MOBILE FOOD CRAZE HITS EASTLAKE
September 6, 2011 (Eastlake) — Food trucks aren’t just peddling ice cream sandwiches these days. More than 500 people are gathering each Wednesday at the Eastlake Design District to get a taste of gourmet cuisine offered by the local food trucks. The first gathering took place on August 10th attracting a large crowd of locals, with most of the trucks selling out of food. Since then, Wednesday afternoon gatherings at the Eastlake Design district have become a staple for local families, friends and foodie enthusiasts. Some of the weekly line –ups include Asian Persuasion, The Gathering Spot, Tabe BBQ, Super Q, Two for the RoadSD, Mangia Mangia. SD Sweet Treats was also added to the line-up offering perfect meal completion with baked goods and ice creams from local vendors. From BBQ, Sliders and truffle fries to Asian Bistro and Italian the cuisine variety was guaranteed to satisfy any craving. With most of the menu items below $10 and with a great selection under $5, attendees are able to enjoy gourmet quality food at affordable prices. Due to its popularity, the gathering will reconvene Wednesday, September 7th from 6-9 pm. EastLake Design District is located at 851 Showroom Place in the Eastlake area of Chula Vista.
MCPHERSON PAINTING ATOP MT HELIX FETCHES $2,350 FOR LOCAL NONPROFIT
September 5, 2011 (Mt. Helix) – Heart’s Horizon, a painting created on site by local artist Chuck McPherson during the HeART of Mt. Helix event last weekend, brought a welcome $2,350 during a live auction to benefit the Mt. Helix Foundation. The 18 x 24 watercolor took McPherson two and a half hours to complete, delighting onlookers in the crowd as well as the winning bidder. McPherson, a performance artist who has been known to add ingredients from the audience such as lipstick and coffee to his works, has previously created works of art live at the Del Mar Fair and other venues. His numerous honors have earned him signature status with the San Diego Watercolor Association. "I use LUKAS color," the artist told ECM. "No one I know does and it lends a special glow to my paintings." For this special work, that deep purple hue in the trees includes lipstick borrowed from his lovely assistant, Mary. The La Mesa artist teaches art in Kensington and has previously been profiled in East County Magazine; view our story here: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/6672
THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST COUNTY
September 5, 2011 (San Diego) – Before you fire up that Labor Day barbecue, you’d better check the weather. The National Weather Service has predicted a chance of thunderstorms for San Diego’s mountains and deserts this afternoon and evening; thunder can be heard over portions of East County this afternoon. Muggy weather is due to monsoonal moisture from the southeast. More rain and thunder is possible tomorrow, with a moderate potential for flash flooding in some areas.
MUSIC FOR YOUR LABOR DAY EVENT
September 5, 2011 (San Diego) — Looking for some appropriate music to liven up your Labor Day picnic, party, or rally? The Nation magazine has compiled a list of the "top 10" Labor Songs of all time, including audio and video clips of each, sung by original artists: http://www.thenation.com/blog/163148/top-ten-labor-day-songs. Number one? Solidarity Forever, sung by Pete Seeger.
WILL POWER REPORT: UNION-BASHING
Nothing but the Truth! …Sadly, the history of labor strife in not taught in schools, and the union-bashers are hoping workers will forget what the Bad Old Days were all about. By Will Power September 5, 2011 (San Diego)–Corporate media and extremist neo-con think tanks recently have had great success bashing unions. As Americans celebrate Labor Day, it might be wise to think about the positive contributions of unions. We no longer have 10-year-olds sorting stones out of coal mine races. There are no young girls losing their fingers changing bobbins in cotton mills. Workers now have the right to bargain collectively for better wages and benefits, in spite of recent efforts to deny them the fruits of their labor. Workers now have a 40 hour week, with overtime for extra work. Teachers no longer have to worry about being fired abruptly for their political beliefs. But there are dangers to unions lurking everywhere. Many corporate giants like Wal-Mart have shut down their operations rather than see a butcher’s union win an election. Throughout the USA, many corporations choose to hire part-rime temporary workers with no benefits rather than a "real" employee. So we have millions of "virtual" employees who can be fired at-will. Without question, US corporations have encouraged illegal immigration to break unions and hire non-union labor. Illegal aliens with false documents number in the millions, and take jobs from US citizens who can’t find any jobs anywhere. Public employee unions of federal , state, and municipal workers have shown the largest growth, and are also guilty of giving unions a bad name. Recently, a lawsuit by police in Long Beach, California, gave officers pay for time spent shining shoes and driving to work. Unions are not perfect, and anyone can find stories of abuse anywhere. But workers need to remember what horrors existed before unions came along. But sadly, the history of labor strife in not taught in schools, and the union-bashers are hoping workers will forget what the Bad Old Days were all about. Will Power is a retired history teacher and creative writing instructor. The views in this column reflect the views of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine.
KIWANIS CLUB HOSTS YARD SALE SEPT. 10 IN CAMERON CORNERS
The Mountain Empire Kiwanis Club will hold a community yard sale on Saturday, September 10 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held at the intersection of Highway 94 and Buckman Springs Road in Cameron Corners. Space rentals are available to community members, such as the Mountain Empire Historical Society, which will be raising funds for the Stone Store Museum. For more information, call 619 888 7162.
MAJOR ACCIDENT IN LAKESIDE
September 5, 2011 (Lakeside) – A major accident has occurred at 12820 Wildcat Canyon Road, near Old Barona Road south of the Barona Casino in Lakeside. According to Incident Page Network, a vehicle struck a tree and there are major injuries, with a person trapped inside. Two ambulances have ordered and a rescue is required. Firefighters are currently setting up flares in the roadway, so use caution if driving in this area. If you are not yet signed up to receive free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts via e-mail, sign up free at the top right side of our homepage. You may also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine with top news and events for our region. You can also receive brief text alerts on your mobile device by following ViejasAlerts on Twitter.
BRAVO! SDSU ANNOUNCES FREE CONCERT SERIES
September 4, 2011 (San Diego) – From classical chamber music to jazz pianos, a free concert series offered by San Diego State University’s School of Music and Dance has appeal to a wide range of music lovers. The concerts are free and open to the public, as well as to students, faculty and staff. Performances start at 12 noon each Wednesday in the Smith Recital Hall during September through December. Concerts include: • Sept. 7: Navy Band Southwest Brass Quintet • Sept. 14 in Rhapsody Hall: The Five Ensemble — classical chamber music • Sept. 21: “Harvesting the Music Tree” with Brenda Schuman-Post • Sept. 28: Navy Band Southwest Woodwind Quintet • Oct. 5: Hausmann Quartet • Oct. 12: The Off & On Ensemble • Oct. 19: Guest artist: Michael Dean, clarinet • Oct. 26: Mixed ensembles • Nov. 2: Richard Thompson, Geoffrey Keezer, jazz pianos • Nov. 9: Chamber Choir • Nov. 16 in Rhapsody Hall: Hausmann Quartet • Nov. 23: Piano ensemble • Nov. 30: Jazz • Dec. 7 in Rhapsody Hall: Mixed ensembles Complete program information is available on the School of Music and Dance’s website at www.music.sdsu.edu under "Calendar." For more information on San Diego State University, visit www.sdsu.edu.
SAN VICENTE DAM WILL SOON BEGIN RISING FOR REAL
San Vicente Dam is currently 220 feet tall and when completed, will be 117 feet taller, increasing the reservoir’s capacity from 90,000 acre-feet to 242,000 acre-feet. By George J. Janczyn originally published August 30, 2011 at GrokSurf’s San Diego; reprinted with permission September 4, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)–It has been two years since groundbreaking for the San Vicente Dam Raise Project took place, but the dam is still at its original height. Everything is going according to plan, though, and right on schedule. All this time has been devoted to prepping the dam and foundation, setting up the quarry where the ingredients for the concrete will be mined, constructing a new access road to the future new marina, and building a small “saddle dam” (because the eventual higher water level will reach a saddle-shaped depression in the hills on the reservoir’s west side). San Vicente Dam is currently 220 feet tall and when completed, will be 117 feet taller, increasing the reservoir’s capacity from 90,000 acre-feet to 242,000 acre-feet. Although the larger capacity is billed as being enough to supply 300,000 households, the expansion is not really to accommodate additional customers from growth and development as might be implied by that statement. Because around 80% of San Diego’s water must be imported it could be disastrous if something happened to cut off that supply. Our water managers take that risk very seriously. The real point of expanding the reservoir, therefore, is to have more water stored locally for use if something (like an earthquake) breaks the imported water infrastructure and repairs take months to complete. A secondary reason is to provide carryover storage to be used during extra dry years. While the City of San Diego owns and operates San Vicente Dam and reservoir, the dam raise project is actually being managed and paid for by the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) which will also own the rights to the additional water. The dam raise is one of several projects SDCWA is doing as part of its countywide Emergency Storage Project. Work on the saddle dam was recently halted halfway at about the 20 foot mark (again, as planned) because the conveyor system that will deliver concrete from the quarry and concrete mixing operation to the big dam needs to go through that space. The conveyor will cross right over the top of the half-finished saddle dam. After the main dam raise is completed, the conveyor will be dismantled and work on the saddle dam will resume to bring it up to its full height. Since the precisely formulated concrete will be delivered by conveyor instead of trucks it will minimize contamination from soil and other material. By mining the aggregate for the concrete from the hills next to the reservoir and producing the concrete on site instead of another location, residents living in the vicinity will be spared the dust, noise, and traffic impact that thousands of truck trips would otherwise cause. Concrete will not be made and poured into forms the traditional way; rather, a technique known as “roller compacted concrete” (RCC) will be used. SDCWA already used this method to build the Olivenhain Dam in northern San Diego County. As explained in the above-linked story about Olivenhain, “Roller-compacted concrete is similar to traditional concrete, but is less expensive, requires less water and is much thicker when placed…Roller-compacted concrete is placed in layers. The layers are compacted with rollers similar to those used in road building. Interruption of work must be minimised to facilitate bonding of the layers. Therefore, crews worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week during a 10-12 month period to construct the dam.” Similarly, once concrete placement begins at San Vicente Dam (probably in mid-September), work will be non-stop 24/7 until the dam is finished. The dam will rise at the rate of about one foot per day. When I asked about viewing opportunities to see the dam as it goes up, SDCWA Senior Public Affairs Representative Gina Molise told me there’s a possibility that they’ll set up a camera overlooking the job to capture time-lapse images. However, that’s only a possibility at this time. The project schedule and more information can be found at SDCWA’s project web page. A few weeks ago SDCWA invited the news media to a photo opportunity of work underway on the saddle dam. I was invited too 🙂 so I get to share some photos. Click images for enlargements (it makes a big difference with some of them). About half of the dam can be seen in this view from a nearby hillside. The view at the entry gate. A portion of the improved access road to the marina. It is less steep and windy than the old road. The main dam is behind us to the right. The old marina is still there; the new marina will be higher where the mining operation is. Overview of the mining and mixing operations Saddle dam at about half-height. Marina access road in background. Mining operation and reservoir to the right. Spreading, vibrating, rolling, compacting. Dumping a load for a new one-foot thick layer. Spreading and leveling. News crews taking in the action. Table display showing what goes into the mix. Prior to starting the saddle dam, a trial segment was produced and core samples taken for strength testing. That’s a core sample on the table. Oops, didn’t aim camera to capture the label. It says "RCC Aggregate, Group 4, concrete sand." The face of San Vicente Dam. Conveyor will deliver concrete from top left into the flexible tube running down to the bottom. In some areas the contractor excavated deep into the adjoining hillside to reach competent rock for the new foundation. In these locations, the contractor built concrete shaping blocks to restore the contours of the excavated slopes. The dam has an intake tower for normal withdrawals but the
READER’S EDITORIAL: A YEAR DOWN THE ROAD—OR IN THIS CASE, ALPINE BOULEVARD
For three years, the Alpine Community Planning Group (ACPG) had a SRPL Ad Hoc Subcommittee…No one is quite sure what it did, since it never had agendas or minutes. By Lou Russo September 4, 2011 (Alpine) — Alpine is suffering especially hard in this recession. This is due to having Alpine Blvd. dug up for Sunrise PowerLink (SRPL). While the entire county and state struggle to overcome hard economic times, businesses in Alpine find themselves not only having to deal with a poor economy, but also with daily traffic jams/delays, noise, dirt, etc. from a power line being placed underground through the business district. Some residents resigned themselves to this construction with hopes of a silver lining–that Alpine Blvd. will look and function better when it is all done. They may be deluding themselves, though. For three years, the Alpine Community Planning Group (ACPG) had a SRPL Ad Hoc Subcommittee. Three years. No one is quite sure what it did, since it never had agendas or minutes. Let’s take a minute and take a look at what its Chairman, George Barnett, said would happen versus what the reality is a year after his communication to the community of Alpine. This is a communication by George Barnett of a year ago, 10/2010, in the Alpine Community Network: http://www.alpinecommunitynetwork.com/2010/10/possible-changes-to-alpine-blvd-due-to-powerlink/ Let’s look at what George said, and where we are a year later. George 10/2010: "The County obtained two different sets of grant monies for which to pay for further studying the improvement of Alpine’s down town. On(e) set of funding paid for consultants to prepare a visualization study of what Alpine Boulevard might look like if it were to be improved to the concepts the Revitalization workshops." Actual 9/2011: According to the County Presentation at the ACPG last month, the final design will not be done until 12/2012. George 10/2010: "The current PER has become the basis of negotiating with SDGE, and they have agreed to pay for perhaps 95% of all the work in order to mitigate the impacts of the power project on Alpine." Actual 9/2011: At last month’s ACPG meeting, it was revealed that SRPL will pay for only 60% of Streetscape, e.g. only for 60% of curbs and sidewalks between Victoria and Tavern. Of the area not already done, for example excluding the area already done in front of Albertsons, the County will have to pay for the rest (except, of course, the County has NO money to do that). Please note this does NOT include any "beautification", e.g. planting trees, etc. George 10/2010: "So where we are today, is that Alpine has the real opportunity to improve Alpine Boulevard in both appearance and its ability to handle traffic – and to get it paid for by SDGE." Actual 9/2011: See above. Also, take a drive by Alpine Elementary and see if it really is improved in appearance. (My personal "ugly" award goes to the metal bridge across the small gully right in front. But please, don’t let me influence your opinion.) George 10/2010: "Concurrent to all of this work is the under-grounding of all overhead utilities along Alpine Boulevard at the same time everything else is being constructed. To this end the county has approved the formation of an Alpine Underground Utilities District and has allocated $4 million to the effort." Actual 9/2011: Ahhhh, where did the $4 million go? I don’t see any poles coming down and at the last ACPG meeting, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) affirmed they are NOT undergrounding the current lines. George 10/2010: "But that is not the end. Revitalization and the APG is already working with the county on performing a detailed block-by-block town plan, and in getting more sports fields built. That sort of work will require grant writing by the town and by the county for design work, then property purchases, then actual construction. If Alpiners at that future time wish to proceed with direct beautification projects and with additional sports fields, citizens will have to determine how that work will be funded. There is no provisions in existing county ordinances to raise funds or tax for that kind of improvements. It will be up to the residents. One way of funding the maintenance and operation of beautification and sports projects is for voters to approve a ballot measure to establish a beautification district and a sports district. That means taxing in some manner. But it’s way too early in the process to start looking at funding. The first concrete steps are in getting the Alpine Boulevard improvements finalized and built." Actual 9/2011: I have seen NO plans whatsoever, especially for sports fields. How does everyone feel about taxing ourselves for a "…beautification district and a sports district…"? (Hint: How do you like that you taxed yourself for a new high school that isn’t happening?) Is it just me, or do some of you think that the ACPG/Mr. Barnett didn’t take full advantage of the opportunity put forth by SRPL. How many of you agree that for years of having our main street dug up, for a lifetime of ruined views, we got a "good deal" from Mr. Barnett and ACPG? Lou Russo is a member of the Alpine Community Planning Group. The opinions expressed in this editorial reflect the views of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of its author. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Readers may also post comments in the comments section at the end of this reader’s editorial.