BOOK REVIEW: 100 THINGS PADRES FANS SHOULD KNOW & DO BEFORE THEY DIE
100 Things Padres Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, by Kirk Kenney (Triumph Books, Chicago, Illinois, 2016, 269 pages). By Dennis Moore May 3, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Baseball has been called “America’s Pastime,” and for those who have played or enjoyed watching the game as I have, they will absolutely fall in love with the book by Kirk Kenney; 100 Things Padres Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. With a foreword by former San Diego Padres’ pitcher Randy Jones, this book resurrected many of my childhood memories and dreams about actually playing in the Major Leagues. Kenney has been a sportswriter for the San Diego Union-Tribune since 1985. He graduated from San Diego State, where he majored in business and minored in journalism. He lives in San Diego. Veteran sportswriter Kenney combines his knowledge and passion for all things Padres to produce a thoughtful, ranked list of 100 most memorable moments, colorful personalities and must-do activities that make up the Padres experience. From the lows of the inaugural 110 loss season to the World Series teams and everything in between, 100 Things Padres Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die has something for every fan. Highlights include: A heartfelt foreword from Padres Hall of Fame member and former All-Star pitcher Randy Jones; The incredible performance of Steve Garvey in the ’84 playoffs, including the walk-off homerun later voted the greatest sports moment in San Diego history; A detailed look at the history and origin of the San Diego Chicken; How to make the most of a trip to Padres spring training in Peoria, AZ; A look behind the scenes at how the team was given the name “Padres”; A trip down memory lane, looking back at Dock Ellis’s no hitter against the Padres thrown while under the influence of LSD. Kenney’s book is replete with memorable photos of Hall of Fame and legendary figures in baseball, such as Tony Gwynn, Nate Colbert, Willie McCovey, Trevor Hoffman and Matt kemp. Being a student of the game myself, and actually playing baseball as a child, I actually know all of the players that Kenney writes about in his book, and especially having gone to a number of games at Petco Park. I lived and breathed baseball as a child, and the only thing that kept me from being a major league player was contracting a bone disease (osteomyelitis) when I was around 8-years old. I was devastated by the fact that this would preempt me from playing the game I loved, but my consolation was that the Hall of Fame player for the New York Yankees, Mickey Mantle, contracted the same disease and flourished as a player. There are many memorable passages in Kenney’s book, one of which is “Matt Kemp’s Cycle.” Kenney points out that; “It seemed like everyone but Kemp knew the Padres were the only team in the majors that never had a batter hit for the cycle or a pitcher throw a no-hitter.” For those baseball novices, hitting for the cycle means getting a single, double, triple and home run in the same game. The first cycle in Padres history, it only took the better part of 47 years and 7,444 games to do it, and occurred on August 14, 2015 at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. Another feat and milestone was Nate Colbert hitting a record-tying five home runs against the Atlanta Braves on August 1, 1972, and collecting 13 RBIs to set a major league record (tied by St. Louis’ Mark Whiten in 1993). Ironically, in 1954, St. Louis first baseman Stan Musial had earlier set the major league record when he hit five home runs in a doubleheader against the visiting New York Giants. Kenney points out in his book, that Colbert would later state: “Stan Musial was my idol, I used to imitate his stance. I put (Musial’s) number six on everything….To tie him, it meant a lot.” Again, being a student of the game, having lived and breathed it as a child, I knew all of this. As a matter of fact, I have always been a St. Louis Cardinals fan from my early youth until this very day. Padres first baseman Willie McCovey brought some much-needed star power to the lineup when the Padres acquired him from the San Francisco Giants following the 1973 season. I recall quite vividly McCovey playing in the World Series for the San Francisco Giants against the New York Yankee, and hitting that line drive to 2nd baseman Bobby Richardson of the Yankees as the final out in that thrilling series win for the Yankees. I was just a little kid at the time, living and breathing baseball. The passage in Kenney’s book; “Tony Talks with Ted”, is perhaps the most interesting and intriguing of the highlights in the book, as two of the greatest hitters of all time, Tony Gwynn and Ted Williams, are pictured sitting together and discussing hitting a baseball. If there is any truth to “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words”, that picture and story by Kenney speaks volumes. Gwynn, who has been hailed as the greatest hitter of his generation, a genius with the bat who was in the middle of a career in which he would average .338 and collect eight batting titles, sat before Ted Williams who has been considered by some as the greatest hitter of all time, and was peppered by Williams with questions about how he approached the art of hitting a baseball. I would have loved to have been a “fly on the wall” in that discussion! The profile of Padres player Dave Winfield, starting from his time as a University of Minnesota basketball player, to becoming one of the most accomplished athletes of all time, is also a noteworthy passage in Kenney’s book. Kenney’s book provides a rich tapestry and pictorial history of the San Diego Padres baseball team and its iconic Petco Park
MAYOR PROPOSES NEW CLIMATE PLAN
By Liz Alper May 3, 2016 (San Diego) – On Monday, Mayor Kevin Faulconer released a report outlining his plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in San Diego and to create renewable energy sources, KUSI reports. The $130 million plan requests that San Diego run on 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2035. It also aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half. “I’m proud that our climate action plan will help our communities thrive and create the green jobs of tomorrow,” Faulconer said in a speech on Monday in Mission Beach. “This plan ensures that San Diego stays on track to meet state targets to significantly reduce greenhouse gases by 2050…this is a plan for creating economic opportunity for every San Diego family and community.” The plan is a proposal for the 2017 fiscal year.
POSTERS AT SDSU ALLEGE TIES TO TERRORISM BY SOME MUSLIM STUDENTS, SPARKING PROTESTS
East County News Service Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News May 3, 2016 (San Diego) — Muslim student groups at San Diego State University are calling for action after posters appeared on campus claiming certain Muslim students are allied with Palestinian terrorists and anti-Semitism. The posters were the works of the David Horowitz Freedom Center in Los Angeles and named seven students by name along with the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement described as a “Hamas-inspired genocidal campaign to destroy Israel, the world’s first Jewish state.” BDS has called on companies to boycott Israel and on its “Who Profits” websites, names and shames Israeli companies and individuals doing business in disputed terroritories and denouncing what it considers military excesses by Israel. But now some of its members and advocates are raising objections to pro-Israel groups using similar tactics. Advocates of the Horowitz Freedom Center’s flyers contend that their posters name and shame certain pro-Palestinian activists to hold them accountable for anti-Semitic hate speech, joining or speaking at rallies advocating elimination of the Israeli state and for alleged financial or other ties to officially recognized terrorist groups. Jewish activists at Canary Mission have set up a website documenting individuals spreading anti-Semitism. Congress has a;sp heard testimony documenting ties between Hamas and leaders of the BDS movement. Horowitz has been invited to speak this week at SDSU by a Republican students group that has indicated it will go forward with the event and not give in to pressures it views as bullying tactics. At a recent demonstration, pro-Muslim protesters blocked SDSU president Hirshman, who is Jewish, from exiting his vehicle for a full hour, until police intervened to protect Hirshman.(Photo, right, from Students for Justice in Palestine Facebook page) San Diego State President Elliot Hirshman, in a meeting with students groups on Monday, including Associated Students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Muslim Student Association. Afterwards the school issued a statement indicated that the parties agreed to “undertake a review of university policies to insure we are balancing freedom of expression and protection from harassment.” Some students called on Hirshman to outright denounce the posters, as UCLA’s president did when similar ones surfaced there. But others praised the Horowitz Center’s efforts to protect Jewish students on campus and stop what they view as incitement to hatred of Jews amid growing global anti-Semitic violence.
RENTERS WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVEMENTS TO SMOKE DETECTORS
By Molly Kirkland May 3, 2016 (San Diego) — Not long ago, I spoke with a renter who told me about some trouble he was having with a smoke detector in his San Diego apartment. The device was installed on the ceiling just outside a bathroom, and unless the bathroom door was securely shut, the steam from a hot shower would set off the alarm. This resident said he and his roommates had resorted to covering the hypersensitive smoke detector with tape and a paper towel. Please, don’t try this at home! California law requires landlords to install and maintain smoke detectors in rental properties, and for good reason: Smoke detectors are one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save lives and protect property in the event of a fire. But since fires happen so rarely, most residents’ interactions with their smoke detectors are more likely to be false alarms from burnt popcorn or incessant chirping from a battery that needs to be replaced. If you’re having trouble with a smoke detector that is too sensitive or needs a new battery, don’t bother trying to fix it yourself. Call your landlord or property manager and ask for their help. Not only is it their job to keep the smoke detectors in good working order, it’s also in their own best interest to protect the investment they have made in the property. They will be happy to come in and make any adjustments necessary. In the past couple of years, California has adopted some additional laws that should make it even less likely that you’ll have a problem with a smoke detector. Beginning this year, when a landlord replaces a smoke alarm, they must replace it with an alarm that has a “hush” or silencing feature. This allows the resident to press a button that easily turns the alarm off if there’s not actually a fire — no more furiously fanning the device with a towel or removing the battery to get the alarm to turn off. The law now also requires that new battery-powered smoke detectors come with a battery that cannot be replaced or removed; the battery must be able to power the smoke detector for a minimum of 10 years. This should make it far less likely that you’ll ever hear chirping from an alarm that needs a new battery. The new laws allow landlords to keep their existing smoke detectors in place as long as they are still in working condition, so renters will likely see this new generation of devices appear gradually rather than all at once. Smoke detectors are now also required in each bedroom or sleeping unit. Your landlord will periodically come inspect detectors to make sure they are properly maintained. Despite the occasional annoyance, smoke detectors serve a vital purpose for both renters and landlords. Keep them in good working order and you’ll be in good shape in case of a real emergency. —Molly Kirkland is public affairs director for the San Diego County Apartment Association.
FIRST LARVICIDE DROP OF 2016 TO FIGHT WEST NILE VIRUS
East County News Service May 2, 2016 (San Diego) — With temperatures rising early this week and the West Nile virus season ahead, the County of San Diego is starting its annual aerial drops of mosquito-fighting larvicide on local waterways. A helicopter drops granular larvicide on 48 waterways around the county roughly once a month from May through October each year to combat West Nile virus by trying to keep mosquito populations down. The larvicide is a naturally occurring bacteria that the County says won’t hurt people or pets, but kills mosquito larvae before they can grow into adult mosquitoes that can transmit West Nile virus and other diseases. The rivers, ponds, and wetlands the County treats stretch Lakeside to Oceanside and from Chula Vista to Fallbrook, totaling over 1,000 acres. See the complete list of the waterways online. In addition, the County’s Vector Control Program regularly treats roughly 1,400 potential mosquito-breeding grounds by hand, collects and tests dead birds to monitor the disease, gives out free mosquito-eating fish, tracks down and treats neglected swimming pools, and conducts a bilingual public education campaign. Residents also play an important part in prevention. County officials are asking the public to police their own backyards and dump out standing water to keep mosquitoes from breeding. The mosquito species that are native to San Diego County and can transmit West Nile virus don’t need a lot of water in which to lay eggs and can breed in people’s backyards. But the call for public help has taken on added importance because of the appearance of two invasive Aedes mosquito species in the last two years. So far, only small numbers of the yellow fever mosquito and Asian tiger mosquito have been found here. And the diseases that they are best known for being able to transmit — dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and the Zika virus — do not naturally occur here. However, those two mosquito species love to live near people, not just in people’s backyards, but also inside their homes, and can breed in a thimble-full of water. The Aedes species are different from San Diego County’s native mosquitoes in appearance and behavior. They’re smaller in size, have distinctive black and white markings, are known as aggressive biters and — unlike our native mosquitoes that prefer to feed between dusk and dawn — like to bite and feed during daylight hours. County officials urged the public to follow the County’s “Prevent, Protect, Report” guidelines: Prevent mosquito breeding sites. Every week, dump out and clean containers that hold water inside and outside homes, from equipment to toys, flower pots, old tires, anything that can collect water. Fill plant saucers with sand or fine gravel so water won’t form pools where mosquitoes can breed. Protect yourself from mosquito bites. Wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors. Use insect repellent, preferably one containing DEET. Make sure the screens on your windows and doors are in good condition, do not have holes or tears, and are secured to keep insects out. Report if you are being bitten by mosquitoes during daylight hours, or if you find mosquitoes that match the description of the yellow-fever mosquito or Asian tiger mosquito, by contacting the Vector Control Program at (858) 694-2888 or vector@sdcounty.ca.gov.
PADRES KEEP THE ROCKIES FROM CREATING AN AVALANCHE, WIN GAME ONE 2-1
By Liz Alper Photo: celebrating a win. Courtesy @Padres on Twitter May 2, 2016 (San Diego) – The Padres came home today to start a three game homestand against the Colorado Rockies. James Shields took the mound for San Diego against Jon Gray for Colorado. The Padres finally started things off in the first with Matt Kemp’s two-run RBI double for a 2-0 lead. The Rockies got a run back and made the score 2-1, but the Pads would hold on to win game one. Game two is at 7:10 p.m. In transaction news, the Padres called up infielder and outfielder Alex Dickerson from AAA El Paso and designated pitcher Michael Kirkman for assignment.
BILL REQUIRES CALIF. RENTERS TO PAY UP, EVEN DURING EVICTIONS
By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service May 2, 2016 (Sacramento) — Tenants’ rights advocates are criticizing a bill getting its first hearing today in the California Legislature. It would force renters who are contesting an eviction to deposit their monthly rent in an account with an attorney. Assembly Bill 2312 would guarantee that money is set aside to pay the landlord while the trial proceeds. Larry Gross, executive director for the Coalition for Economic Survival, an advocacy group, claims the bill introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto was actually written by the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. “It will make it more difficult for tenants to defend themselves against evictions,” says Gross. “It sort of sets up a ‘pay-for-play’ situation.” The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles says the bill simply requires residents to post unpaid rent as a good-faith pledge to end the dispute quickly. Today’s 9 a.m. hearing in the Assembly Judiciary Committee is the first for this legislation, at the State Capitol. Gross calls the bill unjust. He says 90 percent of tenants don’t have an attorney and could have a hard time finding one willing to set up the necessary account. He points out that the amount they’d be required to put in a separate, trust account might also be part of the dispute. “Tenants regularly dispute how much they owe,” says Gross. “So, a landlord could be claiming a much higher amount that the tenant would be required to deposit with the attorney before they could be defended in court.” He adds there is no similar requirement for other types of legal procedures.
READER’S EDITORIAL: ASHES OF HATE WILL REIGN ON AMERICA
By Daniel J. Smiechowski May 2, 2016 (San Diego) — The Treaty of Versailles was signed with almost no German participation on June 28, 1919. The Great War had ended bringing embarrassment and hard financial times to a once proud nation. German leaders were looking for scapegoats and they were easy to find. Jews, homosexuals, Poles and even the disabled were targeted for extinction during the ensuing 25 years. Sound familiar? The French have an old saying:“The more things change, the more things stay the same.” The candidacy of presidential contender Donald Trump is not one of assimilation but rather one of annihilation. It is a furtive movement to maintain America’s white identity. His followers disavow political ideology in favor of a dream of what not America could be but rather what America was several generations ago. The truth remains that the real and current sleeping giant and danger to our democracy is the so-called silent majority. The same was true of Germany from 1919 through 1945. In reality, most common citizens don’t believe a national catastrophe is possible. When American cities as Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee were torched in 1965 and 1968, African-Americans and left leaning radicals were deemed culpable in a culture that obsesses with the rule of law. But what American’s can’t seem to understand is that when you cage and taunt a rat, the rat will respond in kind. The human condition in our nation is a side show and most self-righteous citizens cannot digest the truth. The myth of control is seldom if ever taught in our schools so from cradle to grave we cling to the fallacy of the rule of law. When French banks and American corporate interests tightened the financial noose around a German nation in the 1920s, its leaders found scapegoats as an escape from their misery. Sound familiar? The proposal of Donald Trump to build a wall separating the United States from Mexico is not only immoral, it is hypocritical. On June 12, 1987 President Reagan, patron saint of the Republican Party implored then Soviet Leader Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall.” Why would the leading country in the free world build a wall? Pope John Paul the Great and Saint Peter are not happy with the Grand Old Party! Maybe we ought to disassemble Lady Liberty and send her back to France. Ashes of hate will rain on America upon a presidential administration of Donald Trump and the rule of law will not suffice. Make no mistake that the Governor of California has not put out notice to hire additional National Guards for sake of Fourth of July festivities and likewise for the Cleveland Police Department to buy more body armor. It’s going to be a long hot summer. Don’t get burned. The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
LA MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HOST “COFFEE WITH A COP” MAY 5 FROM 8 AM – 10 AM
Source: La Mesa Police Department Press Release May 2, 2016 (La Mesa) – On May 5, officers from the La Mesa Police Department and community members will come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships, and drink coffee. All community members are invited to attend. The event begins at 8:00 AM at Starbucks, 5020 Baltimore Drive La Mesa. Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the department’s work in La Mesa neighborhoods. The majority of contacts law enforcement has with the public occur during emergencies or emotionally charged situations. Those are not always the most effective times for relationship building and some community members may feel officers are unapproachable on the street. Coffee with a Cop helps break down those barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction. “This program is another fine example of our department’s commitment to strengthening our relationship with our community. Coffee with a Cop creates a welcoming environment where members of our community can personally meet the fine men and women of their police department to ask questions and share community concerns. Equally notable is the commitment of our business community partners. Their participation solidifies the City of La Mesa’s overall goal to promote partnerships and public safety” said La Mesa Police Chief Walt Vasquez. Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by The United States Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events are being held across the county as local police departments strive to make lasting connections with the communities they serve. The program aims to advance the practice of community policing through improving relationships between police officers and community members, “one cup of coffee at a time.”