TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CLAIM LIVES OF 2 EAST COUNTY RESIDENTS; CHULA VISTA COUNCILMAN WAS DRIVER WHO STRUCK, KILLED DULZURA MAN
Printer-friendly version December 5, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – Two traffic accidents on December 3rd killed Thomas Edwin Klopfstein, 58, of Dulzura and an El Cajon man whose name has not been release pending notification of kin. Klopfstein, a pedestrian, was struck by a Toyota pickup truck while trying to cross Highway 94 against traffic at the Community Road intersection at 7:05 a.m. The driver stopped and emergency authorities responded to a 911 call. Advanced cardiac life support was initiated but to no avail due to the extent of injuries. Chula Vista Councilman Rudy Ramirez was the driver, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. In a separate incident, a 43-year-old divorced Hispanic man who resided in El Cajon was killed the same morning after his 1990 Toyota pickup changed lanes and collided with two other vehicles on I-8, overturning onto Camino del Rio North. He was pronounced dead at the scene due to blunt force head injuries. The Coroner’s office has not yet released the victim’s name pending notification of kin. Printer-friendly version
COMMUNITY FORUMS SET FOR EAST COUNTY PERFORMING ART CENTER RENOVATIONS: DEC. 16 AND 21
Printer-friendly version December 4, 2009 (El Cajon) — The City of El Cajon has been working on a master plan for the Civic Center area that will include major renovations to the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC) including closure of the theater for up to two years. The City iwill be hosting two community forums to share goals of the renovation and to receive community input on desired renovations to the theater. The dates, time and location of each forum are as follows: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 7:00 – 8:00 PM at Renette Recreation Center, 935 So. Emerald Ave., (619) 441-1678; or Thursday, January 21, 2010, 7:00 – 8:00 PM at Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 East Douglas Ave., (619) 441-1673. The agenda will be the same at both meetings. The City requests that you RSVP to the Recreation Department at (619) 441-1754. No more than three people from any one organization are requested to attend, as seating is limited. Printer-friendly version
PARADE OF LIGHT SHOW IN DOWNTOWN EL CAJON: WED. DEC. 9
Printer-friendly version December 4, 2009 (El Cajon)–The Cajon Classic Cruise annual Parade of Lights Holiday car show is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on downtown’s Main Street. Admission is free and this year’s event will feature the East County Toy & Food Drive in cooperation with The Salvation Army. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate for needy children this holiday season. This very special holiday event is presented by the El Cajon Community Development Corporation, and features a holiday-themed car show, a visit from Santa Claus on the Prescott Promenade, and a caravan of vehicles, decorated and lighted for the holidays, driving down Main Street in a spectacle of lights. Downtown merchants will also be featuring holiday specials for shoppers and diners. The Cajon Classic Cruise features hundreds of classic, custom, and hot rod cars, as well as motorcycles – all in a street festival setting. For more information visit the Cajon Classic Cruise web page at www.downtownelcajon.com or call (619) 401-8858. Printer-friendly version
STEP BACK IN TIME AT CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE DEC. 11-12
Printer-friendly version La Mesa’s historic shopping district offers a Victorian-style holiday celebration, rides, bonfires, specialty boutiques and unique gifts December 4, 2009 (La Mesa) – For two days and nights, La Mesa’s historic downtown village transforms into a Victorian winter wonderland complete with strolling minstrels, carolers, street entertainers and several stages. Bonfires will fill La Mesa Boulevard, where you can roast chestnuts over an open fire or delight in a horse-drawn carriage ride. You’ll also find carnival rides, puppet shows, and Santa Claus. The Village dates back to 1912, when La Mesa was incorporated as a city. Unlike malls filled with corporate chain stores, La Mesa’s Village has the charm of yesteryear with a variety of specialty vendors, many offering unique gifts for those on your holiday shopping list. The Village is also home to many antique stores, a new tea shop, fine jewelers including Blumenthal’s and Golden Artistry, and new, upscale art galleries including Bella Mesa and O’Dunn Fine Art. There are also restaurants to suit every palette, such as Gio’s Bistro Wine Bar, Centifoni’s, Tiramisu Trattoria, Johnny B’s, La Torta, and Jitter’s Coffee Shop, to name just a few. All specialty shops, boutiques and restaurants will be open late through the Christmas in the Village festivities, with some offering receptions, sidewalk specials, and other holiday treats for visitors to one of East County’s most uniquely charming areas. The trolley stop at La Mesa Blvd. and Spring Street is conveniently situated in the heart of the holiday celebration, or you can park free a couple of blocks off the Boulevard. For more information, visit the La Mesa Village website at http://www.lmva.com. Printer-friendly version
ANDERSON TO OWE $20,000 FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery December 3, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – California’s Fair Political Practices commission staff has recommended that Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) pay a $20,000 fine for collecting campaign donations that violated state law. Anderson has already refunded around $150,000 in donations made by non-local Republican Central Committees that funneled money received from major donors in San Diego County including SDG&E, Hamann Construction family members, and the Barona Band of Mission Indians. An FPPC investigation concluded that Anderson’s committee took contributions that were over the legal limit allowed from individuals. The Fresno County Central Committee will also face a $29,000 fine for its role in the transactions, if the FPPC approves a settlement next week that has been negotiated with Anderson. Several Central Committee members have resigned in the wake of the scandal. “The question becomes, what was the role of the contributors in this and why weren’t the contributors fined?” asked Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, the Union-Tribune reported earlier this week. Stern called the fines levied against Anderson “hefty.” Anderson has thus far declined to speak publicly in any detail about the allegations of money-laundering to benefit his campaign. Nor has he disclosed whether he will give up a bid to run for the State Senate. The Republican Assemblyman will face some heat from some constituents next week, however, when he hosts his annual holiday party on December 8th in his El Cajon office at 500 Fesler Street. Raymond Lutz, founder of the watchdog group CitizensOversight.org and the Democratic candidate who ran against Anderson in 2006 for the Assembly, is organizing a “Stop Dirty Money/Fund our Schools” rally. “Join us for a street protest in front of Joel Anderson’s office as he tries to hold a Christmas Party for his dirty-money supporters, and demand that he stop blocking funds for schools and colleges,” Lutz wrote in an invitation posted at the Citizens Oversight website. Printer-friendly version
FREEBIE ALERT! FREE RINGTONES FROM NATURE
Printer-friendly version December 3, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)–eNature’s ringtones are a way to bring a unique ring tone to your phone. There are many free ring tones available from elk to turkey. Have fun with this freebie and learn what our nation’s treasures sound like in the wild. http://wild.enature.com/ringtones/ Nancy Clement is an east county Realtor®, mortgage broker and freelance writer and can be reached Dollar-wiseDivas@cox.net. Dawn Clement is a stay-at-home mother of three, a freelance writer, and creative shopper. Printer-friendly version
DOLLAR WISE DIVA: SAVE MONEY ON GIFT GIVING FOR THE HOLIDAYS: BE CREATIVE AND CLEVER
Printer-friendly version! Share creative ideas to assist people of all ages with tips to save money and improve their lifestyle! By Nancy and Dawn Clement December 3, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – Ready or not – the holiday gift-giving season is here! Our gifts to you are ideas and tips to help you spend less money and feel more relaxed and peaceful during this special time of year. It is important to remember why we are celebrating, and to not be caught up in a whirlwind of consumerism. Americans are projected to spend about $417 per person for the holidays this year (which is actually down 50% from just two years ago). People like to give gifts to loved ones – it makes them feel good – but during these hard economic times, many families do not have extra money for to budget for gifting. Rather than begin the New Year in debt, why not be more creative and spend a little more time thinking about the meaning of your gifts? The practice of exchanging gifts during a winter celebration dates back to the Roman era. During the Saturnalia, they would have a feast and exchange good-luck gifts called Stenae (lucky fruits). In the 4th century AD, Christianity adopted the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it, and named December 25 “Christmas” in honor of Christ. The tradition of giving elaborate Christmas gifts is relatively new (it took hold in the late 1800’s). Chanukah is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC after it was desecrated during Syrian occupation. Kwanzaa is an African American holiday created in 1966 by Ron Everett, the director of the Black Studies department at California State University in Long Beach. Due to their close proximity to Christmas, these holidays are fast becoming gift-giving holidays as well. Many Jewish families have adopted the tradition of giving small gifts to their children to alleviate jealousy of non-Jewish friends who celebrate Christmas. Since Hanukkah lasts for eight days, it is natural to give eight gifts – one on each night. The gifts become more expensive as the holiday progresses, so you want to start out small or it gets expensive fast. Gifts exchanged during Kwanzaa are supposed to be educational or creative in nature, and may have some symbolic relevance to Kwanzaa. Traditionally, Kwanzaa gift giving takes place on the last day of the Kwanzaa celebration (January 1). Some ideas to rescue your budget: lower your expectations, spend less, pare down your holiday gift-giving list, shop at swap meets or thrift stores, and even re-gift items. Do you have unused, new items gathering dust…maybe someone would be thrilled to receive it as a gift. What skills do you have? Can you create a hand-made craft? What are you good at? Do you have other skills you can offer? Are you a skilled organizer, a great baker, can you provide a service to someone? A gift certificate of your own might be the ticket! With older relatives or friends – the greatest gift may be your time. Offer to help with correspondence, tasks around the home, transportation to a doctor’s appointment or maybe just an evening of conversation and good company that would be appreciated. Offer to baby sit for a busy parent – write a letter to someone special to share what special memories you have enjoyed and how much you appreciate him or her. The possibilities are endless. Make your gifts more meaningful! For Chanukkah, give the gift of light – lamps and candles are perfect. For Kwanzaa, give the gift of history – a beautifully decorated family tree, a geneology, a coffee table book of Africa. For Christmas, give the gift of joy – tickets to a play, a basket of out-of-season fruit, a gift certificate for maid service. Most of all, remember that there is no “rule” that says your gifts have to be expensive. In fact, sometimes the most meaningful gifts of all cost nothing! 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