A HAUNTING EVENING
East County News Service October 31, 2015 (La Mesa) — Thanks to all who turned out for our Masquerade party on Halloween Eve! Our guests went all out on costumes, also enjoying the wonderful music of Paul Nichols. When Paul played “Monster Mash,” the night came alive as our elaborately costumed guests took to the dance floor and vied for prizes. Our staff regaled guests with some spooky ghost stories–all based on local legends right here in East County, from a ghostly ship in the desert to a phantom white horse and more. (Watch for an audio version of these tales to be posted soon.) We also had some “celebrity” guests pop in, including Donald and Ivana Trump, Mother Nature and more: Some had fantasy costumes…such as a unicorn, others came as super heroes: There were some cute couples, too! Our host and hostess dressed as Medeival tavern keepers and served up hearty fare, with help from Hooley’s, Grove Pastry Shop, and readers who shared some favorite treats: And a delightfully haunting time was had by all!
RAMONA ART AND WINE FESTIVAL: NOV. 7
November 1, 2015 (Ramona) – This year’s Ramona Art and Wine Festival will feature 15 local wineries, artists, vendors and chefs on November 7 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at a new, expanded location at Begent Ranch (18528 Highland Valley Road, Ramona). Hand-painted barrels will be auctioned to benefit the Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project, a 501c3 nonprofit. This 3rd annual event has sold out in the past, so early reservations are recommended. Click here for VIP & General Admission Tickets
PALA REZ RADIO RECEIVES PRESS CLUB AWARDS
October 31, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Pala Rez Radio 91.3 has again been honored by the San Diego Press Club with awards from their Excellence in Journalism competition for 2015. “Pala Today News at Noon” won for Best Radio Newscast for the fourth consecutive year. Pala Today airs most Mondays through Fridays for a half hour at noon. The program includes local North County and Temecula Valley news, National Native News, sports, business, weather, environmental and lifestyle features and the community calendar for Pala and surrounding communities. Rez Radio operates the only North County-based broadcast news department. “Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site” won for Best Radio Interview and Best Call-in/Talk Show for the third year in a row. Galaxy airs Wednesdays at 12:30p with a repeat Sundays at 1:30p. In the 4 ½ years of its existence, Rez Radio has earned a total of 12 San Diego Press Club awards and been recognized one additional time by the RTNA’s Golden Mic awards. Rez Radio 91.3 is owned and operated by the Pala Band of Mission Indians and based in Pala, CA. We stream live 24/7 on iHeartRadio, TuneIn.com, and at the link below. Questions and comments about Rez Radio may be directed to station manager, John Fox – jfox@palatribe.com or 760 742 4200.
OIL PIPELINES ACROSS TRIBAL LAND
By Leon Thompson October 31, 2015 (White Earth Minnesota) – Tar Sands the filthiest, most carbon intensive oil on the planet from Canada and North Dakota are slated to cross Northern Minnesota, targeting sites significant to Native American communities and public lands treasured by people across America and around the world. The proposal called the “Sandpiper” would establish a new energy corridor through the lake and wild rice country of Northern Minnesota, moving up to l.4 million barrels of oil a day across the state, with more pipelines expected to be added in the future. On September 14, 2015 in a unanimous 3-0 decision, the Minnesota Court of Appeals revoked the Certificate of Need for the Sandpiper pipeline and required the Minnesota Public Utility Commission (PUC) to complete a full Environmental Impact Statement before proceeding with the permitting process. The Court found that the lack of an EIS constituted a violation of the Minnesota Environmental Protection Act. However, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson filed an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn the ruling. Northern Minnesota is home to the Anishinaabe who are Chippewa, Ojibwa and Cree. The White Earth Reservation was set aside as a homeland for the Anishinaabe. The White Earth reservation is the headwaters of the Mississippi River, a refuge for timber wolves, free range buffalo and Mahnoman (wild rice) the “food that grows on water” promised to the Anishinaabe by the Great Spirit. The Court of Appeals found that the PUC was making decisions without following state law because it did not take into account the environmental justice impacts of building new pipelines. The PUC process is flawed because it relies on a self-serving environmental document prepared by Enbridge (the contractor) and a review by the Department of Commerce that glosses over the risks of building a new pipeline corridor across our most pristine lakes and wild rice beds and the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Amazingly, the PUC does not consider the full impacts of pipeline construction and likely oil spills on wild rice and disregards tribal governments and Native peoples by refusing to hold hearings within tribal communities. The 1855 Treaty Authority gives the Tribes fishing, hunting and gathering rights and the responsibility to care for the environment. “Our responsibility as the people here is to take care of that land and to take care of that rice and to take care of everything the Creator gave us,” said Winona LaDuke, a White Earth tribal member and two-time Green Party vice presidential candidate. “The issue is, how are you going to be able to eat your rice if there’s oil in it?” “The AG’s attack shows that she does not think that the state should prepare an Environmental Impact Statement when it determines the need for a pipeline. Apparently, her position is that the state should not consider the climate change impacts of importing more of the most carbon intensive oil on the planet, from the Bakken in North Dakota and the Tar Sands of Canada, much less fully consider alternatives to this dirty fuel, such as more fuel-efficient vehicles or renewable energy.” Given the impact that oil pipelines have on Minnesota’s and the world’s environment, why would Minnesota’s Attorney General think that a full environmental review is not necessary? As in Minnesota, Apache Leap in Arizona and East County San Diego the battle to save our Mother Earth from exploitation and extreme extraction is raging in Indian Country her first line of defense.
FREE SAND AND BAGS: PREPARE FOR EL NINO RAINS
October 31, 2015 (San Diego)–Not only are weather forecasters predicting the chance of showers next week, we’re also heading into our much-anticipated El Niño season — which could mean a lot more rainfall than we’ve seen for a long time. That means this could be a great time to pick up some free sandbags to help you prepare. As it has for several years, the County of San Diego is offering free sand and bags to residents in unincorporated communities — but now at more places than ever before. The County has added six new fire stations to its list, meaning residents can get sand and bags at 15 locations. More locations are scheduled to be added in the coming weeks. Just bring a shovel and you’ll be good to go. Because the entire state has been dealing with a historic drought, the increased rains that El Niño is expected to bring could also mean increased risks of flooding and soil erosion — especially in places that are not covered by lawns, trees, shrubs and plants. Water runoff, mud and debris that are swept downstream by rains can damage homes, clog storm drains and culverts and flood and damage roadways. If people have slopes on their properties, they can use mulch or terrace the slopes and plant groundcovers and shrubs to keep them from eroding. As potential El Niño rains approach, the County has put together numerous recommendations for how people can prepare, including: looking around their properties to see if they are in flood-prone areas or near a hillsides with little or dead vegetation that could allow erosion; checking the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s resources atReadySanDiego.org. People can also check our “How to Be El Niño Ready” story on the County News Center. The locations to get free sand and bags are: Alpine Fire Protection District, Station 17, 1364 Tavern Road (Bags ONLY) Bonita/Sunnyside Fire Department, 4900 Bonita Road Boulevard Fire and Rescue, 40080 Ribbonwood Road De Luz: CAL FIRE Station 16, 39431 DeLuz Road De Luz: De Luz Volunteer Fire Department Station 18, 39524 Daily Road Dulzura: CAL FIRE Station 30, 17304 Highway 94 El Cajon: San Miguel Fire Department Station 28, 1811 Sunset Blvd. Fallbrook: North County Fire Protection District, Station 4, 4375 Pala Mesa Drive Julian: CAL FIRE Station 50, 1587 Highway 78, Julian Palomar Mountain: Palomar Mountain Fire Department Station 79, 21610 Crestline Road Pauma Valley-Rincon: CAL FIRE Station 70, 16971 Highway 76 Ramona: CAL FIRE Station 81, 24462 San Vicente Road Ramona: CAL FIRE Station 82, 3410 Dye Road Valley Center: CAL FIRE Station 73, 28205 North Lake Wohlford Road Warner Springs: Sunshine Summit Volunteer Fire Department Station 59, 35227 Hwy 79. For more information, check the County Department of Public Works’ Storm and Road Events update Web page; the County Office of Emergency Services Flooding Preparedness Facts and Resource Web page; and ReadySanDiego.org.
BAJA BLOG: SIRENA, THE MERMAID HOUSE IN PUERTO NUEVO, BAJA
By Susan A Mahalick Photos by Zoë Jussel or Armando Muñoz November 1, 2015 (Baja, Mexico) – “About an hour from the border, just south of Rosarito, Mexico, one can find a rare creature: a mermaid. Never mind that she’s made out of concrete and rebar. She doesn’t emerge from the ocean, but she provides a home and business for her maker. KPBS culture reporter Angela Carone visits the world’s only naked mermaid house,” KPBS reported. I visited with Armando Munoz and a friend of his, Zoë Jussel, on a gorgeous winter afternoon. We toured the structure which is way taller up close than it looks in the above video. Armando also has a sculpture of a 55’ woman in Tijuana, not where you would expect it to be at a cultural center or museum, but instead in a rundown neighborhood. He has no formal training as a sculptor and it has taken 19 or 20 years to get it to this point. Originally the city of Mexicali was going to fund the project but that never happened. He ended up selling a piece of property he owned in Tijuana to get started. It has taken so many years as funds need to be gathered to get to the next stage which is a common way to build in this part of Mexico. Armando is as charming as he can be, claiming to love women of all shapes and sizes. He asks, “What is more beautiful than a woman?” He got my attention with that question. Besides being an artist, he also is a chef and uses La Sirena for dining. He is planning an art opening for figures that are copies of his famous La Sirena done in conjunction with a San Diego artist that dress the form in whimsical and well known female figures like the Statue of Liberty, Wonder Woman, Joan of Arc and movie stars. The figures will sell for around $650 each and about 30 are completed. Sirena can be seen from the free road from Rosarito to Ensenada in Puerto Nuevo. Get directions when you contact him. Get ready for a pleasant and unique experience as you visit this much written about but little visited treasure that is poised to become more famous with both Armando’s charm and culinary capabilities. It is a great place for an event if you want to enjoy a special and unique venue. Armando can be contacted at: https://www.facebook.com/armando.munoz.79230?fref=pb&hc_location=friends_tab&pnref=friends.all Susan A Mahalick has written for the Baja Times, ezine.com and the Secretary of Tourism. She has a book on Amazon called My Gold Coast—Baja, A Practical Guide, 3rd edition. The paperback version is out and as well as the Kindle version.