HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE
Printer-friendly versionDear Readers, We’re thankful for our wonderful readers, our talented writers, and our generous donors and sponsors. We’re also grateful for the beauty of our backcountry and for the privilege of reporting on our area’s many hidden treasures and surprising sights–such as wild turkeys and sectacular fall colors which you may spot if you travel East County’s backroads this holiday weekend. We hope this season finds you in good spirits–and we wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! –Miriam Raftery, Editor, East County Magazine Printer-friendly version
SHERIFF ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR HOLIDAY WATCH PATROLS
Printer-friendly version November 25, 2009 (San Diego County)–Sheriff William D. Gore announced today a county-wide Holiday Watch Program beginning Wednesday, November 25, 2009 and continuing through Sunday, January 3, 2010. The purpose of Holiday Watch is to provide a safe, secure, crime free environment during the holiday period. The Sheriff’s Holiday Watch program will consist of both education and enforcement. A schedule and locations of enforcement actions for seatbelt laws, drunk driving stops and more is included below. Educational activity will be led by the Sheriff’s Crime Prevention Detail. Crime prevention specialists, along with the senior volunteers, will encourage businesses and residents to be aware and alert and to immediately report suspicious activities to the Sheriff’s Communication Center (858-565-5200). Criminals often try to take advantage of those engaged in holiday activities, but following good crime prevention practices will help minimize the chances of being a victim. Crime prevention specialists will be working with businesses throughout the Sheriff’s nine contract cities and the adjacent unincorporated areas to enlist their support in providing a safe environment in which to shop and recreate. Law enforcement effectiveness is enhanced by working closely with members of our community. “Criminals do not take the holidays off and neither will our deputies,” explained Sheriff Gore. “Our deputies will be out in force this holiday season to protect the residents and provide a safe environment for everyone.” Enforcement will consist of directed patrols in commercial areas, undercover operations, bicycle patrols, DUI checkpoints and roving patrols. Residents can expect to see extra patrols in commercial and certain residential areas. Uniformed patrols will be supported by undercover operations to enhance effectiveness. The Sheriff’s Department will work with San Diego County Probation and State Parole to identify career criminals and repeat offenders who may be in violation of their probation or parole conditions. Holiday Watch Schedule: November 25, 2009 (Wednesday) Poway – “Click it or Ticket”- 0800-1200 Encinitas – ABC Compliance Enforcement Detail/Zero Tolerance Imperial Beach-“Click it or Ticket”-1230-1630 November 27, 2009 (Friday) Vista – Holiday Watch “Black Friday” 0900-2100 Poway – OTS DUI Checkpoint Mini-Grant November 28, 2009 (Saturday) Poway – OTS DUI Saturation Patrol Encinitas – OTS Saturation Patrol 2000-0300 Lemon Grove – Bike Detail @ Spring Valley Swap Meet 0800-1300 Imperial Beach-“Click it or Ticket”-1630-2030 Santee– OTS DUI Saturation Patrol November 29, 2009 (Sunday) Poway – “Click it or Ticket” 1200-2030 November 30, 2009 (Monday) Poway – “Click it or Ticket” 1600-2000 December 1, 2009 (Tuesday) Imperial Beach-ABC Grant Public Education Kiwanis Club-1200-1330 Imperial Beach-“Click it or Ticket”-0700-1200 December 3, 2009 (Thursday) Santee – Bike Patrol – Day/Evening Imperial Beach-ABC Grant Zero Tolerance Enforcement December 4, 2009 (Friday) Santee – Bike Patrol – Day/Evening Poway – OTS DUI Saturation Patrol Poway – “Click it or Ticket” – 1200-1600 Imperial Beach-OTS DUI Saturation Patrol December 5, 2009 (Saturday) Lemon Grove – Bike Detail @ Spring Valley Swap Meet – 0800-1300 Poway – OTS DUI Saturation Patrol Santee– OTS DUI Saturation Patrol December 7, 2009 (Monday) Imperial Beach-“Click it or Ticket”-0700-1200 December 8, 2009 (Tuesday) Poway – “Click it or Ticket” – 1200-1600 December 10, 2009 (Thursday) Santee – Daytime Saturation Patrol/Trolley Platforms December 11, 2009 (Friday) Encinitas – ABC Discretionary Detail Encinitas – DUI Checkpoint in Solana Beach – 1900-0200 Poway – “Click it or Ticket” – 1200-1600 Imperial Beach-OTS Saturation Patrol Santee – DUI Checkpoint –2000 – 0230 December 12, 2009 (Saturday) Poway – “Click it or Ticket” – 1200-1600 Lemon Grove – Bike Detail @ Spring Valley Swap Meet – 0800-1300 December 17, 2009 (Thursday) Santee – Afternoon Saturation Patrol/Trolley Platforms December 18, 2009 (Friday) Santee – Night time operation on bikes/Trolley Vista – Holiday Watch/Downtown – 1800-0200 DUI Checkpoint (City of Vista) – 1800-0200 DUI Saturation Patrol (Avoid Grant) Vista – 1800-0200 Imperial Beach-OTS DUI Saturation Patrol ABC Grant DUI Zero Tolerance DUI Check Point December 19, 2009 (Saturday) Vista – Holiday Watch in Shopping areas in Vista – 0900-2100 Lemon Grove – Bike Detail @ Spring Valley Swap Meet 0800-1300 Santee– OTS DUI Saturation Patrol December 23, 2009 (Wednesday) Imperial Beach-ABC Grant Zero Tolerance Enforcement December 26, 2009 (Saturday) Lemon Grove – DUI Checkpoint (Lemon Grove Traffic Division) Poway – OTS DUI Checkpoint Imperial Beach-OTS DUI Saturation Patrol December 31, 2009 (Thursday) Imperial Beach-OTS DUI Saturation Patrol January 2, 2010 Poway – OTS DUI Saturation Patrol Lemon Grove – Bike Detail @ Spring Valley Swap Meet – 0800-1300 Printer-friendly version
DENNY’S ROBBED IN EL CAJON
Printer-friendly version November 26, 2009 (El Cajon) – At 12:48 p.m. on the afternoon of November 24, a man robbed the cashier at Denny’s restaurant at gunpoint. After leaving the restaurant located at 1201 East Main St., he fled north toward El Monte Road. The suspect is described as a black male, 5 feet, four inches, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. The area was checked by El Cajon Police with the assistance of the San Diego Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter, but the suspect was not located. Anyone with information is asked to call the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 579-3311. Printer-friendly version
LEGAL QUESTIONS RAISED OVER LOCAL ACORN ALLEGATIONS
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Updated 11/25 8:45 p.m. November 25, 2009 (El Cajon) – Surreptitious taping and dumpster diving are the latest tactics used by critics seeking to discredit a local chapter of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now;www.acorn.org), the largest national organization focused on advocating for the poor and disadvantaged. The latest revelations cast doubt not only on the actions of ACORN employees, but also raise questions over the legality of tactics used to obtain information. The controversy includes questions over the legality of surreptitious taping of an East County Democratic Club meeting in El Cajon, as well as questions over the propriety of actions taken in response by Club president Raymond Lutz. A recording of local ACORN representative Dave Lagstein, taped during an East County Democratic Club meeting last month has been posted on Youtube (http://biggovernment.com/2009/11/10/exclusive-audio-from-acorn-claims-jerry-brown-will-whitewsh-investigation/). In the tape, Lagstein refers to California Attorney General Jerry Brown as a “political animal” and adds that “the fault WILL be found with the people that did the video — not ACORN.” The poster suggested the commented indicated Brown may whitewash the investigation to favor ACORN. That allegation was circulated via e-mail by San Diego County Republican Party Chairman Tony Krvaric. "Californians are entitled to know that their Attorney General is conducting an honest, thorough, and unprejudiced inquiry into the very serious allegations of misconduct by Acorn," Krvaric stated in his e-mail. (Brown’s office has assured that the investigation remains ongoing but has declined more specific comment on the controversy.) ACORN’s Lagstein responded to Krvaric in a November 16 letter defending his statements. He notes that on October 1st, before ever meeting with the Attorney General or his staff, Lagstein expressed confidence to a San Francisco Chronicle reporter that “the investigation will show that the on ly crime committed was by the self-described conservative undercover videographers in illegally recording ACORN employees without their consent….I restated my position when I spoke to the East County Democratic Club on October 15,” he said, then reiterated his belief that the Attorney General’s investigation will include potential wrongdoing by undercover videographers. Those videographers sent in actors posing as a pimp and prostitute to ACORN’s National City office. The clips show an ACORN employee offering advice including financial counseling and answering questions about how to get people across the U.S.-Mexico border. The employee in question later reported the incident to a police officer in his family, according to ACORN, which dismissed several employees as a result and has said it would revamp training and launch an independent review of its practices, while denying any legal wrongdoing. The video ( http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/17/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-san-diego-ca/) caused a national stir that led to a cut-off of some federal funds for ACORN and other consequences. The conservative website www.BigGovernment.com has claimed credit for the covert taping of the East County Democratic Club meeting, which was made at a Coco’s restaurant n October 15. But in an e-mail to East County Magazine, Lutz complained, “We did not record the meeting, and we stated that we were not recording it so it would not be taken out of context by anyone. Normally, it is illegal to record without consent.” According to Terry Francke, legal counsel for Californians Aware,The Center for Public Forum Rights, California’s anti-taping law, Penal Code Section 632, bans covert taping by one party to a confidential communication, but excludes public gatherings. “A Democratic Club meeting is presumably for members only and not a `public gathering,’” Francke told East County Magazine. “Moreover when the presiding official at the meeting expressly assures speakers that they are not being recorded, it’s likely that a court would find that their expectation of a confined audience and no recording was reasonable.” Upon learning that the meeting was held in a restaurant, however, Francke added this caveat: “Unless that meeting was in a private banquet room, it may be that the president officer could not have realistically promised privacy since the speech might have been overheard (or recorded) from nearby tables or booths that were not part of the meeting.” Lutz later confirmed that the meeting was held in a private banquet room—thus Francke’s contention that the taping was illegal would seem to apply. Or does it? In the latest twist, the conservative blog site SD Rostra has published a November 15 piece titled “Who Outed ACORN in East County?” (http://sdrostra.com/?p=1094) The piece states that Pat Sherman, a reporter from SD CityBeat recorded the meeting with full knowledge of the club’s officials. “I made it known I was there to write a story and was recording the presentation. The leak was not me,” said Sherman, according to the SD Rostra story. “So Lutz was opposed to any recordings, short of the assumed friendly media outlet,” SD Rostra admonished, noting that Lutz, a former Assembly candidate, himself has recorded many public meetings and posted tapes online in his role as founder of Citizens Oversight, a government watchdog group. However Lutz disputes the SD Rostra version of events, in an e-mail received by ECM this evening. "I asked Pat Sherman if he recorded the meeting and he said [he] did. I specifically said that no recordings would be allowed," he said, adding that Sherman "said that did not have time to discuss it. I am asking David Lagstein if he approved the recordings which Pat claims." The SD Rostra’s piece further criticized Lutz for releasing to media the names of a Santee couple he suspected of infiltrating the meeting and posting the tape on YouTube. According to SD Rostra, the couple has denied the accusation. The piece further cites unnamed Club members disappointed with Lutz “heavy-handedness” in the incident. In the latest round of controversy, Kvaric and private investigator Derrick Roach held a press conference this week to announce that Roach found large quantities of records discarded by ACORN in National City several days before a visit from the Attorney General’s office. (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/24/documents-are-found-acorns-dumpster/ )The
FREEBIE ALERT! DONATE YOUR LONG HAIR AND RECEIVE A FREE HAIRCUT
Printer-friendly version November 25, 2009 (El Cajon) –La Dolce Belladonna, located in Fletcher Hills, is proud to be a participant in the Locks of Love Program as an approved hair salon that performs free haircuts by licensed, professional hair stylists. To qualify for a free haircut, a person must have long hair and be willing to cut and donate it to a child who has lost his or her hair due to an illness. Very few salons in San Diego offer haircuts free;t this is the way La Dolce Belladonna Spa says thank you to those who donate their hair to benefit children in need. To find more information on this special program you can contact www.LDBsalon.com, or to learn more about the non-profit Locks of Love www.locksoflove.org. Nancy Clement is an east county Realtor®, mortgage broker and freelance writer and can be reached at 619-563-4184 or Dollar-wiseDivas@cox.net. Dawn Clement is a stay-at-home mother of three, a freelance writer, and creative shopper. Printer-friendly version