CALLING CREATIVE MINDS: BARKITECTURE 2013 SEEKS ENTRIES FROM DOGGY DREAM HOUSES TO CAT CONDOS
February 20, 2013 (El Cajon)–Get the Drawing board out and get ready–the El Cajon Animal Center for Education and Services (“ACES Foundation”) invites you to be a part of the first “Barkitecture 2013” by designing, building, and donating a “doggy dream house” or “cat condo” for the ACES Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to assist the El Cajon Animal Shelter. Donated dog houses and cat condos will be displayed during late April at Westfield Parkway Plaza. Each will then be auctioned to the highest bidder at an exciting and unique reception April 28. This event is not to be missed. Image from http://www.barkitecture.net/ The primary goal of “Barkitecture 2013” is to raise funds for the care and well-being of the animals at El Cajon Animal Shelter. ACES Foundation’s mission is to support the El Cajon Animal Shelter by raising money to enhance medical care, encourage animal adoptions, and promote public education about the proper care of animals. The El Cajon ACES Foundation is about people helping animals. It was established to provide financial assistance to the El Cajon Animal Shelter to pay for critical needs not funded through the City of El Cajon and unavailable to the Animal Shelter without direct community support. Dixieline PROBUILD El Cajon location has also agreed to allow a 15% discount towards purchase of supplies. Discount will apply to a 1 time 15% discount (maximum $45 value) for materials purchased for your Barkitecture project! Upon entry you will receive a discount card to take to Dixieline at 1262 E. Main Street, El Cajon location only. By designing and building a dog house or cat condo your company will be included in all local media marketing. This event will not only ensure funds and support for the Shelter, but also recognize talents and commitment of local architects and builders of San Diego County. Plus the designer information will be posted at Westfield Parkway Plaza, the busiest shopping mall in East San Diego County, for one week. During the display of the structures, the public will be invited to vote on the best designed house and best overall house. On the afternoon of the auction, the winners will be announced and prizes awarded. Please go to the ACES Foundation website, www.acesfoundation.org and complete the entry form under the BARKITECTURE Tab. Include the nominal entry fee of $25 and return to us by March 4, 2013 to ensure your involvement in “Barkitecture 2013”. Once you sign up, further details will follow on the timeline of events.
FROM THE CHIEF’S CORNER: PREVENT DRYER FIRES
By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna February 20, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)–Who would think that the danger exists in doing such a daily household chore such as laundry? Recent incidents across the country point to the dangers of dryer fires. In fact, on average, over 13,000 fires start in our laundry rooms in the United States each year, resulting in deaths and close to $10 million in property damage says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Nearly 4,000 of these fires arise from lint buildup and overheated motors that occur when people fail to clean their dryer vents. The following advice can help you prevent a disaster. When it comes to dryer fires, flexible dryer ducts made of foil or plastic are the most problematic because they can sag and let lint build up at low points. Ridges can also trap lint. Metal ducts, neither flexible nor rigid, are far safer because they don’t sag, so lint is less likely to accumulate. What’s more, if a fire does start, a metal duct is more likely to contain it. No matter which kind of duct you have, clean it regularly. Also clean the lint screen each time you use your dryer and get rid of any lint inside, behind, and underneath the dryer. Dryer motors can eventually overheat and catch fire says Chief DiGiovanna. These simple steps will not only reduce the risk of a fire, but your dryer will also dry your clothes faster and use less energy. Warning Signs Dryer is still producing airflow, no heat. It takes longer and longer to dry clothes, especially towels and jeans or any other article of clothing. Clothes are damp or hotter than usual at the end of the cycle. Outdoor flapper on vent hood doesn’t open when dryer is on. Airflow in the vent seems low. Prevent a Possible Dryer Fire! Most vents should be cleaned every year. Some dryer vents need attention more often. Do not operate the dryer without a lint filter. Clean lint filters before or after each use and remove accumulated lint from around the drum. Make sure that the dryer is plugged into an outlet suitable for its electrical needs as overloaded electrical outlets can result in blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers. Turn the dryer off when leaving home. Keep the dryer area clear of combustibles (i.e., boxes or clothing). Have gas-powered dryers inspected by a professional regularly to ensure that the gas line and connection are intact. Clean your dryer filters and vents from the buildup of fabric material and have a professional check your system. For additional safety information, contact your local fire department!
ENERGY EXPERT LECTURES AT EL CAP
By Walt Meyer February 19, 2013 (Lakeside)–New careers as the wave of the future was a key theme in a guest lecture February 12 given by Chuck Brands at El Capitan High School. Brands is a local sustainability and solar energy expert who is also vice-president of Heartland Coalition and director of its UnitedGREEN division. Last fall, Brands coordinated a class at Southwestern College to teach a new technology that uses all relevant data to map a building so that owners and occupants can manage their energy consumption and plan to adapt the building for energy innovation. The students were team-taught this pioneering class by experts from across the country under a grant from SDG&E to the Heartland Coalition. So that this learning didn’t place in a vacuum, part of the grant stipulated reports be made on the class and its ramifications to local high schools in hopes of inspiring students to pursue careers involving the energy technologies of the future. Last month, Brands spoke to King-Chavez High School in downtown San Diego. That talk focused more on the new technology and the new careers that will be available through it. For his talk to Bob Schuldeis’ Economics class at El Capitan, Brands segued from the specifics of the Southwestern class “Smart Building Technician” to how climate change is impacting the economy and how along with the challenges it presents, the opportunities the changes will create in new jobs and new ways of looking at old problems. He asked the students, “What is climate change costing you?” Then he laid out the impact that the burning of fossil fuels has not only on the environment, but the economy. The insurance costs of weather disasters hit an all-time high of $170 Billion last year and are expected to reach $1 trillion a year by 2025. As global warming intensifies, 100-year storms (meaning a storm this severe occurs on average once a century), are starting to happen every few years; costs of disasters such as Superstorm Sandy become immense. Meanwhile the government continues to subsidize inefficient fossil fuels and is moving toward allowing more gas and oil to be extracted rather than promoting the exploration and exploitation of renewable energy sources. When Brands asked the class what were the most common sources of renewables, they shouted out the right answers: “solar, wind and water.” Brands talked about how Germany is doing everything right in terms of promoting individual ownership of energy production—mainly with rooftop solar—and although California gets 70 percent more sunshine than Germany, which has the same latitude as Alaska, generates seven times the solar capacity of the entire US. After Brands finished his presentation, one of the students from the SWC class, Alexandro Robles spoke about the ways students can reduce energy consumption by changing light bulbs, turning off unneeded electrical devices, and reducing the amount of time they run hair dryers and curling irons (both of which consume kilowatts at a high rate). Robles is also active in the MESA alliance at San Diego State, a group which promotes energy awareness. Robles, like the rest of his clasmates from the Smart Building Technician class, remains involved and passionate about the topic. Although the students have completed the course and received their grades and certificates, they stay in touch and continue to work to finish mapping the Southwestern campus to be able to make recommendations in energy usage; a pilot program they hope will be emulated at other community colleges and other large institutions throughout the state. The course teaches students to take advantage of information mash-ups to combine all possible data to make the best choice for energy design and consumption for building. Brands explain that the best examples of information mash-ups are travel sites like Travelocity which can pull in information from dozens of airlines, hotels and car rental companies to allow a consumer to make the best choice for their trip. Brands spoke to two Economics classes at El Capitan and now is working to improve the Smart Building Technician class for its next session at SWC. He also seeks to replicate the course across California and the nation and plans to take advantage of technology to have his experts teach via video and stay in touch with their students via the Internet.
FILMS, SCHEDULE & TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR MARCH 7-17, 20TH ANNIVERSARY SAN DIEGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
February 20, 2013 (San Diego)–As San Diego comes together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the San Diego Latino Film Festival (SDLFF), mix and mingle with celebrities, filmmakers, and civic and community leaders. Showcasing the latest in Latino cinema, from the highly anticipated documentary Hecho en Mexico featuring Diego Luna, the historical drama Cinco de Mayo: La Batalla; to Colosio, the film that delves into the life and mystery shrouded murder of the Mexican presidential candidate. Other U.S. and Diego premieres include: Luna Escondida with Ana Serradilla, K-11 with Kate del Castillo, Chiapas: The Heart of Coffee with Jaime Camil, Marcelowith Hector Jimenez & Aron Aron Diaz, Elefante Blanco with Ricardo Darin; and Heleno with Rodrigo Santoro. This year’s SDLFF promises to bring a unique and exciting film experience to audiences and participants. Guests will also enjoy access to star-studded galas, parties and workshops with filmmakers. The SDLFF is truly a binational celebration with the festivities spanning across the border to Tijuana, Mexico where the CECUT (Centro Cultural de Tijuana) will present films for Tijuana audiences. One of the highlights of the SDLFF’s 20th Anniversary will be the screening of our top 10 groundbreaking and influential Latino films from the past 20 years, funded by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. Audiences will have the opportunity to see films that revolutionized Latino cinema and captured worldwide attention such as Amores Perros, City of God and Cronoson the big screen. Start celebrating at the Opening Gala on Thursday, March 7th; and enjoy films and special events over the next 11 days, including the Centerpiece Gala on March 13th, and the Closing Gala on Saturday, March 16th. Opening Day is March 7th, 2013, and the festival runs from MARCH 7-17 at the Digiplex Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center (off THE 163 Freeway at Friars Rd, 7510 Hazard Center Dr., San Diego, CA 92108) Tickets: General Admission – $10.50 per film. Students, Seniors, Military and MACSD Members – $8.50 per film. Pre-sale tickets, special passes, gala tickets, and family discounts are available. For more information, please call 619-230-1938 x 102 or visit online: www.sdlatinofilm.com.
EYEWITNESS DESCRIBES HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT IN EL CAJON
February 20, 2012 (El Cajon) — Paul Kruze, a freelance photojournalist whose works have appeared in ECM, was at the scene of last night’s fatality hit-and-run accident in El Cajon. He offers new details which suggest that the victim was jaywalking and died on impact. “I was just getting gas at the ARCO on Avocado,” he told ECM. According to Kruze, the pedestrian was crossing Avocado considerably north of Chase — not at the intersection. The victim “clearly had been jaywalking, and it was really dark and raining,” he said, adding that the victim wore a light-colored hoodie but visibility was poor. Kruze stated that the victim sustained a severe head injury and that due to the obvious damage, the individual died immediately. “A lot of people were stopped,” said Kruze, adding that some had cell phones and were summoning emergency authorities promplty. The driver left the scene, which is illegal in California. El Cajon Police issued a plea for public help to identify the driver. A short time later, the driver called police from home with help from a translator to report the accident.
I-8 CLOSED AND OTHER WEATHER-RELATED TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
February 20, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Interstate 8 is closed this morning at Willows Road in Alpine due to ice and snow. There is a second closure in effect at Ocotillo. In addition, an accident has occurred at Viejas Grade and Willows Road and a rollover at Harbison Canyon, where two people are reported injured, per IPN. Chains are required on Sunrise Highway. Elsewhere in the county, rain, hail and snow are causing major delays for motorists. Use caution if you must drive during the storm.Sign up to receive free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts via e-mail at the top right side of our homepage, and also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine. You can also follow ViejasAlerts for brief text alerts, including traffic and severe weather bulletins as well as major emergencies, at Twitter.com. We recommend all of the above, since you don’t know what form of communications will work best during a major regional emergency.
MEDIA WATCH: KNSJ HOSTS SCREENING SATURDAY OF DOCUMENTARY ON LOCAL MEDIA CONSOLIDATION IMPACTS
February 21, 2013 (San Diego) – KNSJ, the new radio station soon to begin broadcasting from East County, announced last night that it has purchased a transmitter and now is raising funds to cover station operations. On Saturday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m. a benefit film showing of the documentary Save KLSD: Media consolidation and local radio will be shown at the Joyce Beers Community Center in Hillcrest. Organizers promise “film, food and fun.” A panel discussion will follow. A suggested donation of $8 to $20 is requested. Producers are donating 100% of proceeds to benefit KNSJ, a new community radio station set to launch in April. For more information visit http://www.saveklsd.com/Calendar.htm.
DRIVER COMES FORWARD IN FATAL HIT AND RUN
February 19, 2013 (El Cajon) – A driver sought by El Cajon Police following the death of a pedestrian has now contacted the Police Department and is cooperating with authorities. Based on the preliminary investigation, an adult approximately 70 years of age was wearing dark clothing and attempting to cross the roadway near the intersection of Avocado Avenue and Carter Street this evening, when he was struck by a Toyota Camry traveling southbound on Avocado. Police and fire paramedics responded at 6:08 p.m. tonight to the accident reported. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the pedestrian was declared dead at the scene. “The adult driver of the Camry did not remain at the scene of the collision. The driver instead drove home and with the aid of a translator, called police to report the accident,” said Lt. Frank La Haye. Traffic Investigators have contacted the driver, who is cooperating in this investigation. It is unclear at this point in the investigation if speed or weather conditions are contributing factors to this collision. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor at this time, police have indicated. This investigation is ongoing and information about the victim is not being released pending family notification. Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact the El Cajon Police Department Traffic Division at 619-441-1632. The El Cajon Police would like to remind everyone of our pedestrian safety campaign, “Check Before You Step.” Here are some helpful tips when walking near a roadway: Wear bright colored clothing when walking for better visibility to motorist, especially at night. Do not cross between controlled intersections and use designated cross walks whenever available. Never assume a vehicle sees you and look both ways when crossing the street. The age old myth that pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way couldn’t be further from the truth. Both pedestrians and motorist must follow the rules of the road to share it safely together.
EL CAJON POLICE SEEK WITNESSES TO FATAL HIT AND RUN
Update 11:55 p.m. — The driver has come forward to contact police. For details, see: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/12514 February 19, 2013 (El Cajon)–The El Cajon Police Traffic division is now investigating a hit and run collision involving a pedestrian tonight. A male pedestrian was struck and killed while crossing mid-block along Avocado Avenue near Carter Street just after 6:00 p.m. this evening. Avocado Avenue was closed between Chase Avenue and Washington Avenue for the investigation. The Traffic Division is requesting witness information. If you have any information regarding this fatal collision, please call our 9-1-1 Dispatch, at (619) 579-3311.
WINE PAIRING DINNER AT JEREMY’S ON THE HILL FEBRUARY 22
By Caprice Harrison February 19, 2013 (Wynola/Julian) — Hart Winery and Jeremy’s on the Hill present their second annual Temecula and Julian Wine Pairing Extravaganza this Friday, February 22 at 7 p.m. Call: (760)765-1587 to make your reservation. The cost is $49 for one person or $95 for two plus tax and gratuity. (Please view the special menu for the event below.) Jeremy’s on the Hill specializes in farm-to-table cuisine and features many local breweries and wineries at the restaurant. Chef Jeremy Manley, 25, a Cordon Bleu graduate, has been working with food and cooking since the age of ten. “We recently took a trip up to the Temecula wine country, visited six different wineries and Hart Winery was my favorite,” said Chef Jeremy. The Hart family places an emphasis on matching grape varieties with terrain. Numerous gold medals and Best of Class Awards throughout the years attest to recognition by industry peers as well as by the public to the excellence of Hart Winery wines. Jeremy’s is located at 4354 Highway 78, Wynola, 92036; five minutes west from downtown Julian. For more special event information and what’s new at Jeremy’s, log on to: www.jeremysonthehill.com. Hotel accommodations are available at www.julianmeadowviewinn.com. Hart Winery Food & Wine Pairing Dinner Menu: Appetizer: Caramelized scallops with pearled onions, cucumber seaweed salad, wonton crackers Hawaiian sea salt, and carrot-ginger gastrique. Wine pairing: 2011 Hart Winery Roussanne Main Course- “Tasting Board of 5 Senses”: Candy-striped beets & field greens over carrot purée Ponzu-lemon glazed Brussels sprouts Borrego Springs grapefruit, lemon, lime & hibiscus terrine Star B Ranch bison slider and our famous garlic fries Pecan crusted lamb lollipop with chipotle BBQ sauce and crispy shallot. Wine pairing: 2011 Hart Winery “Blanc d Franc” Rose of Cab Franc & 2010 Hart Winery Merlot Dessert: Chocolate truffles with espresso chocolate sauce, Sangiovese brandied cherries and tuille cookie. Wine pairing: 2010 Hart Winery Sangiovese This event is expected to sell out, so make your reservations today by calling Jeremy’s on the Hill at: (760)765-1587. Both Hart Winery and Jeremy’s on the Hill look forward to serving you.