FLASH FLOOD WATCH ISSUED
July 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch through 10 p.m. tonight for San Diego County mountains and deserts. Up to 2 inches of rain is expected for mid-afternoon, along with thunderstorms. The flash flood potential is moderate to high.
APPLICANTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION FIELD SOUGHT FOR COLLEGE DISTRICT’S BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
July 30, 2012 (El Cajon) — Civic-minded East County residents in the construction field are urged to apply for a seat on the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District’s Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, which monitors the district’s spending on a $207 million bond measure. A qualified professional in the construction field is being sought to fill a slot on the district’s Proposition R bond oversight panel left vacant with the term-limit departure of former chairman Ron Asbury. The 10- member committee is now headed by Ron Orberndorfer, a La Mesa attorney. A form to apply or to nominate a member for appointment by the governing board can be found by going to www.gcccd.edu and clicking on “About Us” and then the link, “Proposition R Bond Measure.” Forms are to be submitted by Aug. 15 to the college district Chancellor’s Office at the Grossmont College campus, 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon. Call the citizens oversight committee office at (619) 644-7762 for further information. The committee is charged with ensuring that revenues from Proposition R, the $207 million local bond measure approved by East County voters in 2002, will be spent solely as promised. The committee’s role is to review and report on district spending of taxpayers’ money for construction and to provide a public accounting of the district’s compliance with legal requirements. One of the provisions of Proposition R was the appointment of an independent oversight committee by the district’s Governing Board. As specified by the Governing Board, the committee includes East County residents with expertise in construction, procurement and finance, as well as local representatives of business and taxpayer organizations. Committee members must reside within the boundaries of the college district, which encompasses an area of 1,138 square miles from the eastern edge of the city of San Diego to Imperial County to the east and the Mexican border to the south. The next quarterly meeting of the CBOC is scheduled for Oct. 10, 2012. With the openings this year of the Student and Administrative Services Building and Griffin (Student) Center, both at Grossmont College, the last of 13 major facilities projects are completed. Still remaining are about a year’s worth of smaller projects, including air-conditioning upgrades, campus signage, additional science building fume hoods, and additional storage areas.
ATTORNEY TO MEET WITH ALPINE BUSINESS OWNERS TONIGHT FOR POTENTIAL LAWSUIT OVER POWERLINK
July 30, 2012 (Alpine) — Alpine business owners have been invited to a meeting tonight, July 30 at 6 p.m. in the Alpine Community Center Oak Room, 1830 Alpine Blvd. in Alpine, to discuss possible litigation. A letter from the law firm of Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire LLP in San Diego states that Alpine business owners "may have a claim against San Diego Gas & Electric Company for business losses resulting from construction of the Sunrise Powerlink. The law firm will discuss a potential class action lawsuit and advise business owners on the legal time limits for filing legal action to pursue their rights. Several Alpine businesses closed their doors and others suffered loss of business during the roughly two-year construction period for Powerlink through downtown Alpine, where streets were torn up to underground the line. Residents with questions should contact Ian Fusselman (fusselman@tbmlawyers.com) or Rebecca Blain (blain@tbmlawyers.com) at 619-236-9363.
FROM THE CHIEF’S CORNER: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CHECKLIST
East County Magazine In House Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna July 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — Though right now we are concerned of the high fire danger it’s important to remember disasters both natural and manmade can strike at any given time according to Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna of East County Magazine. This checklist (whether at home or work) should help you prepare for most any emergency says DiGiovanna. Don’t wait until it’s too late! The Checklist: ESSENTIALS FOR THE OFFICE Read your company’s evacuation plan and know where to meet after an emergency. Know where exit routes, stairways, fire extinguishers, and medical kits are located. Assemble supplies in a single pack and have them stored in your desk. Along with your supplies, store a pair of walking shoes. Carry a list of important phone numbers in your wallet. Keep the area under your desk free of waste-paper baskets, etc. This 6 square foot area might be home for a few traumatic moments. If you are not at your desk when something happens, don’t count on being able to make it back. Store additional supplies in your car (see below). ESSENTIALS FOR THE CAR Even if you are at home when a disaster strikes, and your home is well stocked, you may still need the supplies in your car. Your house may not be safe to enter, or may catch fire after a disaster like an earthquake. Your car will be one of your most important resources after a disaster strikes. Keep it mechanically sound, and pay close attention to the exhaust system. A leaking exhaust system could kill. Always keep your gas tank full! Fill it when it reaches 1/2 a tank. You will thank yourself the first time you are stuck in a traffic jam in bad weather. Think of your car’s trunk as a big steel supply cabinet. Keep your supplies in the trunk along with other items like tools, jumper cables and spare tire. Keep the car mechanically sound and ready to use. Keep supplies in the car for use in an emergency. Replace your battery every 2-3 years. In an emergency, your car battery will need to run the radio and heater for extended periods. Have a mechanic check the following items on your car to keep it ready: Battery Antifreeze Wipers and windshield washer fluid Ignition system Thermostat Lights and flashing hazard Exhaust system Heater Brakes Defroster Make sure the tires have adequate tread ESSENTIALS FOR THE HOME Home is where you can do the most to be prepared. But remember that you are only home for about 1/2 of the hours in a day. You must also be prepared at work, and have additional supplies in your car. Strap gas appliances to walls or floor, especially the water heater. Remember your water heater is a large source of water, and weighs several hundred pounds when full. A four hundred pound water heater will break gas lines on its way to the floor. Gas appliances are a real danger in an earthquake, and are the cause of most fires after a quake. The water heater is strapped to the wall. Know where to shut off the water, power, and gas and have placed the tools at each location. Make sure your house is bolted to its foundation. Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks. Brace overhead light fixtures. Replace solid gas lines with flexible lines on stoves, water heaters, and dryers. Nail plywood on top of ceiling joists inside the attic to protect people from chimney bricks that could fall through the ceiling. Anything that would have fallen on someone’s head has been secured to the wall. Move the bleach and ammonia to separate locations. Know the unsafe locations in the house. Make an emergency plan and know escape routes and meeting places. Emergency lighting has been installed in selected outlets. Know the location of the nearest police, fire station, and hospital. Know which neighbors have medical experience. Talk with neighbors about emergency preparedness. Your neighbors have keys to your house, and they know how to turn off your utilities. Your neighbors also have a list of your important phone numbers. Your household has conducted a home evacuation drill. Your children know how to get help from neighbors and 911. Each family member carries a family photo. Evaluate what supplies your family needs to store. Have the proper amount of water stored for emergency use. Store emergency food supplies. Store cooking items for emergency use. Store emergency items to use as shelter. Have a first aid kit. Store emergency lighting equipment. Have stored items to keep in touch with the world. Have positioned tools that you will need in an emergency. Store sanitation supplies. Store supplies for the baby. Stored misc. supplies including money for emergency use. Know your house: Place a flashlight or an emergency light next to your breaker panel. Place a wrench in your water meter box located near the street. Place or attach a tool on your gas meter for turning off the gas. Evaluate each room in your house. Ask yourself: what will fall on my head, or will keep me from getting out if it fell? Secure anything you find. Hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit. Fasten shelves securely to walls and place large or heavy objects on lower shelves. Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches. Store household chemicals on a bottom shelf of a closed cabinet. Never store bleach and ammonia in the same cabinet. These chemicals when mixed, will create a toxic gas as deadly as any ever created. Identify the best and worst places to be in your house. Remember that you might not have any choice as to where you will be located when a disaster strikes. The best places inside the
FROM THE REAL ESTATE TRENCHES
By Charlotte Reed, Realtor, SRES, CRS Real Estate is my business…my only business July 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –This week’s hot topics from the real estate trenches are: 1- Scam of the week 2- Proposed "Good Faith Estimate Disclosure" 3- New Real Estate Laws 4- Free Light Fixtures 5- Current Mortgage Rates 1-The arrest and indictment last month of three California men accused of scheming to issue Counterfeit short sale approval letters from Bank of America, is just another scheme to take advantage of the unsuspecting public. The letters appear to be authentic Bank of America documents including the B of A logo. Bank of America has asked those who receive these letters to call their bank to verify its validity. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said in a statement, "As a result, home buyers and investors purchased homes they thought had a clear title but were actually devalued and subject to hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of liens." In another instant of such fraudulent scams, the defendants claimed to have friends working at the bank who would approve short sales for less than fair market value, federal officials said in a statement, "This allows the defendants to resell the house for a large profit. In some of the scams, defendants assumed the identities of homeowners and then sold or refinanced the properties." There are many Real Estate Scams being perpetrated on innocent homeowners and buyers in these times of distress in the market. It is always a good thing to remember, regardless of how trite it may sound, "if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is!" 2-In an effort to provide more transparency to the mandatory loan disclosure form signed by the borrower in the purchase of a home, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its final proposal to simplify and clarify this document. The objective in this revised version is so the consumer receives a clear, revamped disclosure that clearly states the terms, the interest rate they will pay, how it could change over the course of the loan and how much cash will be needed at closing General Director Richard Cordray stated. 3- From the: California Association of REALTORS Starting July 1, 2013, every contract for the sale of residential real Property must contain a specified notice regarding gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines. This notice informs buyers that the U. S. Department of Transportation maintains the general location of these pipelines through the National Pipeline Mapping System at www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov. This new requirement is a response to the 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno and other tragedies that have occurred. The new pipeline notice provides a valuable shield from liability for sellers and brokers. Delivery of the notice to a buyer will be deemed to be adequate to inform the buyer about the existence of a statewide database for the location of gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines, and information from the database regarding those locations. (Assembly Bill 1511) In a separate law to commence on January 1, 2013, a county board of supervisors may adopt by resolution a charge up to $10 as the recording fee for certain real estate instruments. 4- While attending a Real Estate Related meeting in the South County I heard about Rebuilding Together San Diego, a nonprofit organization that is offering Free of charge an exterior solar light fixture that will be installed at no cost to the homeowner as part of their "light up the Neighborhood, one house at a time" program. If interested, you can call 619- 231-7873 or go to their website: www.rebuildingtogethersd.org. This organization provides home repair and renovation services free of charge to those who need it and operates year round to provide free minor home repairs and safety and energy efficiency modifications for low income, elderly, disabled and veteran homeowners and all repairs are performed by small volunteer teams. To apply call 619 231 7873. Like the warehouse for Habitat for Humanity who has a warehouse of donated materials in Mission Valley that is open to the public, Rebuilding Together SD also has a Warehouse that is open to the public. Everyone is welcome to shop for donated new materials for the home including doors, windows, plumbing and electrical supplies, sinks, faucets, cabinets, general building fixtures and more. Located at 2013 Franklin Avenue, San Diego, 92113 it too offers never used materials at very low prices. Of course, all proceeds go to the charitable foundation. 5-just heard from Tonya Suggs of IMorgage that this week homeowners with good credit will qualify for a loan with 3.50% interest on a 30 year fixed mortgage and 3.25% on a 15 year fixed mortgage. Charlotte Reed works at the Windermere SoCal Real Estate office in La Mesa and can be reached at (619) 997-7333.
READER’S EDITORIAL: JOIN PETITION DRIVE FOR ALPINE HIGH SCHOOL TO BE BUILT THROUGH UNIFICATION OF AUSD
By Bill Weaver July 30, 2012 (Alpine) — An Alpine School District Unification Drive Has Begun. It is predicted that if the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) itself builds an Alpine High School, there will be millions of dollars that will be gained by the GUHSD, via a recovery of current LOST students, and some gained new students. If the GUHSD does not build it, and the Alpine Unified School District does, these millions from new student revenues will flow into the Alpine Unified School District (AUSD). This revenue growth happens under the recovery predictions of the GUHSD’s own professional demographer. Mr. Vince O’Hara, GUHSD Demographer also in 1996, correctly predicted Steele Canyon High School’s (SCHS) student inflow. He under-predicted to be conservative. SCHS growth rate exceeded his predictions. SCHS reached 2000 students in only 4 years after it opened. Today it is about 2300 students. Negotiating the divorce of Alpine from the GUHSD would entitle the community of Alpine to approximately $80 to $110 million dollars. That is Alpine’s reported share of Grossmont’s assets. Unification is the most likely means for getting Alpine its own area serving comprehensive high school. This effort has begun with a petition drive to bring about the unification of the Alpine Union Elementary School District, which allows it to include a high school. A successful effort is expected to bring millions of new money into Alpine. This will be money that is lost by the Grossmont Union High School District. The GUHSD will also lose many of its best academically inclined students, many stellar academicians who are students from the greater Alpine region. The first and most important task is getting signatures on a Unification Petition. At least 2,500 signatures of Alpine and Harbison Canyon registered voters are required. Contact Joe or Leslie Perricone at “cmakers1@cox.net” to get unification petitions and instructions. The current effort for making a unified high school from within the existing elementary district is happening because of the abandonment of the new high school project (HS12) by recent GUHSD Governing Board actions. The final blow that is expected to kill the HS12 is planned at one upcoming 2012 GUHSD Board meeting. Politics will plays its hand when they actually kill the Prop H and Prop U ($697 million total), dual initiative headlined HS12 project. Dr. Gary Woods will have the determining vote. Let us all vote against Dr. Gary Woods in November. The governing board majority threesome, which includes Gary Woods, is making many fiscally bad policy decisions, and is hurting our GUHSD’s financial wellness. Alpine is not greedy in desiring a new high school. Alpine only wants its already twice bonded, and voter approved high school (there are millions that have already been invested on site plans, area preparation, and architectural work, and the CA Dept of Architecture plan review fees are already paid, also unbelievable of GUHSD not building HS12; the district displaced homeowners by threat of eminent domain). We know: build it and the students will come, both locally and from afar, making the financial loss to the GUHSD, another GUHSD misstep. Once opened by the AUSD, the Alpine High School will become “Grossmont’s Folly.” Alpine High School student predictions are safely conservative also. Six hundred Alpine students now attend the GUHSD, and 300 more attend Steele Canyon Charter HS. Two hundred or so go elsewhere. See the 12th Alpine High expected student recovery report for yourself on the GUHSD website. Understand the increased revenue expectation to WHOMEVER builds a comprehensive Alpine area high school. Go to the Grossmont Union HS Districts own website homepage at www.GUHSD.net, then click on the right side near the top, below the header, on this titled link “School Boundaries”, then click “Boundary Committee Historical Documents”, then click the report titled “Estimated Impact_DistrictPop_Recovery”. Here you will find much more detailed student growth info, and the conservative estimates or predictions. Ask this question, ”Why has the GUHSD Governing Board ignored this data of gained students and revenue?” Contact Joe or Leslie Perricone at “cmakers1@cox.net” to get unification petitions and instructions. The goal is to have all Petitions in by Labor Day. The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contacteditor@eastcountymagazine.org
FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10PM FOR OUR MOUNTAINS & DESERTS
HARPIST MAIR RATHBURN TO PERFORM CENTENNIAL CONCERT AT EL CAJON LIBRARY AUG. 12
July 30, 2012 (El Cajon) — Singer and harpist Mair Rathburn brings her musical fun in vintage costume to the El Cajon Library, 201 E. Douglas Av, in a family friendly concert Sunday, August 12, at 2 p.m. The free concert is part of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase series, and is sponsored by the Friends of the El Cajon Library. Rathburn is a historical interpreter at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in San Diego’s Old Town State Park, so it piqued her interest when, at a previous Acoustic Showcase concert, she saw the library’s mural depicting the history of El Cajon. As the year 2012 celebrates the Centennial of the City of El Cajon, Rathburn was inspired to return to the library with a musical, historical version of the mural. Those attending the concert will hear stories about life in El Cajon from the days of the Kumeyaay up to the 1870s, as Mair brings the library mural to life with songs like Oh Susanna, Turkey in the Straw, Cielito Lindo, Aura Lee, Red River Valley, Shenandoah, and many more. Children and families are welcome, and vintage attire is encouraged. Rathburn has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with an emphasis in voice, and is in constant demand as a vocalist. She was a featured vocalist with San Francisco Civic Chorale and was a vocal soloist with the Golden Gate Park Band. Her "Christmas with the Harp" instrumental CD has been in regular rotation on Muzak, XM, JMX and Sirius music services and her CDs are heard on EWTN Radio. This concert is the latest in the San Diego County Library’s national award-winning Acoustic Showcase series, which has been bringing free local music to San Diegans of all ages since 2010. The Acoustic Showcase performances are sponsored by Friends of the Library groups throughout San Diego County. Reservations are not required. For more information call (619) 588-3718.
A NEW FARMERS MARKET IN RANCHO SAN DIEGO
July 29, 2012 (Rancho San Diego) – Rancho San Diego Farmers Market is now open every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Cuyamaca College Campus, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, El Cajon. The market was created to bring locally grown fresh produce to the community on a weekly basis and to celebrate the diversity of culture in East County. The Market was created and run by Open Space Management, a local non-profit organization creating healthier living through preservation of natural lands. All proceeds from the Farmers Market go directly back into the local community. For a list of additional farmer’s markets and other places to buy locally grown foods, please visit our Guide to Fresh Local Foods at http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/0809freshguide
COLLEGE DISTRICT UNVEILS FACILITIES PLAN TO COMMUNITY
Input sought on possible bond proposal July 29, 2012 (El Cajon) — A new facilities master plan identifying unmet needs at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges was presented at a community forum Thursday as the East County college district considers placing a bond measure on the November ballot. Cindy L. Miles, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, hosted the roundtable forum attended by a wide-ranging group of 75 people that included elected officials, school and university administrators, business leaders, public agency representatives and community members. Grossmont College was built 50 years ago, and still has classrooms and other buildings constructed then that have outlived their usefulness and are badly in need of repairs. Cuyamaca College opened in 1978, and many of its roads, mechanical systems and fixtures are no longer adequate to serve the campus and its students. Ten years ago, East County voters approved Proposition R, an immensely successful $207 million bond that, coupled with state bond monies, enabled the colleges to construct 13 new and refurbished facilities that have transformed the Grossmont and Cuyamaca campuses. The bond program was held up as a state model with its series of unblemished audits and careful monitoring by its citizens oversight committee. However, the facilities master plan discussed Thursday showed that many facility improvements are still needed at both campuses to better serve students and prepare them for the workforce, update technology, increase services to veterans, and make the campuses more energy-efficient. The draft facilities plan was presented by Deborah Shepley of HMC Architects, which prepared the plan with input from the colleges and district. A final plan is set to go before the Governing Board for formal approval in September. At Grossmont College, the facilities plan recommends replacing the many aging modular buildings placed at the campus more than 30 years ago as temporary classroom sites, as well as providing greatly-needed instructional, lab, and performance spaces. Deteriorating and inadequate classroom buildings at Cuyamaca College that are now 34 years old would be replaced, along with infrastructure improvements to conserve energy and to reduce operational costs. An updated technology system to keep pace with digital advances is a key need for the college district. Better computer systems are vital as more students turn to online classes as part of their education, and replacing an antiquated technology system will allow the district to operate more efficiently. Miles told the audience that the district is at a critical juncture as state funding continues to dwindle and facilities and infrastructure needs become more urgent. “California’s community colleges are facing the worst fiscal crisis in our history,” she said, adding that the Grossmont-Cuyamaca district alone has been walloped by three years of state funding cuts totaling more than $35 million. If the governor’s tax measure falls short in the November election, the district stands to lose another $5.6 million. Miles said the district must remain forward-thinking even when the district is facing funding cuts and is forced to turn away students. “Despite tough times, we still need to plan for the future,” she said. “It can take up to 10 years from conception to completion and that’s why we are taking the long view in our planning and identifying the needs of the East County.” For the past two years, the district has been working on a comprehensive needs assessment and planning process based on an educational master plan that will guide the district for the next decade and beyond. The facilities master plan grew out of that planning process, along with other plans for technology, human resources and diversity. To finance the needed facilities, the college district is considering asking East County voters to approve a bond measure. Bonnie Moss, a consultant with Clifford Moss LLC who is working with the college district on the feasibility of a bond measure, said polls show that East County voters hold the colleges in high regard. Voters indicated strong support for workforce training, veterans’ services, and installing energy-saving measures so that more monies could be directed to classrooms. “Our research shows that this community understands the district is the engine for workforce training and affordable transfer to universities,” Moss said.