WHO IS PATTERN ENERGY?
By Miriam Raftery April 23, 2012 (Ocotillo) – The wind industry has been likened to the wildcatters during the oil boom – risk takers seeking out ever more land on which to extract energy to fuel our nation’s power demands. While some energy companies have made efforts to be good corporate citizens, profits in the energy industry have attracted some players of dubious integrity. (Remember those ENRON traders caught on tape boasting about defrauding grandmothers?) Thus it’s important for decision makers weighing whether or not to approve major energy projects to consider, among other factors, the ethical record of the project applicant. Pattern Energy seeks to build the Ocotillo Express wind facility on Bureau of Land Management property in Imperial County. It also has an application pending for a wind project in the Kitchen Creek area near Campo, in San Diego County. The company has made a good-faith effort to endear itself to many in the region, bestowing $3 million for local education programs, for example. Pattern has given money to a local Soroptomist club, to the Imperial Valley Food Bank, and other community groups. Critics have noted that such charitable giving may be motivated by a desire to curry favor with groups and individuals, many of whom spoke in favor of Pattern’s project at a recent Planning Commission meeting. The benefits to the community, however, are genuine. But so are the negative aspects of the project, including destruction of public lands and wildlife habitat, health risks posed by infrasound and potentially, dirty energy, annoyance caused by audible noise and blade flicker, view destruction, and seismic safety concerns. Such concerns beg the question: If something goes wrong, can Pattern be counted on to take responsibility and do the right thing? Pattern won’t discuss its project with ECM. But a look at Pattern’s history may provide some clues. The company originated as a division of Babcock and Brown, a global investment and advisory firm based in Australia that went into liquidation in 2009. The Australian’s Business with the Wall Street Journal section offered some insights into the cause in an article titled “Greed and Hubris bring down Babcock & Brown.” The Sydney Morning Herald offered more details in a story titled “Watchdog didn’t even sniff at Babcock,” which stated, “It was the nation’s biggest ever corporate collapse, with losses totaling upwards of $10 billion. But those responsible for the debacle that was Babcock & Brown are now in the process of buying their way out of trouble.” Another account, written by an insider, offers this explanation for how the Pattern name came about. “Babcock & Brown, a diversified investment firm, was closing down its business, another casualty of the great recession. But their wind and solar power generation and transmission division was prospering despite the red-ink economy. Green was good for business. Babcock & Brown was selling off their renewable energy division and the folks in charge of that division asked me to name it.” In June 2009, Riverstone LLC acquired Babcock & Brown’s North American energy business, including San Francisco-based Pattern Energy. More details on the merger can be found here; Riverstone’s plans included infusing $400 million into Pattern’s renewable energy endeavors. Riverstone LLC is a global corporation . According to the company’s website, “The greatest indicator of Riverstone’s success is the firm’s ability to align its capital with the leaders of the energy and power industry. Over the past thirty years, Riverstone’s principals have been instrumental in creating several of Wall Street’s preeminent global energy and power investment banking franchises. They have collectively participated in many significant transactions in the industry, initiating a number of innovative strategic business combinations and corporate restructurings.” The company’s interests include major holdings in gas and oil exploration. Riverstone is also in the transmission line building business, generating revenues off the electric lines that connect to its wind energy facilities. Riverstone has a checkered record on the ethical front. In 2009, the company’s founder, David Leuschen was ordered by New York Attorney General Andrew M. .Cuomo to “pay $20 million in restitution to resolve his role in an investigation of corruption involving the state pension fund. Mr. Leuschen’s private equity firm [Riverstone] has already paid $30 million in restitution in the case,” the New York Times reported. According to Cuomo, the state pension fund invested $150 into a joint venture between Riverstone and the Carylyle Group in what was described by ABC news as a “pay to play” corruption scandal. Leuschen is a former director and managing director at Goldman-Sachs who reportedly was instrumental in advising Mobil Oil on its $81 billion merger with Exxon. According to the Louisiana Voice, it was through Carylyle that Leuschen became involved in technology investments in the Middle East; Riverstone and Carlyle partner in “using political connections to solicit the business of public retirement funds from all over the country.” Carlyle’s 2009 Annual Report confirms that Carlyle founded Pattern Energy. Riverstone Holdings formed a joint venture partner of the Carlyle Report, Bloomberg News reported. According to the Riverstone LLC website, “Riverstone Holdings LLC is a private equity firm specializing in buyout, middle market, mature, turnaround, and growth capital investments. It prefers to invest in energy and power industry with a focus on oil and gas exploration, oilfield services, midstream pipeline, electric generation, energy and power services, and renewable and alternative energy.” The Carlyle Group is one of the nation’s largest and most politically connected private equity firms. Over the years it has employed former president George H.W. Bush and former British prime minister John Major. The company is known for its military contracting businesses and also holds major stakes in hedge funds and other interests. Caryle investors in the past have included the bin Ladin family. The company has been the target of many conspiracy theory websites on the internet through the years: http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=102&contentid=928 http://www.conspiracydigest.com/carlyle_group.html. Carlyle’s founder, Frank Carlucci, is former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and former U.S. Secretary of
EAST COUNTY OBITUARIES, APRIL 22, 2012
April 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — Scroll down or view a list of this week’s obituaries here, or visit www.EastCountyObits.com to read the full obituaries.
BOOK REVIEW: THE MONOGAMY GAP
By Walter G. Meyer April 23, 2012 (San Diego)–Comedian Ritch Shydner used to have a line in his act to the effect that, “Men and women will never get along because they are after two basically opposite goals: women are looking for the one man who can satisfy their every need and men are looking for every woman who can satisfy their one need.” “The Monogamy Gap” by Eric Anderson and published by Oxford University Press, might be a little disturbing because it points out in a more scholarly way what Shydner observed. Anderson hails from Orange County and taught at UC Irvine before moving to England, where he is now a Professor of Sociology at Winchester University in Southampton. Anderson says his writing of the book “was sparked from watching so many otherwise happy couples broken up over cheating. One couple had it all: history, careers, and a mortgage; but it all ended when one member had a one-off, drunken, sexual exchange with a stranger. They lost their relationship, their house, and because they worked together, their livelihoods. They ended up miserable and alone. I asked myself, did divorce serve this couple best? Did the punishment fit the crime? And would not they have been better off to just shrug off sexual infidelity as a product of biological desire and go about with their lives?” He adds, “The book was formalized when I asked one of my classes of undergraduates how many had a relationship that lasted more than three months, and how many had ever been cheated on in such a relationship. Almost all raised their hands. It seemed monogamy to youth of this age is something everyone purveys, but few maintain.” In the introduction to the book, Phillip L. Hammack and Bertram J. Cohler write that Anderson argues “that our preconceived knowledge notions of meaningful and committed relationships are steeped more in our blind acceptance of hegemonic institutions than an authentic assessment of how individuals negotiate love, sex, and relationships.” Anderson created the term “dyadic dissonance theory.” By that he means that trying to maintain two opposing ideas: wanting a monogamous relationship, but also wanting sex with other people. He says that internal war puts undue stress on the individual and the couple. “The evidence is abundant; monogamy fails as a social institution. Worse, the unreasonable expectation of monogamy sets families up to fail,” Anderson says. “I therefore argue that it is only when society accepts open marriages (what I call open sexual relationships) equal to that of monogamous relationships, will people be able to be honest about their sexual desires. Until then, monogamy is not a choice; it is instead thrust upon by our culture as a one-size-fits-all relationship expectation. At the end of the book, however, I do suggest that for a minority of men, monogamy seems to work just fine. It’s a small minority, and one can’t be sure their partner is suited toward that minority when there is cultural pressure to suggest you are within that minority, but it does exist. Ultimately, I suggest that I’m not looking for open relationships to be culturally expected, either. I desire all forms of adult relationships to be viewed with social equality.” Most locals will remember that when Danielle Van Dam was murdered in 2002, the media and the defense attorneys almost tried the child’s parents as though their open marriage was somehow responsible for the rape of the second grader—as though any crime committed by any parent could somehow justify that. Their open marriage was bandied about in the news media as almost on a par with the rape of a child. Anderson said, “That is the operation of stigma. Those who are deemed morally corrupt in one area are generalized to be corrupt in all. Of course, in the case of monogamy, my research shows that it is monogamy which is corrupt. Among the young men I interview, they reserved less judgment for those who cheated, than those who pursued open sexual relationships. As one young man said, ‘At least with cheating there is an attempt at monogamy.’” This stigma is so great, that some people still have not forgiven Hillary Clinton for forgiving Bill. Anderson said, “The social expectation for Hillary to dump Bill is proof of the utility of monogamy to break families up, rather than hold them together. People wanted her family unit to dissolve, based off sexual infidelity, not emotional. But it is the emotional aspects of the marriage that count, not the sexual. We are policing the wrong component of a relationship.” Anderson asks, which is worse: trying to live up to an impossible ideal or to be honest with your mate and try to achieve a relationship that can withstand the likely affair? By allowing for such things, there is no animosity when it happens and the relationship stays strong. The book makes for interesting reading and conversation, but will likely make a lot of readers uncomfortable. As Anderson points out, to even bring up the subject of an open relationship is so threatening to many people that just the topic could lead to accusations of infidelity that could rip a marriage apart. So reader beware. Walter G. Meyer is the author of the critically-acclaimed novel “Rounding Third,” and wrote the screenplay based on Anderson’s book “Trailblazing.”
BOULEVARD MAN DIES FOLLOWING TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
April 23, 2012 (Boulevard) – Geoffrey O’Conley, 65, of Boulevard died April 21 from injuries sustained in what initially seemed to be a minor traffic accident, the San Diego Medical Examiner reports. The accident occurred April 3 on Highway 94 east of Buckman Springs in Campo. O’Conley complained of chest pains and was transported to UCSD Medical Examiner, where staff found he sustained multiple left-sided rib fractures. He declined until his death. The Medical Examiner found cause of death to be complications following fractures of left ribs and hemothorax due to blunt force chest trauma, though coronary artery atherosclerosis and liver disease were found to be complicating factors.
SUPPORT ARTS IN SCHOOLS: JOIN GOLDEN ARTISTRY’S JEWELRY COMPETION AWARDS EVENT MAY 3
Finalists announced; winner to receive bejeweled award April 23, 2012 (La Mesa)–Approximately 400 students within the Grossmont Union High School District competed in the fourth annual Golden Artistry Jewelry Design Competition. This year’s entries were evaluated March 11 by three judges on both the quality of the design and the effectiveness in conveying “flight”, the theme of this year’s competition. Twelve finalists have been selected, but only one will receive the Grand Prize–the design presented to the winner as a piece of jewelry at the awards event on May 3rd at the La Mesa Community Center. The Grand Prize will be created in precious metals and gems by Master Goldsmith Terry Whyte of Golden Artistry in downtown La Mesa. The awards event will be a hosted event open to the public and supported by many caring individuals, restaurants, businesses, and Friends of East County Arts, Inc. There will be silent auctions, raffles, music, and refreshments available from 7-9 pm, so bring the whole family and help support the arts in our schools. The awards ceremony will be held at the La Mesa Community Center Arbor Room, 4975 Memorial Dr., La Mesa, CA 91941. Complete contest information – www.goldenartistrydesigncompetition.webstarts.com 2012 Finalists Alexis Patterson – West Hills HS Alia Perkins – Santana HS Ashley Charlton – West Hills HS Cheyenne Preciado – Steele Canyon HS Jamar Stuart – Steele Canyon HS John Stowe – Helix HS Jordan Poehlman – Grossmont HS Karen Wolfe – Santana HS Marcos Figueroa – El Cajon Valley HS Molly Wells – Helix HS Shelby Deeks – El Cajon Valley HS Zachary Braunwarth – Helix HS For more information, visit www.goldenartistry.com
8TH GRADE STUDENT/PARENT WASHINGTON, D.C. TO NYC EDUCATIONAL TOUR SCHEDULED FOR 2013 SPRING BREAK, MEETING MAY 2
April 23, 2012 (Alpine) — On Wednesday, May 2 at 6:00 pm at the Alpine Elementary School auditorium, a registration meeting and power point presentation will be held to share information with East County students and parents about next year’s annual educational East Coast tour. The historical and educational destinations on this itinerary are Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Gettysburg, and New York City. Fundraising opportunities will also be discussed. This 8-day trip will take place during Spring Break 2013 on March 23 through 30. The participants will see history brought alive in places such as George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon. They will also see famous artifacts at the Smithsonian Institution, salute U. S. history and great leaders at the memorials in Washington, D.C., and have an opportunity to write an essay to win a place as one of four students who will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in a special ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Recent additions to this tour are the Newseum in D.C., the National September 11 Memorial, and by popular request, the Holocaust Museum. But perhaps the most exciting part of the trip for most will be the two days and two nights spent in New York City, with incredible views of the NY area from the top of Rockefeller Center, a ferry ride out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and a fabulous Broadway show. Based on its continuing commitment to support education, Holt Travel has donated over $10,000 to the local middle school based on this annual 8th Grade educational tour . Here are quotes from previous participants: “I would never trade this experience for anything. I’d do it again.” John C. Hirsch – student “I highly recommend because you not only learn but you get quality time with friends as well…I would want to experience it again in a heartbeat!” Andrew Tompkins – student “I would recommend, a great experience to share with your child…Really enjoyed my trip – learned a lot not only about the U.S., but also about myself.” Heidi Jo Pulley – parent chaperone “Had lots of fun! Thank you!” Marin Pfohl – student “Well organized – great job & thanks.” Bob Pfohl – parent chaperone “Great job. I would recommend it to everyone.” Todd Brown – parent chaperone “10 or higher because it was a great experience & I learned a lot…Amazingly good trip.” Luella Marlow – student “I would highly recommend this trip. It was very fun.” Jacob Wolf – student “Strongly recommend to go. Incredible experience.” Vickie Andrews – parent chaperone For more information call 445-9193 or visit Holt Travel & Tours at 2241 W. Victoria Drive in Alpine from 9 am until 5 pm weekdays. A current Report Card showing good citizenship grades for students and a deposit of $200 per person will be required for registration. If you have any questions about this meeting or the trip or wish to preregister, please contact Holt Travel & Tours or email info@HoltTravel.com. CST # 2003503-10
WIND SPIN: BLOWING HOLES IN INDUSTRY’S DENIAL OF HEALTH IMPACTS
By Miriam Raftery April 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – For years, the tobacco industry claimed that cigarettes don’t cause cancer—long after compelling medical evidence proved otherwise. A similar scenario is now happening with the wind industry, which has put forth various “experts” funded by the wind industry to claim that no evidence exists of negative health impacts caused by wind turbines. Those are dubious claims that ignore mounting medical and anecdotal evidence around the world indicating that living near wind turbines can harm human health. View a video made by residents living near wind turbines in Wisconsin, discussing health problems they are experiencing which are consistent with symptoms found at many other wind sites around the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71DxuicwCXw&feature=player_embedded In numerous countries, neighbors living near turbines have been forced to abandon their homes after developing serious health problems. Low-frequency infrasound, audible noise, dirty energy, and ground currents are among the measurable outputs at some wind energy facilities—despite industry denials–and all have been linked to serious health impacts in people as well as animals. Besides extensive anecdotal evidence, a growing number of medical journals, including peer-reviewed studies, have documented health issues related to wind energy. A growing number of medical experts and public health departments have called for new wind facilities to have significantly greater setbacks than the industry wants in order to protect public health—if such projects are built at all. The American Wind Energy Association steadfastly denies that wind turbines cause health problems. According to the AWEA website, “An Expert Panel Review (full report here, executive summary here), was released in December 2009. Following review of current literature, the advisory panel concluded that there is no evidence the audible or sub-audible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effects on humans.” AWEA further claims that “Wind power is a clean energy source that can provide communities with decreased greenhouse gas emissions, along with air quality improvements and corresponding human health benefits. For more information, please see AWEA’s Wind Turbines and Health and Utility Scale Wind Energy and Sound fact sheets.” On a large scale, replacing coal-burning plants with wind means cleaner air. But clean air is just one measurement of health—and the industry conveniently omits the fact that for people living or working near wind turbines, health concerns appear both real and plentiful. Let’s start with a real world example. On January 10, 2012, the Brown County Board of Health in Wisconsin adopted a resolution http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BCResolutions.pdf also supported by County Supervisors calling for emergency state funds to aid “families suffering around industrial wind turbines” including relocation of entire families. The resolution includes an extensive bibliography of sources documenting serious health impacts from turbines, including many that are peer-reviewed. The resolution declares an “emergency relating to public heatlh, safety or welfare” including effects from noise and shadow flicker. Judy Frieerichs, director/health officer at Brown County Health Dept., told ECM that the residents who are ill live at distances ranging from 1,150 feet to 3,200 feet from the turbines. Jay Tibbetts, M.D., with Brown County Dept. of Health said the board recommends a minimum half to three-quarters of a mile setback, with no audible noise or shadow flicker. “There is some consensus of a setback of 2 kilometers, 1.24 miles,” he said.”A huge problem is that none of these setbacks take infrasound (inaudible sound) into consideration. Infrasound can travel much greater distances than audible sound,” he said, adding, “Infrasound may be more of a threat to human health than other factors.” Dr. Tibbetts also voiced concern over stray voltage (dirty electricity) linked to wind turbines in his community. “There is an association of pediatric leukemia and lymphoma with prolonged exposure and one family has a very high stray voltage measurement.” Symptoms experienced by Brown County residents include a “sense of flight or flight, marked uneasiness, headache, nausea, dizziness, ear pressure…A few family members living in the vicinity of wind turbines can sense when the turbines are on and off without seeing them. Two families have abandoned their homes and another four would if they could financially.” Shadow flicker, which can cause migraines and potentially seizures in epileptics similar to the effect of strobe lights are simply annoying to many people. “One local wind farm supplied a household with a room darkening shade,” said Tibbett, who finds the solution woefully inadequate. “The best way to prevent health issues is safe siting.” (Editor’s note: In San Diego County, this author took a neighbor to arbitration over a security light shining through a bedroom window. The owner proposed a black out blind for her neighbor, but the mediator ruled that this would not be adequate mediation since a homeowner has a right to have their windows open for fresh air. He found the light to be a private nuisance and ordered the owner to cover half of it and prevent light from disturbing the household next door.) Brown County officials also called for science-based setback guidelines, noting that wind siting rules “were created without oversight of a medical professional.” Their proposed guidelines also include provisions to hold wind energy companies responsible for resolving problems if health issues occur despite reasonable efforts to establish safe setbacks. Carmen Krogh, a retired pharmacist from Ontario, Canada, spoke in Boulevard, California recently on the impacts wind turbines could have on people, particularly children. Research has found that intrusive noises adversely affect children’s cardiovascular systems, memory, language development and ability to learn, though studies specifically on impacts of wind turbine noise on youngsters has not been done. She titled her presentation “Children: The Canaries in the Coal Mine.” At the same meeting, appraisal consultant Mike McCann of Chicago said the impact zone of a wind farm is two to five miles, with dramatic negative impacts on property values as well. Audiology Today, a publication of the American Academy of Audiology, published an article in June/July 2010 titled “Wind Noise: What Audiologists Should Know.” The report cites “evidence that exposure to high levels of low-frequency
USING RADAR TO CONTROL WIND TURBINES AND REDUCE BIRD KILLS: DOES IT WORK?
By Serena Scaglione and Miriam Raftery April 22, 2012 (Ocotillo)-One of the major criticisms of wind energy facilities is the deadly impact of the fast-whirling blades on birds. Most notoriously, thousands of golden eagles have been killed at the Altamont wind farm; however significant numbers of bird deaths have occurred at many other wind facilities. Now, wind farm developers are touting radar systems similar to those used by the U.S. Air Force and NASA. In aviation, the technology detects large flocks of incoming birds and is sold to avoid bird collisions with aircraft. At wind facilities, avian radar in theory offers the potential reduce bird kills by shutting off turbines before birds reach the blades. Just how effective these systems are at wind facilities, however, remains debatable. Avian radar manufacturers praise the technology. But a check of several prominent manufacturers’ websites found only visual “simulations” of turbines halting as faux-flocks fluttered through the stilled blades. If the radar is effective, as wind industry officials who have installed radar at major wind facilities claim, where are the videos documenting this technology in action? ECM sent emails to manufacturers asking this question, and did not get an answer. Amateur videos documenting bird kills from wind turbines, however, are plentiful on the Internet. Pattern Energy, developer of the proposed Ocotillo Express wind facility in Imperial County, California, has stated that it intends to use avian radar similar to the Merlin Avian Radar System currently installed at its Gulf Wind Project on Kenedy Ranch in Texas—a major migratory flyway. In an online article for Pattern Energy, Environmental Manager Rick Greiner said one advantage of the radar system used for the 283.2 megawatt Gulf Wind Project is its ability to run continuously with a neighboring system, not just during bird migratory periods as most other systems do. “During spring migration,” said Greiner, “each wind farm moves its radar to the southern edge of its site to see birds coming. In the fall,” he says, “we move the radars to the north.” For the past two years, Pattern Energy has hired outside companies to conduct research to see if the radar is successfully reducing the number of birds and bats killed by the turbines. In the first year, Greiner said the annual mortality rate was 2-4 birds per megawatt and 7-9 bats per megawatt. Pattern estimates up to 921 birds and 2,309 bats were killed between August 24, 2009 and July 31; Iberdrola estimated 1,812 birds and 3,087 bats for the same period at its Texas wind farm, a San Antonio newspaper reported. However, those figures omit 23 days in August. According to the Houston Audobon Society fall migration fact sheet, August is a peak period for migration for many bird species, hence the true annual numbers would no doubt be higher–perhaps significantly so–if the missing weeks were included. Even if those facilities are accurate, however, the facility still killed many hundreds of birds in its first year. But Greiner notes, “Our bird rate is low to average and bats are average.” The National Wind Collaborative estimates 3-6 birds per megawatt per year is the average killed in the U.S. Some eyewitnesses have cast doubt on whether turbines are really being shut off when flocks of birds fly through. Serious questions are being raised over Pattern’s claim that radar offers a solution beyond diminishing deaths by detecting large flocks of birds. The company aims to rely on the radar as part of the Golden Eagle protection plan at the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility as well, even though evidence of radar’s effectiveness in protecting individual large birds appears lacking. According to the plan drafted in March 2011, Ocotillo Express, LLC says it will use the radar system to monitor Golden Eagles that fly within the project area and “curtail turbines when eagles are at risk of collision.” In addition to the radar, OE LLC will have a staff biologist at the project site to monitor the movements of eagles and other wildlife year round for the first five years the facility is in operation. But in an interview with Stu Webster, director of permitting and environmental affairs at Iberdrola Renewables earlier this month at the company’s proposed wind site in McCain Valley, California, ECM asked whether radar has been proven effective. “We have experimented with radar,” replied Webster, who contends the technology has shown promising results for detecting large migration patterns. “There has been some discussion on using it to detect single targets,” he added. Asked if radar has been proven effective at detecting single targets such as eagles, however, Iberdrola’s representive answered, ”No.” Why, then, does Pattern expect decision-makers to approve its Ocotillo facility based on unproven technology? ECM has repeatedly requested responses from Pattern Energy, but the company has declined all interview requests. By Pattern’s own description in project documents, however, its plan makes no claim of effectiveness to save eagles, but rather states that it will allow “opportunities to learn and test hypotheses regarding the effectiveness of such equipment in reducing mortality.” These plans proposed by wind energy developers aren’t convincing wildlife advocates that wind turbines no longer pose a danger to birds, especially when there is evidence proving otherwise. In an online article from the Industrial Wind Action Group, David Newstead, the president of the Coastal Bend Audubon Society, relates how he watched a flock of huge White Pelicans fly into the Kenedy Ranch wind facility, yet turbines did not shut off. “We watched as the pelicans continued soaring between us and the turbines. It appeared that they were getting closer and closer to the next turbine,” he wrote. “We watched as the last bird in the group was struck and literally “erased” from the air (a blade is about the width of a city bus, and moving about 180 mph). It was flying at or just below hub height, and was hit on the downstroke.” Newstead observed, “This raises some very serious questions about the “radar shutdown” system which is so highly
FUNDRAISER APRIL 25 IN SANTEE FOR INJURED BICYCLIST GRANT FISHER
April 22, 2012 (Santee) — Join family and friends of Grant Fisher on April 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Joe’s Old Fashion BBQ, 205 Town Center Parkway, Santee to help raise funds for his financial recovery. Fisher, a San Diego County Credit Union employee, has spent most of this year confined to a hospital bed recovering after he was run over by an elderly driver in the bike lane of Sorrento Valley Boulevard during a lunchtime bike ride. He is an avid outdoorsman and although currently paralyzed from the waist down, has a great attitude. His initial reaction was “Why me?” He is now grateful to be alive and indicated, “I can move my arms, I can move my hands and I don’t have brain trauma.” View an interview with Fisher by ECM news partner 10 News at http://www.10news.com/news/30851200/detail.html. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to efforts to obtain wheelchairs (he’s not giving up on cycling yet), modify vehicles with hand controls and remodel of his and his wife’s Escondido home to accommodate his wheelchair. If you can’t make it to out for BBQ but wish to help in Fisher’s recovery, checks can be made out to "Grant Fisher Fund" and sent to: San Diego County Credit Union 1600 S. Escondido Blvd. Escondido, CA 92025 c/o: Benefit of Grant Fisher Paypal: BenefitofGrantFisher@gmail.com