WINE, DINE, BID AND WIN! AT TASTE OR OUR TOWNE IN POWAY JUNE 23
June 19, 2012 (Poway) – Taste of Our Towne will be held at the Poway Center for Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road, Poway on June 23 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event includes live music performed by Gipsy Menco, wine from local wineries and signature dishes from favorite restaurants. A silent auction, a live auction and dancing are part of the fun. Here is a partial list of participating restaurants: Poway Sushi Lounge Carvers Steaks and Chops Café Merlot Veranda Fireside Lounge & Restaurant The Terrace Restaurant and Bar The Barrel Room Participating wineries and vineyards include: Schwaesdall Winery Cactus Star Vineyard at Scaredy Cat Ranch Woof ‘n Rose Winery Chuparosa Vineyards Old Coach Vineyards Mahogany Mountain Vineyard and Winery Quigley Fine Wines Edwards Vineyards & Cellars Tickets can be purchased at PCPA and are $100 per person. All proceeds benefit the Poway Center for Performing Arts Foundation. Visit www.powaycenter.com for more information.
LAST DAY FOR COMMENTS TO PLANNERS ON QUAIL BRUSH POWER PLANT: IS TODAY JUNE 19: HEARING SET FOR JUNE 28
June 19, 2012 (San Diego) The San Diego City Planning Commission has received a recommendation by city staff to initiate zoning changes to pave the way for a power plant on the border of Mission Trails Regional Park. A hearing is scheduled at 9 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at San Diego City Hall (downtown). Your attendance at this hearing is vital so that you may submit testimony for the record and to show unified public opposition. Complete a Public Comment slip upon arrival if you wish to speak. Cogentrix, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., initiated an application with the California Energy Commission in August 2011 in response to a request for bids from SDG&E to build a local peaker power plant at the site. The City of San Diego and the CEC have identified conflicts due to a number of local laws and ordinances, which must be revised so the plant can be approved. The project as proposed requires (text below taken from a letter by San Diego City Development Dept to the Applicant) these changes: community plan amendment as the proposed project would be inconsistent with the current Open Space designation. rezone as the current residential (RS-1-8) zoning would be inconsistent with the proposed electric generation station. Site Development Permit for environmentally Sensitive Lands in the form of sensitive biology and steep hillsides. Multi-Habitat Planning Area boundary line adjustment Concerned citizens are expressing strong opposition to zoning changes and the Power plant application in protection of both Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) and surrounding communities. Today, June 19th is the final day to email your comments in order for the Commissioners’ to review in the file on this matter. Opponents have mobilized a letter writing campaign to tell the Planning Commission and CEC that “open space is a precious resource that should not be frittered away to developers, particularly not for heavy industry such as a power plant, which will threaten the wildlife and ecology of MTRP and the population of surrounding urban communities.” Their sample letter is below, which may be copied and sent as a single email to all of these: To: ESolorio@energy.state.ca.us Cc: planningcommission@sandiego.gov; JerrySanders@sandiego.gov; anthonyyoung@sandiego.gov; CarlDeMaio@sandiego.gov;kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov; martiemerald@sandiego.gov; SherriLightner@sandiego.gov; toddgloria@sandiego.gov; davidalvarez@sandiego.gov;loriezapf@sandiego.gov; JDale@ci.santee.ca.us; JMinto@ci.santee.ca.us; JRyan@ci.santee.ca.us; RVoepel@ci.santee.ca.us; RMcNelis@ci.santee.ca.us; dianne.jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov; senator@boxer.senate.gov; senator@feinstein.senate.gov;assemblymember.jones@assembly.ca.gov Subject: CEC Docket #11-AFC-03 Quail Brush Generation Project Power Plant Licensing Case Opposition to Revised Land Use And Rezoning As a concerned citizen(s), I/we strongly oppose a (1) MHPA Boundary Line Adjustment, (2) Community Plan Amendment of Open Space, (3) Rezoneof (RS-1-8) residential zoning to industrial zoning within the East Elliot Community Plan area, and (4) Revision of the City’s Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP) Subarea Plan, all of which actions are intended to facilitate the siting of a Power Plant. Additionally, I/we respectfully request the CEC to consider the “No Project Alternative” for Docket #11-AFC-03 Quail Brush Generation Project Power Plant Licensing Case. Respectfully, [Your name here]
HOW OUR NATIONAL DEBT HELPED PAY FOR MY COLLEGE EDUCATION
By Ellinoa Blake June 19, 2012 (San Diego)–Recently I won a $48,000 scholarship funded by STOP2011, a Heartland Coalition project. This number represents more than a weight off my chest for college, however. It is the amount of debt each American owes if the United States national deficit was divided by the number of our citizens. As I began my college search in the beginning of my senior year, I simultaneously began researching scholarships as I watched the costs of school rise with our decreasing educational budget. In November of 2011 I stumbled upon the STOP2011 website, with a scholarship available to all San Diego seniors. STOP2011 is a project of Heartland’s Project Destination. The scholarship is funded by Jim Hester, a Heartland board member. The idea behind the project is to educate citizens about the effects our national debt has on young people– and the crippling consequences of our future if we do not take action now. The application consisted of an essay, with a prompt that seemed all too fitting: “Why the Debt Matters to Young People.” I was struck by the relevance of this cause, and submitted an essay detailing the burdens young people will face with the tremendous deficit highly prevalent in our future. Soon afterwards I was notified that 25 out of 150 students who had applied had moved on to Round Two, myself included. Round Two consisted of writing a letter to the editor of the Union Tribune responding to an article about President Obama’s State of the Union Address. We were asked to specifically concentrate on whether Obama had focused on the issue of the debt enough, a target that I did not see was met. That was the easy part. With 10 people remaining in Round Three, we were given another prompt: “How the Debt Affects Young People.” Our response consisted of a three-minute speech. As we gathered in the Merrill Lynch building downtown San Diego in mid-April I could sense the nerves rattling around the room, and yet I felt a sense of companionship with the other contestants. We had strived to get to this point and I felt fully supported as I made my way to the podium in front of esteemed San Diego lawyers and judges who had volunteered their time to score our presentations. I chose to approach this prompt from a unique angle–focusing on the psychological effects the debt will undoubtedly have on young people. Burden of the debt may induce stress, putting some individuals are at a much higher risk for life threatening diseases, such as heart attacks and cancer. After a nerve-wracking three minutes and 26 seconds the speech was over, and finalists gleefully advanced into Round Four: a debate. Preparing for the debate consisted of numerous late nights at the kitchen table, attempting to make sense of our fiscal situation and the politics surrounding it. I found myself further exploring my liberal roots, and our country’s history in regards to dealing with financial crises. I adopted a Keynesian approach and drew upon historical facts from The New Deal in the early 1930’s. The next day I received an e-mail informing me that I had won. While I was not only hugely grateful for the college funding, the knowledge I gained through this experience was priceless. Through this experience I was given the opportunity of an internship writing for the East County Magazine, which is sponsored by the Heartland Coalition. I look forward to spending my summer interning, and then in the fall attending Humboldt State University. I plan on studying psychology and political science. As I think about my search nearly a year ago for scholarships my advice for students is to find something you are passionate about, and to let that passion show. Being able to fully invest yourself in all your endeavors will surely pay off in the end. For more information on STOP2011, visit www.stop2011.org.
LA MESA RESIDENTS HELP APPREHEND VEHICLE BURGLAR
June 19, 2012 (La Mesa)—On June 15 at 9 a.m., a resident in the 7400 block of Sturgess Avenue in La Mesa, observed a man burglarizing his vehicle. The victim realized his vehicle window had been broken and observed the suspect holding a screwdriver and stealing property from the vehicle. The victim called La Mesa Police as the suspect fled the scene on foot, jumping over fences and cutting through the back yards of residences. The victim was able to follow the suspect from a safe distance and update his location as officers responded. Multiple witnesses in the area assisted the victim by providing updates on the suspect’s location and direction of travel. La Mesa Police Officers arrived and detained the suspect at the intersection of Sturgess Avenue and Parks Avenue. The property taken from the victim’s vehicle was recovered and the suspect was arrested: Suspect: Christopher Prewitt, 25 years old, White male, from San Diego Charge: 459 PC—Vehicle Burglary Prewitt was booked into County Jail on the listed charge. The La Mesa Police Department appreciates the victim and witnesses coming forward and calling the police. This is a great example of neighbors watching out for each other and working in cooperation with the La Mesa Police Department. For full details, view this message on the web.
EAST COUNTY OBITUARIES, JUNE 19, 2012
June 19, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — Scroll down to view a list of this week’s obituaries here, or visit www.EastCountyObits.com to read the full obituaries.
SANTEE POWER PLANT: TO BE, OR NOT TO BE
By David Secor, Candidate, 50th Congressional District June 19, 2012 (Santee) — Oh, NO! Shakespeare? No, this isn’t Hamlet’s question, it’s ours. Will the people, the businesses, and the local governments who all know it’s the right thing to do, stand up and take the actions necessary to stop the proposed Quail Brush power plant. (In what follows, I borrowed the italicized words from Bill.) Each of us as citizens should consider the question – Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous corporations (SDG&E/Sempra/GoldmanSachs/Cogentrix, etc.), or to take Arms against a Sea of corporate abuses, and by opposing, end them. . . . For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of corporate “persons,” the Oppressor’s wrong, . . . the Law’s delay, the insolence of Office, but for the Fear which makes us rather bear those ills we have (SDG&E), than fly to others we know not of (A Clean Energy District in Santee). Thus Conscience (thought) does make Cowards of us all, and the Native hue of Resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of Thought. And Enterprises of great pitch and moment (Stop Quail Brush) lose the name of Action. It’s really not so great a stretch. Each of us, as citizens, parents, grandparents, protectors of our children’s future, each of us is being asked to stand up and take arms against yet another in an endless series of “in your face” energy and environmental insults hurled at us with impunity by SDG&E and friends. These corporate “persons” and their unindicted co-conspirators in government fully expect the People to simply roll over. We must not remain silent, and invisible. Our silence means our surrender and our submission. As Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes Nothing without a Demand. It never did, and it never will.” To bring greater attention to the issue, SaveMissionTrails.org will lead a trek up Cowles Mountain on Saturday morning, June 16th, at 7:30 a.m. Join us, if only as supporters, and invite your friends, too. Whether you are a Santee resident, live in the Cajon Valley area, or are simply a citizen fed up with corporate abuse of the People and the environment – do the right thing – join in. Numbers matter to us, and to the media that will spread the word. These are turbulent times, with issues and events that demand our participation. Our children, and grandchildren, will either praise us for protecting their future, or curse us for, after called upon to protect them, remaining silent and invisible. So take action. Become a part of this group of citizens like you. This Saturday at 7:30 a.m. at Cowles Mountain. Stop the Quail Brush Power Plant? I can’t. But WE CAN! The views expressed in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
SWEET SUCCESS: DEERHORN VALLEY HONEY WINS FOR 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR AT COUNTY FAIR
June 19, 2012 (San Diego)—“Our honey reputation continues to make history,” Deerhorn Valley Antler editor Kim Hamilton announced today. This year, beekeeper Dave Yarbrough from Upper Deerhorn Valley entered his honey in a blind tasting sponsored by the San Diego County Beekeeping Association at the San Diego County Fair. It tied for first place, and was ultimately awarded second place on a tie breaker. “So… for the third consecutive year Deerhorn Valley honey has grabbed a top award,” said Hamilton, also a homemade honey-maker. “The honey flow is really just beginning this year, so beekeepers are all hoping for a more productive year than 2011… which produced a first-place entry but was exceedingly scarce.”
TV TOTING BURGLAR BUSTED—IN STOLEN VEHICLE
Suspect linked to burglaries in La Mesa and Spring Valley; additional suspects sought June 19, 2012 (Spring Valley) — Yesterday at 1:34 p.m., Lemon Grove Station deputies received a call of a residential burglary in progress. The reporting party stated that he saw four young men running out of his neighbor’s residence carrying a large screen projection television. The reporting party did not know if the neighbor was home, but reported he saw the suspects load the television into a green Toyota SUV type vehicle, and drive away. Deputies arrived at the location and checked the residence, however no one was inside. They contacted the resident’s adult son by telephone. He responded to the address, and later so did the resident herself. Deputies started their on-scene investigation. Meanwhile, other deputies searched the surrounding area for the described vehicle. At about 2:05 p.m., a Lemon Grove Station deputy observed a green Toyota 4Runner parked in an apartment complex’s parking lot about a half mile away from the victim’s residence. The vehicle was occupied by Andre Lavere Ford, 19. The deputy saw a large screen television sitting in the back of the vehicle. The deputy immediately detained Ford as part of the residential burglary investigation. While checking the status of the vehicle’s license plate, the deputy learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen from La Mesa the day before. The stolen vehicle’s owners also reported their residence burglarized at the same time. During a curbside line-up, the original reporting party positively identified Ford as one of the residential burglary suspects he saw earlier. He also positively identified the vehicle as being the same one he had seen. A large screen television and a camera found inside the stolen vehicle, were identified as belonging to the Spring Valley burglary victim. It was learned Ford is a resident at the apartment complex. His apartment was searched by deputies, and additional suspected stolen property was found. Ford was booked into San Diego Central Jail on multiple charges related to residential burglary, possession of stolen property, and auto theft. The investigation concerning the additional suspects is continuing.
WARMER INLAND WEDNESDAY
SOME RESIDENTS ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME IN FIRE AREA OFF OLD HWY 80
June 19, 2012 (Campo) – Residents are being allowed back into the area along Old Highway 80 that was evacuated late Sunday afternoon due to the 900 acre “Old Fire” on the Campo Indian Reservation. Church Road at Old Highway 80 and by the 94 is still closed, and residents cannot come back into the location until it is safe to do so. Firefighters and crews continue to strengthen the containment lines and patrol the perimeter for hot spots. CAL FIRE is urging residents and travelers to be cautious in the fire area; and can anticipate fire equipment in and out of these neighborhoods.