EAST COUNTY HISTORY: READER RECALLS BLIZZARD 65 YEARS AGO
By Miriam Raftery Photo by Nancy Manning: Snow in Descanso in 2012 January 9, 2016 (Descanso) – This week’s snowstorms evoked strong memories for Robert Stille, who wrote to share his recollections from the winter of 1949-50, which he recalls as one of the worst winters on record, at least in modern times. “ I was a kid of 13 that winter in Descanso,” he writes. “We had three feet of snow at Descanso and on up to Cuyamaca and Laguna they had six feet of it. We went up with my dad when the storm first hit, to Harrison Park and evacuated a 9-month pregnant woman and her daughter out of there. It was snowing so hard we barely made it back down to Descanso.” Afterwards, he recalls, “They stayed at our house until the snow melted, a couple of months later, and she had the baby, too. It was an exciting time for my sister and me.” Have a true tale from East County’s past to share? Contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
SENATE DEFEATS ANDERSON EFFORT TO OVERRIDE GOVERNOR’S VETO OF BILL TO CRACK DOWN ON DATE RAPE DRUGS
By Miriam Raftery January 9, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) — Senate Bill 333, a measure that would have made it a felony to possess drugs used for date rape, was vetoed last fall by Governor Jerry Brown. The measure had passed both the Assembly and Senate unanimously. Last Thursday, Senator Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), a coauthor of the bill, called for the Senate to override the Governor’s veto. But the motion failed to receive the two-thirds vote required on the Senate floor. Anderson stated, “Today my colleagues had the opportunity to stand up for women and all rape victims and tell Governor Brown there is nothing human or just about rape, and that we value them more than the cost of incarcerating rapists.” The Governor’s veto message noted that the bill would have created a “new crime—usually by finding a novel way to characterize and criminalize conduct that is already proscribed…Over the last several decades, California’s criminal code has grown to more than 5,000 separate provisions, covering almost every conceivable form of human misbehavior. During the same period, our jail and prison populations have exploded.” Governor’s Brown’s veto message said we should ‘reflect on how our system of criminal justice could be made more human, more just, and more cost-effective.’ The measure was one of several bills vetoed by the Governor that would have created new felony crimes or extended prison sentences for current crimes after federal courts ordered California to reduce prison overcrowding. SB 333 was introduced by Senator Galgiani (D-Stockton), and principal coauthors: Senators Anderson and Vidak and Assembly Members Cooper and Lackey, and 14 other Senate and Assembly coauthors. SB 333 had overwhelming bipartisan support passing the Senate 39-0 and the Assembly 78-0. Other bills vetoed by Governor Brown that would have increased the prison population include measures that would have required fugitive sex offenders to spend up to three years in prison, made it a felony for police to alter or delete video evidence, and made theft of a gun or bringing ammunition onto school grounds misdemeanors punishable by up to three years in prison. Veto overrides are a rare occurrence. The last successful veto override was of Governor Jerry Brown way back in 1980, 36 years ago. Senator Anderson called upon the Women’s Caucus to join him in the override. “Within the context of national attention on the Bill Cosby case, it is unconscionable that the Governor and the State legislators prefer to stand with the predators rather than their victims,” said Anderson. Anderson pledged, “As Vice Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, I will continue to fight for victims and oppose any and all predators who use date rape drugs.” Watch Anderson’s floor speech here: https://youtu.be/MYmA_hJY9_w (link is external) Read the Governor’s veto message here: https://www.gov.ca.gov/docs/SB_333_Veto_Message.pdf
TIMETABLE SET FOR ALPINE HIGH SCHOOL LAWSUIT
East County News Service January 9, 2016 (Alpine) – In a court hearing this morning, Judge Joel Pressman approved the following timetable for the Alpine high school trial: January 28, 2016: GUHSD & Alpine will both submit their intentions regarding the scope of the trial including the issues they would like the Judge to consider during the trial. February 4, 2016: A status conference will be held to finalize the trial issues and to set the trial schedule and length of the trial. April 8, 2016: Tentative trial start date. Both sides will appear, ready to begin trial that date. However, trial may actually not start until the following Monday, April 11. April 11 – 22, 2016: Tentative dates set aside for trial. Court is only held M – Th, so if the trial extends past Thursday, April 14, it would resume on Monday, April 18 and could extend through that week. At stake is whether or not the Grossmont district will be required to turn over bond funds to build a high school for Alpine.
COURT RULES AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP OVER SOITEC SOLAR PROJECT IN BOULEVARD
East County News Service January 9, 2016 (Boulevard) – Efforts to block the massive Rugged Solar project in Boulevard appear to have hit a dead end. On December 11th, Judge Wohlfeil confirmed his tentative ruling to dismiss a writ of mandate filed by Backcountry Against Dumps (BAD). The challenge claimed the project violated California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements on groundwater and fire issues, among others. “BAD has chosen not to appeal based on a variety of issues and realities,” BAD founder Donna Tisdale told East County Magazine. Our attorney may never see the fee award ordered by Judge Wohlfeil, or a final decision could be strung out for years.” Judge Wohlfeil’s December 15th order awarded over $500,000 in attorney fees to BAD’s attorneys at the law offices of Stephan C. Volker, over objections from Soitec and the County. The County and Soitec have 60 days to file an appeal. Previously, a challenge by BAD was successful in forcing removal of large battery storage units from the project, which were added after public comment and environmental review had closed. The County Supervisors approved the project, with Supervisor Dianne Jacob voting against it. Rugged Solar was one of four industrial-scale projects originally proposed by Soitec in the Boulevard area. Only two were ultimately permitted by the County: The Rugged Solar project on land owned by the Hamann Companies and related nonprofits at Rough Acres Ranch at the gateway to the McCain Valley federal recreation area, and Tierra Del Sol solar on land owned by Joe Brown and family. Soitec still holds permits and has reportedly been seeking buyers for the projects. Tisdale voiced disappointed in the judge’s decision to allow Rugged Solar to move forward. “Our arguments that Soitec has exited the CPV solar business and sold off their local factory, negating claims of manufacturing job benefits in the Statement of Overriding Considerations, fell on deaf ears at the Board of Supervisor’s hearing and in the court room. Over $35 million in state and federal tax-payer funding went to Soitec with basically one ugly and invasive CPV project in Borrego Springs and another in South Africa to show for it,” she said. The Boulevard Planning Group minutes provide additional project / issue updates through December 3rd.
18 INCHES OF SNOW ON MT. LAGUNA
East County News SErvice January 9, 2016 (Mt. Laguna) – The totals from this week’s storm are now complete–and Mt. Laguna received a full foot and a half of snow. If you’re looking for a snow play day, today’s a good option. However a new storm is due in this evening and early in the morning, though it will be lighter, dropping less than an inch of precipitation in most areas. Click here to view snow and rainfall totals for areas across our region from the National Weather Service: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=sgx&sid=SGX&pil=RRM. To view more images from local HP Wren web cameras run by the University of California San Diego, such as the image at left, visit http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/. Readers, please send us your snow photos from other areas in East County such as Julian and Pine Valley! Photos can be e-mailed to editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
“AROUND MT. HELIX” LA MESA HISTORICAL SOCIETY ROUNDTABLE JAN. 16
By Miriam Raftery January 8, 2016 (Mt. Helix) – Author and La Mesa Historical Society President James Newland will make a presentation on his new book, Around Mt. Helix, on Saturday, January 16th at 10 a.m. The event will be held in the Grossmont Healthcare District auditorium at 9001 Wakarusa Street in La Mesa. Newland will cover some of the interesting aspects of this natural and cultural landmark, and the communities that surround this iconic pinnacle. Books will be available for sale and signing.
HOMICIDE IN FLINN SPRINGS
East County News Service January 8, 2016 (Flinn Springs) — Bren Fisher, 64, was found dead in his home yesterday morning. The Medical Examiner determined cause of death was blunt force trauma and the case has been ruled a homicide, said Lt. Kenneth Nelson with the Sheriff’s department. Sheriff’s deputies from the Alpine station responded to a call to assist the fire department after Fisher’s body was found with visible signs of trauma to the upper body inside the home at 9974 Bridon Road in the Flinn Springs, a community in unincorporated El Cajon. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321/after hours at (858) 565-5200. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.