KELLY’s TRIPS AND TIPS: PLACES TO MAKE MEMORIES
By Kelly Wiebolt June 14, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)–Here are some wonderful place to share & explore with your children, grandchildren or your “inner child”. They will cherish the memories and they will get to know their parents, grandparents and culture better. Have a little fun…explore together! The Field Museum Chicago, Illinois Across its nine acres of floor space, the Field showcases giant robot wolf spiders, 23 Egyptian mummies, and the biggest Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever dug up, in one of the broadest arrays of natural wonders under one roof. The collection of dioramas hold a dizzying array of species, from African lions and giraffes to Arctic penguins and polar bears, and it’s a favorite childhood fantasy to slip inside one of the magical timeless worlds. Kids 12 and under can dress up like animals, dig up dinosaur bones, and explore a pueblo home at the Crown Family PlayLab. Friday nights from mid-January to mid-June, the museum hosts sleepovers, where children 6 to 12 and their parents can sleep right next to the dinosaurs (the 2012 nights are sold out, so book early for 2013). Talk about a dream vacation. 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312/922-9410, fieldmuseum.org. Adults from $15; kids 3-11, from $10. Arches National Park Utah This national park is especially convenient for families whose kids may be too young for a strenuous hike. It only takes a couple hours to drive past many of the park’s 2,000 brawny, pink sandstone arches. And you’ll still have time to reach Moab, less than 20 miles away, for lunch. The park’s real time to shine, literally, is at sunset, when Delicate Arch reflects the sunlight in blazing reds that contrast sharply with the snow-topped La Sal Mountains in the backdrop. 435/719-2299, nps.gov/arch. Park entrance fee is $10 per vehicle; bike or foot entrance is $5. Arches National Park (Photo: National Park Service Photo) Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico At sunset, spectators gather at an amphitheater in this national park in southeastern New Mexico to wait for bats to fly. Predictably, a swirling dark cloud of the flying mammals funnels out the cavern and swoops above, where it splinters apart into groups heading to the nearby Pecos and Black River valleys. This rare natural show makes Carlsbad Caverns stand out from other national parks, especially to impress kids. Cave expeditions are also a draw, with rangers leading tours lasting from between an hour and a half and five and half hours. Some of the caves are huge, such as the well-named Big Room, which could fit 6.3 football fields. Adventurous kids will enjoy crawling through passageways or making rope-assisted descents through curtains of stalagmites, mentally soaking up all the educational lessons about geology explained by the rangers along the way. 575/785-2232, nps.gov/cave. Book ahead for guided tours. Entry fee: Adults, $6; kids under 15, free. Mount Rushmore South Dakota Even your teen will be wowed by the colossal busts of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln at this national park in the Black Hills of Keystone. The visitors’ center has exhibits on the 14-year journey to complete the monument, which was finished in 1941 after 400 workers dynamite-blasted the granite peaks to carve the faces. There is also info on how the four great leaders depicted guided our nation through tricky times. Stay for sunset to sing the National Anthem at the lighting ceremony, and challenge your kids to count the number of different state license plates in the parking lot. While you are in the area, make time to see the Crazy Horse Memorial, another enormous cliff carving in the making about a half an hour southwest of Mount Rushmore. 13000 Highway 244, 605/574-2523, nps.gov/moru. Free; parking permit, $11. Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, New York Where else in the U.S. can you see an ancient Egyptian temple, a Ming Dynasty garden, and one of the world’s largest collections of Vermeers all under one roof? The Met covers a 14-acre space in Central Park, yet this cavernous space is only large enough to show a sliver of its full collection of art and artifacts. The museum itself is constantly evolving, and the third and final phase of a decade-long refurbishment of the American Wing re-opened in January 2012. Children can easily learn about our nation’s history from early colonial times through the Civil War and into the modern era via iconic paintings, including Emanuel Leutze’s famed depiction of General George Washington crossing a near-frozen Delaware River during the Revolutionary War. 1000 Fifth Ave., 212/535-7710, metmuseum.org. Adults, suggested donation of $25. Niagara Falls Niagara’s twin cities are located on either side of the river, linked by the Rainbow Bridge. Although they are nominally different (and in different countries), practically they function as one city, divided by a socking great waterfall in the middle. In Canada, the Horseshoe Falls drop 170 feet (52 metres) from a brink measuring a whopping 2,500 feet (750 metres). The drop of the American falls is 10 feet higher, but with a brink of less than half the size, the scene isn’t nearly as dramatic. And it’s a difference that sets the tone of what you’ll find to see and do in the Niagara region. On the Canadian side, Niagara Parks Commission does a superb job in maintaining the appeal of the area, incorporating many quality attractions along its 35-mile scenic parkway. It is also responsible for the falls’ night illumination as well as the spectacular fireworks displays held every Friday and Saturday through the summer. Today, the region has embraced that history and evolved its tourism services to attract more than 19 million visitors a year.
SENIOR FOLLIES RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO WITH CALENDAR GIRLS A MUSICAL COMEDY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
June 14, 2012 (San Diego) — A group of vibrant San Diego seniors will take the stage in a spectacular musical comedy proving that our golden years need not be idle. About 70 performers make up the cast of Senior Follies ranging in ages from 55 to 97 years old. The witty musical is a spoof on beauty pageants and TV reality contests as 12 ladies vie for the coveted Calendar Girl 2012 title. An applause meter will help judges gauge the audience’s favorite to help crown the winner. Presented by Christian Community Theater (CCT), Senior Follies is an entertaining family production for all ages. Dates: Thursday, June 21 – 7 pm Friday, June 22 – 2 pm; 7 pm Saturday, June 23 – 2 pm; 7 pm Sunday, June 24 – 2 pm Where: Lincoln Performing Arts Center 4777 Imperial Avenue San Diego, CA 92113 Cast Includes: John Witt, San Diego County of Education Board Member, as “lovable but bumbling Mr. Magoo-like” judge. Jeanne Lenhart, reigning Ms. Senior San Diego, as “March” Calendar Girl John Patrick Burns, 97, as featured dancer Louise Smith as Elizabeth Taylor – judge Chris Dunsmore as Carol Channing – judge For Tickets: Tickets range from $18 to $40. Senior and military discounts are available. www.cytsandiego.org or call 619.588.0206
JANET’S MONTANA CAFE GIVES CUSTOMERS A TASTE OF THE WEST
By Sierra Robinson 2506 Alpine Blvd, Alpine, CA 91901 http://janetscafealpine.com/ June 12, 2012 (Alpine)- Janet’s Montana Cafe, a cozy little hideaway in Alpine, definitely shows the true meaning of western-style. The Old West theme was apparent the moment we walked in, greeted by a large bull moose head on the wall. Cheery servers guided us to rustic seating. Carved wooden chairs and tables filled the area show in every knott and curve in the natural furniture. Western artwork covered the walls, as well as a few deer-antler light fixtures that matched some massive antler chandeliers. My companion and I both ordered a breakfast item, considering the restaurant serves breakfast all day. We were brought our meals in a timely fashion, a fresh blackberry waffle with ripe berries and a generous portion of pumpkin pancakes, each served with a side of fluffy eggs and crispy bacon. But Janet’s doesn’t just serve breakfast; it has a wide menu selection, including Mexican dishes as well as hearty fare such as pork chops, steak and bison burgers, lighter sandwiches and salads, homemade pies and more. Tucked into one corner of the diner is also a coffee bar. After enjoying our meal, we ventured onto their sunny patio, which is dog friendly with a lovely view. Butterflies flitted around the outdoor tables, shaded from the sun by large umbrellas. The scene was peaceful and comfortable.
EMERALD WANTS SDG&E DOLLARS TO FUND FIRE/RESCUE DEFICIENCIES
June 13, 2012 (San Diego) — San Diego Gas and Electric has agreed to pay the City of San Diego $27 Million to settle a lawsuit over the 2007 wildfires. Councilmember Marti Emerald is asking the Mayor to reinvest this cash windfall back into public safety. The councilmember recommends spending $18 million to design and build critically needed fire stations, citywide, as recommended last year in the Citygate Report on San Diego’s emergency preparedness. “For the sake of public safety we must act on the Citygate Report so we can respond to daily emergencies within nationally acceptable time limits, and be better prepared for future disasters”, said Councilmember Emerald in a memo to Mayor Jerry Sanders. The Councilmember says the Citygate Report singled out seven areas of the city with the most critical need for fire stations: Home Avenue, Paradise Hills, College, Skyline, Encanto, Stresemann/Governor and Mission Valley. The Report also recommended more training academies to staff fire stations, equipment and communication systems. Councilmember Emerald chairs the City Council’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, which approved a five year plan to make these Fire/Rescue improvements. Investing the SDG and E settlement money would help the City complete these vital public safety projects within the five year time frame, and would greatly improve public safety.
ECM WORLD WATCH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL NEWS
June 14, 2012 — (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include: U.S. Corporate political efforts don’t guarantee results—study (Reuters) Romney energy plan includes drilling virtually every part of U.S. – no protections even for national parks (Think Progress) Issa demands documents on green energy loans (Fox News) Presidential projections on wind power flawed according to new book (KXXV) Justice Department sues Florida over voter purge (Huffington Post) Mojave desert: Military wants to limit wind development (Riverside Press Enterprise) Sebelius: Medicare stronger than ever due to healthcare law (The Hill) Family net worth drops to level of early ‘90s (NY Times) Colorado wildfire moving fast, not contained (BBC) California tribes suing to halt construction of wind factory on sacred land (Indian Country Today) Open letter asks Obama to meet with Tribal leaders on Ocotillo Express wind project (Indian Country Today) WORLD Russian protesters demand Putin resignation (CNN) U.N.: Syria children tortured, used as human shields (CNN) Syria in Civil War, says U.N. official (BBC) Solar-powered “super trees” breathe life into Sinagapore urban oasis (CNN) Scottish Power (a division of Iberdrola, developer of Tule Wind) tests U.S. tax breaks on interest (Reuters) Ruling on wind farm says countryside as important as climate change targets (UK Telegraph) Read more for excerpts and links to full stories. U.S. Corporate political efforts don’t guarantee results—study (Reuters) June 12, 2012 — Despite a popular belief that spending on lobbyists and political gifts yield fat dividends for business, a study has found just the opposite – that in general higher corporate spending in Washington is linked to worse market performance. Researchers from Rice University in Texas and Long Island University in New York analyzed end-of-year stock value and return on assets of 943 companies in the S&P 1500 over 11 years and lined up those factors against spending on campaign donations, lobbyists and other political giving. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/12/us-usa-campaign-money-idUSBRE85B07120120612 Romney energy plan includes drilling virtually every part of U.S. – no protections even for national parks (Think Progress) June 9, 2012 — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is no stranger to attacks on the environment, as seen in his ads against clean energy jobs, his pledge to roll back fuel economy standards that protect public health and reduce carbon pollution, and the fact that he doesn’t know “the purpose of” public lands that belong to all Americans. But this morning’s Washington Post sheds more light on Romney’s energy plan, including the fact that he would open up “virtually every part of U.S. lands and waters” to drilling regardless of whether they are national parks, national monuments, or protected in some other way. As the Post reports: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/06/09/496886/romney-energy-plan-includes-drilling-virtually-every-part-of-us-with-no-protections-even-for-national-parks/ Issa demands documents on green energy loans (Fox News Video) http://video.foxnews.com/v/1666707543001/issa-demands-documents-on-green-energy-loans Presidential projections on wind power flawed according to new book (KXXV) May 30, 2012 — Presidents Bush and Obama both supported wind power development by publicly referencing a Department of Energy (DOE) study that contains serious flaws, according to a new environmental book by UC Berkeley visiting scholar Ozzie Zehner. GREEN ILLUSIONS (University of Nebraska Press, June 2012) draws upon previously unpublished interviews with the DOE. According to Green Illusions, the DOE report renders a picture of wind energy that is up to six times more impressive than the department’s own field experience would indicate. http://www.kxxv.com/story/18654436/presidential-projections-on-wind-power-flawed-according-to-new-book Justice Department sues Florida over voter purge (Huffington Post) June 14, 2012 — The governor’s contentious push to remove thousands of potentially ineligible voters from Florida’s lists has been met with a lawsuit from the Justice Department and handled very differently by the state’s independent election supervisors, many of whom questioned the accuracy of the effort. Gov. Rick Scott initiated the push last year to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/justice-department-sues-florida-voter-purge_n_1591354.html Mojave desert: Military wants to limit wind development (Riverside Press Enterprise) With a PowerPoint presentation and a dot of red light, military officials dropped a bomb on California’s wind energy industry at a recent public meeting. Using a laser pointer, a Navy official outlined on a map a vast area where the military wants to limit commercial wind development. The pointer swept across the Mojave Desert, skirting around Las Vegas, and edging near San Bernardino County’s High Desert communities and touching the southern Sierra Nevada range. http://www.pe.com/local-news/topics/topics-environment-headlines/20120520-mojave-desert-military-wants-to-limit-wind-development.ece Sebelius: Medicare stronger than ever due to healthcare law (The Hill) June 11, 2012 — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praised the healthcare reform law Monday for bolstering Medicare and appeared to criticize GOP proposals that would partially privatize the program. "Before the [healthcare] law passed, there were gaps in Medicare coverage," Sebelius said at a town hall on seniors’ health sponsored by the White House. http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/232079-sebelius-medicare-stronger-than-ever-due-to-health-law Family net worth drops to level of early ‘90s (NY Times) The recent economic crisis left the median American family in 2010 with no more wealth than in the early 1990s, erasing almost two decades of accumulated prosperity, theFederal Reserve said Monday. A hypothetical family richer than half the nation’s families and poorer than the other half had a net worth of $77,300 in 2010, compared with $126,400 in 2007, the Fed said. The crash of housing prices directly accounted for three-quarters of the loss. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/business/economy/family-net-worth-drops-to-level-of-early-90s-fed-says.html?_r=1&hp Colorado wildfire moving fast, not contained (BBC) June 11, 2012 — A fast-moving wildfire near Fort Collins in the US state of Colorado has scorched nearly 37,000 acres (14,973 hectares) of land, officials say. The fire has not been contained and sheriff’s officials described conditions as "concerning". Hundreds of residents have been evacuated and 18 structures have been burned or damaged in the blaze. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18398600 California tribes suing to halt construction of wind factory on sacred land (Indian Country Today) May 29, 2012 — The Interior
ALL-NIGHT WAKE: PUBLIC IMPLORED TO JOIN TRIBES AT OCOTILLO WIND SITE
East County Magazine to form carpools from San Diego to desert vigil June 23-24 By Miriam Raftery June 13, 2012 (Ocotillo) – As bulldozers raze their ancestors’ graves, Native American tribes across the southwest are asking for the public’s help to stop the desecration. If you believe this heartbreak funded by taxpayer dollars is wrong, please join with tribes of all nations to take a spiritual stand together against despoilment of these once protected desert lands for private corporate gain. Determined to halt the Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo Express wind energy project, tribes of all nations will gather for a traditional dusk-to-dawn ceremony to mourn disruption of their ancestors’ burial sites. From 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 to dawn on Sunday, June 24, members of the public are encouraged to join with Native American neighbors in the Ocotillo desert for these spiritual ceremonies. This land belongs to us all. It is federal land, owned by the Bureau of Land Management. Our tax dollars are being used to subsidize the wind project, even though Native American sacred sites are protected under federal law. Thousands of artifacts, sacred geoglyphs, ceremonial sites and over a dozen burial sites have been found here. Despite this evidence, construction of over 100 turbines each over 450 feet tall has been approved on lands so sacred that local tribes believe the mountains here are where creation began. Ocotillo is the first of 18 fast-tracked projects on formerly protected federal lands. Next up, 40 massive-scale industrial energy projects are proposed in East County, most in Cleveland National Forest or on federal BLM lands. Robert Scheid, spokesman for the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indians, warns the public that if the fast-tracking process is not stopped, “what’s happening in Ocotillo today could happen tomorrow at a park in your backyard.” To join this event, please bring comfortable chairs and flashlights. Food and water will be provided. Alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited. Restrictions on photography/videography will apply. All ages are welcome, but please do not allow children to deviate from the path, since this is a wake to mourn disruption of ancestors’ sanctified burial sites. To get there, take I-8 to the Ocotillo exit. Turn left to S-2, which is also known as the Imperial Highway. The encampment is located on S-2 approximately two miles north of the Ocotillo Community Park. Follow the directional markers and signs along S-2. East County Magazine, has editorialized against the industrial wind project due to its destruction of Native American cultural resources, massive and irreversible environmental damage, and serious threats to the health of Ocotillo residents. ECM will lead a procession for all who are interested in carpooling from San Diego/East County to Ocotillo; details to be announced. If you wish to rideshare or drive, please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS
June 14, 2012 — (San Diego’s East County)–East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include: LOCAL Carlton Oaks land agreement will connect Mission Trails to River Trail (Santee Patch) Victim in fatal Alpine crash was to graduate from UCSD (UT San Diego) La Mesa Spring Valley School District faces negative bond rating (San Diego Reader) Giant SDG&E line sparks rural activism (UT San Diego) A closer look at executive pay at Sempra, Qualcomm and other companies (UT San Diego) The local newspaper makes national news- NYT criticizes UT San Diego for using newspaper as pulpit for business interests (Voice of San Diego) STATE ‘Third strike’ and GMO foods labeling initiatives qualify ballot (Sacramento Bee) Sacramento leaders eye pension changes, sales tax (Sacramento Bee) Election officials: get used to uncounted ballots (Sacramento Bee) California likely to need to cut spending more (Reuters) California Highway Patrol Officers union agrees to monthly furlough (Sacramento Bee) Read more for excerpts and links to full stories. LOCAL Carlton Oaks land agreement will connect Mission Trails to River Trail (Santee Patch) June 12, 2012 — A deal for the city of San Diego to lease 64.3 acres it owns at the Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee to the facility’s owner has been unanimously approved by the San Diego City Council. The 40-year lease to TY Investment Co. ends the prospect of a sale, which was opposed by environmentalists. Most of the land, owned by the city since 1933, is along the banks of the San Diego River near the Santee-San Diego city limits. http://santee.patch.com/articles/sd-council-to-sign-off-on-carlton-oaks-golf-course-land-agreement Victim in fatal Alpine crash was to graduate from UCSD (UT San Diego) June 11, 2012 — A chain-reaction freeway crash involving several vehicles in the East County highlands killed two motorists Monday and left a third jailed on suspicion of drunken driving, authorities reported. The deadly series of accidents began shortly before 3 a.m., when Angela August, 25, lost control of her eastbound 2009 Toyota Yaris for unknown reasons on Interstate 8, just west of Tavern Road in Alpine, according to the California Highway Patrol and county Medical Examiner’s Office. http://www.10news.com/news/31179417/detail.html La Mesa Spring Valley School District faces negative bond rating (San Diego Reader) June 7, 2012 — As if there isn’t enough bad news for school districts across San Diego County. Yesterday, Moody’s Ratings Agency downgraded general bond obligations for the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District. According to Moody’s the outlook on the rating is now negative. http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/news-ticker/2012/jun/07/financial-issues-arise-at-la-mesa-spring-valley-sc/ Giant SDG&E line sparks rural activism (UT San Diego) June 11, 2012 — SDG&E had promised at the start of the work to limit construction to 75- to 150-foot sections of the road to minimize the impact. Crews installed several miles of underground vaults to house the transmission cables. On many weekdays, however, it wasn’t unusual to see several sections closed at once, mangling crosstown traffic and making it harder to patronize the local mom-and-pop shops. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/10/sdges-powerlink-leaves-bitter-aftertaste/?page=2#article A closer look at executive pay at Sempra, Qualcomm and other companies (UT San Diego) June 9, 2012 — Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis gave Sempra Energy’s pay practices an “F” grade, which isn’t unusual. It handed the company either a failing grade or a “D” on executive compensation for the past three years. Glass Lewis said Sempra pays its executives too much relative to a group of similar companies. “Overall, the company paid more than its peers but performed moderately worse than its peers,” it said in a report. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/09/behind-the-curtain-in-san-diego/ The local newspaper makes national news- NYT criticizes UT San Diego for using newspaper as pulpit for business interests (Voice of San Diego) June 11, 2012 — After the U-T San Diego’s new CEO, John Lynch, told me last November that the paper’s sports pages would call out Chargers stadium opponents as obstructionists, a media analyst I spoke to made a promise: The U-T’s new ownership will eventually become national news. It took just more than six months. On Sunday, The New York Times’ media columnist, David Carr, sized up the implications of the ownership change at the U-T San Diego with a critical look at local hotelier Doug Manchester’s reign there. Carr writes: http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/economy/article_17b221c2-b3f7-11e1-aa70-0019bb2963f4.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+voice-of-san-diego-all-articles+%28All+articles+voiceofsandiego.org+–+full+feed%29 STATE ‘Third strike’ and GMO foods labeling initiatives qualify ballot (Sacramento Bee) June 12, 2012 — California’s November ballot will include questions on modifying the state’s "three strikes" sentencing laws and requiring labels for genetically modified foods. Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced Monday that two additional initiatives have qualified for the general election ballot, bringing the total measures slated for a vote this fall so far to eight. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/06/measures-on-three-strikes-gmo-food-labels-qualify-for-ballot.html Sacramento leaders eye pension changes, sales tax (Sacramento Bee) June 9, 2012 — The debates over pension changes and a possible sales tax increase in Sacramento are heating up. Earlier this week, City Council members made their strongest comments to date on what they argue is the need for the city’s employees to contribute more toward their pensions. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/09/4549405/sacramento-leaders-eye-sales-tax.html Election officials: get used to uncounted ballots (Sacramento Bee) June 7, 2012 — The waiting is the hardest part. With more than 830,000 primary ballots still uncounted, many candidates and campaigns in California remained on pins and needles Thursday awaiting the results of undecided races. Proposition 29, the proposal to increase taxes on tobacco products to pay for cancer research, was among the contests that remained too close to call. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/07/4546460/elections-officials-get-used-to.html#mi_rss=AP%20State%20News#storylink=cpy California likely to need to cut spending more (Reuters) June 11, 2012 — California’s $15.7 billion deficit is about 30 percent of the total gap all states face in the coming fiscal year, Standard & Poor’s said in a report on Monday, saying the state likely will have to cut spending further to balance the 2013 fiscal budget. State spending as a share of California’s total economy is the lowest in 39 years. But the state’s tax revenue
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON CONCERT JUNE 15 TO BENEFIT UNITED FARM WORKERS’ 50TH ANNIVERSARY
By Mayan Avitable June 13, 2012 (San Diego) — Tickets are on sale now for the Kris Kristofferson & Friends concert series to benefit the 50th anniversary of the United Farm Workers (UFW). The tickets are available at http://www.ufw.org, and limited VIP seats are available. The San Diego area tickets for the concert on Friday, June 15th are also available at Spreckles Theater. The San Diego concert will begin at 8:00 p.m. and will feature Mariachi Divas. The UFW is the oldest Latino organization to come out of the 1960’s civil rights movement, and the largest farm worker organization in the U. S. The UFW labor union was created by combining the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and the National Farm Workers Association when the two groups recognized their common goals, and went out in a grape strike in 1965. The two organizations formed the UFW in 1966. Despite the length of time this organization has been fighting for good working conditions, abuses continues. As recently as May 2012, farm worker Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez died after tying grape vines at a farm east of Stockton, when the temperature soared well above 95 degrees. The nearest water cooler was a 10-minute walk away, and workers say the strict foreman didn’t allow them a long enough break to stop and get a drink. Vasquez collapsed from heat exhaustion. By the time she arrived at a hospital, Jimenez was in a coma, and her body temperature topped 108 degrees. She died two days later. See details: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91240378 Currently, a bill is under consideration in the California Legislature that addresses the issue of excessive heat for agricultural employees. The bill would provide that directing an agricultural employee to perform, or supervising an agricultural employee in the performance of outdoor work without providing continuous, ready access to an area of shade and cool, potable water sufficient to allow the employee to drink one quart of water per hour throughout the work shift may constitute the crime of involuntary manslaughter The bill would require restitution under existing provisions of law to the immediate surviving family of the deceased employee in an amount up to $1,000,000 for the lost future earnings of the deceased employee. To follow the bill, see: http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/Bills/AB_2346/20112012/
THURSDAY’S WEATHER WILL BE COOLER PLUS THE LINEUP FOR TONIGHT AT THE SD COUNTY FAIR
ART LOVERS DELIGHT: GALLERY WALK & MASTERS OF THE MOMENT SHOW IN EL CAJON JUNE 15
June 13, 2012 (El Cajon) – Stroll through eight local galleries in downtown El Cajon’s Art Gallery Walk this Friday night, June 15 from 5-8 p.m. In addition, a reception for the Masters of the Moment Show will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. at Sophie’s Art Gallery, 109 Rea Ave, with awards presented at 6:30 p.m. Other participating galleries in the Art Gallery Walk include Silver Creek Fine Art and Custom Framing (120 E. Main Street), Main Street 5 Gallery (124 East Main St.), The Rich Artist Studio with artist Denise Rich (130 E. Main Street) White Sage Gallery (132 E. Main St., Studio "C" Contemporary Art Studio (140 E. Main Street.) Olaf Wieghorst Museum & Western Heritage Center (131 Rea Ave) and the Knox House Museum, (at 280 N. Magnolia Avenue).