12 ILLNESSES LINKED TO “SPICE” SYNTHETIC DRUGS
East County News Service November 29, 2015 (San Diego)–Synthetic marijuana known as spice is being blamed for making a dozen people fall ill downtown near Petco Park over the weekend, according to San Diego Police, including two who were hospitalized. Symptoms ranged from vomiting to falling unconscious. Spice is marketed by drug dealers as synthetic marijuana, but actually causes far more serious medical problems than marijuana, which is why California banned sale of spice and other synthetic cannabinoid compounds in 2012. Two arrests have been made in connection with the bad batch of spice, which sickened victims as young as age 13.
SDG&E MOVES AGAINST COMMUNITY CHOICE
By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service Photo credit: Laura Musikanski/Morguefile November 29, 2015 (San Diego)– Environmental organizations are mobilizing to fight one of the state’s three biggest power companies over an issue known as “community choice aggregation,” a movement by cities to create nonprofit agencies to buy and sell power to consumers. San Diego Gas and Electric just announced it is forming a separate marketing entity to lobby against the idea. By law, the utility can’t use ratepayer money for that purpose.Nicole Capretz, executive director of the San Diego-based Climate Action Campaign, says the utility had previously claimed to be neutral on community choice. “They just proved that they’re not neutral at all,” she says. “They talk out of both sides of their mouth. On the one hand they say, ‘Oh, we support the climate plan.’ On the other hand, they’re lobbying against it and trying to take away the right of local governments to take control over their energy future.” In California, community choice electric providers can set rates and decide where to buy power, while utility companies still receive a fee for maintaining the grid. San Francisco starts up its new community choice agency Jan. 1. Pete Hasapopoulos with the Sierra Club’s My Generation campaign says the system is already in place in the city of Lancaster in Los Angeles County, and in Sonoma and Marin counties north of San Francisco. “Where they’re doing it in the other parts of California, they’re delivering more clean energy and even beating the monopolies on rates,” he says. Hasapopoulos adds community choice providers are encouraging more rooftop solar, while the state’s major utilities have asked the Public Utilities Commission to cut the rates they have to pay to customers who generate more power than they use. The city of San Diego has budgeted money for a feasibility study, which should be done by next fall.
SAN DIEGO CHAPTER OF THE CALIFORNIA SPECIAL DISTRICTS ASSOCIATION INITIATES NEW PUBLIC OUTREACH VIDEO CONTEST
December 2, 2015 (La Mesa)–The San Diego Chapter, an affiliate of the California Special Districts Association, is initiating a Video Contest for Middle and High School Students, in an effort to provide educational outreach and awareness of special districts and their role in local government. The one-minute entertaining and creative video will focus on educating the public about “What’s So Special About Special Districts?” Videos can begin to be submitted starting December 1, 2015 and ends March 1, 2016, with four winners in San Diego County to receive $1500 in cash awards to be split between the school and student(s). The Video Contest is to engage our students and teachers about special districts and the videos can be used as public service announcements, websites and television. All details about the contest, including Video Contest Flyer, Rules and Application are all on line at the website www.SanDiegoCSDA.weebly.com. All videos should be submitted by YouTube link and applications uploaded through the website. Any questions on the Video Contest can be directed to the Contest Chair Kathleen Hedberg at kchedberg@cox.net or (619) 994-6900. The San Diego Chapter of California Special District Association represents over 40 Special Districts in San Diego County. The San Diego chapter is an affiliate of the California Special Districts Association which provides legislative advocacy, education and member services for all special districts. The California Special Districts Association (CSDA) is a 501c(6), not-for-profit association that was formed in 1969 to promote good governance and improve core local services through professional development, advocacy, and other services for all types of independent special districts. Special districts are independent public agencies that deliver core local services to communities, such as water, fire protection, parks and recreation, healthcare, sanitation, mosquito abatement, ports, libraries, public cemeteries and more. Districts are established by voters and their funding is approved by voters in order to meet specific needs through focused service. They can be specially molded to serve large regions or small neighborhoods depending on the need. More information about Special Districts can be found on the California Special District website www.csda.net.
FROST ADVISORY
East County News Service November 29, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)–The National Weather Service has issued a frost advisory for chilly weather tonight and Monday night throughTuesday morning, with morning low temperatures in the 20s and 30s and frost likely across much of our inland region. Be sure to cover any cold-sensitive plants and please bring your pets inside to keep them safe.
RAMONA AMONG COMMUNITIES THAT FELL SHORT OF OCTOBER WATER USE GOAL
By Liz Alper December 1, 2015 – Earlier this year, the state of California issued a decree in an effort to conserve water. KUSI reports that overall, San Diegans have done a good job with their water conservation. However, nine cities fell short of their water use goal for the month of October, according to a report released Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board. The community of Ramona is also among those who fell short. The mandates are scheduled to expire in February, but other cities in addition to the nine that missed the bar just barely made it. Ramona’s conservation target was 28 percent. The community just barely missed the mark by conserving 27.7 percent. Overall, the state lowered water usage 22.2 percent from October of 2013, but that did not reach the 25 percent conservation rate that Governor Brown had set.
CROSS-BORDER BRIDGE FROM OTAY TO TIJUANA AIRPORT OPENS DEC. 9
East County News Service December 1, 2015 (Otay Mesa) – On December 9th, a private port of entry called the Cross Border Xpress is set to open in Otay Mesa with a bridge linking the facility to the A.L. Rodriguez International Airport in Tijuana. The Tijuana airport services 4.5 million passengers each year, 60 percent of whom cross the international border. The Cross Border Xpress will be available only to ticketed airline passengers and will be the first border crossing in California to charge a toll: $15 for those who pre-pay at the facility’s website, or $18 for those who pay at the gate. Tickets are slated to go on sale this week at www.CrossBorderXpress.com. The facility aims to help travelers avoid long lines at other border crossings. It includes customs and immigration processing as well as an airline ticket counter, currency exchange, duty-free area and restaurant. Travelers who use the Cross Border Xpress during its first six weeks can receive a 20 percent discount. There will be a permanent 20 percent discount for children ages 2 to 12, with passage free for babies under age 2. Passengers should come prepared to carry or wheel luggage across the bridge, a five-minute walk, though motorized carts will be available for the disabled. The Otay facility will also have shuttle services to San Diego’s airport and downtown area, as well as taxis. Long and short term parking will also be available.
READERS & WRITERS CALENDAR: FROM NOVEMBER 29, 2015
For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to http://SDWriteWay.org This column is also published in the http://EastCountyMagazine.org Readers November 30, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – November 30 (Monday, 12:00 pm) — Warwick’s and Words Alive are proud to be hosting bestselling author of worldwide acclaim Isabel Allende at the San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina. She will present her newest novel, The Japanese Lover. This is a ticketed luncheon in conjunction with Words Alive. From internationally bestselling author Isabel Allende comes an exquisitely crafted love story and multigenerational epic that sweeps from present-day San Francisco to Poland and the United States during WWII. The Japanese Lover is a tender story that explores issues of race and identity, abandonment and reconciliation, and centers on two women: elderly, enigmatic Alma and her caretaker, the younger, devoted Irina, who is hiding a dark past. With an intricate, gripping plot that takes readers inside the US internment camps where Japanese Americans were imprisoned during the war, the novel captures both the horrifying acts and the beautiful deeds of which mankind is capable. Here is Isabel Allende at her masterful best. For more information regarding the event, please contact Warwick’s Books | 7812 Girard Avenue | La Jolla, Ca | 92037 | Ph. (858) 454-0347 |http://www.warwicks.com | November 30 (Monday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick’s is hosting the New York Times bestselling author Kate Morton to present her newest novel, The Lake House.Kate Morton, a native Australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature. She lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia. From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets. Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure… One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined. A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read. For more information regarding the event, please contact Warwick’s Books | 7812 Girard Avenue | La Jolla, Ca | 92037 | Ph. (858) 454-0347 |http://www.warwicks.com | December 1 (Tuesday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick’s is hosting New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais to speak about and sign his new novel, The Promise. Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. His novels have been published in 62 countries and are bestsellers around the world. Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are joined by Suspect heroes LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his German shepherd, Maggie, in the new heart-stopping thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais. Loyalty, commitment, and the fight for justice have always driven Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. If they make a promise, they “keep” it. Even if it could get them killed. When Elvis Cole is secretly hired to find a grief-stricken mother, he’s led to an ordinary house on a rainy night in Echo Park. Only the house isn’t ordinary, and the people hiding inside are a desperate fugitive and a murderous criminal with his own dangerous secrets. As helicopters swirl overhead, Scott and Maggie track the fugitive to this same house, coming face-to-face with Mr. Rollins, a killer who leaves behind a brutally murdered body and enough explosives to destroy the neighborhood. Scott is now the only person who can identify him, but Mr. Rollins has a rule: Never leave a witness alive. For all of them, the night is only beginning. Sworn to secrecy by his client, Elvis finds himself targeted by the police even as Mr. Rollins targets Maggie and Scott. As Mr. Rollins closes in for the kill, Elvis and Joe join forces with Scott and Maggie to follow a trail of lies where no one is who they claim – and the very woman they promised to save might get them all killed. For more information regarding the event, please contact Warwick’s Books | 7812 Girard Avenue | La Jolla, Ca | 92037 | Ph. (858) 454-0347 |http://www.warwicks.com | December 2 (Wednesday, 7:00 pm) — Join us for our annual Publisher Rep Night featuring sales representatives from Penguin Random House and HarperCollins. It’s that time once again for sales representatives from some of the major publishing houses to fill you in on the best new and upcoming books. So on December 2nd remember to bring your reading group and bring your book loving friends and family for a fun night of book recommendations and giveaways! For more information regarding the event, please contact Warwick’s Books | 7812 Girard Avenue | La Jolla, Ca | 92037 | Ph. (858) 454-0347 |http://www.warwicks.com | December 2 (Wednesday, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm) — Adventures by the Book™ is pleased to present OLLI at SDSU: Culture & Cuisine of Persia Lunch Edventure with award-winning San Diego author Zoe Ghahremani at Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine, 5915 Balboa Ave, San Diego CA 92111. OLLI at SDSU Membership is required to attend this event and may be obtained for a nominal fee at the time of registration. About the Event: Adventures by the Book™ is pleased to partner with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Diego State University for a Culture & Cuisine of Persia Luncheon Edventure, featuring Ghahremani, who will share real-life stories in Iran that inspired her novels. Event includes lunch, tax, gratuity, beverage, book discussion, Q&A, book signing, and the opportunity to meet the author up close and personal in an intimate and authentic setting. About the Author: Zoe Ghahremani is the author of three books: Sky of Red Poppies, The Moon Daughter, and The Commiserator (Persian). Her work has been featured in a number of anthologies including Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian-American Writers, A Year