BRUSH FIRE NEAR PIO PICO CAMPGROUND
Update: This fire was stopped at two acres; cause remains under investigation per Cal-Fire, the Deerhorn Valley Antler reports. July 16, 2012 (Jamul) – A brush fire is burning behind Pio Pico Campground in the Jamul area, Incident Page Network reports. According to IPN, the fire began at 14615 Otay Lakes Road. Cal Fire reports there is no threat to structures. Air support is at the scene. Sign up to receive free Viejas Wildfire and Emergency Alerts via email at the top right side of our homepage, and also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine. You can also get brief text alerts on your mobile device by following ViejasAlerts on Twitter. We recommend all of the above, since you don’t know what forms of communications will be operating in a major regional emergency. Stay safe! Sign up to get alerts at home, at work, and on the road.
LITERARY EVENTS NEWS & CALENDAR ITEMS FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOOK LOVERS JULY 15 – AUG 4
www.SDWriteWay.org July 18 (Wednesday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick’s will host USD law professor Frank Partnoy who will discuss and sign his book Wait: The Art and Science of Delay. This event is free and open to the public. In order to be signed. the author’s most current title must be purchased from Warwick’s. Background: Warren Buffett compares stock trading to being at bat, except that you don’t have to swing until there’s a fat pitch. Great athletes agree, but with shorter time horizons. They excel, not because of fast neurological responses, but because of their ability to delay as long as possible before reacting, returning a serve or grabbing a rebound. Successful CEOs, fire fighters, and military officers all know how to manage delay. In this provocative, entertaining book, Frank Partnoy provides a necessary rebuttal to the gurus of "go with your gut." He shows that decisions of all kinds, whether "snap" or long-term strategic, benefit from being made at the last possible moment. The art of knowing how long you can afford to delay before committing is at the heart of many a great decision-whether in a corporate takeover or a marriage proposal. Exploring decisions from those made in half a second to those that take months and years, Partnoy demonstrates that procrastination is often virtuous, that the ability to wait is the path to happiness, and that our gut instincts often betray us. We do not always make smart choices in the blink of an eye, as this eye-opening book reveals. Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Avenue | La Jolla, Ca | 92037 | Ph. (858) 454-0347 | www.warwicks.com. July 21 (Saturday, 7:00 pm) – Warwick’s will host the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Little Bee, Chris Cleave who will discuss and sign his newest novel Gold. This event is free and open to the public, although reserved seating is available; please call the Warwick’s Book Dept. at (858) 454-0347 for more information. In order to be signed Gold must be purchased from Warwick’s. Background: Building on the tradition of Little Bee, Chris Cleave again writes with elegance, humor, and passion about friendship, marriage, parenthood, tragedy, and redemption. Gold is the story of Zoe and Kate, world-class athletes who have been friends and rivals since their first day of Elite training. They’ve loved, fought, betrayed, forgiven, consoled, gloried, and grown up together. Now on the eve of London 2012, their last Olympics, both women will be tested to their physical and emotional limits. They must confront each other and their own mortality to decide, when lives are at stake: "What would you sacrifice for the people you love, if it meant giving up the thing that was most important to you in the world?" Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Avenue | La Jolla, Ca | 92037 | Ph. (858) 454-0347 | www.warwicks.com. July 27 (Friday, 7:30 pm) – Warwick’s will host professor of history at Rice University Douglas Brinkley, who will discuss and sign his latest book Cronkite. This event is free and open to the public, although reserved seating is available; please call the Warwick’s Book Dept. at (858) 454-0347 for more information. In order to be signed, Cronkite must be purchased from Warwick’s. Background: For decades, Walter Cronkite was known as "the most trusted man in America." Millions across the nation welcomed him into their homes, first as a print reporter for the United Press on the front lines of World War II, and later, in the emerging medium of television, as a host of numerous documentary programs and as anchor of the CBS Evening News, from 1962 until his retirement in 1981. Yet this very public figure, undoubtedly the twentieth century’s most revered journalist, was a remarkably private man; few know the full story of his life. Drawing on unprecedented access to Cronkite’s private papers as well as interviews with his family and friends, Douglas Brinkley now brings this American icon into focus as never before. Brinkley traces Cronkite’s story from his roots in Missouri and Texas through the Great Depression, during which he began his career, to World War II, when he gained notice reporting with Allied troops from North Africa, D-day, and the Battle of the Bulge. In 1950, Edward R. Murrow recruited him to work for CBS, where he covered presidential elections, the space program, Vietnam, and the first televised broadcasts of the Olympic Games, as both a reporter and later as an anchor for the evening news. Cronkite was also witness to–and the nation’s voice for–many of the most profound moments in modern American history, including the Kennedy assassination, Apollos 11 and 13, Watergate, the Vietnam War, and the Iran hostage crisis. Epic, intimate, and masterfully written, Cronkite is the much-anticipated biography of an extraordinary American life, told by one of our most brilliant and respected historians. Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Avenue | La Jolla, Ca | 92037 | Ph. (858) 454-0347 | www.warwicks.com. July 28 (Saturday, 10 am to 12 noon) – Publishers and Writers of San Diego (PWSD) will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, July 28, 10 am to 12 noon at the Carlsbad Library, 1775 Dove Lane. The topic for the meeting is “Sell More Books Online.” The presenter is Jeniffer Thompson, Internet marketing specialist, website strategist, and owner of Monkey C Media. Jeniffer will share ideas on what makes an author site powerful and how to optimize a site for more visibility, driving traffic, and selling more books. Additionally, Chad Thompson of Chad Thompson Photography will be offering professional head shots for $35. Anyone interested or involved in writing, editing, publishing, designing, or anything related to books is welcome to attend. Members cost $10, non-members $15. Visit www.PublishersWriters.org for more information and to register for the meeting. July 28 (Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm) — Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation, partnering with Oceanside Public Library, will hold “Write On, Oceanside! 2,” a second annual book fair celebrating
LA MESA EXTENDS DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR OPENINGS ON SEVERAL CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
July 16, 2012 (La Mesa)-Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis for vacancies on the Aging and Veterans Commission, Environmental Sustainability Commission and Personnel Appeals Board. The positions will remain open until filled. Applications and specific information about each volunteer position are available at the City Clerk’s Counter in La Mesa City Hall, 8130 Allison Avenue, Monday through Thursday, and on alternate Fridays, from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and on the City’s website at www.cityoflamesa.com. Further information can be obtained from the Office of the City Clerk, at 619.667.1120 or by visiting the City’s website.
NEARLY 2,000 ACRES OF VALUABLE HABITAT ACQUIRED AND PRESERVED
Acquisition augments San Diego National Wildlife Refuge July 16, 2012 (East San Diego County) — With the assistance of The Nature Conservancy, SANDAG and the U.S. Department of the Interior have bought a 1,905-acre property in East San Diego County for open space preservation and the protection of endangered and threatened species, including the Quino checkerspot butterfly and California gnatcatcher. The acquisition of the Hidden Valley site in the Jamul area was announced today at a community celebration onsite. Dignitaries at the event included: Jack Dale, SANDAG First Vice Chair and Santee Councilmember; Wendy Pulling, California Director of Conservation Programs for The Nature Conservancy; Rowan Gould, Deputy Director of Operations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (which falls under the U.S. Department of the Interior); and Laurie Berman, Caltrans District 11 Director. “The sheer size and strategic location of the Hidden Valley property makes it another crown jewel in our TransNet Environmental Mitigation Program,” Dale said. “Since starting the program in 2008, less than five years ago, SANDAG has preserved more than 3,300 acres of open space and valuable habitat in the San Diego region.” The newly-acquired land is now part of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, an 11,000-acre-plus block of habitat long recognized for its rich and unique biodiversity. The Hidden Valley site fills in the missing links between the National Wildlife Refuge managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. “Conserving lands like Hidden Valley not only provides the space that plants and animals need to thrive, but also guarantees citizens and the generations to follow that they will have these places to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits it provides,” Pulling said. “It’s truly an example of what private-public partnering can achieve together.” Through the TransNet Environmental Mitigation Program (EMP), SANDAG contributed $10 million toward the $18 million purchase price for the property and covered the cost for 953 acres of the 1,905-acre site. The Department of the Interior, with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, paid the balance. The Nature Conservancy negotiated the reduced “bargain sale” purchase price, which was $2 million lower than the market value estimate of $20 million as determined in an appraisal obtained by the Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The seller, Hidden Valley Development, LLC, may claim a charitable gift for tax purposes as part of the transaction. Escrow for the sale closed at the end of June. TransNet – a regional half-cent sales tax for transportation approved by taxpayers countywide – sets aside $850 million over a 40-year period to buy, conserve, and restore native habitat as offsets to disturbances caused by transportation projects. The EMP allows SANDAG to comprehensively satisfy mitigation requirements by buying land in advance of projects, in larger parcels, and at lower prices. By focusing on early, large-scale, and cost-effective investments in habitat conservation, the EMP has become a model for other agencies. The Hidden Valley acquisition helps SANDAG and Caltrans meet environmental mitigation requirements for scores of regional transportation improvements planned countywide, including: SR 54/SR 125 between I-5 and SR 94; SR 94/SR 125 between I-5 and I-8; I-5 between SR 905 and SR 54; I-8 between SR 125 and Los Coches Road; I-15 between SR 94 and SR 163; I-15/SR 94 HOV connectors; SR 52 between I-5 and I-805; SR 94 between Avocado Boulevard and Steele Canyon Road; SR 125 between SR 905 and San Miguel Road; as well as small regional projects and local roads and streets. Had SANDAG purchased land piecemeal to meet the mitigation requirements for these projects, it would have cost an estimated $58 million. By teaming up with the Department of the Interior to jointly purchase the Hidden Valley property, SANDAG saved taxpayers an estimated $48 million. Situated on the northeast flank of Mount San Miguel, the Hidden Valley property is at the heart of the Otay-Sweetwater Unit of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, considered the largest block of intact habitat in coastal San Diego County. The newly-acquired land combines with thousands of acres of open space nearby to create continuous wildlife corridors critical to the survival of endangered and threatened species. “Acquiring this land helps accomplish the goals of not only the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but also the goals of the suite of agencies and organizations working together under the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program to preserve the exceptional biodiversity of San Diego,” Gould said. According to The Nature Conservancy, federal, state, and local partners – including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, County of San Diego, City of San Diego, SANDAG, and the Conservancy – have to date collectively invested more than $150 million in and around the National Wildlife Refuge in support of the Multiple Species Conservation Program.
EAST COUNTY EATERS: HISTORIC CHARM AND FRESH, FILLING FOOD AT EL CAJON’S DOWNTOWN CAFE
Downtown Café 182 East Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020 www.downtowncafe-ec.com By Ellinoa Blake Last week, after a morning of all work and no play, my editor and I craved escape from the heat wave –and more importantly a bite to eat. We headed into the heart of El Cajon to the aptly titled Downtown Café. We found welcome relief from the sweltering heat as we swung open doors and stepped into the Downtown Café, a bold corner centerpiece of Main Street rich with vintage flair and historic ambience. We bypassed the original front room, a classic mahogany bar and booths combo that looks like asetting out of an old Western film, to explore the restaurant’s expansion into a restored adjacent space. The hustle and bustle of the bar disappeared, and a calming quiet descended over our cozy two-person booth. An exposed brick wall evoked the building’s historic roots as a feed store, while an open ceiling and wrought iron railing added spaciousness and charm. We were pulled away from admiring the architecture by a friendly waiter, who provided our drinks (Miriam ordered a refreshing Sangria while I stuck with ice cold water). After mulling over the menu and quizzing the waiter on their vegetarian sauce options, I ordered Pasta Primavera. It arrived sizzling, penne swimming in a delectable white sauce , creamy and rich, mingled with steamed vegetables. Miriam’s salad and crab cakes arrived cool as a cucumber, served with a lemon vinaigrette drizzled over crisp greens, avocado and tomato slices with risotto. If you’re searching for a light protein-packed meal with plenty of veggies, this did the trick. Both meals also came with a thick slab of buttered garlic bread. An extensive menu also features a wide range of choices such as salads and soups, fajitas, barbecue ribs, burgers, tacos and wraps, sandwiches, pastas, hearty entrees, appetizers and desserts, as well as a full drink menu. After finishing our meal we looked around once more, observing the stained glass skylight crowning the mahogany bar. We took a closer look at the black and white photographs hanging on the brick wall, appearing to have been taken in the early to mid- 1900’s. The pictures illustrated olden days in El Cajon, which celebrates its centennial this year. We asked the waiter if the Downtown Café was pictured. Sure enough the corner building in the photo, the El Cajon Feed Store, has transformed today into the friendly café. We saw a staircase winding upwards as well, with a flat plane just above the booths, and both of us took a moment to daydream about a band playing. Miriam commented that it almost felt like a saloon out of Old Sacramento or a brick-lined jazz club on New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street. Fittingly, the Downtown Café hosts numerous events, and can be rented for an evening of fun. Live musical entertainment is offered many nights; other options include open mike night and sidewalk café viewing of the weekly El Cajon vintage car show. As we made our way out the back patio, which for the day was empty due to the heat, yet still had an inviting feel with vines and flowers surrounding it, we felt full and accomplished.
YOUNG ACTORS’ THEATRE PRESENTS “GUYS & DOLLS” BEGINNING JULY 13
July 13, 2012 (Spring Valley) – The Young Actors Theatre is performing ‘Guys and Dolls’ at the Encore Theatre, 9620 Campo Road, Spring Valley beginning July 13 at 7:00 p.m. Performances are July 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22. The show is double cast so it will be different actors playing the roles on the second weekend. Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, this oddball musical romantic comedy soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces us to a cast of vivid characters: Sarah Brown, the upright but uptight "mission doll," out to reform the evildoers of Time Square; Sky Masterson, the slick, high-rolling gambler who woos her on a bet and ends up falling in love; Adelaide, the chronically ill nightclub performer whose condition is brought on by the fact she’s been engaged to the same man for 14 years; and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiancé, desperate as always to find a spot for his infamous floating crap game. PERFORMANCES: Friday July 13, 2012 @ 7:00 p.m. Saturday July 14, 2012 @ 2:00 & 7:00 p.m. Sunday July 15, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m. Friday July 20, 2012 @ 7:00 p.m. Saturday July 21, 2012 @ 2:00 & 7:00 p.m. Sunday July 22, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased at http://www.yatsandiego.org/shows-auditions/guys-dolls/ or by calling 619-670-1627.
YOUR ONLINE WEATHER FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Sunny skies are back: get the full forecast from Gary Kelley.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: STORM OVER OCOTILLO
By Miriam Raftery Photo by Jim Pelley July 15, 2012 (Ocotillo) — Photographer Jim Pelley captured this inspiring image of sunbeams illuminating the proverbial silver lining of this storm cloud over the desert in Ocotillo. There is a tragic irony to this spectacular image, however. The landscape in shadow beneath the stormcloud is being destroyed, as excavation continues for the Ocotillo Express industrial wind energy facility. The photo at right shows the excavation for a single massive wind turbine foundation, dwarfing the very same mountains behind when seen in broad daylight. More than a hundred towering turbines are slated to be built, each over 450 feet tall–the height of a 45-story building. Each will have a blade span sweeping an area the size of a football field. At night, flashing red lights on the new forest of turbines will illuminate the dark desert skies. Savor the spectacular desert panorama of the sun setting over an undisturbed horizon, before it is forever gone.
LOCAL ENERGY COOPERATIVE AIMS TO GIVE CONSUMERS A CHOICE, OFFER COMPETITION TO SDG&E
“Green” power would come entirely from rooftop solar and other urban sources–not industrial wind or desert solar By Miriam Raftery July 15, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –What if you didn’t have to buy power from SDG&E, but could purchase electricity from a local energy cooperative instead? Suppose the power was generated all from renewable energy–no oil, gas or nuclear? Better yet, all of that renewable power would come from urban sources such as rooftop and parking lot solar–and you could get incentives to put solar on your home or business. Now envision this "green" advantage as a member of the co-op–you could earn credits by selling your excess solar power. This scenario is moving closer to becoming a reality. Last month, the nonprofit San Diego Energy District Foundation (SDEDF) announced plans to form a local energy cooperative which would give homeowners and business owners real choice between utility-scale energy projects and clean, green locally-generated power. SDEDF is exploring options for local energy cooperatives with the County of San Diego, as well as the cities of Santee and Solana Beach. “The local energy cooperative will not include industrial-scale wind projects and large-scale solar in desert solar projects as long as I am associated with it,” assures engineer Bill Powers, co-founder of SDEDF, along with Lane Sharman. “The objective is to maximize use of local urban/suburban solar on rooftops and parking lots while keeping the rate competitive with the SDG&E rate.” The cooperative is made possible by a state law that allows formation of cooperatives to provide power through community choice aggregation (CCA). The cooperative will be able to transmit renewable energy to consumers over existing public utility power lines, also administering energy efficient and conservation programs. The law was passed back in 2002, but so far only Marin County has moved forward to form an operational CCA. But that should soon change—thanks to a huge drop in the price of solar energy. Back in 2005, a study for San Diego County showed that San Diego could save energy costs significantly and increase renewable energy 40%, also stabilizing energy rates if a CCA could be implemented. AT the time, the idea was shelved because of a risk that CCA members might pay slightly more for their electricity in the first few years of operation. But now in 2012, solar renewable costs have dropped to half of what they were, making it economically attractive to invest in a CCA. Marin’s successful program does far more than just offer green energy. In Marin, homeowners and business owners can get refunds for costs of solar energy purchases, rebates to help offset costs of energy efficiency upgrades, and enjoy flexible electricity rates for partial or full commitment to renewable energy. In addition, Marin Clean Energy is now building its own urban solar projects, including one at the San Rafael Airport. The cooperative also offers a net energy metering program that enables customers to get a premium credit for excess power that they produce, as well as a feed-in tariff similar to Germany’s which allows people to develop their own renewable energy projects at guaranteed premium rates. Founders of the SDEDF believe that San Diegans will enjoy many benefits from a cooperative energy option, including clean energy, reduction of air pollution emissions, and creation of good-paying local jobs. The going rate for solar energy installers is running $20 to $40 an hour locally–and the jobs created would be permanent, not short-term construction gigs that most other energy projects offer. Many San Diegans, particularly East County residents, would no doubt welcome an alternative to SDG&E. Many victims of the 2007 wildfires caused by SDG&E’s power lines have still not been compensated for their lost homes. Controversies over environmental destruction from SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink and the ravaging impacts of industrial-scale wind and desert solar projects that SDG&E seeks to hook up to Powerlink have further alienated many East County residents. Increasingly, San Diego consumers are installing rooftop solar to escape paying SDG&E for utility bills. But recently, SDG&E tried to persuade the California Public Utilities Commission to impose massive taxes on solar energy producers through its proposed Network Use Charge. In January, the California Public Utility Commission rejected that effort as illegal, however SDG&E is now seeking to change state law to legalize the effort to gouge solar power producers, according to SDEDF. SDEDF’s website states , “The future with SDG&E is not promising. As a regulated monopoly with strong lobbying muscle, it will continue to do everything possible to sell energy on its sterms which serve to fund its bureaucracy, its parent, Sempra Energy and their shareholders.” SDEDF is the brainchild of Lane Sharman ( a senior executive with experience in power project development, regulatory affairs and government relations) and Bill Powers, a respected engineer specializing in utility and energy resource management who has previously shaped strategy to achieve renewable objectives for large public and investor-owned utilities. The nonprofit SDEDF was started with support from the nonprofit San Diego Foundation. In June, the group held a Government Conference on Community Choice Aggregation to educate local officials on their plan’s potential. SDEDF has identified “heroes” among public officials in both political parties who have embraced the goals of clean, renewable energy and alternatives to SDG&E. These include Supervisor Dianne Jacob and Supervisorial candidate Dave Roberts, as well as San Diego Mayoral candidate Bob Filner. SDG&E has publicly stated that it will cooperate with formation of a local energy cooperative. Next up, SDEDF is seeking ambassadors to help educate officials, local stakeholders, community leaders, and members of the community and benefits of local control over electrical energy supplies. The group recently hosted a “Power to the People” party and aspires to host more around the region. “The concept is so basic,” SDEDF’s website concludes. “San Diegans all deserve choice which creates competition which in turn creates a great customer experience.”