SAN DIEGO ART LEADERS HOLD PANEL DISCUSSION ON FUTURE OF EAST COUNTY ARTS APRIL 13 IN EL CAJON
April 12, 2012 (El Cajon) –What role can the arts play in bettering El Cajon and its diverse population? San Diego Arts leaders including artists, journalists, writers, university professors, critics, and business people will discuss this question in a panel mediated by Justin Hudnall, creator and leading operative of The Far East Movement. The event will take place Friday, April 13 from 5:30 to 8:30 at Studio C Contemporary, 140 East Main Street in El Cajon. RSVP on Facebook. The panel discussion coincides with the second opening of The Black and White Show at Studio C, featuring 21 of Southern California’s most prominent contemporary visual and music artists, who will also be in attendance. After the panel, enjoy a music and dance performance by Chris Warren and A Thousand Ghosts. Panelists include: Seema Sueko from the (San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Commission,) Felicia Shaw (The San Diego Foundation,) Kevin Freitas (Art As Authority,) Eldonna Lay (El Cajon Historical Society,) and Patricia Frischer (San Diego Visual Arts Network.) For more information, visit http://www.sosayweallonline.com/?p=6056
WILL POWER COLUMNIST WILLIAM SCHWENT FOUND DEAD
"Will Power `Bill’ would be the first one to say, `Never, never, never give up the fight." — Robert Schwent April 11, 2012 (San Diego) — It is with a heavy heart that we must inform our readers that William "Bill" Gerald Schwent has died of a "circulatory event", his family has informed ECM. Known to our readers as author of the acerbic and insightful "Will Power Report" column, Will was found by his wife, Jan, around 3 a.m. this morning. His brother, Robert, offered these details. "He was apparently suddenly taken…There was no noticeable suffering and accounts described him as appearing serene. He will be missed." Plans will be forthcoming for a ceremony. A retired history teacher and creative writing instructor, Will was also a talented musician who enjoying composing and recording songs. His Will Power Report had a popular following on the Internet nationwide, also published in East County Magazine. In his column, he excoriated Congress and the Supreme Court for actions he felt diminished the rights of ordinary Americans. He put a human face on the healthcare crisis, writing about his battles with health issues and his inability to afford high-priced prescription drugs. He wrote about some of the most significant issues facing America today, as well as the daily challenges faced by us all. He grew increasingly disenchanted with partisan politics in later years, as his final column, "How Elephants Lost Their Voice," indicated in an uncharacteristially allegorical piece. Born in 1945 in Daytona Beach Florida, son of the late Col. Gerald W. and Elda Schwent, Will graduated from South High School Torrance and el Camino College in San Jose. He earned his MA in English and San Francisco State University and taught in Long Beach until his retirement. He is survived by his wife, Jan Monroy Schwent, sister Kathe Robbins (Adam) of San Marcos, nice Erin Robbins Veit of San Diego, and three brothers, Robert, John and Jeff Schwent. According to his wishes he will be cremated and his ashes scattered along the Merced River near Yosemite, the place he loved best and where he met his wife. The staff at East County Magazine extends our deepest condolences to Will’s family and friends. His passionate voice for truth and justice will be deeply missed.
POLICE SEARCH FOR ROBBERY SUSPECTS IN LA MESA
Update 8 p.m. – La Mesa Police advise they have cleared the area, but did not locate the suspects. April 11, 2012 (La Mesa) 7 p.m. – The City of La Mesa warns of police activity near Dallas and Fletcher Parkway, where a police helicopter is searching for two men suspected of robbing a nearby Shell Station. Police are looking for two suspects, both black males approximately 20-25 years old, one is wearing black clothing and the other one is wearing a red jacket and white t-shirt. If you see anyone who matches the description in the area or see anything suspicious that may be related call the police immediately. Sign up to receive free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts via email at the top right side of our homepage, and also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine with top news and events for our region. You can also get brief text alerts on your mobile device by following ViejasAlerts on Twitter.
PATTERN ENERGY REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON SEISMIC SAFETY CONCERNS
Major fault line runs under proposed Ocotillo wind site slated to provide energy for San Diego, ECM investigation finds By Miriam Raftery Jim Pelley and Parke Ewing contributed to this report April 11, 2012 (Ocotillo) – Public document searches reveal that “injury or death” from strong seismic ground shaking and ground failure are potential significant impacts of the Ocotillo Express wind facility approved last week by Imperial Valley planners, an ECM investigation has found. Those troubling admissions appear in a preliminary report on seismic issues in the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Environmental Impact Report (EIR). In recent days, nearly a dozen mild to moderate earthquakes have rattled the Ocotillo area. The region continues to be rocked by aftershocks from the Easter 2010 quake just south of the border, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale. Now, an overlay of project maps with the most U.S. Geological Survey maps reveals that the Elsinore earthquake fault—capable of generating up to a 7.5 quake, runs directly beneath the Ocotillo Express project site slated to house turbines approximately 450 feet or more in height on ground that some earthquake experts say could liquefy. Each of the project’s proposed 112 wind turbines would contain blades approximately 165 feet long, according to Pattern project documents: http://www.ocotillowind.com/project_documents/2011-Sept-OcotilloPresentation.pdf. John Dunlop at the American Wind Industry Association indicates blades that size would weigh approximately 15 tons, on average. Setbacks from public roads proposed for the Ocotillo project are just 1.1 times the height of the turbine, or around 455 feet for a 450 foot hall turbine—each with whirling blades 165 feet long, or about the length of the wingspan on a Boeing 767 jetliner. John Calaway, director of wind development at Pattern Energy, the project applicant, refused to discuss seismic concerns. “We’re not going to be making any comments to your magazine,” he said. ECM has repeatedly contacted Pattern seeking to include its side of the story and the company’s representatives have repeatedly failed to return numerous calls and e-mails requesting interviews to address serious issues with the project. Asked point blank if he can offer assurances that the project can be engineered to withstand liquefaction in a major earthquake, Calaway repeated, “We’re not going to comment,” then slammed down the phone. ECM news partner ABC 10 News has also sought comment from Calaway and as of press deadline has not received a response, either. The risk of a major quake occuring in the vicinity is high, per the USGS. The USGS has a search tool to calculate quake risk. Using the exact longitude and latitude of Ocotillo, the odds are a whopping 60% that a 6.5 quake or higher will occur within 30 years (the expected life of the wind project) within 50 km (31 miles) of Ocotillo. https://geohazards.usgs.gov/eqprob/2009/output/5302_large.png https://geohazards.usgs.gov/eqprob/2009/index.php The Elsinore Fault rund directly through the project site, multiple sources confirm. An overlay of the project site map and quake data indicates that some 15 turbines are on or very near the fault itself: Experts disagree on the likelihood of a major quake. According to the USGS, The Elsinore fault is capable of a 7.5 quake , the North County Times has reported. “The southernmost part of the Elsinore fault enters the project boundaries, but whether individual turbines or foundations would sit on the fault cannot be determined with a map of this scale,” Thomas Rockwell, professor of geological science at San Diego State University told ECM, though acknowledging that the turbine sites appear “very close” to the fault. But he added, “The key is whether they actually place them directly across the fault and whether they are designed to withstand fault rupture.” Historically, the Elsinore fault has produced a 7.0 or higher quake every 1,000 years or so, with the last one within the past 300 years, Rockwell said. He added that should a major quake occur, displacement would likely be less than three feet. ECM contacted Stephen Mahir, director of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering and Research Center (PEER) operated by the University of California, Berkeley, regarding earthquake risks in Ocotillo. The project site is sand atop an aquifer. Thus Mahir observed, “It’s the liquefaction that would also be an issue here…If there’s a high water table, soil can basically turn into a fluid during an earthquake and then lose strength.” Prominent San Diego ecological designer Jim Bell also voiced concerns about the terrain turning to “mush” during an earthquake due to liquefaction. But he added, “throwing blades is a bigger danger.” There are other faults on or adjacent to the site as well, including the Laguna and Yuha Wells faults. Why, does the project’s final EIR claim merely that “the project site is located within three miles of the Elsinore-Coyote Mountain Fault surface trace” and further, that typical earthquake probabilities are based on a 10 percent chance that this size of an earthquake would occur in 50 years? Moreover the EIR claims the risk to the public is “relatively small” though acknowledges that severe ground shaking could injure construction workers due to damage to turbines or transmission lines. An appeal filed yesterday by the California Environmental Law Project seeks to have the Imperial Valley Supervisors overturn an approval by the county’s planning group. Among other issues, the appeal raised serious questions over seismic safety. “All the assurances about the location of the project in relation to the Elsinore fault are substantially inaccurate and potential impacts discussions need to be altered accordingly,” said the group’s lawyer, Lisa Belenky. See FEIS Figure 2.1-6. The FEIR at §4.11-40 states that the `applicant shall not locate project facilities on or immediately adjacent to a fault trace.’ As shown in Exhibits A and B, many of the project wind turbines are located near or on faults.” The Ocotillo area has experienced an increasing number of mild to moderate quakes in recent days. On April 8, KGTV reported 11 quakes
CANDIDATE DAN HUGHES WILL SPEAK AT THE CAJON VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED MEETING ON APRIL 17
April 11, 2012 (El Cajon) – Dan Hughes, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, will be the guest speaker at the April 17 meeting of The Cajon Valley Republican Women Federated. The meeting will be held at the Pancake House, 1000 North 2nd Street, El Cajon at 7:00 a.m. Members of the public and prospective new members are welcome to attend. For more information contact club President Noreen Burke at noreenaburke@cox.net.
MISSING PERSON AT RISK – POWAY
April 11, 2012 (Poway)–Poway Sheriff’s Deputies seek public help in finding a missing person at risk. Shih Saung, 85, walked out of her daughter’s house in the 12000 block of Old Pomerado Road in Poway at 5:45 this morning. Saung is diabetic and did not take her medication today. Family members also say she may be in the early stages of dementia. Saung is known to get on the bus. She may be in downtown San Diego or at Lindbergh Field. She was last seen wearing a long sleeve flowered shirt, jacket, black pants and sandals. She also uses a cane and carries a black umbrella and brown purse. Saung has black hair and brown eyes. She is 4’5" tall and weighs 120 pounds. If you see Saung, please call the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200. Contact Information: Sgt. Chad Boudreau Poway Sheriff’s Station 858-513-2814 Chad.Boudreau@sdsheriff.org
CELEBRATE THE WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD AT CDA APRIL 16-20
April 11, 2012 (Spring Valley) – CDA Preschool Programs is celebrating “The Week of the Young Child” with an open house April 16 through April 20 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 3845 Spring Drive in Spring Valley. Stop by for a classroom tour, food, music, a special gift and learn about CDA’s nationally accredited preschool program.