MASSIVE DUST STORM STRIKES OCOTILLO
By Miriam Raftery Photos by Jim Pelley August 23, 2013 (Ocotillo ) – It looked like a scene out of the 1930s, when factory-scale farms removed topsoil in the Midwest, creating dust storms that swept across the western states, reducing vast areas to a Dust Bowl. Is history repeating itself? Residents of Ocotillo and other desert communities across the Southwest have recently voiced worries that industrial-scale wind and solar projects that stripped bare the earth would cause dust storms. Yesterday, a monster-scale dust cloud rolled across Ocotillo, blackening the sky and obscuring even the wind turbines that tower 500 feet above the town. “The wind turbines are all pretty much stopped this morning, no wind,” says Jim Pelley, who shot these dramatic images. He added, “Looks like the wind turbines will need some new filters now.” Winds of 50 miles per hour were forecast and the National Weather Service had issued a blowing dust warning late yesterday. The dust poses potential health hazards to area residents, as well as headaches for cleaning up the mess. Desert soil harbors spores which cause Valley Fever, a potentially deadly disease that has reached epidemic levels in portions of the Southwest. During the Dust Bowls in the 1930s, respiratory health problems rose sharply, claiming lives, including many children. A recent PBS documentary recounted the Dust Bowl horrors in detail. My own mother recalls the terror sparked by Dust Bowl storms during her childhood in a Texas prairie town, when children were warned to huddle under blankets as the choking dust enveloped their homes, seeping into bedrooms, filling their lungs, covering everything in sight without warning. With multiple industrial-scale wind and solar projects proposed to scrape bare agricultural lands in San Diego’s East County, the potential to create dust storms is an issue that Supervisors and planners have failed to address to date, blowing off concerns raised by residents. For Pattern Energy, the dust storm is the latest in a string of serious problems at its Ocotillo Express Wind Facility in Imperial Valley since its opening in December 2012. The wind project was off-line for several weeks this spring after a blade fell off a turbine, prompting a worldwide shutdown of similar turbine models. The Native American Heritage Commission recently ruled that the federal government erred in approved the project atop sacred Native American burial grounds. Five lawsuits remain in court on issues ranging from environmental damage to tribal concerns. Earlier this month, the eagle expert hired by Pattern for the project was convicted of illegal actions and operating without a state or federal license, raising new potential challenges. The site has also been hit with flash floods, sits atop one of the most active earthquake faults in California, and now faces clean-up costs from the dust storm. Meanwhile, calls are mounting from the community to decommission the ill-fated project. The timing for Pattern couldn’t be worse, since the company recently announced its intent to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company did not respond to our request for comments.
ON THE SILVER SCREEN: DRUNKS VS. ROBOTS (THE WORLD’S END)
By Brian Lafferty August 23, 2013 (San Diego) – Up until The World’s End, Edgar Wright had only three feature films to his directorial credit: Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). However small his output, those films – Shaun of the Dead in particular – have spawned a huge cult following like few I’ve encountered in recent years. To those outside this circle, he’s an acquired taste. Shaun of the Dead, for example, was a dry take on the zombie apocalypse in fine British fashion. It’s laugh out loud funny if you get the sophisticated humor. Wright tackles the apocalypse once again with The World’s End. It stars Simon Pegg as an immature fortysomething slacker named Gary King, whose attempts to bring back the halcyon days of his youth are met with derision and frustration by his high school friends Peter (Eddie Marsan), Oliver (Martin Freeman), Steven (Paddy Considine), and Andrew (Nick Frost). He contrives to get the pack to the small town where they grew up for a second bid at drinking pints from twelve neighborhood pubs in one night, the The World’s End. As the jovial Gary and his reluctant friends traverse one pub to the next, they notice the pubs that were once individually unique now look exactly the same, as if they were taken over by a corporation, and the townspeople are emotionless and not exactly welcoming. It takes a while for the guys to realize a sinister plot is at work, but Gary insists they finish what they started over twenty years ago…even if it literally kills them. If you’ve seen the ads and trailers, you know that the townspeople are robots. Wright and co-writer Pegg don’t arrive at this plot point until roughly the second half. The preceding sequences take however much time the filmmakers need to flesh out the characters, the sleepy town, and the eerie sense that something isn’t right. Those waiting impatiently for the action will miss out on the dry, sophisticated humor imbedded into the film. Three layers of it exist: the contrast between Gary and his respectable, more grown up friends; the dialogue; and the rhythm of each joke and gag. Gary’s friends’ exasperation – subtly evidenced by their facial expressions and body language – exemplifies the first. One of the many funny exchanges I noticed is indicative of how offbeat the humor is: Andrew: “I haven’t had a drink in 16 years.” Gary (oblivious and dense): “You must be thirsty then!” The rhythm of the humor is dictated by what I can only describe as “stop and go.” Basically, Wright begins a joke and then abruptly cuts to the next scene. The sudden cut punctuates the punchline the same way a writer ends a sentence with an exclamation point. The fighting is a masterwork of action and both comedic and cinematographic timing. The robots don’t punch but grab faces. I found it funny because of how the guys kept trying to punch them, but had to fend off in frustration the grabbing. In another sequence, one robot, whose arms are torn off, puts another’s legs in her shoulder sockets. The visual gag of seeing legs as arms is funny enough. Spinning them at 360 degrees takes it to a higher level of funny. Each of these sequences are assembled in long takes, preserving the slightly jerky, but otherwise fluid camera movement and blocking. Every take could not have been more perfectly timed, and the camera could not have been placed at a better distance. There will be those reading this review that will say I’m overthinking it, especially since The World’s End is a comedy. The thing is, it’s not the average funny comedy mainstream American audiences are used to seeing from Hollywood. This film, and Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim, demand a higher level of appreciation and thinking in order to be fully appreciated. I don’t talk about the camera movement, the screenplay, and other technical stuff for analysis. Assuming you’re reading this before you see the movie, it’s my hope that this review will guide you towards elements that can be easily overlooked, and inform you of what to expect. The only major flaw is how the filmmakers end the movie. The ending features a twist that is totally unexpected and unnecessarily out there. After everything that was set up, it’s somewhat of a letdown. Screenwriting “guru” Syd Field and many other “experts” always talk about how the first ten pages of a screenplay are the most important. As The World’s End demonstrates, the last ten pages are equally important. B The World’s End is now playing in wide release. A Focus Features release. Director: Edgar Wright. Screenplay: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Original Music: Steven Price. Cinematography: Bill Pope. Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, and Pierce Brosnan. Runtime: 109 minutes. Rated R. Brian Lafferty welcomes letters at brian@eastcountymagazine.org. You can also follow him on Twitter: @BrianLaff.
TROPICAL STORM BRINGS THUNDERSHOWERS, LIGHTNING TO EAST COUNTY
By Miriam RAftery Photos by Richard Campbell and Billy Ortiz August 23, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)–A tropical storm system has moved into our area, bringing thundershowers, humid weather and dramatic lightning displays across East County’s mountain areas .The storm system is expected to weaken Saturday, but more thunderstorms and lightning are forecast Sunday through Tuesday across East County’s mountain and desert areas. (View video of lightning over Descanso on the Brush Fire Partyline’s Facebook Page) In addition, a blowing dust warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for desert areas in San Diego and Imperial Counties. To view a five-minute video from the National Weather Service, click below.
HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
August 21, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) — Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news each week that could impact your health and our future. Lyme Disease Far More Common Than Previously Known (NPR) Why I changed my mind on weed (Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN) The Algae Is Coming, But Its Impact Is Felt Far From Water (NPR) New Vaccine Beats Malaria in Early Trials (NPR) Camels May Be A Source Of The Middle East Coronavirus (NPR) Induced labour ‘linked to autism’ (BBC) Urban hives boom ‘bad for bees’ (BBC) Study: Tall women have higher cancer risk (Jewish World Review) Bill urges schools to stock anti-allergy drug (U-T San Diego) Click “read more” and scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories. Lyme Disease Far More Common Than Previously Known (NPR) Fewer than 30,000 cases of the tick-borne illness are reported each year. But the CDC says surveys of labs that test for the disease, six years of insurance claims and other surveillance methods suggest that the number of infections is actually 10 times higher. Why I changed my mind on weed (Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN) Over the last year, I have been working on a new documentary called “Weed.” The title “Weed” may sound cavalier, but the content is not. I traveled around the world to interview medical leaders, experts, growers and patients. I spoke candidly to them, asking tough questions. What I found was stunning. The Algae Is Coming, But Its Impact Is Felt Far From Water (NPR) From China’s Yellow Sea to the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, agricultural waste in the water system is fueling spectacular algae blooms. The masses of slime cause dead zones in the water and major losses in tourism revenue in affected towns. But the algae fight doesn’t begin at the water’s edge; it starts in the fields and pastures New Vaccine Beats Malaria in Early Trials (NPR) Reporting in Science, researchers write of an intravenous vaccine that offered complete protection against malaria in a small clinical trial — but only after five doses. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discusses steps needed to turn this early success into a practical vaccine. Camels May Be A Source Of The Middle East Coronavirus (NPR) Scientists find the a tantalizing clue about where people may be catching the Middle East respiratory syndrome. Camels on the Arabian Peninsula and Canary Islands show signs that they’ve been infected with the virus or a close relative. Induced labour ‘linked to autism’ (BBC) Children whose mothers needed drugs to start giving birth may be slightly more likely to have autism, US researchers say, and the link is stronger in boys. A study of 625,000 children, published in JAMA Pediatrics, showed the autism link was stronger in boys…. The study of births in North Carolina showed 13 out of every 1,000 boys born, and four per 1,000 girls, developed autism. However, the rate was a third higher in boys when their mother needed drugs to induce or assist the pregnancy, while any effect in girls was more muted. Urban hives boom ‘bad for bees’ (BBC) A boom in urban beekeeping could be doing the insects more harm than good, say scientists. Study: Tall women have higher cancer risk (Jewish World Review) The taller a postmenopausal woman is, the greater risk she faces of developing cancer, according to a new study Bill urges schools to stock anti-allergy drug (U-T San Diego) The House on Tuesday passed legislation aimed at helping schools better prepare for severe, sometimes life-threatening, allergic reactions caused by eating peanuts or other food products. / …epinephrine should be available similarly to the stocking of emergency defibrillators in schools
STUCK TRUCK REMOVED TWO WEEKS AFTER BREAKDOWN IN DULZURA, BUT RESIDENTS DEMAND ANSWERS TO SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS POSED
By Miriam Raftery; photo by Donnie Durfee Rural residents are demanding answers and improved communications after a truck with an oversized load broke down and blocked traffic on State Route 94 for over 50 hours. Even after the road was cleared, the big rig remained on the shoulder at Marron Valley Road in Dulzura for two weeks before it was finally removed. Media was not warned and no Sig Alert was issued to alert residents prior to the oversized load taking to the highway, even though the slow-moving, extra-wide load obstructed traffic in both directions along the main evacuation route for residents in areas including Jamul, Deerhorn Valley, Potrero, Barrett Junction and Tecate. During the blockage, residents were forced to detour up to 90 miles, causing delays of many hours. Yet a SigAlert was not issued until seven hours after the road was completely blocked by the mechanical breakdown. Even before the breakdown, the oversized, slow-moving load obstructed traffic in both directions. The load was about 231 feet long – yet posted signs indicate the maximum truck length allowed is 75 feet. So why was this rig allowed to take this narrow route with many hairpin curves when straighter, wider routes to its destination were available? When the truck was finally removed, signs were posted on highway 94 near the turnoff for route 188 to Tecate. The signs advised motorists to “expect long delays” but again, media was not notified nor was a SigAlert issued. Moreover, the signs were still up the next day after the truck was moved overnight, causing confusion and more inconvenience for residents. Deerhorn Valley Antler Editor Kim Hamilton has reported that the truck had California Highway Patrol escorts at the start of its trip, according to witnesses. The Antler also reports that the trucking company, KD Specialized, has claimed that the CHP planned the route. However, CHP Captain Tim Lepper told ECM reporter Nadin Abbott tonight that Cal Trans insisted on this route, which was ultimately authorized by the Industrial Escort Division of the CHP in Clairmont Mesa. Leppert said the truck broke an axle three times. He advised that the truck was ultimately bound for Ensenada. This raises many questions. Why did Cal-Trans request a route on winding mountain roads with hairpin turns to a remote border crossing in Tecate, instead of using the crossing at San Ysidro (where the truck would have been on I-5, a major freeway, on the U.S. side of the border) or the Otay crossing, which has far fewer curves along the way? Why did the CHP approve this treacherous route, even if Cal-Trans asked for it? The truck was reportedly carrying an air compressor used in mining operations that weighs 200,000 pounds, local realtor Marcia Spurgeon informed the Antler. ECM has contacted Senator Joel Anderson and Assemblyman Brian Jones for help to obtain answers – and solutions to prevent a similar problem in the future. Jones’ office contacted the CHP to ask why a written request for records and answers sent to the CHP’;s media spokesman 13 days ago has not yet been answered. Lepper left a message in response on ECM’s phone this evening advising that he is looking into the matter; he also advised our reporter that the media spokesperson has been on vacation. Antler editor Kim Hamilton has voiced serious concerns over danger posed to residents in this wildfire-prone rural area. “Situation stinks,” she wrote in a e-mail during the blockage. “Let’s hope there’s not a fire today that units can’t get to. Very hot, very dry.” She also wants to know why Sig Alerts were not called until seven hours after the major access route for her community was closed. As it turns out, at least one emergency did occur during the shut down. “Turns out there was a bad snakebite in Potrero that day, too,” she informed ECM, adding that the patient was life-flighted to a hospital. Whether the patient could have been transported by ambulance had the road not been blocked is unknown. But if Lifeflight should be necessary due to a road blockage or worse, if a patient died due to lack of access in an emergency, then potentially the state could incur liability – leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for damages. Robin Brailsford, an area resident, asks, “What is the cost of six CHP escorts?” She further noted that the truck damaged embankments on both sides of Highway 94, knocking large rocks and debris onto the shoulder. Who will pay for the cleanup costs? After the breakdown at Marron Valley Road, Brailsford reported seeing County trucks doing grading and numerous Border [Patrol] trucks “all at an intersection on a blind corner where multiple fatalities have occurred, on an F-rated highway.” Many serious accidents, including numerous fatalities, have occurred on Highway 94. Residents have long worried about what would happen if a wildfire occurs when an accident is blocking their evacuation route on the main highway. The stuck-truck fiasco has also revived controversy over a casino proposed by the Jamul Indians on Highway 94 in the Jamul area. Connie Wemple, in an email sent to East County Magazine, wrote, “This could be a disaster for all of us. This is just one more reason why a casino is a BAD idea for this area.” She added that the situation needs to be brought up to “all organizations and government officials” involved in the Casino approval process. Residents are also disappointed that major media outlets in San Diego failed to cover this story. Most importantly, those who live in the rural areas and rely on Highway 94 for their daily transportation needs and evacuation in case of emergencies want to know what will be done to prevent a similar threat to public safety from occurring again.
SHERIFF ISSUES WARNING AND ADVICE FOR CRAIGSLIST USERS
By Miriam Raftery August 22, 2013 (San Diego) — San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore has issued a warning to the public to be careful when buying or selling items on Craigslist–and is offering tips on how to stay safe. Numerous crimes in our region have been linked to Craigslist, including robberies, assaults and murders. Most recently, on July 29, a man who answered a Craigslist ad for a cell phone was accosted at gunpoint by two suspects demanding money in the 4S Ranch area. The victim fled to a nearby Sheriff’s substation and the suspects were arrested. In 2011, San Diego Police arrested a suspect for a series of robberies of people who responded to Craigslist ads for iPADs. A La Mesa man was robbed and assaulted when he agreed to go to a local park to meet a seller advertising computers for sale on Craiglist. Also in 2011, a convicted sex offender confessed to drugging and killing San Diego State University freshman Donna Jou after meeting her on Craigslist, where she advertised tutoring services. . In addition, a teenager attempting to purchase an item offered for sale legally on Craigslist was shot and killed in a San Diego neighborhood. The Sheriff offers these tips for buying or selling items on Craigslist: Set up the appointment during the day. Insist on a public meeting place, since criminals don’t want witnesses. Don’t go alone – bring a friend. Tell another friend or family member where you are going. Bring your cell phone to call 911 if necessary. Don’t carry a large amount of cash. Don’t buy from a seller who only lists an email address. This is a red flag that the seller has something to hide. Never go to a second location – if you arrived at a meeting place and the seller asks to go to another place, this should raise some serious red flags If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – you are better off passing it up. Trust your instincts. If anything seems suspicious, out of place or just doesn’t feel right, leave.