TRACK SANTA’S FLIGHT: NORAD SANTA TRACKER IS NOW LIVE ONLINE
East County News Service December 24, 2016 (North Pole)—Kids and families who want to track Santa’s journey around the world can log onto http://www.noradsanta.org/ to view video live on locations this Christmas Eve. For over 60 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been tracking Santa Claus complete with secret Santa cameras , satellites and even jet fighter planes. Kids can click on locations to learn about places around the globe. You can also download NORAD Tracks Santa apps for your smart phone through Windows, Apple and Google Play stores. In addition to viewing Santa’s flight, you can also dial 1-877-446-67233 (Hi Norad) to speak with a live phone operator and inquire about Santa’s whereabouts, or email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com. Tracking Santa started in 1955, when an ad had a misprint in a phone number for Santa. The phone rang instead at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor to NORAD. Since then, the operation has grown to now include over 1,500 volunteers helping track Santa on his 23-hour Christmas Eve flight.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: SNOW IN BOULEVARD
East County News Service December 24, 2016 (Boulevard) – “Check out the three inches or so of snow we woke up to in the Tierra Del Sol area of Boulevard!” writes Donna Tisdale, who sent in these photos taken on Christmas Eve morning. Have a White Christmas in your area of East County? Please send us your photos at editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Merry Christmas to all!
ROAD HAZARDS ACROSS REGION, SNOW IN MOUNTAINS, FROST WARNING TONIGHT IN URBAN AREAS
East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts December 24, 2016 (San Diego’s East County)–Heavy snow is blanketing Mt. Laguna, with several inches reported in Boulevard. Snow could dip to 3,000 feet tonight, with frost possible even in urban and suburban areas such as El Cajon and La Mesa tonight and tomorrow, according to forecaster Alex Tardy with the National Weather Service. The storm, combined with accidents, has resulted in numerous accidents and other road hazards across our region. Chains are required on Sunrise Highway in the Mt. Laguna area , at Pasa Picacho on State Route 79, as well as on South Grade Road on Mt. Palomar due to snowfall. A fatality crash has occurred on the Great Overland Stage Route/State Route 78, where a vehicle overturned. Two juveniles are out of the vehicle and southbound traffic is blocked. On I-8 west of Horsethief, a vehicle is over the side but no one was injured. Vehicle recovery is in process. A vehicle is also reported over the side off I-8 west of Canebrake. Potholes are reported on State Route94 in several areas on the westbound side from I-15 to I-5. Watch for highway workers and use caution in this area. Mud, dirt and rocks are reported on Lake Morena Road.
HE KNOWS WHEN YOU’VE BEEN SLEEPING…
Photo credit: The Moderate Voice and David Donar http://themoderatevoice.com/he-knows/
READER’S EDITORIAL: TRUMP ON DOPE: LEGAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF MARIJUANA LAWS
By David Anderson Reprinted with permission from the Moderate Voice: http://themoderatevoice.com/trump-on-dope-legal-and-psychological-thoughts-on-the-future-of-marijuana-laws/ photo credit: eggrole lemon kush day 25 via photopin (license) December 24, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – During the madness of last month, other things happened. One was a partial retreat in the War on Drugs, marijuana division. A quick review of recent changes from voter actions – Locally (where most laws effecting our lives are made) in North Dakota, Montana, Alabama, and Florida, medical marijuana became legal. These actions all won by respectable margins. Similarly Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada all moved closer to decriminalization. For smokers that is a nice buzz. Federal law beats state law, however, so what the F.D.A., D.E.A., and PotUS do with marijuana is crucial. Without federal agreement, state initiatives are legally in the gray: sellers can’t even use the banking system (federal jurisdiction) properly, leading to all sorts of problems. Also, our federal-state complimentary legal system is in disharmony, so some resolution is needed. For many unwell patients, folks who don’t want to be incarcerated for decades for a joint (looking at YOU, Louisiana), and just the users whom we all know, a decision on the federal level is important. It is also helpful to state tax receipts and the complicated new legal-medical marijuana industry. Interestingly, marijuana decriminalization has moved in demographic lockstep with our “old” friends the baby boomers as they age. Since America picked up the wacky weed habit in the 1960s, reefer madness fears and prohibition have gradually softened. Liberal court interpretations have progressed, and with (above) recent state initiatives, there is a trend towards kinder legislation. Looking forward the courts can help guide us. The famously liberal Ninth Circuit (California, Oregon Washington, Alaska, etc.) has been the most progressive of our federal jurisdictions. The Ninth is the stoner’s friend: just recently they told the boys at the Department of Justice to step down in their persecution of state allowed dispensaries. Keep in mind states within the Ninth’s jurisdiction are very progressive regarding marijuana . That’s the good news, because legal trends (tobacco smoking regulations, for example) tend to flow eastward – like a wave at Big Sur. Nobody knows what Trump personally will do with our weed. This is the kind of uncertainty we get from electing a known con-man with slippery, changing policies and bendy ethics. There would have been greater certainty had we have found, say, a qualified, experienced, predictable woman for the top job, but now here we are. So where will the federal government go with pot under Trump’s reign? The “World’s Best Negotiator”(his quote, all the time) is changeable when it comes to definable policies: thus far he has consistently chosen whatever is expedient in the instant. This makes the future federal pot policy very speculative, so let’s look at psychology to help predict. Irrespective of how Machiavellian, manipulative or even wonderful anybody is, a person’s core beliefs don’t change at 70 years old; one’s sexuality, political center, lifelong prejudices, love, ethics, and habits aren’t flexible in old age. Perhaps by putting Mr. Trump on my amateur psychologist’s couch, we can take a shot at how policy might develop by noting that Donald Trump makes it plain he has no time for alcoholics. Always start at the childhood home. Trump’s parents were near teetotalers. Then there is the case of his older brother Frank Jr. (a pilot, scarily enough), who was a notorious drunk. By 42, Fred Jr. had turned his liver into a bag of sand and died. The New York Times article about this is telling. Fred Jr.’s death was an object lesson for the Donald. In fact there are pictures of debauched celebrities staggering and dancing around Donald at Studio 54 from that era. They look drunk , but not Donald. Nobody (except perhaps Dr. Howard Dean a moment of bad judgement) would think he was ever high. He does what he does sober and straight, just like he says, which is terrifying. Even as he sniffled through the debates. Next year’s PotUS has said proudly he’s never had a drink, a line or a smoke. He has other weaknesses – the obvious one being ego, the other…well it’s something one “grabs.” In any binary system (that of most narcissistic patients’ brains) there can only be Winners and Losers – sinners and saints – criminals and innocents – all orbiting the planet of “ME.” To Trump, substance abusers are criminals, losers, or doomed like Frank Jr. This bodes badly for any hope of altering the War on Drugs from the Oval Office: executive clemency, sentencing reform, executive action, and the like. With Narcissistic Personality Disorder included in the mix, which, as https://twitter.com/jflier/status/759466280504193026″>former Harvard Medical School dean Dr. Jeffrey Flier tweeted, Trump “defines,” the patient makes the most expedient, self-serving comprises. These tend to lead themselves to a crony capitalism dynamic. The private prison industry’s bread and butter (and government cheese) is the War on Drugs. And they are big donors – GEO, Corrections Corporation of America and friends. But this is a pernicious story of rot for another day. With boasts of being a “law and order president,” Trump also implies harsh punishment for offenders. The War on Drugs itself was initiated by our first “law and order president” – Nixon. Even ignoring the effect of private prison companies’ lobbying, as a “jobs” president, Trump will be loath to put thousands of prison workers (many from his blue collar base) out of work by easing up on the drug war. Further, the fact that Trump’s psychological setup is either dismissive of real science (global warming) and medicine (vaccines/autism ), or willfully ignorant, also doesn’t help legitimizing, medicalizing, and decriminalizing weed. If hard science is marijuana’s (especially medical) chief alibi moving forward, it won’t find help from the President. Back to legalities. When legislating morality is too difficult or controversial for any presidential candidate, they often say “Leave it to the States.” In other words: pass the
HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM THE OBAMAS
East County News Service December 24, 2016 (Washington D.C.) — President Obama and the First Lady just gave their annual holiday message from the White House for the last time. They talked about the values that bring Americans together over the holiday season: The First Lady: The idea that we are our brother’s keeper and our sister’s keeper. That we should treat others as we would want to be treated. And that we care for the sick, feed the hungry, and welcome the stranger, no matter where they come from, or how they practice their faith. The President: Those are values that help guide not just my family’s Christian faith, but that of Jewish Americans, and Muslim Americans; nonbelievers and Americans of all backgrounds. And no one better embodies that spirit of service than the men and women who wear our country’s uniform and their families. President and Mrs. Obama also called on us to support the Americans who serve us all year round: our men and women in uniform. The First Lady: As always, many of our troops are far from home this time of year, and their families are serving and sacrificing right along with them. Their courage and dedication allow the rest of us to enjoy this season. That’s why we’ve tried to serve them as well as they’ve served this country. Go to JoiningForces.Gov to see how you can honor and support the service members, veterans and military families in your community — not just during the holidays, but all year round. “So as we look forward to the New Year, let’s resolve to recommit ourselves to the values we share. And on behalf of the all the Obamas — Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo, and that troublemaker Sunny — Merry Christmas, everybody.” — President Obama and the First Lady
SUSPECT INJURES OFFICER WITH VEHICLE
By Miriam Raftery December 23, 2016 (El Cajon) — An El Cajon Police offered suffered a minor injury after he was struck by the door of a vehicle driven by a fleeing suspect. Last night at 8:06 p.m., officers responded to a report of a person sleeping behind the wheel of a vehicle in a strip mall parking lot in the 100 block of North Second Street. The first officer to arrive made contact with the suspect, a white male in his 20s later identified as Kevyn Cummings. The suspect started up the vehicle and quickly backed out, striking the officer with the open door. The vehicle also hit the officer’s patrol car, damaging the front bumper, says Lt. Royal Bates. The suspect fled the scene but was later found and arrested using the vehicle’s license plate information. He is charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and was booked into County Jail. The officer was evaluated at a local hospital and released. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 579-3311.
PARADE OF THREES IN SECOND HALF LIFT SDSU MEN’S HOOPS OVER TULSA IN DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC SEMIFINAL
By Liz Alper Photo courtesy goaztecs.com December 23, 2016 (Honolulu) – After a win in yesterday’s quarterfinals of the Diamond Head Classic with a win over Southern Miss, SDSU men’s basketball took on Tulsa today in the semifinals. Unlike the hot start they got off to yesterday, the Aztecs found themselves down quickly, only tallying three points in the first three minutes and trailing 8-3. But thanks to two threes from sophomore guard Jeremy Hemsley, the Aztecs rallied and jumped out to a 22-17 lead with 11 and a half minutes left. The Golden Hurricane came like just that: a hurricane. The Aztecs had a much tougher time attacking the rim and shooting from the perimeter against the Tulsa defense. To top it all off, the Aztecs ran into foul trouble early, with seniors Dakarai Allen and Matt Shrigley quickly racking up fouls in the first 13 minutes, Allen earning three. But with six minutes left, the Aztecs turned it around, going on a 9-2 run to get their lead to 31-25. But the Aztecs seemed to be on a seesaw; they were great offensively and defensively for a few possessions, then after a while, the Golden Hurricane struck back with a crucial threes from two freshman; guard Lawson Korita and forward Junior Etou that brought Tulsa to within one, 38-37. Senior guard Trey Kell wasn’t scared. At the buzzer, he caught a nice pass from sophomore guard Zylan Cheatham and shot from beyond the arc. It was a lucky strike and the Aztecs went to the locker room with a huge momentum boost, up 41-37. In the second half, the pace of the game increased even more, if that was even possible. The teams traded baskets, rebounds and steals until costly mistakes by SDSU led to Tulsa finally knotting the game at 45 with 16 minutes left. With 10 and a half minutes left, the Aztecs found their groove again with two big threes from Shrigley and Hemsley to propel SDSU to a 58-52 lead. SDSU proceeded to score 18 points all on three pointers from Kell, Shrigley and Hemsley and all of a sudden, the close game was no more; the Aztecs were up 70-54. All of this offense came without Malik Pope. SDSU kept up the pressure until the final buzzer and the second half performance paid off as the Aztecs win the semifinal of the Diamond Head Classic 82-63. Hemsley led the way for the Aztecs with 20 points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and was 5/7 from beyond the arc. The Aztecs will play in the finals on Christmas Day against the University of San Francisco. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. and you can watch the game on ESPN2. Final box Postgame notes Like our sports coverage? Donate to help support ECM’s Sports section!
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, EL CAJON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING FOR DRUNK DRIVERS
Drive sober or get pulled over East County News Service December 23, 2016 (El Cajon) — This holiday season, El Cajon Police will be out looking for drunk & drugged drivers as part of a special year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization. From now through the New Year, “you will see stepped up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said SGT. Kevin Maxwell. “We want to keep our roads safe for holiday travelers, so we will have zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.” As part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign period, police, sheriff and the CHP will be deploying DUI Checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols during the upcoming 17-day DUI crackdown throughout the region. El Cajon PD is conducting a DUI Checkpoint on 12/30/16 in the 500 block of Broadway in El Cajon. Drugs such as prescription medication, marijuana or illicit drugs can impair judgment and get you the same DUI arrest as alcohol. Nationally in 2014, 32,675 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes with 9,967 people killed in crashes involving an impaired driver. In California, total highway deaths were reported at 3,126 with 1,155 lives lost in alcohol and/or drug impaired collisions. If you’re caught driving impaired by alcohol or drugs, you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees, and other DUI expenses, totaling $10,000 on average. “Driving under the influence is not only costly, but can ruin the holidays for you, your family or for someone else’s family,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “Make the decision to drive sober or use our DDVIP app to help you find a safe ride home for yourself or your friends if you know they’ve been drinking.” Drivers are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more. The feature-packed app even has social media tie-ins and even a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb. For more information on the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign and all OTS efforts, visit www.ots.ca.gov. To learn more about the DDVIP app, please visit the OTS Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS or follow OTS on Twitter @OTS_CA. The El Cajon Police Department wants everyone to have a safe and memorable holiday season, and is calling on everyone to be alert; ‘Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911! Funding for this holiday enforcement campaign is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
SYCUAN OPENS CULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER AND MUSEUM
Centralized collection of Kumeyaay artifacts, curated museum pieces and extensive scholarly collection housed for research, education and outreach Source: Sycuan December 23, 2016 (Sycuan Indian Reservation) — Initiated with traditional Kumeyaay Bird Singers and Dancers, native blessings and a traditional sage smudging purification, the Sycuan Tribe unveiled the Sycuan Cultural Resource Center and Museum to a large crowd and rave reviews earlier this month. The new facility centralizes and secures an enormous amount of ancient Kumeyaay artifacts, museum quality collections, and a vast array of scholarly research featuring the famous “Shipek Collection” of Kumeyaay archives. “The Sycuan Tribe is extremely proud to open to the public our new Cultural Resource Center and Museum,” stated Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez. “The history and spirit of the village of Matamo courses through and infuses the facility, exhibits and programs that will be offered here. We encourage all Native Americans — and all San Diegans — to visit and learn about Kumeyaay history and culture through viewing of these ancient artifacts, accessing a comprehensive collection of scholarly research, and enjoying programs and services that will foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rich Kumeyaay culture.” The new center and museum, located on the prehistoric Kumeyaay village of Matamo, will be a gathering place for museum quality curated artifacts, housing research and educational materials for use by tribal members and the general public, as well as a host location for exhibits, programs and other services. Through a well-rounded presentation of Kumeyaay culture and history, the center and museum will promote thoughtful dialogue and foster an appreciation for the deep and rich heritage of the original Native Americans of the San Diego County region. Three special components will reside at the center and museum: the Florence Shipek archival collection of oral histories, textual records, language materials and field notes; thousands of ancient artifacts from the Everly subdivision; and the Wallberg collection of Kumeyaay baskets. Numerous displays with educational components, historical photos, pre-contact artifacts and other cultural material serve as vibrant visual displays to further the research and educational experience. A wall-length timeline and pictogram serves as a striking summation of more than 12,000 years of Kumeyaay history over the ages and into the modern era. About Sycuan: Members of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation have resided in and around the foothills of the Dehesa Valley for more than 12,000 years. Today they are a modern government providing public services to their members, employees and neighbors. The Sycuan Tribal Government operates one of the region’s most successful Indian gaming and resort facilities, the Sycuan Casino and Resort. The Sycuan Tribe demonstrates its strong commitment to the San Diego region through the support of hundreds of civic and charitable organizations. The Tribe, through the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation (STDC), also seeks to reinvest back into the San Diego community with a progressive business development effort. To date, STDC has purchased the former Singing Hills Country Club and the historic U.S. Grant Hotel; is an investor in Hotel Solamar near Petco Park; and is owner/developer of the Marina Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in National City. Combined, these enterprises now employ nearly 4,000 San Diegans. For more information on Sycuan visit www.sycuantribe.com