PHOTO OF THE WEEK: BACKYARD PARADISE
August 29, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Lee and Nancy Hauser sent in this photo of their “hummingbird haven,” a backyard paradise for birds. “The potato tree behind the waterfall has gotten very large and always seems to be full of hummers, finches, etc.,” they write. “Lots of entertainment in a small space.”
GROSSMONT-CUYAMACA COLLEGE PRESIDENTS TO PERFORM STAGED READINGS OF EDGAR ALLEN POE WORKS ON SEPTEMBER 6-7
August 29, 2013 (El Cajon) – The presidents of sister colleges in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will be among the performers in a pair of staged readings of the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe at 7:30 p.m. Friday, September 6, and Saturday, September 7, in Room 220 of Building 26 on the Grossmont College campus. Presidents Mark Zacovic of Cuyamaca College and Sunita V. Cooke of Grossmont College will read some Poe poems that have held them in their thrall since their childhoods. “I remember sitting in rapt attention at the feet of my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Fretz, as she read ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ to the class after rest time,” reminisced Zacovic. “I’ve loved Edgar Allan Poe ever since I was a little kid,” commented Cooke. “I would read the short stories and the poems and when I was younger the Radio Theatre would feature them. Sometimes my parents would be coming back from an event to which the whole family had gone and the Edgar Allan Poe story wouldn’t be over yet. So I would sit in the dark in the car with all the doors locked, listening to Edgar Allan Poe Radio Theatre.” Cooke said that she was an elementary school student in Missouri when she learned to love such poems as “Annabel Lee” and “The Raven.” She added that some years ago when her own son, Dillon, was in middle school, she read Poe’s poems to him. Another reader will be Agustin Albarran, Grossmont College’s dean of English, Social and Behavioral Sciences. He recalled that when he was a teenager, “we would go to the North Park Theatre and see movies like The Conqueror Worm with Vincent Price and be horrified–even though we knew it wasn’t real. But when I saw the words of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ on paper, I could really imagine the fear that this individual had in his mind. To this day I still have the image of him pulling up the planks of the floorboard and seeing the dismembered bodies, with the heart. I think Poe was telling us that things that are on your mind just don’t go away.” Other Grossmont College cast members in the 90-minute program include Kurt Brauer, interim grounds and maintenance supervisor; theatre arts instructor Jeannette Thomas; Manny Lopez, theatre design production technician; Adam Weiner, an alumnus who suggested the Poe evenings; communications professor Joel Castellaw; and alumnus Aaron Duggan and student Derek San Filippo. Tickets for either night’s performance are $20 for general admission and $10 for students, with proceeds supporting the programs of Grossmont College’s theatre arts department. More information may be obtained at the Stagehouse Theatre box office in Building 22A on the Grossmont College campus, or by phoning (619)-644-7234.
FAMILY SEEKS HELP TO FIND MISSING SANTEE MAN
August 29, 2013 (Santee) updated August 30, 2013 –– The family of Jonathan Heredia, 29, seeks public help to locate the Santee resident who has been missing since August 26. According to family, he suffers from mental health issues and depression. Heredia is Hispanic with dark hair and brown eyes. He weighs 160 pounds and stands 5 feet 10 inches tall. He has a crucifix tattoo on his back with the words “our Lord” , a dice tattoo on his chest and a tattoo on his forearm that reads “69.” He was last seen wearing a black dress shirt, grey jeans, black jacket with grey on the back, and may be seen with navy blue shorts with white stripes on the side. The website Missing Persons of America has additional details: http://www.missingpersonsofamerica.com/2013/08/jonathan-heredia-depressed-man-last.html The family writes, “We are his family and clearly see signs of him having mental issues. We worry he might be a harm to himself.” If you see Heredia, call the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. REFER TO: San Diego Sheriff’s Missing Person Case #13143930 You can also contact Detective Troy Duran (619) 956-4000.
FROM THE CHIEF’S CORNER: LABOR DAY SAFETY TIPS
By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Next weekend is the start of Labor Day Weekend. In order to ensure your Labor Day is a good one, there are some simple safety precautions to consider, says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Anyone want to barbecue or picnic? Keep a close eye on the grill to ensure safety at all times. Keep children away. Keep the grill away from combustibles and vegetation. Before you hit the water, make sure you are equipped with all necessary safety equipment, including enough gas, life vests and a first-aid kit (for a boat). Leave your water plan, no matter what it might be, with a trusted friend or family member, and the time you are expected to return. This way, authorities have an idea of where to search if you do not make it back home. Remember to protect your skin and eyes from the rays of the sun by wearing cover-ups, sunscreen, sunglasses and hats. Keep kids within sight and arms reach when in the water and never swim alone. Safe travels for Labor Day weekend. No matter where your destination is, you’ll want to take your time to ensure you and your family arrive safely. Millions of drivers hit the road to go to visit family, friends, picnics or for a weekend getaway. Drive safe and defensively. Be patient. There are many of distracted drivers out there, says Chief DiGiovanna. “Remember to not drink and drive and always wear your seat belt.” For additional Labor Day Safety Tips visit: http://www.bestholidaypics.com/2013/07/labor-day-safety-tips.html Happy Labor Day! Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna *Note: The information in this article was compiled from various sources. These suggestions are not a complete list of every preventative or loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace additional safety manuals or the advice of another qualified professional(s). We make no guarantee of results from use of this information. We assume no liability in connection with the information nor the suggestions made.
TRASH, RECYCLING SERVICES TO BE DELAYED IN OBSERVANCE OF LABOR DAY
August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – Waste Management of San Diego’s curbside residential and commercial trash and recycling pick-up schedule will be delayed by one day throughout the week of September 2, in observance of Labor Day. In addition, all Waste Management operations will be closed on Monday, September 2, with normal operations resuming the next day Customers in the following updated cities list should place their carts out for pick-up one day later than usual, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 3 through Saturday, Sept. 7: •4S Ranch •El Cajon •Santee •Communities in unincorporated San Diego County, including Lakeside, Spring Valley, Alpine and Jamul “We appreciate our customers’ cooperation with the holiday schedule so that our dedicated employees can spend time with their families,” said Bill Bixler, district manager for Waste Management of San Diego.
SANTEE MAN ARRESTED FOR ROBBING SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION
August 29, 2013 (San Diego) – The FBI and San Diego Police Department announced the arrest of Cesar Daniel Flores, age 23, of Santee as a result of the investigation into the robbery of the San Diego County Credit Union, 2245 Fenton Parkway, San Diego on Friday, August 2. Flores was arrested on Saturday at the Mission Valley Mall after an off-duty FBI Agent spotted Flores at a bus stop. After seeing Flores, the Agent contacted San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and requested a uniform Patrol Officer to respond to the area. When the agent and SDPD Officer returned to the bus stop they discovered Flores had left the area. After a brief search of the area, Flores was located in the mall and taken into custody without incident. According to the federal complaint filed in this matter with the U.S. District Court, Southern District, case number 18MJ3180, Flores is charged with one count of bank robbery. The complaint alleges that Flores entered the bank and presented a demand note for cash. After receiving a sum of money, Flores exited the bank on foot. Bank surveillance photographs captured the image of the robber inside of the bank. The FBI showed the surveillance photographs to multiple individuals familiar with Cesar Daniel Flores, including his family and a U.S. Probation Officer. Those individuals identified the robber as Flores. On Monday, August 26, 2013, Flores had his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Flores remains in custody at the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Metropolitan Correctional Center. This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, San Diego.
PEOPLE OF THE EARTH LIVE AT SAN PASQUAL WINERY AUG. 31
August 29, 2013 (La Mesa) – People of the Earth, a guitar/keyboard duo, will perform live on Saturday, August 31 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the San Pasqual Winery tasting room at 9364 La Mesa Blvd. (map) The duo will play popular favorites from the 80’s through today, in addition to entertaining original music. There is no cover charge; guests may purchase wine by the glass; cheese, crackers and dessert are available for sale. Seating is on a first come, first-served basis in the tasting room’s cozy back room. For more information, visit www.sanpasqualwinery.com.
ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS
August 28, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) –ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include: U.S. Obama orders release of report justifying Syria strike (CNN) Facebook says countries sought data on 38,000 users in first half of 2013 (Reuters) After six budget showdowns, big government is mostly unchanged (Washington Post) A face in the crowd: say goodbye to anonymity (CBS) Secret Ruling Found NSA’s Surveillance Violated Constitution (NPR) Inside The Beef Industry’s Battle Over Growth-Promotion Drugs (NPR) Beware of Warrior Cops (Reason) The FISA Court Didn’t Even Know NSA Was Collecting Some Domestic Communications (Reason) New Details On How U.S. ‘Helped Saddam As He Gassed Iran’(NPR) Bradley Manning: ‘I Am A Female,’ Call Me Chelsea (NPR) WORLD Fears of food and water poisoning after Damascus gassings Tens Of Thousands Flee Syria After Alleged Chemical Attacks (NPR) Mexico officials find mass grave east of capital (U-T) Do rockets in Israel indicate Al Qaeda presence in Lebanon? (CS Monitor) Israel says bombed Lebanon in retaliation for rocket attack (Reuters) Israel military: 4 rockets fired, none hit country (AP) Bodies still being found after alleged Syria chemical attack: opposition (Reuters) For excerpts and links to full stories, scroll down. U.S. Obama orders release of report justifying Syria strike (CNN) President Barack Obama called his national security team together Saturday to talk about the next move in Syria. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper led off the three-hour White House meeting with detailed analysis of the evidence about the chemical weapons attack, the disposition of victims and what the administration now believes is a near air-tight circumstantial case that the Syrian regime was behind it. Obama ordered a declassified report be prepared for public release before any military strike commences. Facebook says countries sought data on 38,000 users in first half of 2013 (Reuters) Governments sought information on over 38,000 Facebook users in the first half of 2013 and the No.1 social network complied with most requests, the firm said in its first report on the scale of data inquiries it gets from countries around the world. After six budget showdowns, big government is mostly unchanged (Washington Post) After 21 / 2 years of budget battles, this is what the federal government looks like now: It is on pace, this year, to spend $3.455 trillion. That figure is down from 2010 — the year that worries about government spending helped bring on a tea party uprising, a Republican takeover in the House and then a series of ulcer-causing showdowns in Congress. But it is not down by that much. Back then, the government spent a whopping $3.457 A face in the crowd: say goodbye to anonymity (CBS) Even if your picture isn’t on the Internet, computerized facial recognition makes it virtually impossible to keep your “faceprint” private. Lesley Stahl reports. Secret Ruling Found NSA’s Surveillance Violated Constitution (NPR) The U.S. intelligence community is releasing a secret court opinion concerning an National Security Agency surveillance program. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court opinion is known to have found the NSA program unlawful. But civil liberties advocates have called for it to be made public. Inside The Beef Industry’s Battle Over Growth-Promotion Drugs (NPR) Beta agonists, a class of drugs widely fed to cattle and hogs to make them put on weight faster, are coming under increasing scrutiny. Reports suggest animals fed these drugs can seem reluctant to move — lethargic, unable to walk properly — and may die more often, too. Beware of Warrior Cops (Reason) In the 1970s, there were about 300 SWAT raids per year. “As of 2005,” says Balko, “100 to 150 per day.” The FISA Court Didn’t Even Know NSA Was Collecting Some Domestic Communications (Reason) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) provided another redacted information data dump today, which ends the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s legal battle with them over a Freedom of Information Act request. At the heart of the matter was a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court decision from 2011 that determined that the National Security Agency and the FBI were somehow violating the Fourth Amendment with its surveillance methods. The details were unknown because the report was classified. EFF sued and won, and today the 85-page document was released…. New Details On How U.S. ‘Helped Saddam As He Gassed Iran’(NPR) CIA documents and interviews with former officials reveal more about how the U.S. gave the dictator intelligence that helped him during Iraq’s 1980s war with Iran, Foreign Policy reports. The information was then allegedly used when Iraq deployed chemical weapons Bradley Manning: ‘I Am A Female,’ Call Me Chelsea (NPR) The Army private responsible for the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history is asking for hormone therapy. His lawyer will push for that to happen during Manning’s long stay in prison. WORLD Fears of food and water poisoning after Damascus gassings (Reuters) — (This story was reported by a journalist whose name has been withheld for security reasons) — Days after a suspected poison gas attack killed hundreds of people in crop-growing suburbs, residents of the Syrian capital say they are afraid their food and water supplies may be contaminated…. Tens Of Thousands Flee Syria After Alleged Chemical Attacks (NPR) Thousands of Syrian refugees entered Iraq last week, fleeing the violence between extremist groups and Kurdish militias in northeastern Syria. Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin speaks with Alan Paul of the charity Save the Children about the flow of refugees entering Iraq. Mexico officials find mass grave east of capital (U-T) Mexican authorities said Thursday that they have found a mass grave east of Mexico City and are testing to determine if it holds some of the 12 people who vanished from a bar in an upscale area of the capital nearly three months ago. Do rockets in Israel indicate Al Qaeda presence
LAUGHING MATTERS: PROMINENT COMICS AT COMEDY DEBUT IN LA MESA AUGUST 29
By Miriam Raftery August 28, 2013 (La Mesa) – “For my first show, I want to start off with a bang!” Eric Knowles told ECM. Knowles is launching a comedy show at the Regal Bar in La Mesa the last Thursday in each month at 8:30 p.m., starting August 29. The opening program will feature nationally renown actor/comedian Tommy Chunn as well as is Brian Simpson, a regular at Mad House Comedy Club who helps produce the famed Comedy Juice shows. Chunn “through highly animated facial expressions, physical contortions, masterful use of word-play, innuendo and dead on impersonations, tells stories which draw from the hardships of his own life experiences, falling nothing short of hilarious,” Knowles says. “His smart eclectic style breaks through the bounds of ethnic and social division.” Chunn tells stories drawn from hardships of his own life experiences. An African American whose father was adopted by a man of Asian descent. Chunn grew up in Detroit before moving to San Diego and graduating from Patrick Henry High. He has appeared on HBO, FOX, 60 Minutes, Evening at the Improv, and B.E.T. Comic View, winning the producer’s choice award. He has appeared with Harry Belafonte, Roy Ayers, Isaac Hayes, Neal Pointer, Martin Lawrence, Dennis Miller, Tim Allen and Richard Pryor. Simpson, the first feature act, delivers “laugh after laugh with a style that is smart and well planned. Brian Simpson is a dynamic comedian who is destined for comedic greatness,” added Knowles.
EL CAJON COUNCIL APPROVES ALCOHOL RESTRICTIONS FOLLOWING SPIRITED HEARING
By Miriam Raftery August 28, 2013 (El Cajon) – A century ago, one of the first actions of El Cajon’s City Council was to outlaw saloons due to concerns over negative influences of alcohol on the community. Those restrictions were later relaxed. But yesterday, Council once again voted to restrict sales of alcohol, over the objections of local merchants and the East County Chamber of Commerce. By a unanimous vote, Council approved the “deemed approved” ordinance aimed at curbing serial inebriates from purchasing single-serve alcoholic beverages at markets. “We tried voluntary compliance in the past,” Councilman Gary Kendrick told ECM in an interview in January. “Take a walk through El Cajon and you can see it’s not working.” According to Kendrick, about 80 to 85 of the homeless in El Cajon have alcohol or drug dependency—and the city has a police officer who spends 20 percent of his time on alcohol related crime. The ordinance would prohibit new, smaller stores selling alcohol from opening within most areas of the city, allowing such establishments only in areas where the crime rate is lower and where the state says there is room for more alcohol sales. Currently only Fletcher Hills and Granite Hills meet those requirements. The city could, if it chooses, charge a fee for alcohol sales. The law will not apply to bars, restaurants, or largers stores in which alcohol comprises less than 10 percent of sales. Existing smaller stores can continue to sell single-serve alcohol containers, but penalties can be assessed to stores that violate laws prohibiting sale to minors or repeat alcohol offenders. The measure drew opposition from the Neighborhood Market Association. President/CEO Mark Arabo, in a press release sent prior to the decision, sought to “strike a deal” to amend the measure. “We need to find a sensible balance between public safety and maintaining a healthy business climate. We are asking the El Cajon City Council to collaborate with the business community and adopt the changes we have recommended,” he said. “As a lifetime resident of the East County community, I love this city and want only the best for it. Let’s work together and make El Cajon the best city it could be. Let’s strike a deal and bring more jobs to El Cajon!” But Council declined to adopt Arabo’s proposals. Arabo has indicated that a lawsuit may be filed to challenged the ordinance in court, U-T San Diego reported. More than 250 people packing the Council Chambers for a three-hour hearing. City Manager Doug Williford called the measure a “pro-business ordinance,” adding, “Quality businesses are frightened away by misbehaving businesses.” Despite the opposition, Councilman Kendick stood by the measure. When do we say enough is enough?” he asked “When one child’s life is ruined? When 50 mothers check their children into rehab?” He concluded, “Let’s make a change, and a change for the better.”