CLOWNING AROUND: HEAR OUR INTERVIEW WITH LAKESIDE’S RODEO CLOWN
April 25, 2014 (Lakeside) — Ever wonder what compels someone to become a rodeo clown — running in front of a charging bull? Mark and Cory Clement set out to find out in the debut edition of their new radio feature, “Wildest Jobs.” Hear a podcast of their entertaining and exclusive interview with a prominent rodeo clown at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, which originally aired today on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM. https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/audio/2019/August/RodeoClown-final.mp3 The East County Magazine show on KNSJ airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5-6 p.m. and reruns Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. Have an idea for an interview or story? Contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
HIGH WIND WARNING ISSUED AS STORM SWEEPS INTO REGION
By Miriam Raftery April 25, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for mountains and deserts in San Diego County and other inland areas in Southern California. Dangerous gusts of 70 miles per hour or more are possible. The warning is in effect today through Saturday evening. Rain is also forecast, along with snow at elevations over 4,500 feet. Southwest to west winds across the region are forecast for late this afternoon, turning northwest early Saturday morning and slowly weakening. In desert areas, watch for blowing dust obscuring visibility. Travel may be difficult for high profile vehicles, especially along I-8 through San Diego’s East County. Watch for debris and broken tree limbs on roadways. Weather should improve by Monday, when sunshine is expected to return. Sign up to receive free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts via email at the top right side of our homepage, and you can also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine. You can also follow ViejasAlerts on Twitter for brief text alerts on your mobile phone. We recommend all of the above, since you don’t know what form of communications will work in a major regional emergency.
IRAQI ELECTIONS APRIL 30; LOCAL VOTING APRIL 27 & 28 IN EL CAJON
By Miriam Raftery April 25, 2014 (El Cajon) – Iraq will hold elections for parliamentary offices including Prime Minister on April 30. All Iraqi-born people living in the U.S. are eligible to vote, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce announced today. Locally, eligible voters can cast their ballots on April 27-28 at the Crystal Ballroom, 414 North Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon from 12-2 p.m. “This is arguably the biggest election since the fall of Saddam Hussein due to the unique circumstance of post-troop withdraw and immense violence,” said Ben Kalasho, president of the Chamber. Leading candidates for Prime Minister include incumbent Nouri Al-Maliki, Dr. Ayad Allawi, and a Chaldean/Assyrian candidate, Younadam Yousip Kanna. “The Chaldean community is split among these three,” Kalasho noted.Al-Maliki and Allawi, both Muslims, appeal to Iraqis with strong business ties and property ownership in Iraq, while Kanna appeals to nationalistic-minded Chaldeans and those who aim to see Christian Chaldeans have a voice in the Parliament. The Chamber has taken a neutral stance on the elections, not endorsing candidates. For more information, visit www.ChaldeanAmericanChamber.com or call 619-244-6220.
MASSIVE CRIMINAL GANG SWEEP NABS DOZENS, INCLUDING EAST COUNTY DEFENDANTS
Charges include execution-style murders, racketeering, gun-running and drug smuggling involving El Cajon High School students East County News Service April 25, 2014 (San Diego)—U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy today unsealed a complaint revealing charges filed against 35 people, including many alleged members and associates of the West Coast Crips criminal street gang. The defendants, include many from East County. They face charges of participating in three drug- and gun-related conspiracies, including one that alleges a racketeering enterprise with execution-style murders, a takeover-style robbery, high-speed chases, witness intimidation and other acts of violence. In addition, the District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ office announced it will file charges against 22 defendants in a parallel investigation involving crimes such as robbery, drug sales, and illegal firearm possession and sales. Before dawn on April 24, a contingent of more than 500 local, state and federal law enforcement officials hit dozens of locations around the county looking for defendants, guns and drugs. Thirty-two federal defendants and 19 state defendants have been arrested, though four federal defendants remain at large. During searches over the course of the yearlong investigation, authorities have seized more than 16 firearms, including sawed-off shotguns, pistols and revolvers, many rounds of ammunition plus 4.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 4,400 pounds of marijuana and $300,000 in counterfeit bills. Randy Alton Graves, the lead defendant in the racketeering case, was arrested late Thursday in Las Vegas. According to the racketeering complaint, Graves was overheard on court-authorized wiretaps discussing his connections to past killings and his status as a “G,” or senior member. “I know I got 5, 6 bodies…I got 35 years in and ain’t been around here flexing my muscle cause I’m a G and everybody respects me.” In another call quoted in the complaint, Graves expressed fear that a female gang associate was going to talk to police about a murder committed by West Coast Crip members. “You run your mouth, you die, period. You run and hide, we get the next closest thing to you, period, no ifs ands or buts.” The federal racketeering statute known as “RICO” historically has been used to prosecute mobsters and organized crime, but federal prosecutors have been using the statute on street gangs in recent years because they are increasingly acting as organized, sophisticated criminal enterprises. The federal RICO complaint charges 17 alleged members and associates of the West Coast Crips and describes a criminal enterprise that has committed five murders, numerous attempted murders, armed robberies, high speed chases and other violent crimes, as well as prostitution, money laundering and importation and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. Two other complaints charge 12 and 6 people, respectively, with methamphetamine trafficking conspiracies and firearms offenses. The 12-defendant complaint alleges that for at least a period of time last fall, a methamphetamine source-of-supply was using El Cajon Valley High School students to smuggle methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico. The six-defendant complaint alleges that members of the WCC and 5/9 Brim gangs worked together to conduct their methamphetamine and other trafficking activities. The five murders alleged in the RICO conspiracy equate to about ONE-THIRD of all gang-related murders in the city of San Diego in 2013 – and about 13 percent of the overall murder tally in the entire city. U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said, “Today’s RICO charges can be viewed as nothing less than a virtual wrecking ball crashing into the ruthless, ultra-violent West Coast Crips, a gang that has been a scourge on San Diego communities for far too long, This violent gang culture has spilled over into our communities with public acts of violence, high-speed chases and the recruitment of kids to be drug couriers. With these charges, we are restoring some peace to our residents.” District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis stated, “Working cooperatively with our law enforcement partners, we shut down a significant arm of this violent street gang today, pulling dozens of its members off the streets in one coordinated sweep. The DA’s Gangs Division is proud to participate in targeted operations like this one. It’s an approach that’s working and is disrupting some of San Diego’s most violent gangs.” San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge, Daphne Hearn, commented, “Today’s arrests and charges are the result of two long term multi-agency investigations conducted by two FBI Safe Streets Task Forces, specifically the Violent Crimes Task Force – Gang Group and the East County Regional Gang Task Force. Dedicated personnel from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies worked in unison to go after violent street gang members and associates who pose a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to restore safety and security to our neighborhoods.” She added, “This is a true collaborative effort by all involved and I am extremely proud of the investigators who made this happen. Many of the offenders arrested today have gang ties to the City of San Diego. This operation combined with continued enforcement will have a positive impact on all of our neighborhoods.” According to the U.S. Attorney, the West Coast Crips gang has been around for more than 30 years and claims several hundred members. The gang claims territory with borders roughly defined by Interstate 94 to the north, National Avenue to the South, Interstate 5 on the West and Interstate 15 on the east. Membership can be gained through family connections. Or, some are inducted through acts of violence. All are expected to put in “work,” which in gang jargon means committing criminal acts when asked to. The West Coast Crips is a hierarchical organization with seniority based on a member’s age. The oldest are referred to as Original Gangsters, or OGs, mostly in their 40s and 50s. They call the shots. They supply younger gang members with guns and drugs and let the youngsters to their dirty work. The “homies” are in their 30s and early 40s. They’ve already put in the “work” for the gang and
BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL CELEBRATES NEW BUTTERFLY PAVILION AT THE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN
By Ariele Johannson Butterfly Pavilion is still open for viewing April 24, 2014 (Rancho San Diego)–The Butterfly Festival at the Water Conservation Garden marked the opening of their new Dorcas E. Utter Memorial Butterfly Pavilion on Saturday, April 5th, 2014. The celebration involved participants traveling through the pleasant maze of The Garden with a Pollinator Parade led by Miss Metamorphosis. The event also featured a butterfly-habitat plant sale, face painting, animal encounter, Miss Smarty Plants, a butterfly laboratory, kids’ arts, and crafts, live music; and of course, the new Butterfly Pavilion. Guests were given times to visit the pavilion every 15 minutes, so that each group was limited and could roam freely among the plants and butterflies. The pavilion itself is adorned on the outside with striking colored glass. Inside there is a whole separate garden with flower beds, potted plants, ornaments, and live butterflies, all protected in a lovely glass enclosure. The Butterfly Pavilion is named after the late Dorcas Utter ((1924-2007). According to the Water Conservation’s website, Dorcas “was one of The Garden’s most beloved docents. She was an avid nature-lover who gave tours of The Garden with her seeing-eye dog, Sharla, by her side. She created and managed The Garden’s first volunteer training program, and most weekends she and Sharla could be found welcoming visitors at The Garden’s front entrance.” The mission of the Butterfly Pavilion is to provide butterfly and habitat encounters that allow visitors to learn about the importance of butterflies in the ecosystem, their lifecycle, and how humans can help sustain their populations using water-saving plants. It seems that everyone loves butterflies for their colorful, fragile, and ethereal nature. In some traditions, the butterfly is the symbol of the soul due to its metamorphosis from the body of the caterpillar to the chrysalis to the beauteous and delicate butterfly. In practical terms, butterflies are second only to bees as important pollinator of our plants. In this way, they contribute in an essential way to humans and wildlife, helping to sustain us. Butterflies also serve as indicators of a healthy environment. They thrive here in San Diego on many of the water-conserving plants that are featured at the Water Conservation Garden. Unfortunately, the monarch butterflies are one of the butterfly populations that have been affected by the encroachment of developing towns and cities. The main food of the monarch is the milkweed plant. The folks at the Water Conservation Garden hope that the new Butterfly Pavilion will educate people about how butterfly populations are declining, as well as how to create butterfly gardens and habitats that can actually contribute to bringing back healthy butterfly populations. There are six butterfly species included in the Butterfly Pavilion for visitors to enjoy. These butterflies include the Gulf Fritillary, the Monarch, the California Dogface, the Red Admiral, the Anise Swallowtail, and the Mourning Cloak. The Water Conservation Garden or The Garden is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is by suggested donation. The Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon, California 92019 Tel: (619) 660-0614 info@TheGarden.org
OVERSIGHT OF SCHOOLS’ WEBSITES LACKING, GRAND JURY FINDS
By Miriam Raftery April 23, 2014 (San Diego)—San Diego Unified School District should require all schools to use its website content system, a San Diego Grand Jury report titled “Can we please get on the same page?” issued today advised. The report concluded that many San Diego city schools have set up independent websites outside of the school district’s management structure, leaving the San Diego Unified School District little or no say on the websites’ content or how they are used. In fact, private foundations control many of the sites, acting as school website administrators who do all of the on-line updating of the content. Foundations operate autonomously outside of the District’s established policies and procedures, even accepting commercial paid advertising on the school sites. In some cases advertisers have solicited the students’ for personal information, the Grand Jury report revealed. The San Diego Unified School District provides access to a content management system known as Schoolwires Centricity for all of its schools free of charge. However, not all the SDUSD schools utilize the system. The Grand Jury recommends that the District require all schools to use the District-endorsed content management system and not permit advertising on the school websites.