FIRE IN LAKESIDE IS KNOCKED DOWN
Photos by Billy Ortiz and Kari Koch May 11, 2013 (Lakeside) — A fire this afternoon in Lakeside at Mapleview and Lake Jennings led to evacuations ordered along Mapleview, charring at least six acres, according to eyewitnesses. Posts at the Brush Fire Partyline on Facebook and e-mails from ECM readers indicated heavy smoke in El Monte Valley. Air attacks and multiple fire units on scene have swiftly knocked down the blaze, numerous witnesses have advised ECM. Watch for further updates. If you have updates on this incident please e-mail editor@eastcountymagazine.org and also post in comments section below to inform readers. Watch for updates soon; our reporter is en route. Sign up to receive free Viejas 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 on Twitter for brief alerts on fires and other emergencies on your mobile phone. We recommend both since you don’t know what form of communications will work best in a major regional emergency.
“FROM COLLIER TO CARREFOUR” BRINGS AWARENESS TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING
By Janis Mork May 11, 2013 (La Mesa)- “From Collier To Carrefour”, a fundraiser held April 28 at Collier Park, raised funds to send young adult leaders to a summer camp in Carrefour, Haiti through New Format, a Bible study for young adults that is part of Journey Community Church. Bowling, raffles, face painting, live music, hand-made crafts, silent auction, live art, and a Kids Corner were among the activities. One of the bands that played, “Woolly Mammoth”, came all the way from Liverpool, England. Check out http://woollymammothmusic.com. Dani-Jo Hill, one of the camp leaders, participated in an interview with ECM. Hill has been to Haiti over the past two years. Last year, 30 community members put together a summer camp for 150 children in Haiti. The camp is for young Haitian children in the community that the church has supported, and not all of the kids are victims in human trafficking. “This specific event raises money for college-age people to get to Haiti to set up a summer camp,” said Hill, who felt called to help out kids that were involved in human trafficking. This camp “helps [people] to see kids in a different way.” While at the camp, children receive positive attention and two meals a day. Also, each child is seen by a doctor. Journey Community Church has also helped clean up the park. “It’s kind of known as being a troubled spot,” noted Hill, who said she personally has become friends with transient youths and others in the park. “It brings light to what’s known as a darker place. Last year, two people we met down here came to Haiti. Every Wednesday, we offer people in the area a home cooked meal, we read Scripture, and they can take a shower.” This all came together unexpectedly. “It was kind of a random idea,” Hill explained. “We’re helping kids here on the streets in La Mesa, and helping kids on the streets in Haiti.” The camp started out “originally with 60 kids. Last year, there were 158 kids and 26 leaders. This year, we want to add additional kids. We give them a soccer jersey and shoes. The kids are put in small groups of six to eight kids with a leader.” Another fundraiser was Friday May 3. “The biggest event [was] at UCSD University Art Gallery with live performances and a film screening with clips taken of last year. This event help[ed] Haitians create small businesses as well as send leaders to the camp,” said Hill. UC San Diego promoted the film showing on their campus. Donations can be mailed to Journey Community Church, 8863 Center Drive # 6c, La Mesa 91942. If you write a check, write “send New Format to Haiti” on the memo. For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/newformat?fref=ts
20TH ANNUAL SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL CIRCLED AROUND “URBAN FARMS AND GARDENS” THEME
By Janis Mork May 11, 2013 (El Cajon)- Last month, the 20th Annual Spring Garden Festival took place around Cuyamaca College and the Water Conservation Garden. Kids and parents got an up-close look at chickens, bees, bountiful gardens and much more during this free event. The theme centered on “Urban Farms and Gardens.” This year, the festival had experts on raising urban chickens, beekeeping, and vegetable gardening, as well as garden professionals, a plant sale, animal encounters for kids, live music, nature-oriented craft items for sale, and many free lectures and presentations throughout the day. ECM interviewed Dragan Giurici from the San Diego Beekeeping Society. Currently, they have [over] 700 members. “Anyone can join for $20 a year,” noted Giurici, who brought along an exhibit of live bees. “Meetings are every second Monday of the month 6-9 p.m.” Bees, honey and pollen are very important to a person’s health because “it gives you lots of vitamins and minerals,” he added. Bee ownership is legal in many East County communities as well as San Diego, though there are rules and regulations to follow. ECM also interviewed a few people from the San Diego Sustainable Living Institute. Yael Zaldman advised that urban chickens are “very popular [and] growing a lot.” There are many advantages to raising your own chickens, including: “fresh eggs, fresh manure, companionship, composting.” Hilary Kearney added, “They eat the leftover food.” Raising chickens is now legal in San Diego and Santee, while El Cajon is working on changing regulations and La Mesa is considering amending its general plan in the future to allow ownership of hens. For more information about raising chickens, visit: http://sdsustainable.org. For more information about the San Diego Beekeeping Society, visit: http://www.sandiegobeekeepingsociety.com.
ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING AT GUNPOINT NEAR SAN DIEGO STATE
May 11, 2013 (San Diego) – An armed gunman tried to abduct a women in the College area shortly after midnight According to an alert sent by San Diego State University police, the suspect approached the victim in the 5800 block of Linda Paseo at 12:18 a.m. and asked if she was alone. He displayed a black handgun and told the victim to “get in the car.” She refused and was not injured. The suspect was last seen walking toward College Avenue. He may be driving a black Ford F-150. He is describe as a white, 6 feet 1 inches tall, wearing a blue T-shirt, blue jeans, a tan jacket, possibly white shoes, and rectangular glasses. Students are advised to be aware of your surroundings and report suspicious activity to police by dialing 9-1-1. SDSU PD and SDPD are working together on this case. Anyone with information or questions should contact: The San Diego Police Department at 619-531-2000. Or Detective Dequito at 619-594-7874 and reference case number 12-1247 You can remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at 619-235-8477 You can provide information by sending an e-mail to police@mail.sdsu.edu
FROM ROCK-BREAKING TO BEAD-MAKING: EAST COUNTY MAN HELPS IMPOVERISHED WOMEN A WORLD AWAY
By Janis Mork May 3, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)- James Pearson from Ember Arts has been helping Ugandan women escape poverty by selling their beautiful Acholi beads in America. This fascinating story began in 2006, when Pearson first discovered the Acholi beads. While visiting Uganda for a nonprofit, he saw women working in a rock quarry, doing back-breaking work for just a dollar a day. Life was extremely difficult for these women, who were war refugees, and for their families. Pearson noticed these women wore jewelry that looked like ceramic beads in multiple colors. What’s surprising is that these beads are “made from recycled paper,” Pearson explained. “They’re taken to a market nearby, put into strips, and they hand roll every individual bead.” He offered to bring some of their jewelry back to the United States. “I would ask someone, who was there from the U.S, to put in their backpacks.” He first approached small stores and boutiques. Now, the venture has branched out to larger department stores and Whole Foods. Ember Arts, originally founded in Jamul, has moved to San Diego and also now sells Acholi beads online. They are available in a multitude of colorful hues and jewelry styles. This is making a tremendous difference in the women’s lives. “There are now 28 of them,” Pearson told ECM. Each woman that he employs is making at least as much as a schoolteacher and often more, so they are able to support their families without having to toil in the rock quarry anymore. This is a Fair Trade company that’s been started. Fair Trade means, “thinking about business” and “making sure that everybody wins,” said Pearson. Under Fair Trade, workers receive a fair living wage and have safe working conditions, while those to whom they sell their products also make a profit in a win-win situation. To learn more about helping women in Uganda, visit: http://emberarts.com, where you can buy the beads online. You can also visit a shop called “Urban Girl” in Seaport Village to find the Acholi beads. Listen to this interview soon on the East County Magazine Live! radio show launching in June. Tune in Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5-6 p.m. on KNSJ 89.1, the Network for Social Justice.
TODDLER FOUND IN POOL REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION
On Thursday, May 9, at 12:29 p.m. Heartland Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a drowning in the 400 block of Nila Lane in El Cajon. “An 18 month boy, in the care of his grandmother, was found by his grandmother in the Jacuzzi area of an unfenced pool in the backyard. Heartland fire crews arrived within five minutes of the call,” said Monica Zech, spokeperson for the city of El Cajon. “They immediately started CPR and regained a pulse. The child was transported to Grossmont Hospital and then transferred to Rady’s Children’s Hospital.” The child was listed in critical condition according to Carlos Delgado, spokesperson for Rady’s. The weather is warming up and children gravitate toward water, so take precautions. Remember–a baby can drown in as little as one inch of water. See below for water safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control. CDC – Tips to help you stay safe in the water: *Never leave a baby – child alone in a bathtub, never leave buckets of water around, lock toilets lids, watch children around ponds, spas, pools, lakes, beaches etc. *Supervision is important and have extra layers of protection: When in or Around Water. Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while in the bath and all children swimming or playing in or around water. Supervisors of preschool children should provide *touch supervision*, be close enough to reach the child at all times. Because drowning occurs quickly and quietly, adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity while supervising children, even if lifeguards are present. (such talking on the phone, reading, watching TV, etc) *Learn to Swim. Formal swimming lessons can protect young children from drowning. However, even when children have had formal swimming lessons, constant, careful supervision when children are in the water, and barriers, such as pool fencing to prevent unsupervised access, are still important. *Learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). In the time it takes for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could save someone*s life. *Air-Filled or Foam Toys are not safety devices. Don*t use air-filled or foam toys, such as “water wings”, “noodles”, or inner-tubes, instead of life jackets. These toys are not life jackets and are not designed to keep swimmers safe. *Avoid Alcohol. Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating, or water skiing. Do not drink alcohol while supervising children. *Don*t let swimmers hyperventilate before swimming underwater or try to hold their breath for long periods of time. This can cause them to pass out (sometimes called *shallow water blackout*) and drown. If you have a swimming pool at home: *Install Four-Sided Fencing. Install a four-sided pool fence that completely separates the pool area from the house and yard. The fence should be at least 4 feet high. Use self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward with latches that are out of reach of children. Also, consider additional barriers such as automatic door locks and alarms to prevent access or alert you if someone enters the pool area. *Clear the Pool and Deck of Toys. Remove floats, balls and other toys from the pool and surrounding area immediately after use so children are not tempted to enter the pool area unsupervised. *Use the Buddy System. Always swim with a buddy. Select swimming sites that have lifeguards when possible. The El Cajon Recreation department is currently offering swim lessons – visit www.elcajonrec.org for more information.
HIGH TEMPERATURES, THUNDERSHOWERS FORECAST
May 10, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) — Temperatures up to 100 degrees and thundershowers are forecast for our region, the National Weather Service reports. The heat wave should peak on Monday, with a cooling trend to follow. View a video from the NWS with the forecast from now through May 14:
EAST COUNTY ARTIST WINS AWARD
May 10, 2013 (El Cajon)–Ally Benbrook, an artist and resident of El Cajon, took the third place award in San Diego Watercolor Society’s May show. Her watercolor, Last Connection #4, is one of a series of paintings the artist is currently producing which illustrate in harsh reality the connection between human beings and their dogs. In discussing his selection process, juror Mark Smith said he was drawn to the painting because of its urban patterning, its stylized forms and the artist’s smart use of a limited color palette. Benbrook is a past president of the San Diego Watercolor Society and is also an annual exhibitor at Art Walk. Her understanding of animals and her sensitive paintings of them make her a popular award-winning artist. More of her paintings may be seen online at allybenbrook.com. The show will continue at the San Diego Watercolor Society’s gallery through May 31st. The gallery is located in Point Loma’s Liberty Station at 2825 Dewey Road. The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday 10 am to 4 pm and is free to the public. San Diego Watercolor Society is a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to expanding the appreciation of and involvement in watermedia painting through education, exhibition and promotion. SDWS presents a new juried exhibition each month with an evening opening reception on the first Friday. Works on paper using watercolor, acrylic, gouache, casein and tempera as well as mixed media are accepted. More information can be found on the website http://www.sdws.org.