FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR INLAND AREAS
August 29, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A flash flood watch has been issued for mountains, valleys and desert areas in San Diego’s East County and other areas in southwestern California. The watch is in effect for this afternoon through 10 p.m. this evening. Slow-moving thunderstorms are expected to produce very heavy rainfall with flash flooding. Debris flows are possible in and below areas burned by recent wildfires. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. Have a plan of action ready to move to higher ground When warnings are issued. You should monitor forecasts and be prepared to take action if the flood watch is elevated to a flash flood warning.
“SEPTEMBER SONG” FINE ART SHOW IN JULIAN OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND
August 29, 2013 (Julian) –The Julian Arts Guild will present “September Song” a Fine Art Show at the Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main Street, Julian, CA, over the Labor Day weekend, August 30 through September 2, 2013. The show will be open each day from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Included will be local and regional artists working in a rich diversity of artistic media: oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings; drawings in pen, pencil and pastel; photography; printmaking; ceramics, jewelry, collage, assemblage, glass, mosaics, sculpture, and more. Meet the artists at the show opening in the Town Hall on August 30th from 6–8 pm. Admission to the Julian Arts Guild Labor Day weekend art show is FREE. Each day different artists will be available to talk about their work. The theme, “September Song” will be reflected in landscapes but also in other creative motifs. The Julian Arts Guild supporst and promote fine arts in its beautiful mountain town. The Guild provides a vehicle through sponsored events for the display and demonstration of works produced by its members and other artists who reside throughout San Diego County. In addition to its semi-annual art shows and October Open Studios Tour, the Guild sponsors workshops, demonstrations, and speakers at our monthly meetings. To learn more, visit www.julianartsguild.org .
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES COLLABORATIVE ADDRESSES HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES IN REFUGEE COMMUNITY
By Janis Mork August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – At the San Diego Refugee Forum on August 20, the focus was on housing issues faced by refugees. The forum covered a variety of programs on housing and other topics, including announcements of upcoming events in San Diego and East County. Faith Espejo, Director of Program and Operations, and Tina Parra, Resources Coordinator of San Diego HUB, from Housing Opportunities Collaborative addressed housing issues. HUB serves as an information clearinghouse by consolidating housing-related information and making it easily accessible to the public and partners, and also acts as a hub for its partners by conducting outreach events to educate and provide housing counseling services to the public. Espejo began. “I’m an immigrant myself.. It was hard for me to communicate…We are a collaborative of partners. We are not a direct service provider…It would be nice to connect [people] where they’re at.” Parra then spoke about fair housing services. “At our office, we are right next to the San Diego Housing Commission. We do provide direct housing…At our office, we provide education and information…There are so many kinds of discrimination going on…People come in, they inquire, we do assessment, we partner with Legal Aid of San Diego to do legal components. In some cases, it’s a matter of writing a letter and the issue is resolved.” Espejo informed the public. “We only serve the city of San Diego.” Parra added that only the zip code beginning with ‘921..’ counts. Espejo continued, “Anything outside San Diego, they go to the County of San Diego.” One person asked, “Is there a good contact for bankruptcy?” Parra talked about the HOME clinics they offer. The next one is September 14 at the El Cajon Library from 10 am to 2 pm. The HOME Clinics started in 2007, primarily focusing on foreclosure preventions. Now they provide resources and counseling on other issues such as family law, immigration, etc. A HOME clinic is a one-stop center of various counseling services. Homeowners receive individual counseling from a HUD approved housing counseling agency’s counselor, obtain individual review of real estate documents from a mortgage counselor, and receive personal counseling from volunteer attorneys with specialization of various types of law. Finally, Espejo talked about the future of Housing Opportunities Collaborative. “People sit face-to-face with a housing attorney. When it started in 2007/2008, hundreds were lining up. Eventually, we do it on a virtual world, using technology. The services we have are mostly in the housing industry. We’re hoping to open up to provide other services…Maybe with the iPhone or smartphone.” They have created the Virtual Counseling Network, a real-time collaboration platform with video conferencing capabilities that provides access to a “one stop” cadre of services. VCN will be useful for cross referral when counseling requests by clients who are outside a counseling agency’s scope of service. A benefit is that people won’t have to drive all over and use up a lot of gas. Earlier in the meeting, Tommy Messinger from Alliance for African Assistance showed a PowerPoint presentation on a couple of new free programs they created. First was the Team Program, where they help resolve complaints and answer any questions someone has about their phone, Internet, and cable bill. “We offer education” for understanding the bill, etc. Among the issues they address are overbilling, slamming and cramming, lifeline denial, wrong rate, wrongful disconnection, undisclosed fee, etc. The other program is the CHANGES Program. CHANGES stands for Community Help and Awareness of Natural Gas and Electricity Services. In this program, the alliance helps with questions, applications for needs assistance, and resolves disputes someone may have about their SDG&E bill. They also help if someone doesn’t understand their bill. They address safety, energy conservation, payment options, billing cycle, dispute resolutions, etc. With the Needs Assistance, they offer CARE, Neighbor 2 Neighbor Program, HEAP program, medical base line, reach program, etc. “It’s for everyone, but geared towards refugees,” Messinger said. Community announcements were made at the end. Lorna Strang from Women’s Empowerment announced that on September 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., they will tour the IRC offices and the Roots garden, incorporating the Star Center for Entrepreneurial women. A $2 donation is suggested. This is for anyone interested in the depth workings of the IRC, or perhaps interested in volunteering. For more information, visit: http://www.womens-empowerment.org. You can also contact Lorna Strang at lornastrang@gmail.com. Also, Rita Shamoon from Cuyamaca College talked about Project SHINE, which focuses on helping refugees acquire healthcare education and ESL. Refugees over 18 years and living in the U.S. for less than 5 years, and residing in the East County are welcome. It is every Wednesday from 10am-12 pm. It began July 3 this year and runs through June 30, 2014. It will be at EMASS (Elder Multicultural Access and Support Services) on East Main Street in El Cajon. The phone number is (619) 749-5660. To sign up, you can contact Renee Nasori at (619) 660-4049 or email her at Renee.Nasori@gcccd.edu. For more information, visit: http://www.projectshine.org. Community Action Partnership (CAP) with Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is currently accepting applications for its Advisory board. CAP is the local Community Action Agency in San Diego that engages in continual improvement of the economically disadvantaged. Community Action Board’s mission is to advise and make recommendations on Community Action Partnership programs to strengthen the well-being of economically challenged individuals and families in the San Diego County. They are looking for people who: care about strengthening their communities and can commit to attending monthly meetings, will represent the diversity of San Diego County, and understand the challenges faced by those with inadequate resources. For more information, contact (619) 338-2799. For more information about the programs offered by Alliance for Africa Assistance, contact Tommy Messinger at 619-286-9052 ext. 241. You can also visit: http://alliance-for-africa.org. For more information about Housing Opportunities Collaborative, visit: http://home.myhousingforall.org/index.php?&width=1920&height=1080. For fair housing, go to: http://home.myhousingforall.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=493&Itemid=186&width=1920&height=1080.
SHERIFF SEEKS HELP TO IDENTIFY SUSPECT IN ROBBERY OF SUBWAY SANDWICH SHOP IN SPRING VALLEY
August 29, 2013 (Spring Valley) – According to Sheriff’s detectives, an armed robbery took place at a Subway located at 289 Sweetwater Road on August 22 at about 12:40 a.m. The suspect, wearing a knit, ski mask and armed with a black handgun, allegedly ordered one of the employees to open the cash register, from which he took the money and left. Once outside, the suspect removed the ski mask. Video surveillance from a nearby business captured a picture of the suspect. The suspect is described as a black male, weighing about 190 pounds with black hair. He was last seen wearing a red polo shirt and khaki pants. San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s Lemon Grove Station are asking for assistance from the public to help identify and locate the suspect. Anyone with information on the suspect’s identity or current whereabouts is asked to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Anonymous email and text messages can be sent in via www.sdcrimestoppers.com. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case.
WHAT HAPPENS TO KIDS WHO END UP IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM?
By Nadin Abbott Part three in a three-part series (Read part one and part two) August 29, 2013 (Santee) – During the recent forum on child safety held in Santee, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Weinreb and Lisa J. Sawin, Department of Probation Director, spoke on what happens when a child enters the juvenile justice system. According to Weinreb, the first step after a child enters the system is for officials to take a close look at the cases. “Police Departments have diversionary programs which try to prevent a crime,” she said. These programs range from gang units, drug units, and even diversion to different county services. There are three aspects to looking at cases: the best interests of the minor, societal safety, and victim restitution. Children who are not a real threat and have committed low level misdemeanors are sent straight to the Probation Department, where they are assessed, and through programs and other services, are ideally diverted from full entry into the system. “If they have committed felonies, or multiple misdemeanors, we see about filing criminal charges,” Weinreb said. “This moves the case into the juvenile criminal system.” The child may be assigned to custodial services, such as Juvenile Hall, or to other programs, including house arrest. The ultimate goal is to prevent repeat offenders and redirect the child into a productive adult life. Some crimes committed by juveniles are so serious that they will be tried as adults, and that is a decision made by the District Attorney. Weinreb also emphasized that when she is involved, she sees children and families that at times need deep intervention. Sawin observed, “Probation comes at the tail end.” She emphasized, “Our mission is to protect the community.” To do this takes a balanced approach. The goal is to deal with youth, at times facing confinement. The goal is for rehabilitation, change, and to reduce recidivism. When youth first come in contact with probation, the probation officer first has an extensive intake interview. This is to determine what types of interventions are necessary. Youths are treated individually, and even when they have committed the same exact offense, the path taken with each youth is likely very different. One of the tools probation officers use is creating contracts for how kids will behave. There are also several types of residency programs as well as drug treatment programs. Programs are determined depending “on the youth’s risk level.” Youths who pose more of a risk will require more services. Higher risk youth, depending on the offense, might be directed to the Gang Suppression Unit, drug residency programs, as well as a program for sex offenders. Sawin mentioned that Probation at times does consultations that are available to the public. She also said that if you have prescription drugs at home that you need to get out of the house, every Sheriff’s Station has drop off boxes. All that is needed is for you to peel the label from the bottle. Sawin emphasized Teen Watch, a program for young women who were drug abusers and are pregnant. The goal of the program is not only to make sure these future young mothers stay clean, but to make sure that their babies are born clean and healthy.
KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE: A PARENTS GUIDE TO BULLYING
By Nadin Abbott Photos by Nadin and Tom Abbott Part two in a three-part series (Read Part One and Part Three) August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Dana Stevens, Executive Director of the Communities against Substance Abuse (CASA), presented a PowerPoint presentation on bullying for parents last week during a forum on child safety in Santee. East County Magazine has also recently spoken with other bullying experts to get tips on keeping kids safe. “Often times victims of bullying hurt themselves, run away, quit going to school,” said Stevens, adding, “Victims often blame themselves.” This can lead to depression, sadness, and withdrawal. According to Stevens, 18% of ninth graders and 17% of eleventh graders report seriously considering suicide. She added that 14% make a plan to “carry that out.” Bullying was not in the social lexicon until at least the 1970s and that is when research into bullying really began, Stevens noted. Bullying is defined as “a power imbalance between the bully and the target.” It could involve many aspects including gender, language, size of the victim, as well as popularity in school, among others. Bullying can take many forms, ranging from physical to verbal abuse. Then there is social bullying and that which is spread though rumors and innuendo. Also breaking friendships. “This is the kind of behavior we typically see in the middle school campus,” Stevens said. “Verbal bullying is the most reported form; 77% of students report verbal bullying, name calling, teasing, and the bullying we hear the most now is cyber-bullying.” It is carried out through social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram and instant messaging. It can include e-mail and phones. With one stroke, the bully can send his or her message to the world, and it cannot be retrieved. For parents, it is important to empathize with their children, to listen, and to teach their kids to walk away. Do not keep the violence going by encouraging the bully. Do not give the bully what they want, an audience. And for the victim, Stevens advised, “Always remember, it is not your fault.” How does a child avoid becoming a victim? Stevens recommends children develop self-confidence, to speak up, and to develop social skills. Adults need to be a model to children and let them know, firmly, that violence is unacceptable. Teach children to solve conflicts among themselves in a non-violent way. Also do not be afraid to monitor what your child does in cyberspace, Stevens advised. During ComicCon, ECM spoke to other experts on the subject, among them Carrie Goldman, the author of Bullied: What Every Parent, Teacher and Kid NEEDS to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear. http://www.carriegoldmanauthor.com/ Goldman told ECM that there are ways for kids to prevent cyber-bullying. Among them, children need to learn “not to share their passwords and not to impersonate each other, and to become suspicious if they get a message that seems out of character” from a friend. This usually means that somebody hacked the account. Kids also need to learn “not to forward along nude photos or other cruel message because they are not acting as a mere bystander, but as bullies themselves.” Moreover possession of nude photos of minors can subject them to criminal penalties. Goldman told ECM that adults are “the worst perpetrators of bullying” and that she gets just as many calls from adults as minors. There is quite a bit of bullying in both the workplace and the “online world and forums.” Tina Malka of the Anti-Defamation League said the goal of the ADL is to move children “from the bystander position to the allied position.” She added that “we know bullying is now a 24-7 thing. It’s all the time, it’s inescapable.” Malka told ECM that the ADL produces educational material for children in the San Diego County and works with multiple school districts to bring awareness of the problem. Moreover, because of technology, “If you are getting bullied, you cannot just go home to get away from it.” One of the programs the ADL runs in the county is called “No place for hate.” The objective of the program is to create a culture of tolerance on campus. As a parent, ask your school what programs are in place, and how to deal with bullying. Chiefly, do not ignore it. We are well past the “boys will be boys” mentality—and bullying can have negative consequences not only for victims, but also for the bullies. As Stevens said during last Thursday’s Santee forum, many bullies end up committing felonies as adults.
SDSU ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR’S BIO-ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG IN OAXACA, MEXICO LEADS TO NEW DISCOVERIES
August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Leave it to an anthropologist to have a closet full of skeletons — literally. Arion Mayes does, and she can tell you the story behind each and every one of them. “I work with human remains ranging from six months to 18,000 years old,” said the San Diego State University professor of anthropology. Mayes, a bio-archaeologist who studies individual and population health by examining skeletal remains, just returned from the Lower Río Verde Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. Along with student researchers from both sides of the border, she conducted burial excavations and analysis of the region’s ancient population at sites dating as far back as 400 B.C. The team generated important new data on more than 23 human and several animal remains. This is an important feat, as Mayes explains it is critical to understand the connection between culture and biological health. “I use biology, anatomy and physiology to interpret differences and similarities between people from one culture and environment to another. I then make connections about their human physical characteristics, including disease, daily activities and trauma, with the information we know about their culture,” Mayes said. As director of bio-archaeology for the National Science Foundation-funded Río Viejo Polity Project in Oaxaca, Mayes is a part of a multi-institutional project that includes Art Joyce, University of Colorado, Boulder, the project lead, and Stacy Barber, University of Central Florida. Connecting the digs Mayes and her team researched human and animal remains from three archaeological sites in the Oaxaca. One of the most dramatic findings — evidence of dental modification — aligned with findings at other sites in the region. “In these very early groups, dental modification included inlays of exotic stones on the front teeth. In some cases, significant artifacts were also associated with these individuals such as burial vessels, obsidian blades and carved beads,” Mayes said. “Dental modification appears to be reflective of an individual’s high or significant status during the time of burial,” Mayes said. This year, the team also found a rare animal discovery — what they presume to be a puma — that showed evidence of having been an offering, deliberately placed near the wall of a structure. They excavated, reconstructed and analyzed the large cat burial. Culture and biology The Lower Río Verde Valley has proven to be an ideal site for excavation, allowing Mayes and her team to address questions of political, social and ecological change in the ancient past. “By studying populations like this one that were in transition from one lifeway to another, we can observe the direct relationship of cultural processes on biology, including changes in diet, occupational stresses, disease, trauma and population variation over time,” Mayes said. “The study of the biological history of the Lower Río Verde Valley allows a unique opportunity to describe and understand cultural processes of a population that did not follow theoretical models of state formation, thereby revealing new details on population adaptation and biological flexibility.” A unique student experience Mayes has been working in Oaxaca since 2003. Now in her sixth year taking along SDSU students, she is proud to be able to give student researchers a unique opportunity for international fieldwork and the chance to take part in excavations. Graduate student Sydney Garcia is studying biological anthropology. A veteran, Garcia was inspired to go into the field after hearing about unidentified fallen service members. Her time in Oaxaca has helped her gain firsthand experience analyzing remains. “This trip was an overall success for me. I made amazing connections, grew to love bio-archaeology and confirmed that forensic anthropology is what I am meant to do,” Garcia said. For anthropology graduate student, Carlos Vega, who is originally from Mexico City, the trip was both professionally and personally enriching. “This is the first time I have been back to Mexico since leaving 11 years ago,” Vega said. “It was inspiring to dig and analyze ancient Mexican remains and special to be able to share those experiences with family I had not seen in a very long time.”
“REDUCE YOUR USE” ALERTS AND REWARDS NOW AVAILABLE FROM SDG&E
August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – As San Diego heads into the warmest weather of the year, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is encouraging customers to sign up for Reduce Your Use alerts, to help them earn bill credits for saving energy during hot summer days when demand for electricity is high. SDG&E residential customers are encouraged to set up email or text alerts so that they can be notified the day before a Reduce Your Use day and receive an update the next day on how much energy they saved. Participation is optional during Reduce Your Use days. This notification allows customers to prepare for Reduce Your Use days by taking simple actions such as raising the temperature two degrees on their thermostat. By doing so, customers can reduce their energy use during critical times while saving money on their energy bills. SDG&E customers who respond by reducing their energy use from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Reduce Your Use days will see a credit of $0.75 per reduced kilowatt hour (kWh) on their next energy bill (or $1.25 per kWh for customers with qualified enabling technology such as home area network devices or programmable communicating thermostats). Customers can log into My Account at sdge.com on Reduce Your Use days to view their conservation goal. The online tool will also display how much energy they used and saved during the Reduce Your Use day. According to SDG&E, more than 60,000 customers have signed up for Reduce Your Use alerts since SDG&E’s newest demand response program was launched in summer 2012. Results from customer participation in 2012 demonstrated that customers who signed up for alerts saved more energy than those who did not. SDG&E customers who set up alerts in 2012 generally saved between three and 11 percent on Reduce Your Use days, while customers who did not sign up for alerts saved between zero and two percent on average. On average, customers who saved energy on Reduce Your Use days received almost $20 in bill credits in 2012.
GROSSMONT COLLEGE PROFESSOR RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD
August 29, 2013 (El Cajon) – Dr. Chris Hill, geology professor and former president of the Academic Senate who filled in last college year as acting Vice President for Academic Affairs, was honored as Grossmont College’s Distinguished Faculty Member of the year at an academic convocation held on the campus Monday, August 12. In announcing the award, Sue Gonda, current president of the Academic Senate, said that Hill had created a course studying natural disasters, and had re-instituted courses on California geology and California natural parks. Additionally, Gonda noted, Hill had written numerous articles, papers and abstracts in the field of geology, including those studying landslide movements in California and geologic processes in the Sierra Nevada. The choice of Hill was clearly a popular one as faculty collectively leaped to their feet to give her a standing ovation in salute of not only her academic work but also her seemingly inexhaustible willingness to volunteer for some of the tougher, drier, but necessary jobs required to make a college campus run smoothly. For example, Hill helped lead a group of over 80 staff, faculty and administrators, who, over a two-year period, developed a comprehensive self-evaluation of Grossmont College. This nine-part document will be utilized by an accreditation visiting team drawn from administrators and faculty from throughout the California Community College system. The accreditation team will make an extensive fact-finding visit to Grossmont College Oct. 14-17 to determine who well the college lives up to its educational mission. Now having volunteered to serve as acting senior dean for college planning and institutional effectiveness, Hill is currently leading the effort to implement new software for outcomes assessment and implementation of the college’s planning goals. A 12-year-employee of Grossmont College, Hill typically is among the first faculty members to volunteer to participate in such campus activities as the development of plans for assessing the basic skills of students and remedying those that are found deficient, as well as creating programs for the professional development of her faculty colleagues. Hill also has participated in an accreditation institute for the statewide Academic Senate and has presented at conferences focused on curriculum, planning and institutional effectiveness. Even at the convocation at which her honor was announced, Hill assisted in the planning and execution of another event — a game of “Jeopardy” (after the television quiz show) in which teams of faculty, staff and administrators matched their knowledge of campus processes and accomplishments. In that exercise, in which she played the role of the game’s television moderator, “Alex(is)” Trebek, Hill read the answers and judged how well the contestants supplied the correct questions in response. Although by now Hill should be used to the accolades of her faculty colleagues, it was clear as she gave her acceptance speech that she was touched by the honor. She said that as a little girl she enjoyed learning and always had her nose in a book or was watching ‘Schoolhouse Rock,’ and to this day can recite the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Along life’s path, she figured out that she liked to help other people learn as well, and not just in the classroom, but also as a coach (basketball) and in other settings as well. Teaching is “who I am, what I do,” she said, and it is “just humbling” that her colleagues recognize it. She said it was amazing that with the schedule she keeps, her partner Jeanine has willing to hang with her for 21 years, and she introduced her to general applause. Given that Hill is a geologist, Grossmont College President Sunita V. Cooke was prompted to present Hill with a special award — a large, ornamental, mineral star. After all, noted Cooke, in Grossmont College’s book, Hill is a “rock star.”
SHRINKING COLORADO RIVER RESERVOIRS HIGHLIGHT NEED FOR WATER USE EFFICIENCY, SUPPLY DIVERSIFICATION
August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – An unprecedented reduction in reservoir releases on the Colorado River announced on Friday, August 16 by the Bureau of Reclamation won’t cut water supplies to agencies in San Diego County or the rest of the Southwest during the 2014 “water year,” but the move does underscore the importance of continued conservation and water-supply diversification across the region. The Colorado River is the most important water source for the Southwest, and it accounts for about 60 percent of San Diego County’s water supply. It’s under increasing pressure from a growing population in seven basin states and dry conditions for most of the past decade – particularly the past two years. The river is managed by the Bureau, which on Friday said it expects to reduce releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead by an estimated 750,000 acre-feet in the 2014 water year, which starts Oct. 1. The decision was triggered by projections that under standard operations Lake Powell would fall below elevation 3,575 feet. Changes announced Friday would make next year’s releases of 7.48 million acre-feet from Lake Powell the smallest since the 1960s. (An acre-foot is approximately 325,900 gallons, or roughly enough to serve two typical Southern California families of four for a year.) Reducing releases from Lake Powell is among the management steps set in 2007 to minimize the impacts of dry periods on the river system. The changes planned for 2014 do not directly trigger shortage allocations for water users, though they do move the region closer to that possibility. If Lake Mead falls below elevation 1,075 – about 31 feet below where it is today – Arizona and Nevada would get less water from the Colorado River per the 2007 agreement. Current hydrological models show a very small likelihood of that occurring in the fall of 2014. If that were to happen, California still would receive its basic annual apportionment of 4.4 million acre-feet because of the state’s senior rights on the Colorado River. “Shrinking reservoirs on the Colorado River reinforce the need to rethink water use in the Southwest,” said Halla Razak, Colorado River Program Director for the San Diego County Water Authority. “We will need innovation, collaboration and dedication to meet the challenges ahead.” A landmark 2012 report by the Bureau concluded that demands on the Colorado River could exceed supplies by more than 3.2 million acre-feet in 2060. The study said no single solution will suffice, and it outlines options for reducing the imbalances, such as additional conservation, extensive reuse and system augmentation. “In San Diego County, we have been working hard for the past two decades to weather dry times by expanding reservoirs, diversifying water supply sources and promoting water conservation as a way of life, not just a response to emergencies,” Razak said. “Residents have embraced that ethic – and we all need to keep doing what we can to make sure that we use every drop as efficiently as possible.” Per capita water use in San Diego County dropped by about 30 percent between 2007 and 2012. The reductions resulted from water-use restrictions during the drought of 2008-11, the economic recession and widespread adoption of conservation strategies. Over the past decade, the Water Authority developed its $1.5 billion Emergency Storage Program, including the expansion of San Vicente Reservoir for use during dry years and emergencies. The Water Authority also has contracted to buy water from the drought-proof Carlsbad Desalination Project when it begins commercial production in 2016. In addition, the Water Authority is an active participant in watershed planning for the Colorado River Basin. Razak said the agency will continue working with its state and federal partners, including Arizona and Nevada, to minimize the potential for shortage allocations.