GOOD SAMARITAN SAVES ORANGE CAT HIT BY CAR IN LA MESA
By Miriam Raftery February 16, 2017 (La Mesa) – An orange tabby cat struck by a vehicle February 3rd on La Mesa Blvd. near Rosehedge Drive was rescued by a passing motorist and provided emergency veterinary care. “Diego,” as the lucky cat has now been named, may have used up one of his nine lives, but fortunately he’s healed and will be heading to a new home tomorrow. Garrett Ostrowski says a woman helped him wrap the injured and bleeding animal in her hooded jacket. “I put him on my passenger seat. I got him to calm doing while doing 100 miles an hour to the emergency vet at 2317 Hotel Circle in Mission Valley,” Ostrowski posted on the Mt. Helix Nextdoor forum. “They got the bleeding stopped.” The cat was then sent to the El Cajon Animal Shelter, where he has spent the past two weeks recovering from injuries that included a detached retina and missing tooth. Ostrowski praised staff at the El Cajon shelter. “The people there couldn’t have been nicer or more of a help,” he wrote. “Every time I called they were nice and helpful. The vet was awesome and was clear with me every step of the way. I think for what they have and what they deal with on a daily basis they did a hell of a job.” Ostrowski made the decision to pick up the ginger tabby and keep him temporarily while finding a forever home, since his original owner has not been found and had allowed the cat to wander onto a busy street. Yesterday, he posted photos with this cheery news, “He’s home!!! I introduce you to Diego. He has a clean bill of health. He is quite the little love bug too. He’s a little freaked out but in great spirits to be expected after the 2 weeks he just had.” Today, in an e-mail to East County Magazine, he wrote, “Diego is going to be headed to his new home tomorrow. He was going to go today but I really felt it would be better to let him rest one more day and honestly I wanted one more day with him. He is so starved for attention! He is such the little lover and I get the feeling he knows who I am.Tomorrow he will leave for LA to live in a nice big house with a side screened-in patio with a koi pond to enjoy with his two new brothers and two loving parents that work from home, so there will be no end to the attention. Mission accomplished!” Ostrowski’s post s drew more than 135 replies on the Next Door forum, with neighbors anxiously awaiting progress reports, then expressing gratitude to Ostrowski for saving the cat’s life. One neighbor summed up the sentiments of many when she wrote, “Garrett, you and this orange cat are both celebrities within our neighborhood!! :-)”
WEAR YOUR GREEN AND RUN EAST COUNTY: ST. PATRICK’S DAY HALF MARATHON MARCH 5
East County News Service February 16, 2017 (El Cajon) – You’re invited to start your St. Patrick’s Day celebration early and register now for the St. Patrick’s Day Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk, Green Mile, and Tribes & Clans competition on Sunday, March 5, 2017. The St. Patrick’s Day Half Marathon is dedicated to involve the entire family in fun and fitness. This event is hosted by the Run East County Foundation. Funds raised will benefit several East County charities. The Half Marathon begins at 198 West Main Street, in Downtown El Cajon, next to the El Cajon Arch. Please visit www.stpatricksdayhalf.com for more information, to register, or to volunteer.
DESTINATION EAST COUNTY: TOP FESTIVALS & EVENTS FEB.17 – MARCH 15
East County News Service February 16, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – This week’s Destination East County includes Latin music at a winery, a gardening with nature program, an All That Jazz salute to local heroes, a star NFL quarterback coming to East County, and a stage production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including Karamu, a black history month celebration in Spring Valley, more Black history events at local colleges, Jungle Book for Kids, a Queen Bee Tea in Alpine, internationally acclaimed Gregory Page performing at Mission Trails, a healthy living fair for seniors, the annual Run East County St. Patrick’s Day half marathon, plus carnival rides and more at the Rolando Street Fair. So scroll down for all of these events and many more! TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: FEB. 17-26 IN SANTEE Pickwick Players will present “To Kill a Mockingbird” from February 17th through 26th at Off Broadway Live (9490 Cuyamaca St.) in Santee. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is the timeless and timely story of attorney Atticus Finch and his in the summer of 1935 in Maycomb, Alabama while defending a black man accused of assaulting a white woman. This coming-of-age story of prejudice and violence, tolerance and community is as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1960. For tickets and details, visit www.PickwickPlayers.net. LATIN MUSIC FEB. 18 AT SAN PASQUAL WINERY TASTING ROOM Composer and guitarist Roben Delago will perform classical Spanish, Latin and popular guitar music on February 18th from 7 to 10 p.m. at the San Pasqual Winery tasting room in downtown La Mesa (8364 La Mesa Blvd.) Wines by the glass, cheese, crackers and desserts are available. For details visit www.SanPasqualWinery.com. GARDENING WITH NATURE DISCUSSION FEB. 19 in LA MESA “Gardening with nature—birds and butterflies and bats and bees” will be the topic discussed by gardening expert Connie Beck at the La Mesa Beautiful Annual Meeting on February 19 at 4 p.m. The event will be held in Nan Couts Cottage (5045 Memorial Drive) near the La Mesa Community Center. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served. Beck has been an organic gardening instructor and landscape designer for the past 30 years. She’s also been a Canyoneer and a nature interpreter for the Audubon Society and a volunteer with National Wildlife Federation creating backyard habitats for wildlife. Currently, she works with the California Native Plant Society. She has also previously hosted the “Ready, Set, Grow” segment on East County Magazine’s radio show. Her talk will teach you how to choose beautiful native plants and make design choices to save water and create sustainable landscapes in your garden. To RSVP and get more information visit lamesabeautiful.org. ALL THAT JAZZ: SALUTE TO LOCAL HEROES FEB. 22 You’re invited to don your Great Gatsby glam or cocktail attire for “All That Jazz,” the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s 9th annual Salute to Local Heroes. This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 5-8 p.m. at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center’s Golden Ballroom in Mission Valley. The Chamber will award local heroes from the La Mesa Police Department, Fire Department, paramedics, and retired Police department volunteers. This evening will also serve to install the Chamber’s new Board of Directors and Officers. The evening includes dinner plus prize drawings and a silent auction, while celebrating those who help make our community safe and meeting the Chamber’s new business leaders. For tickets you can visit www.LaMesaChamber.com. MARLIN BRISCOE AT GROSSMONT COLLEGE FEB. 22 In honor of Black History Month, Marlin Briscoe, the first starting African-American quarterback in the NFL, will be speaking at Grossmont College on his greatest lesson in life: persistence. Briscoe played for the Denver Broncos and also became the runner-up for Rookie of the Year. The event will be held in Griffin Gate from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. For a complete list of all Black History Month Events at the Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College district, visit www.GCCCD.edu. NOW FOR A PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS… KARAMU BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION FEB. 25 IN SPRING VALLEY Karamu, a celebration of black history month, will be held February 25th from 1 to 3 p.m. at the county library in Spring Valley at 836 Kempton Street from 1 to 3 p.m. This event will include speakers, art, live entertainment, children’s activities and refreshments. For details visit the San Diego County Library site at www.SDCL.org. BIRTH OF A NATION FEB. 27 AT CUYAMACA COLLEGE Black History Month also includes a showing of “The Birth of a Nation” at Cuyamaca College’s digital theatre (B-101) on Monday, February 27th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. This film is based on the story of Nat Turner, who led a slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831. For a full a list of events at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, visit http://www.gcccd.edu/news/. YAT PERFORMS JUNGLE BOOK FOR KIDS MARCH 2-12 Young Adult Theatre brings The Jungle Book for Kids to life March 2nd through 12th at the Encore Theatre in Spring Valley. The jungle is jumpin’ with a jazzy beat in this special adaptation from the classic Disney animated film, featuring a host of colorful characters and your favorite songs from the movie. Banished by the ferocious tiger, Shere Khan, the boy Mowgli and his panther friend, Bagheera, are on the run in the deepest parts of the jungle. On their journey, the two meet a sinister snake, a herd of elephants and a giant bear named Baloo, who teaches them the swingin’ musical rhythms of the jungle. After surviving a dangerous encounter with a band of monkeys, Mowgli and Bagheera must rally the jungle animals into a battle to restore peace throughout the jungle. For tickets and details visit Young Adult Theatre’s website at YATSanDiego.org. QUEEN BEE TEA MARCH 5TH IN ALPINE Now here’s the buzz! Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce invites you to the Queen Bee Tea
RAIN AHEAD, FREE SANDBAGS AVAILABLE
By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office February 16, 2017 (San Diego) – Rains, possibly heavy at times, are heading back to San Diego County in the coming days, according to weather officials. Which means that if you haven’t done it already, it’s a good time to stock up on free sand and bags to protect your home and property. San Diego County’s Department of Public Works, the San Diego County Fire Authority and CAL FIRE are offering free sand and bags at 15 fire stations and other spots, and free bags to put sand into at another 29 fire stations. The full list of locations, with telephone contacts, can be found on the County’s “Ready San Diego” website. Because different locations are offering sand and bags, just bags, or are asking people to bring shovels with them to put sand into bags themselves, people should call ahead to check. Rain can bring flooding and erosion, especially in areas that are not covered by grass, trees, shrubs and other plants. It can sweep water runoff, mud and debris downstream where it can damage homes, clog storm drains, culverts and flood and damage roadways. Weather officials say flooding threats are increased now because this winter’s rains have saturated soils. Proper use of sandbags can help direct waters away from homes and properties. People who have slopes on their land can use mulch, or terrace their slopes and plant groundcovers and shrubs to keep them from eroding. For more information about how to be prepared for flooding, go to the County Office of Emergency Services Flooding webpage. You may also want to check out this how-to video — “You’ve Got Your Sandbags; Now What?” — that the County put together last year before El Niño. It explains how to properly fill and use sandbags to protect your property!
STATE FACES CUTS IN TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
Legislators grapple with options to plug gap left by falling gas tax revenues By Miriam Raftery February 16, 2017 (Sacramento) – The California Transportation Commission last week approved a 38% decrease in funding for road and transit projects, a drop of $754 million over the next five years. The cut is due to falling gasoline tax revenues, the Los Angeles Times reports. That’s left legislators scrambling for proposals to find alternative ways to fund transportation projects impacting counties statewide, which have been asked to list projects to delay or delete completely. According to the Times story, the gas tax rate is tied to gas prices. “It was set at 18 cents a gallon just a few years ago, but fell to 12 cents a gallon last year and is expected to decline to 10 cents in July,” the Times story states. “Each penny reduction in the gas tax decreases funding for state transportation projects by some $140 million a year.” Assemblyman Jim Frazier, a Democrat from Oakland, has proposed a 22.5 cent a gallon excise tax increase to raise $8 billion a year for transportation projects. “This is our call to take the issue seriously and commit to protecting our infrastructure,” he says. But Republicans have balked at raising taxes. Assemblyman Randy Voepel, a Republican from Santee, is coauthor of Assembly Bill 496, the Traffic Relief and Road Improvement Act. It would shift $5.6 billion derived from vehicle sales and insurance taxes out of the general fund, using that money instead to fund transportation projects. It would also force $2.2 billion in transportation funds raided during the recession to be repaid. The act would require that 30 percent of those funds be used to relieve traffic gridlock. Click here for plan overview. “Transportation legislation has proven to be a top concern for California residents and it is time that all fees and taxes paid by transportation users are administered to improve highway and road conditions,” said Voepel. “California pays the highest gas tax in the nation and the second highest gas prices, yet Sacramento leadership continues to swindle funds for other purposes. The Traffic Relief and Road Improvement Act will change the status quo and ensure road funding goes toward roads.” However, Voepel does not explain what cuts in general fund spending he would make to offset shifting $7.8 billion out of the general fund for transportation projects. Presently, the two largest expenditures in California’s fiscal year 2017 budget are health care (35%) and education (16%). About 4% of general fund revenues are already used for transportation purposes. Other budget categories include pensions (18%) which are largely mandated by union contracts, welfare (9%) much of which is mandated by the federal government, protection including law enforcement and firefighting (7%), general government (4%), other spending (3%) and interest on past debt (3%). Heavy winter rains have taken a worse toll than usual on highways and local roads across the state, increasing the need for roadway maintenance and repairs.
LEMON GROVE COUNCIL TO INCREASE SEWER RATE; PUBLIC HEARING TO FOLLOW
Onboard with enviro agreement to purify water By Thea Skinner February 16, 2017 (Lemon Grove) — The City of Lemon Grove unanimously voted on February 7th to take a wastewater rate increase and reserve allocation to public hearing. The move supports an agreement between the environmental community and City of San Diego’s Pure Water Project to filter sewer water into drinkable water. The relationship of the agreement in coming years is unforeseen. The 5-0 vote initiates proposition 218 notice of public hearing requirements. Property owners will receive a notice for public hearing for the 5.75 percent rate over the next 4 years to maintain a 40 percent reserve as a flat rate. “I am in agreement for a fact sheet (presented in public hearing) to outline the numbers,” said Mayor Racquel Vasquez. “My preference is to support a rate that is steady. Although we charged 3.75 percent in other years, I think the rate of 5.75 is appropriate.” Council heard a Lemon Grove Sanitation District wastewater rate case study during meeting discussions. Under council direction, staff is working with NBS Governmental Finance Group to manage the proposition 218 noticing requirements. “The contingency is $15,000 every year. Projecting revenue is insufficient, as $800,000 to $3.2 million is the expected shortfall projected over five years. If there is no rate increase, the reserve goes from $14 million to $5 million,” said Greg Henry of NBS. “Capital costs push over the line of current revenue.” Meanwhile, the Pure Water project carries a hefty financial responsibility. The 10-year capital improvement plan total for the project is estimated as $392,049,294, according to a City of San Diego Public Utilities Department Jan. 13 memo. Henry continued, “Three percent of assets is a standard inclusion rate stabilization and $3.7 million is for the Pure Water reserve. With a massive capital project, there is always risk of costs. It makes sense to have something in reserves in case something happens.” During three of the four years of the rate increase, the reserve will be slightly lower due to the Pure Water Project, he said. California codes require fees collected for connection to be in a separate reserve for specific purposes. Additionally, the proposition’s Right to Vote on Taxes Act stipulates sewer rates or funds must not operate with a profit and equal to cost of each parcel. Since different parcels exist, a different rate is set for each home. “If a sufficient number oppose, 3,409 protests would be required to not go forward with rate increase,” Henry said. Councilmember Jerry Jones weighed in stating, “The plan I see here takes enough of an amount into consideration, and is based on the capital cost that we see coming,” he said. “We have attached our wagon to San Diego. Point Loma is the last ocean discharger not on secondary treatment in the U.S. We have been dodging the three and a half million-dollar upgrade for a long time. Times are changing folks and we have environmental concerns.” Opting for another option, he added, “There is a lot of uncertainty… There are cities that are in the middle of reviewing their rates, so they will not be in financial trouble.” In appreciation for Councilmember Jones comments, Councilmember David Arambula echoed similar sentiment. “I am a firm believer in not raising costs,” he said. “The City of San Diego has awarded two design contracts for Pure Water, and as of now, this is the most accurate expenditures with a possibility of higher costs.” Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Mendoza advocated for clear specifications of the rate increase and the background leading to the rate increase to be presented to the public. “We do not want 51 percent of people to oppose this,” she said. “Really, our hands are tied here…A constituent called me today and said do we have to do this? Yes, we do. We cannot go on as business as usual.” Per the agreement with San Diego and the environmental community there is recognition for, “The Congressional Act that created the Clean Water Act – a secondary equivalence and a permanent waiver for Point Loma in 2019. “We have asked San Diego if we do not secure secondary equivalence, will you continue with Pure Water, and they do not have an answer. There is going to be a change in this relationship in 2019.” The timeline is: Nov. 15, 2016 Wastewater rate study presentation March 4, 2017 Deadline to provide notices to district members April 18, 20017 Board meeting, public hearing to introduce ordinance April-May 2017 Board meeting for connection fee analysis study May 2, 2017 Board meeting second reading, adoption of ordinance July 1, 2017 New rates take effect
TULE WIND CONSTRUCTION RESUMES AFTER SUSPENSION FOR DIGGING WITHOUT CULTURAL MONITORS PRESENT AND UNAUTHORIZED CLEARING
By Miriam Raftery Photo: McCain Valley, before construction February 16, 2017 (McCain Valley) – The Department of the Interior temporarily shut down construction of the Tule Wind Energy project in McCain Valley on January20th due to six confirmed violations of the right-of-way grant conditions, including “three incidents of ground disturbing work without a cultural monitor present and three incidents of clearing beyond the disturbance limits at four different locations,” according to the notice of temporary suspension issued January 20th. The notice added that while no biological or cultural resource damage had been confirmed as of that date, “violations are repeated and their frequency is increasing.” The site is rich in Native American cultural resources dating back thousands of years, as well as sensitive biological species. The project was approved over the objection of some tribal and environmental groups. Construction at the Tule Wind site began on December 6, 2016, within the McCain Valley National Land and Wildlife Management Area and McCain Valley Recreation Area. Construction was authorized to resume on February 1st, according to a 31-page notice to proceed. Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Planning Group and founder of Backcountry Against Dumps which sued in an unsuccessful effort to block the controversial project, told ECM, “I have not had the heart to go out to that area to see the destruction from Tule Wind’s construction. But others have been and have told me they are devastated at what they see, including a local cowboy who used to run cattle out there before the BLM terminated all grazing leases to protect the chaparral and then basically changed the zoning to industrial for Tule Wind’s benefit.” The project includes 62 wind turbines on 12,360 acres of public land, which will have a capacity to produce 186 megawatts of wind energy power upon completion, according to the project website.
SAN DIEGO LEGISLATOR LORENA GONZALEZ FLETCHER PROPOSES PREGNANCY PROTECTIONS FOR GENDER FAIRNESS AT WORK
AB 568, AB 569, & AB 570 Would Add Strong New Legal Protection for Women in the Workplace East County News Service February 16, 2017 (Sacramento) – On Valentine’s Day, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) introduced a trio of heartfelt bills to protect working women who become pregnant. The legislation would prohibit employers from discriminating against women for their reproductive health choices, ensure equity in workers’ compensation for pregnant women, and provide pregnancy leave for school employees in California rather than require that they use sick days or vacation. “Men don’t get pregnant. They can’t get pregnant. As a result, many of our laws treat pregnancy and a woman’s reproductive decisions like something other than a natural part of her life,” Assemblywoman Gonzalez Fletcher said. “It’s hard to be pregnant in the workplace today, it’s hard to be a mother, but it’s for some reason all too easy for employers to cross the line into a woman’s personal life. We need to correct that imbalance if we are serious about gender equity in the workplace.” The package of legislation introduced by Assemblywoman Gonzalez Fletcher addresses three specific challenges women have reported in the work place. The first measure, AB 568, would require provide paid leave to teachers and school employees who become pregnant by requiring school districts to create a category of pregnancy leave and making it available to a pregnant employee, rather than requiring she use all of her accumulated sick leave and vacation time as family leave. It is sponsored by the California Federation of Teachers. The second measure, AB 569, known as the Reproductive Health Non Discrimination Act, would make it illegal for employers to fire women for her reproductive health choices. Recently, women have reported being terminated or discriminated against by their employers for conceiving a child through fertility treatments, becoming pregnant without being married, or for simply using birth control, says Gonzalez-Fletcher. The bill is sponsored by NARAL Pro-Choice California. The third measure, AB 570, would prohibit California’s workers’ compensation system from allowing a woman’s current or past pregnancy to be used as a factor in minimizing the extent a worker’s injury was caused on the job. While current workers’ compensation law prohibits claims from being expressly denied because of an employee’s gender, age, religion or several other characteristics, female workers can be compensated less for the same injury than a male worker because conditions that only or predominately affect women, such as pregnancy, can be held against them during the apportionment process. The bill is sponsored by the California Association of Applicant Attorneys. “There are employers who cross the line by invading the privacy and personal lives of the women who work for them, and far too often women are punished financially for becoming pregnant and having children. It’s unacceptable,” said Gonzalez Fletcher. “A woman should never face repercussions in the workplace for her reproductive choices.” The three measures were introduced on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. They will be eligible for consideration next month.
EX-GOLDMAN SACHS BANKER AND “FORECLOSURE KING” CONFIRMED AS TREASURY SECRETARY
By Miriam Raftery February 16, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – During his campaign, President Donald Trump criticized his rival, Hillary Clinton, for her ties with Wall Street and high-priced speeches to Goldman Sachs. He promised to protect Americans from Wall Street. But now he’s appointed Steven Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary, a former Goldman Sachs banker who later acquired a failed lender that became One West, known as a “foreclosure machine” for foreclosing on over 36,000 homeowners. The Senate confirmed Mnuchin by a 53-47 vote, with all but one Democrat voting against, but Republicans pushing through the nomination. During the swearing in ceremony, Trump claimed that Mnuchin will be a “great champion” for Americans who will “fight for middle-class tax reductions, financial reforms that open up lending and create millions of new jobs,” Reuters reports. But Steve Rouzer, spokesman for the Main Street Business Alliance representing a coalition of small business owners, issued a statement sent to media including ECM. He called Mnuchin’s confirmation “a return to the failed policies that devastated small businesses and destroyed the economy…An architect of the Great Recession, Mnuchin has a track record of irresponsible economic decisions and can’t be trusted at the helm of the U.S. economy.” Trump has repeatedly reneged on his campaign promise to `drain the swamp’ by appointing Wall Street executives to senior White House positions and through the President’s executive actions to weaken critical financial protections for consumers and small businesses, notably the Dodd-Frank Act. Democrats have accused Mnuchin of wrongfully foreclosing on many homeowners following the housing market collapse. “Mr. Mnuchin has made his career profiting from the misfortunes of working people,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. “OneWest was notorious for taking an especially aggressive role in foreclosing on struggling homeowners.” California Congresswoman Maxine Waters has called Mnuchin the “foreclosure king.” So have many others, as Vanity Fair reported — and concluded was an accurate description of his actions. Mnuchin also failed to disclose in his Senate confirmation papers his position as Director of Dune Capital International, a financial institution in the Cayman Islands known for providing an off-shore tax haven for corporations or individuals seeking to dodge taxes by hiding assets. As Treasury Secretary, Mnuchin will advise Trump on economic policies, also overseeing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), imposing economic sanctions on foreign governments and individuals, targeting financial assets of drug cartels and terrorist groups, negotiating tax treaties and issues bonds that finance government spending.
STRONG DEFENSE LEADS SDSU WOMEN’S HOOPS TO 66-59 WIN OVER UTAH STATE
The win snaps a six-game losing streak for the Aztecs Source: goaztecs.com Photo: Geena Gomez courtesy goaztecs.com February 15, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State women’s basketball took the lead in its Mountain West contest against Utah State just 16 seconds in and never looked back, topping the Aggies, 66-59, on Wednesday evening at Steve Fisher Court in Viejas Arena. “This win instills in us a lot of confidence,” junior Geena Gomez said. “It tells us that as long as we play together, we can do whatever we want. Our mindset coming in to the game was to play together defensively. We’re a good defensive team when we want to be so we wanted to focus on that, and we played good defense tonight.” The loss snapped a six-game skid for the Aztecs and their record in now 4-9 against conference foes with a 9-15 mark overall. Utah State drops to 6-8 in MW play with a 13-12 mark this season. McKynzie Fort led all players with 19 points, grabbing seven boards and dishing out a team-high trio of assists. Gomez brought down a career-best and eight rebounds for the team high to go alongside nine points on three long balls. Lexy Thorderson also nailed three 3-pointers, posting 11 points, while Ariell Bostick served up three helpers and snatched as many steals. San Diego State opened up the game with a flourish. The Aztecs scored six unanswered points, and responded to a pair of Utah State 2-point field goals with a second 6-point run. But the Aggies closed the frame by netting seven straight points, cutting SDSU’s lead to 12-11 after 10 minutes of play. The Aztecs fired on all cylinders in the second quarter. The Scarlet and Black powered past Utah State by winning the period, 23-11, with Gomez knocking down three long balls in that time. SDSU possessed a 35-22 lead at the half. In the third quarter, the Aggies were able to close the gap to the tightest margin since the early second quarter. Utah State opened the period with a 14-9 point advantage to get the score within eight. Due in large part to Thorderson’s threes on consecutive possessions, however, San Diego State created a 14-point chasm at the end of the third quarter. The final frame saw the Aggies attempt the comeback. After Baylee Vanderdoes dropped in her first two points of the game off an assist from Kymberly Ellison, Utah State went on 13-2 run, cutting the Aztecs’ lead to 58-53 with three minutes to go for the slimmest margin since the early second quarter. But Bostick out-smarted the Aggies at 2:42 when she got a steal in her opponent’s end and raced it down the court, laying in the uncontested basket for the 60-53 Aztec lead. SDSU would end the game by going 6-for-8 from the charity stripe as Utah State got six points of its own for the final 66-59 score. Said San Diego State head coach Stacie Terry, “What I was most impressed with is that when Utah State made a run, we were composed and didn’t completely fold. That’s huge growth for our program.” SDSU won the battle on the glass, 28-19, for the first time in four games, and scored 12 fast break points, of which Utah State got zero. The Aggies recorded more assists, 15-10, blocks, 3-2, steals, 9-5, and fewer turnovers, 15-20. “This win is totally on the girls,” Terry said. “We had a team meeting after our last loss and they committed to each other and to this program to do more and to do the little things, and rebounding was one of them. I hope that this is a trend going forward because this is a huge win tonight for us, to win the battle at the boards.” San Diego State takes its first of two trips this season to Las Vegas on Sat., Feb. 18 for a 4 p.m. game at UNLV. Box Play by play