parent company, Sempra, is also trying to install industrial turbines just south of the border with a 500 kV cross border transmission line to connect to the ECO Substation and the Sunrise Powerlink via the existing Southwest Powerlink,” she noted. “Several documents, including the DOE (Dept. of Energy) documents for Sempra’s wind project, note the need for Sunrise to accommodate the increased energy proposed to be produced here. However, that is not mentioned in SDG&E’s application with the PUC. Why not? Too controversial? What about full disclosure?” Tisdale objects to the “industrialization” of rural committees and open space, including public lands. The Iberdole wind project proposed for McCain Valley, near Boulevard, would also connect to Sunrise Powerlink via the revamped Boulevard Substation, ECO Substation and Southwest Powerlink, requiring an other 7-10 miles of new power lines, she said. In addition, she notes, the Sunrise Powerlink Final Evironmental Impact Report suggests the SDG&E ECO Substation and Sempra Mexican wind project are closely related. The Campo-Boulevard border region has been prone to smuggling and violence, including the recent murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas. “How reliable is it to import energy from Mexico from such a volatile area of the border?” Tisdale asked. Printer-friendly version
GOLFERS PLAY TO PROTECT SCRIPPS RANCH COMMUNITY
Printer-friendly version September 3, 2009 (Scripps Ranch)–On Saturday, September 26th 2009 at 8:00 am, the Scripps Ranch Fire Safe Council will host its third annual “PLAY TO PROTECT” Charity Golf Tournament at the Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Course. Proceeds help the nonprofit Council fulfill its mission to protect 12,000 Scripps Ranch homes by establishing firebreaks, clearing overgrown trails, cutting dead or dangerous trees, and planting new trees in the community. (photo: 2003 Cedar Fire, which devastated Scripps Ranch) A day of golf at the Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Course will include auction and raffle prizes including gift certificates for cooking lessons, San Diego Maritime Museum, Filippi’s Pizza and more. Dave Mason from radio station 105.7 (The Walrus) will host the auction and awards presentation. Registration fee is $150.00 per player including golf, cart, lunch, two raffle tickets, contests, gifts & a chance for a $100,000 hole in one shootout. Community members are urged to form a team, join the fun and support your community. Registration deadline is September 12, 2009. For more information, call Karen at 858-578-0404 x 7 or email kdh@san.rr.com. To register or obtain sponsorship information, visit www.srfiresafecouncil.org. Printer-friendly version