ROBBERY TRAINING FOR BUSINESSES OFFERED BY FBI & LA MESA POLICE
Printer-friendly versionThe La Mesa Police Department, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is hosting a training class for all commercial businesses. It is the goal of the La Mesa Police Department to provide training on the proper safety procedures to follow before, during, and after a robbery. Robbery prevention will also be discussed. La Mesa has had a series of robberies in recent weeks, including many hold-ups at local businesses. The free robbery training class will be held Thursday, January 7, 2010 from 8-9:30 a.m. at the La Mesa Community Center’s Arbor View room, 4975 Memorial Drive in La Mesa. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to (619) 667-1445. This class is intended for business owners and employees only. Printer-friendly version
DOCUMENT YOUR VALUABLES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON
Printer-friendly version December 22, 2009 (La Mesa)–With the holidays rapidly approaching, many East County residents wille will be giving and receiving valuable items as gifts. La Mesa Police offers tips to protect your valuables by keeping accurate records. When you receive or purchase an item, immediately note the serial number and save the receipt and warranty paperwork. Go through your home and identify items that are most likely to get stolen. Items such as electronics, computers, jewelry, musical instruments and bicycles are all items that are frequently stolen. Take a photograph of each item and note any serial numbers or unusual markings with the photograph. Be as detailed as possible. Refrain from storing the information on your computer as computers may get stolen during a burglary. List everything valuable you own and refer to the list if your home gets burglarized to determine any items that may be missing. It is easy to forget what items you have during a high-stress incident such as a burglary. If your belongings are found in a pawn shop or a suspect’s home, it is very difficult for police officers and detectives to return the items to their rightful owner without proper records and serial numbers. Insurance companies may also require documentation of your stolen items. Another precaution you can take is to install a tracking system on your valuable computer. There are several products on the market, such as software and GPS systems, that can aid the police in finding your computer. For more information on protecting your valuables, contact Crime Prevention Specialist Heather Lindquist at the La Mesa Police Department at (619) 667-1445. Printer-friendly version
YOGURT WORLD IN SANTEE SERVES UP TART & EXOTIC FLAVORS, NEW TRENDS IN FROZEN DESSERTS
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery December 22, 2009 (Santee) – “People today like the new tart flavors,” says Michael Tran, owner of the new Yogurt World shop at 9331 Mission Gorge Road in Santee, where customers can fill up self-serve cups with such tangy options such as Asian peach, green coconut, and mango frozen yogurt. Consumers can also tap into the latest health food trends with flavors such as acai berry yogurt, or indulge their taste buds with dozens of toppings ranging from fresh strawberries and pineapple to nuts and candies. Frozen yogurt is back in vogue, as a new generation of consumers discover the joy of scooping up a frothy cool concoction slathered in scrumptious toppings. But unlike yogurt chains that were all the rage in the ‘70s and ‘80s, today’s entrepreneurial ventures are offering up far more than the sweet flavors of yesteryear—in settings that are different, too. Fused-glass pendant lamps illuminate display counters at Santee’s Yogurt World, where the bright-colored décor is more evocative of an upscale bar or bistro than the yogurt chains popularized decades ago. Tran is also reaching out to the community with some savvy marketing efforts. “We do samplings at schools, community groups, and other events,” said Tran, who previously operated a Yogurt World outlet in Kearny Mesa, where a large Asian population has savored the many Asian-themed flavors on the menu. Opened in summer, the new Yogurt World shop in Santee is enticing East County customers to expand their horizons and savor new flavors of frozen concoctions. While starting a new business venture in today’s challenging economy may seem daunting to some, Tran believes the time is ripe. “Business is picking up,” he concludes confidently. Print out a discount coupon to sample Yogurt World’s frozen treats and find other holiday coupons at: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/2111 Printer-friendly version
EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: December 22, 2009
Printer-friendly version East County Roundup highlights the most important news stories published in other publications about East County or on issues that will impact people in East County. Top recent stories include: • Senate health-care reform bill clears another hurdle • Officials: Beware of dangerous toys • Folks line up to swap guns for groceries • Homeowners warned of property tax scam • Drug war surges in Tijuana: 24 dead in 2 days • Merriam Mountains opponent accuses Horn of wrongdoing • Merriam Mountains project turned down • S.D. urged to look at raising fees • Panel rips S.D. budget “gimmicks” • City Council finalizes budget plan • Emerald’s campaign debt could bring fine • Prior driver of Lexus said pedal stuck • Escondido EHS grad alleges affair with Tiger Woods • Shameful showing a bipartisan slap at state schools’ status quo • Regents raise college tuition in California by 32 percent SENATE HEALTH-CARE REFORM BILL CLEARS ANOTHER HURDLE Washington Post (December 22, 2009 ) — The Senate cleared a set of key procedural hurdles on President Obama’s health-care legislation early Tuesday with more party-line votes, continuing the effort to pass the $871 billion bill before Christmas. All 60 members of the Democratic caucus supported votes that set up a third and final 60-vote hurdle for Wednesday, while all 39 Republicans in the chamber voted to block the action. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/22/AR2009122200864.html?hpid=topnews OFFICIALS: BEWARE OF DANGEROUS TOY IMPORTS Associated Press/Channel 10 News (December 22, 2009) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials warned holiday shoppers Monday to stay away from toys that might be dangerous for children or break copyright, patent or trademark laws. http://www.10news.com/holidays/22027061/detail.html FOLKS LINE UP TO SWAP GUNS FOR GROCERIES San Diego Union-Trbiune (December 21, 2009) – Armand Gonzales, 74, drove from Chula Vista to southeastern San Diego Monday morning to turn in four guns he said he no longer needed in exchange for groceries that he definitely could use. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/21/folks-line-up-to-swap-guns-for-groceires/ HOMEOWNERS WARNED OF PROPERTY TAX SCAM Channel 10 News (December 18, 2009) — SAN DIEGO — Scam artists are tricking property owners into paying for a service that is already free, and soon that will be against the law, 10News’ Joe Little reported. If you own a home, chances are you’ve received a letter offering a paid service to lower your property taxes. While it sounds good on the surface, homeowner Amy Denney decided to dig a little deeper. http://www.10news.com/news/22011093/detail.html DRUG WAR SURGES IN TIJUANA: 24 DEAD IN 2 DAYS 24 of 71 so far this month occur in past two days San Diego Union-Tribune ( December 17, 2009)–Five victims were shot inside a seafood restaurant, four were decapitated and one was shot and hanged from a bridge. A surge in gangland-style killings in Tijuana is being linked to two rival drug-trafficking groups vying for control of the region. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/17/killings-point-surge-drug-war/ MERRIAM MOUNTAINS OPPONENT ACCUSES HORN OF WRONGDOING North County Times (December 17, 2009)— Lawyers representing the Golden Door Spa accused County Supervisor Bill Horn on Wednesday of communicating illegally with Merriam Mountains developers before last week’s hearing on the proposed 2,700-hundred home development north of Escondido. In a letter addressed to Horn and county counsel John Sansone, the lawyers ask the supervisor to recuse himself from any future hearings on the project, saying his prehearing discussion with the developer violated county and state codes and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_c034a3ad-947d-55c7-b5b1-d8086a09b93f.html MERRIAM MOUNTAIN PROJECT TURNED DOWN San Diego Union-Tribune (December 9, 2009) – A divided county Board of Supervisors yesterday rejected the huge Merriam Mountains housing development proposed for rural North County, but the project may not be dead yet. The plan’s fate now rests on the shoulders of Supervisor Ron Roberts, who missed yesterday’s vote and said last night he’s not sure what he will decide. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/09/bn09merriam-mountains-project/ S.D. URGED TO LOOK AT RAISING FEES San Diego Union-Tribune (December 16, 2009)–The chairman of a new city commission studying San Diego’s financial problems said yesterday that he wants to consider ways to raise revenues, including storm water and trash collection fees. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/16/city-panel-chief-eyes-revenue/ PANEL RIPS S.D. BUDGET’S ‘GIMMICKS’ San Diego Union-Tribune ( December 15, 2009) — If city leaders are unwilling or unable to fix San Diego’s ongoing budget deficit, then voters will have to do it for them by adopting ballot measures to force the city to fire workers or drastically cut services, according to a report being released today by a citizen task force. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/15/citizen-panel-rips-budgets-gimmicks/ CITY COUNCIL FINALIZES BUDGET PLAN San Diego Union-Tribune (December 14, 2009) — About 200 city workers will lose their jobs and municipal services will be trimmed as part of an 18-month budget plan that the City Council finalized today in an effort to close San Diego’s $179 million budget deficit. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/14/city-council-finalizes-budget-plan EMERALD’S CAMPAIGN DEBT COULD BRING FINE San Diego Union-Tribune (December 12, 2009) — San Diego City Councilwoman Marti Emerald raised money throughout the first half of this year to pay off campaign debt that was not publicly disclosed. Now the former television reporter could be forced to pay a fine of as much as $10,000 for failing to report the debt properly. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/11/emerald-faces-10000-ethics-fines/ PRIOR DRIVER OF LEXUS SAYS PEDAL STUCK San Diego Union-Tribune (December 5, 2009 ) — Three days before the fiery crash of a loaner Lexus sedan that killed California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and his family, a man who was given the same car experienced a similar sudden acceleration problem and reported it to the dealership, a Sheriff’s Department investigation found. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/04/report-loaner-car-in-fatal-crash-had-earlier/ ESCONDIDO: EHS GRAD ALLEGES AFFAIR WITH TIGER WOODS Jaimee Grubbs says she had 31-month liaison with world’s No. 1 golfer North County Times (December 1, 20009 ) – A 2003 Escondido High School graduate who once said she planned to study zoology at Cal State San Marcos may have caught herself a Tiger.
BOOK REVIEWS: LOCAL AUTHOR OFFERS TREASURIES FOR DOG AND CAT LOVERS
Printer-friendly version Reviews by Dennis Moore December 21, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) — If you’re looking for last-minute holiday gifts for the pet lovers on your list, I heartily recommend Richard Lederer’s newest books. Most of us are either a cat lover or a dog lover–though Lederer, author of A Treasury for Cat Lovers and A Treasury for Dog Lovers, seems to be both. I have to confess that I am more of a dog lover, although cats have been a part of our household out of deference to my daughter. There seems to be something about the innate qualities of cats and dogs that have people attracted to one but not the other. Lederer, a San Diego author and host of the "A Way With Words" radio show, explores these differences with humor and insight, helping readers understand the motivations and behaviors of dogs, cats and their owners. In A Treasury for Cat Lovers, Wit and Wisdom, Information and Inspiration About Our Feline Friends, this bestselling author of Anguished English cites quotations on the essential differences between cats and people: “There is, indeed, no single quality in a cat that a man could not emulate to his advantage.” –Carl Van Vechten “With the qualities of cleanliness, affection, patience, dignity, and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?” – Fernand Mery Lederer offers his own comical views on why a cat is better than a woman: • A cat’s parents never visit. • A cat never expects you to telephone. • A cat will never get mad at you if you forget its birthday. • A cat never expects flowers on Valentine’s Day. • A cat does not care about the previous cats in your life. • A cat does not get mad at you if you pet another cat. • Cats don’t care if you use their shampoo. • Cats don’t notice if you call them by another cat’s name. • If a cat is gorgeous, other cats don’t hate it. His books on cats and dogs are thought provoking, enticing us to examine ourselves and our frailties in a way that we might not have otherwise. We find ourselves asking, “Why don’t cats erupt and get angry over the simplest of things, as we sometimes find ourselves doing? “ or “Why are dogs so loyal, when we find ourselves invariably prone to deceit and betrayal?” Again, it’s that innate nature of a dog and cat, that separates many of us. I have a female friend in Chicago who owned a cat that died. My friend was devastated, which I couldn’t quite understand at the time. It was as if she lost an immediate family member. Sure, she replaced it with another cat, but it took her awhile before she could develop the type of attachment that she had for the previous beloved pet. After reading Lederer’s books, I now have more empathy and understanding of cat lovers as well as dog lovers. In Lederer’s A Treasury for Dog Lovers, Wit and Wisdom, Information and Inspiration about man’s best friend, he uses the following to determine if you are a dog lover: • There is no sweeter sound to your ears than a doggie pleasure grunt. • All of your clothes have dog hair on them, even when they come back from the Laundromat or dry cleaner’s. Dog hair is everywhere—on your rug, your bedspread, your packing tape, and in your sinks. Even when you find a dog hair in your food, you remove it and blithely go on eating. • Lint rollers are on your shopping list every week. • When you are cold, you put a sweater on your dog. • Your floors are littered with rawhide bones and dog toys. You have five squeaky hedgehogs, but only one with a squeaky that actually works. • You have no small children at home, but you have permanent baby gates installed in strategic doorways and a kiddy wading pool in the yard. • You refer to yourself as “Mommy” or “Daddy.” • You often talk in a goofy high voice. • Your vet’s receptionist recognizes your voice. That’s because when you and your dog get sick, you take the dog to the vet’s but settle for an over-the-counter remedy for yourself. • The instructions to the dog kennel are longer than the instructions to the house sitter. • When you send friends and families cards, you sign for your dog. On your Christmas cards appears a photograph of your dog wearing fake reindeer antlers. • You keep a mental list of people you would like to spay or neuter. You like people who like your dog and despise people who don’t . Just as in Lederer’s other books, The Ants Are My Friends (a concert of musical punch lines) and The Giant Book Of Animal Jokes (4,509 beastly puns), he tends to humanize the animals in his stories—with delightfully entertaining results. Dennis Moore is a writer, author, and a member of the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild. He has written for LifeAfter50 Magazine in Pasadena, East County Magazine in San Diego, and the Baja Times Newspaper in Rosarito Beach, Mexico. He has a yet unpublished book about Chicago politics, The City That Works. He is the President of a consulting, marketing and promotions company in San Diego, Contracts & Agency, LLC. Mr. Moore is also the President of Prison Ministry in San Diego for his Church, Bethel A.M.E. Dennis Moore can be contacted at demoore21@sprint.blackberry.net. Printer-friendly version
PEÑASQUITOS BOY, 8, KILLED IN BOATING COLLISION DURING PARADE OF LIGHTS
Printer-friendly version December 21, 2009 (San Diego) – Eight-year-old Anthony Cole DeWeese of Rancho Penasquitos was killed last night when a Coast Guard vessel struck the ship on which he was a passenger during the Parade of Lights on San Diego Bay. Emergency responders transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounce dead of multiple blunt force injuries, according to the San Diego County Coroner. The Coast Guard has offered no explanation for the crash, which injured five others aboard the vessel. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the boy’s father told a reporter that the Coast Guard vessel was traveling at 35-45 mph, while his own boat was traveling at 3 mph or less. The family was watching the Parade of Lights from aboard the vessel when it was struck by the Coast Guard boat. A federal investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash, the L.A. Times reported. Printer-friendly version