HUNTER DEFENDS RECORD AGAINSTS ATTACKS ON TWO FRONTS IN DEBATE AT CUYAMACA COLLEGE
Printer-friendly version photo: left to right–Mike Benoit, Duncan Hunter, Ray Lutz By Miriam Raftery October 18, 2010 (El Cajon) – Congressman Duncan D. Hunter, who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, is an experienced combat veteran. Friday night, he found himself under fire on two fronts, as he defended his record in Congress during a debate with two challengers. Democrat Ray Lutz, a businessman and founder of the Citizens Oversight Projects (COPS: http://www.citizensoversight.org/) and Libertarian Mike Benoit, a small business owner and Constitutional advocate, peppered Hunter with criticisms of his stances on issues ranging from war to civil liberties. The debate among 52nd Congressional district candidates, held at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, was sponsored by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce. Scroll down for our detailed coverage of each candidates’ responses to questions posed by audience members, as well as a link to the full video and to our "fact check" on the debate. Read our “Fact Check” on the debate at this link: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/4530. View a video of the full debate at http://www.copswiki.org/Common/M1071 Efforts to sway voters began outside, with each candidate’s supporters armed with signs and banners. Inside the debate forum, candidate led off with an opening statement, followed by audience questions read by moderator Steve Hamann, editor of the East County Herald. Benoit, who has been running for Congress in each election since 2000, said he is concerned that our inaliable rights have been usurped through gerrymandering that has made districts not competitive. “The system is broken,” he said. “The economy is the worst it’s been in decades.” He noted that the national debt is $13.5 trillion and the deficit is also high. He objects to fighting two wars and believes Social Security is “about to go bust…The welfare state is about to collapse.” He also voiced concerns over home foreclosures at record high levels. “We’re in deep trouble,” he concluded. Hunter praised citizens for making an effort to “see what’s going on” by attending debates and educating themselves over the Internet. He then proceeded to blast “liberals in Congress and activist judges” who he said have “hijacked our country.” He said the “economy is recovering in spite of liberals…in spite of what’s happened in the last 23 months” since President Obama took office. He views the federal government’s actions towards General Motors as “scary and dangerous.” Hunter said his focus in Congress remains on national security and border security. Noting that his younger brother recently returned from Iraq, he added, “One of my main focuses is safety for our troops.” Lutz declared, “I’m the people’s candidate. I’m your candidate. I’m here to represent you,” he said, adding that he does not take money from special interest PACs (political action committees). He described himself as an entrepreneur and businessman who has worked hard in start-up companies. He also cited his record of community activism fighting to keep Blackwater, a private military contractor, from building a base in Potrero and opposing Sunrise Powerlink. “The most important job of government is to keep jobs here, do not export them," said Lutz, who wants to bring troops home. Instead of investing in warfare, he wants investment in in incentives to build a national system of solar energy manufacturing and put people to work retrofitting homes with solar energy. A 10-year-old student asked the first question. “Our youth is our future,” the student from Murdock Elementary said. “What would you do to help public education?” Hunter replied that “Competition works in schools” and called for pushing “everything down to the lowest level.” He added, “States are so beholden to federal dollars…Why should your tax dollars go to other schools in other states? Let people send kids where they want,” the Congressman concluded. He also praised homeschooling and parental involvement. “My son does better when I stay home and help do his homework with him.” Lutz disputed Hunter’s assertion. He cited a book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, by Diane Ravitch, a former advocate of competition in education who has since reversed her position. “Competition does not work,” Lutz said. “No Child Left Behind is not working…it was designed to fail,” he added, noting that it’s impossible to expect 100% of students to meet test standards. “No Child Left Behind set no standards; it relied on each state to set its own standards, which is a big problem,” he said. Lutz disagrees with privatizing schools or having students travel long distances, as in a New York district where kids travel 90 minutes on average to attend a charter. “Having local neighborhood schools and fixing it at home—that’s what I believe we’ve got to do,” Lutz said. “We should revitalize our public schools, and we CAN do it.” Benoit called for eliminating the Federal Department of Education, drawing a nod from Hunter. Benoit noted an increase in homeschooling and said that homeschoolers “are excelling and beating public schools.” He expressed concern that children’s “thirst for learning” declines by graduation and said he’s seen “a lot of decay” in the public school system. The next question asked how the candidates would bring more jobs to East County. Lutz said he wants to incentivize small businesses, including incentives to install solar and have a million Americans retrofit their homes and businesses with U.S.-made solar systems. “That’s American know-how and labor,” he said, calling for solar manufacturing plants in every Congressional district, including East County, instead of seeing jobs shipped to China. Hunter retorted, “This is what separates liberals and conservatives.” He added, “I can’t do anything to create jobs. I can relieve the burden on you and those jobs will appear.” He suggested that Lutz should start a company and see if the free market would support it. “Let’s not talk about creating jobs. Let’s talk about how do you get government out of the way, so you
HUNTER-LUTZ-BENOIT DEBATE : FACT CHECK ON CANDIDATES’ CLAIMS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Photos by Ron Logan and Miriam Raftery October 18, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Congressman Duncan D. Hunter squared off Friday night in a heated debate with Democrat Ray Lutz, a local businessman and community activist, and Libertarian Michael Benoit, also a businessman. View Two area publications described the challengers’ assault on Hunter, a combat veteran. (See ECM’s coverage of the challengers’ assault on Hunter, a combat veteran. (View video of the full debate: http://www.copswiki.org/Common/M1071.) The lively exchange, sponsored by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, was held at Cuyamaca College. East County Magazine ran a fact check on key points rasied in the debate. Scroll down to see which claims stood up to our fact-checking team’s research, which facts were fuzzy, and who told the biggest whopper. CLAIM: Congressman Hunter said, “I am the only candidate here who has sworn off earmarks for everything, even nonprofits…” He also claimed the entire Republican party has sworn off earmarks and did not approve "a single earmark last year", then quoted Karl Rove accusing Democrats of making outlandish claims. FACT: According to the nonpartisan website OpenSecrets.org, which analyzes data from the Federal Elections Commission, “Duncan D. Hunter sponsored or co-sponsored 10 earmarks totaling $7,870,000 in fiscal year 2010.” Hunter’s earmarks include $5.7 million for defense projects such as the Predator drone aircraft (military projects include Maryland and Pennsylvania companies as well as Poway, California), improvements to two East County freeways, the Helix Water groundwater recharge project, the Boys & Girls Club of East County (a nonprofit), and law enforcement efforts to combat gangs and drugs. See full details at: http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/earmarks.php?cid=N00029258. Whether those projects are worthy of funding we’ll leave to readers to decide. Update: After publication we received this clarification from Joe Kasper in Congressman Hunter’s office. "Congressman Hunter made funding requests for FY (fiscal year) 2010 in 2009. Meaning in 2009, Congerss considers bills to fund FY 2010, starting in October. Congerssman Hunter made NO funding requests in 2010 (this year) for Fiscal Year 2011 (which already started–we are no longer in FY 2010)." Kasper added that Congress did not yet approve a budget for FY 2011 which each party has blamed on the other). CLAIM: Lutz said that Germany built 4500 MW of solar last year alone. He wants the U.S. to dramatically boost incentives for solar production and installation nationwide to create jobs, reduce emissions and cut U.S. dependence on foreign oil. FACT: The 4,500 MW is actually projected for installation this year. In 2009, Germany installed a record 3,800 MW of solar, somewhat less than Lutz stated. The previous record, 2,500 MW, was set by Spain in 2008. By contrast, the U.S. lags far behind, installing just 500 MW nationwide in 2009, of which half was in California. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/06/germany-to-raise-solar-target-for-2010-adjust-tariffs To put that in perspective, the controversial Sunrise Powerlink high-voltage line is projected to carry about 1,000 MW of power. www.sunrisepowerlink.com. CLAIM: Benoit called for legalization of hemp, noting that the Constitution was written on hemp paper. Hemp can be used for fiber, clothing, and even fueling vehicles. Hunter replied, “I don’t think we should legalize marijuana or hemp,” leading Benoit to suggest that Hunter didn’t know the difference. FACT: Hemp produces less than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. “As with Dobermans and dachshunds, marijuana and hemp are two different breeds of the same species (Cannabis sativa),“ a Science Daily article dated September 15, 2009, stated. The article noted that marijuana contains much higher levels of up to 25%. Scientists at the University of Minnesota have now identified the genes that produce THC, the first step toward engineering a drug-free cannabis plant for hemp fiber and oil. The hemp industry’s association contends that marijuana could not be hidden among fields of cannabis, since cross-pollination would occur, reducing potency of marijuana and ultimately producing sterile plants. Hemp was once a major industrial crop in the U.S., until newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, who made a fortune off his timberlands and paper mills, spearheaded efforts to ban hemp growing in the U.S., as Benoit accurately noted. Commercial hemp production has been recently legalized in Canada, where a car that runs on hemp oil recently rolled off the production line. Thus Benoit was accurate on uses of hemp. However, he apparently was inaccurate on one point: tests have shown that the U.S. Constitution was written on parchment, though it’s likely that earlier drafts were penned on hemp paper. http://www.usconstitution.net/constfaq_a8.html CLAIM: Hunter said job losses in California has gone up 2 percentage points since the federal stimulus was passed by Congress last year. Lutz said Hunter failed to offset job losses by jobs gained, distorting the true picture. FACT: According to the Department of Numbers, over the past year, California’s unemployment rate rose from 12.1% for the year 2009 and peaked in March 2010 at 12.6% , an increase of half a percent. It has dipped since then to 12.2% as of August 2010, the most recent month for which stats are available. The number of people unemployed in California peaked in March 2010 at 2,307,396. There are now 45,945 fewer people unemployed in the state. Thus recovery appears to be underway, albeit at a slow pace, nor do those figures include people who have given up looking for work. http://www.deptofnumbers.com/unemployment/california/ . That trend is consistent with the national trend; nationwide the unemployment rate peaked at 10.1% last October and fell to 9.6% by August 2010. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics released in August 2010 for the prior year, “California and New York experienced the largest net employment gains. Gross job gains in the state of California increased to 843,902, while gross job losses decreased to 820,701.” Fastest growth has occurred in the green jobs sector in recent years, though that still accounts for less than 1% of total jobs in our state. CLAIM: Benoit voiced concern over the federal deficit at $1.3 trillion and the national debt
SPORT CLIPS HAIRCUTS IN SANTEE KICKS OFF EFFORT TO HELP HEROES CALL HOME
Printer-friendly version National mens’ and boys’ hair care chain teams up with VFW Operation Uplink™ to make calls home possible for U .S. service members overseas East County News Service (October 13, 2010) – Beginning Sunday, October 17, Sport Clips in The Marketplace at Santee and in La Jolla will join the franchise’s over 700 stores across the country to kick off their annual “Help A Hero” fundraising campaign. The effort supports the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) Operation Uplink™. Now in its fourth year, Operation Uplink offers free call days for deployed and hospitalized American service members. Sport Clips hopes to raise $300,000. “We’ll be taking part in Sport Clips’ ‘Biggest Haircut Day of the Year’ cut-a-thon on Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11, when stores nationwide will donate a dollar from every haircut service to Operation Uplink,” says Terry Klinker at Sport Clips in Santee. “Donations to ‘Help A Hero’ will be collected at our store and online at www.SportClips.com through November 13.” Klinker’s store will also raise funds through a variety of other means in the Santee area, including a presence at the Chargers game next Sunday morning. Sport Clips’ Founder and CEO Gordon Logan, who is a veteran and lifetime member of the VFW, says, “More than 344,508 connections with family and loved ones were made last year through the efforts of our team members and clients. They’ve generously given their time, enthusiasm, and means to sponsor free call days on Christmas, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans Day.” “Since 2007, Sport Clips’ amazing record of generosity has enabled them to sponsor numerous VFW Operation Uplink™ ‘Free Call Days,’ totaling 7,280,065 minutes worth of free calls home for soldiers and hospitalized veterans,” says VFW National Commander-in-Chief Richard Eubank. “Their ‘Help A Hero’ campaign is a tremendous testament to their remarkable efforts toward demonstrating appreciation and gratitude to our nation’s service members, veterans and their families. The VFW is deeply grateful to the Sport Clips family of managers and employees who understand the significant debt we all owe to America’s defenders.” Sport Clips is now the VFW’s largest single-donation “free call day” sponsor, having donated almost $500,000 to Operation Uplink since 2007. For more information, visit the Sport Clips store at 9349 Mission Gorge Road (next to the new Henry’s) or go to www.SportClips.com. Sport Clips is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas and was established in 1995 by founder and CEO Gordon Logan. The franchise ranked in the top 100 overall and top 50 in growth for the sixth straight year in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Franchise 500” and in the top 50 in Dun & Bradstreet’s AllBusiness.com “2010 AllBusiness AllStars.” Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR driver, Joey Logano, and holds partnerships with several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL). For media resources and additional information on Sport Clips, visit SportClipsMedia.com. To learn about franchise opportunities click here, and for locations throughout the United States, visit www.SportClips.com. Print out the coupon at right to receive a discount on haircuts at Sport Clips in Santee: Printer-friendly version
BOO! PARADE TO HAUNT COLLEGE AREA ON SATURDAY, OCT. 23
Printer-friendly version October 22, 2010 (San Diego)–The Boulevard BOO! Parade travels through the College Area near San Diego State University starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 23, 2010. Guests are invited to watch the parade of floats, costumed coeds and community members. Visitors can also enjoy carnival rides, vendors, and new this year–a haunted pumpkin patch. Beginning at 59th Street in El Cerrito, the Boulevard BOO! Parade will travel east along El Cajon Boulevard, crosses College Avenue, and concludes at Rolando Boulevard in the heart of Rolando Village. Guests are invited to pull up a piece of sidewalk and enjoy this annual celebration of the college community. To register to participate or to view the parade route, visit http://www.collegeareabid.com/boo/boo-halloween-parade.htm Printer-friendly version
ASID KITCHEN TOUR SERVES UP 9 SAVORY REMODELS OCT. 23
Printer-friendly version October 20, 2010 (San Diego) — The American Society of Interior Designers’ self-guided Kitchen Tour, set for Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will showcase nine remodeled kitchens in San Diego County designed by some of the top designers in the region. Tour sites include three in San Diego’s inland regions (La Mesa, Rancho Bernardo and Poway), as well as San Diego, La Jolla, Carlsbad and Vista. Individual tickets are $25 and discounted group tickets are available. For information, call the ASID Information Line at (858) 646-9896 or visit www.ASIDSanDiego.org. Stylish projects range from expansive great room renovations to cost-conscious tract home remodels. The designers show how to transform dated, dark and inefficient areas into open, spacious and multifunctional showplaces. These kitchens display the latest trends in sustainability, space planning, appliances and storage solutions. “The ASID kitchen tour is a wonderful opportunity to see real functioning kitchens and speak with the designers who are experts at the design process and knowledgeable about all the available options,” said Kellie McCormick, ASID, San Diego chapter president. “In this new economy, people like to research and get a better understanding of what is available, so they have clear idea of budgets and how to prioritize. This tour is also a great, non-threatening way to chat with designers and see the benefits of hiring a designer, especially those who have never worked with one.” Green design specialist Morgan Lloyd, Allied Member ASID, designed a Rancho Bernardo kitchen with curvilinear lines and organic materials to create a warm and spirited space. Highlights include a river rock and slate backsplash that is reminiscent of a winding river and a curving slate and wood floor. Annie Johnston, Allied Member ASID, transformed a poorly designed and inefficient galley kitchen in La Mesa into a multifunctional great room by removing a wall and reconfiguring the space. Natural stone on two structural pillars and the new fireplace façade adds warmth and style. Highlights of the homey kitchen include a farmhouse sink, open display area, pull-out baskets, wine storage and a seedy glass-fronted hutch. Designer Joan Peters, Allied Member ASID, created a multifunctional living space in La Jolla by pushing out an exterior wall, raising the ceiling, and combining the original kitchen, dining room, nook and family room. The sleek new room has a simple and elegant Asian flavor that beautifully showcases the client’s Asian antiques and art collection. Kathy Novo-Shumate, ASID, the dean of budget remodels, designed a stylish kitchen as part of a remodel that gutted the entire 1970s Poway house. The new contemporary kitchen features a vaulted ceiling, recessed lighting, a tumbled stone backsplash with glass inserts, and granite countertops. It is an example of what can be done when client and designer look for bargains and scrupulously watch the budget. Lynn Wyndham Morris, Allied Member ASID, transformed a dark, dated gallery kitchen in Carlsbad into a transitionally styled open space that adds new efficiency, seating and storage. Eco-friendly details include low voltage fixtures, occupancy sensors, and an underlay with radiant heat mats. Clean-lined cabinetry is modern, yet the warm stain adds a traditional element to blend with the home’s architecture. John Mills Davies, ASID, updated the tiny nondescript kitchen in a 1940s, 740-square-foot, Pacific Beach bungalow into a craftsman-style jewel box. The blue and white coastal color scheme complements the owner’s collection of cobalt blue glass, as do the white cabinetry, blue Silverstone quartz countertops, and glass-fronted cabinets. Carol Spong, ASID, designed a new kitchen in a 30-year-old La Jolla home as part of a whole house remodel. She took care to locate appliances and storage within reach of the petite owner. The homeowners are delighted with the exotic Verde Fuoco granite from Austrailia and a small eating area at the end of the island. The remodel contains numerous design surprises, including a lovely meditation room right off the kitchen. Laura Wireman, Allied Member ASID, gave her client’s Vista kitchen a complete overhaul, resulting in a space with a grand attitude for a gourmet cook who entertains often. The new cooktop location enables the owner to cook and socialize or watch television on the large flat panel TV on the new stone fireplace wall. Appliances were selected with the serious cook in mind. Copper silk window treatments blend with the earthy palette of sandy beige, dark bronze, and glimmers of copper and steel. Christine Diveley, Allied Member ASID created a warm contemporary kitchen, keyed to her client’s gourmet style, in a Downtown high rise. Highlights include mahogany cabinetry with hammered frosted glass inserts, iridescent Malt Glass tile backsplash, and mother of pearl solid quartz countertop. Chefs’ dream appliances include a six-burner Dacor cooktop, GE Avantium convection/microwave wall oven, and KitchenAid wine chiller. The 2010 Kitchen Tour is chaired by Natalia Trepchina-Worden, ASID, and Kristy Kropat, Allied Member ASID. As past participants, they share enthusiasm for the tour. “The ASID Kitchen Tour is a fantastic way to stay in touch with today’s trends in everyday living and discover what’s hot in the local market,” said Trepchina-Worden. “Visitors can take away an understanding of the details, craftsmanship and personal touches that make every kitchen unique. Most importantly, visitors can question the designers who created that experience.” The San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers has more than 500 professional and allied members and is part of the oldest and largest organization of professional interior designers in the world. Professional membership is earned through accredited education, years of qualifying experience and postgraduate examinations. ASID helps protect the health, safety, and welfare of consumers by encouraging and requiring members to keep abreast of evolving technologies, regulations and safety issues. For information on ASID and chapter events, visit the chapter’s website www.ASIDSanDiego.org or call the Hotline at (858) 646-9896. Printer-friendly version
LT. GOV. MALDONADO BLAMED FOR WORKER DEATH, DOZENS OF SAFETY VIOLATIONS AT HIS FARM
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery October 17, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The Los Angeles Times reveals in that a worker at California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado’s 6,000 farm in Santa Maria was crushed to death by a tractor. In direct violation of state law, there was no spotter directing the equipment and no one on site with first-aid certification. The operation has many other citations for violations of workplace safety, as well as tax liens. Maldonado, a Republican seeking reelection, says some citations are the result of overzealous regulation that “put businesses out of business” in California. The violations by Agro-Jal Farming Enterprises include exposing workers to toxic pesticides and avoiding clean water regulations. www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-maldonado-20101015,0,5156526.story. The L.A. Times noted that “The stiffest penalty Cal/OSHA levied against the farm came in 2005, after two inspections found tractors rumbling across the fields with nobody in the driver’s seat. Instead, the crews were relying on furrows in the ground to keep the tractors straight… Agro-Jal had also been cited for using driverless tractors in 1999 and 2001, records show. The California Rural Legal Assistance, which represents injured farmhands, has been trying to stop the practice for years.” Son of a Mexican farmworker who came to California in the early 1960s, Maldonado grew up picking strawberries before building a family agri-business. He has campaigned on values learned in the fields—hard work and personal responsibility. Maldonado is running against San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, who is running a platform that includes strong environmental protections and accuses Maldonado of pocketing huge energy and oil industry donations in exchange for votes against the interest of consumers and workers. Printer-friendly version
BILBRAY TO DEBATE BUSBY MONDAY, OCT. 18
Printer-friendly version Congressman must answer tough questions on cozy connections to lobbyists, tobacco industry and a racist hate group; Busby must overcome past losses to woo voters By Miriam Raftery October 17, 2010 (San Diego) – Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-San Diego) will debate Democratic challenger Francine Busby in the hotly contested 50th Congressional District. The debate is set for Monday, October 18th at Del Norte High School’s Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. The debate will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by audience questions from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. This will be the only live debate between the two major party candidates. Other candidates have also been invited to participate. Del Norte High School is located at 16601 Night Hawk Lane, San Diego in the 4S community, 92127. The event is sponsored by the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce, with North County Times Editor Kent Davy as moderator. The Union Tribune in a recent editorial (September 9, 2010) refused to endorse Bilbray’s candidacy for reelection because “he has not lived up to his word” and “refuses to answer questions about his actions.” Those actions include allegations that he founded a Congressional cigar club to provide access to legislators for tobacco industry lobbyists ,as well as serving as a lobbyists and on the board of advisors for Federation if American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an organization that has been identified as a racist hate group by the Southern Poverty & Law Center, as ECM news partner 10 News reported . In addition, the Union Tribune has stated that Bilbray has shown “contempt for the media” and “contempt for the residents of the 50th Congressional District.” Busby has served as president of the Cardiff School Board , started several small businesses, and previously ran for Congress, defeated by Bilbray in a narrow margin. For more on Busby’s candidacy, see: http://busbyforcongress.com/about-francine.html . For more on Bilbray’s candidacy, see: http://bilbrayforcongress.com/ For Bilbray’s voting record, see: http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=21916 Printer-friendly version
BED BUGS INVADE CITY HEIGHTS AND EL CAJON
Printer-friendly version October 17, 2010 (San Diego) – Residents in some local communities are itching to oust some unwanted invaders: bed bugs. The blood-sucking insects have become a growing problem in San Diego County in recent months, turning up in hotel rooms to plague travelers. But now Carolyn Sam with the International Rescue Committee of San Diego, an organization that assists refugees, warns that bedbugs are becoming a growing problem in City Heights and El Cajon. “Help us get the word out to refugees and non-refugees alike: DO NOT PICK UP USED FURNITURE THAT IS JUST SITTING ON THE SIDEWALK,” she wrote in an e-mail to groups working with local refugees. “This is the #1 way that bed bugs are getting into homes in City Heights. Various refugee families in City Heights and El Cajon have already been affected, and the problem continues to grow.” Entomologist Wendy Gelernter, PhD, made a presentation to IRC staff. She noted that extermination is costly—and often not effective, since bed bugs are developing resistance to pesticides. Handout is available at: www.paceturf.org/IRC/bedbug_handout.pdf (1. 6MB pdf) Presentation is available at: http://www.paceturf.org/IRC/bedbug_presentation.pdf (6.5 MB pdf) Bed bugs are small, wingless parasites that are oval-shaped and red or brown in color. They feed at night and most people can’t feel when they are bitten. Bites are raised, red and itchy, similar to mosquito bites and disappear in a few days. Calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream can relieve itching. Bedbugs can also cause sleepless and mental stress. Fortunately, the bugs do not carry diseases. The insects are found most often in mattresses, box springs, linens, headboards and other bedroom furniture. However they can invade cracks and crevices in picture frames, couches, baseboards or even electrical outlets and phone jacks. How do you know if you have bedbugs? Small, dark red or brown spots on mattresses or elsewhere are tell-tale signs. Bed bugs have developed resistance to the most widely used group of insecticides, the pyrethroids. Pest control companies no longer guarantee treatments for bedbugs and over-the-counter products are also not effective, according to Gelernter—and some can cause health problems for homeowners if not used properly. (Note: it’s a myth that eliminating DDT has caused the rise in bed bugs. In fact, bed bugs had developed a resistance to DDT, too, before the chemical was banned for harm it caused to eagles, pelicans and other wildlife.) Use of diatomaceous earth (soil made of crushed-up shells) is one way to treat a bed bug infestation. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects’ exoskeletons causing them to dehydrate. Mattress encasements can trap bed bugs and prevent them from biting. Brands that performed well in laboratory testing include Mattress Safe and Protect-A-Bed Buglock. Cost is about $100 each for mattress and box spring encasements. Commercial grade steam cleaners reach high enough temperatures to kill bed bugs when dry steam is applied to beds, furniture and carpets. Amerivap and Hi Tech Cleaning systems are recommended by Gelernter, but it’s costly at around $800. Vacuum daily, remove bag immediately and throw away in a tightly sealed plastic garbage bag. Wash clothes and linens in hot water with plenty of soap, then dry on highest setting. Bedbugs can be physically removed by using a playing card, business card, thin spatula or putty knife to dig bugs out of crevasses where they are hiding. Capture them on clear plastic packing tape, then throw it away in tightly closed plastic garbage bags. Clean your home weekly for best results. Moving won’t solve the problem, since you’re likely to take the bed bugs with you to your new home. Inspect all used furniture and electronic appliances closely before bringing them into your house. If you travel, carefully inspect contents of your luggage before bringing into your home to avoid importing hitchhiking bed bugs from your travels. For more information, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention join statement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, issued in August: www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/publications/Bed_Bugs_CDC-EPA_Statement.htm Printer-friendly version
MULTI-CAR PILE-UP ON HIGHWAY 67
Printer-friendly version October 17, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – California Highway Patrol has received reports that as many as 15 cars have collided on State Route 67. The problem began with an accident around 6:30 p.m in a curve near Scripps Poway Parkway; additional vehicles have repeatedly struck the stopped cars. There is also a second accident approximately 1/4 mile away, north of Vigilante Road on Highway 67. If you are not yet signed up to receive free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts via email, visit www.eastcountymagazine.org. You can also follow ViejasAlerts on Twitter to receive brief text alerts on your mobile device. Printer-friendly version