ADKISON, SHEEHAN NAMED THIRD TEAM ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-AMERICANS
Printer-friendly version Source: goaztecs.com Photo: Danny Sheehan courtesy goaztecs.com June 19, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State outfielder Tyler Adkison and shortstop Danny Sheehan have been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-America Third Team. The announcement comes on the heels of both players being selected to the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-Region First Team last week. Adkison was previously chosen an Honorable Mention All-American by Perfect Game while Sheehan was honored as a 2017 Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Both were named to the All-Mountain West first team this past season with Sheehan also picking up the league’s Tony Gwynn Co-Player of the Year award. Adkison (Culver City, Calif. / Mater Dei HS) played primarily in left field for the Aztecs this past season. He batted .337 overall with 14 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 64 RBI and 43 runs scored in 56 contests. In addition to leading the team in home runs, RBI and walks, he was first in slugging percentage (.648) and on-base percentage (.445). His 15 home runs were the most by an Aztec since Chris Gwynn hit a school-record 19 over 89 games during the 1984 campaign. His 64 RBI ranks 13th on the SDSU all-time single season list as well. Sheehan, who redshirted in 2016, picked up where he left off two years ago by hitting .344 with 17 doubles, a triple, seven home runs 54 RBI and 54 runs scored. He batted .398 in conference play with 31 RBI and 32 runs scored, and ended the season ranked among the top 10 in 11 offensive categories in Mountain West play. In all divisions, the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Teams will be announced on Wednesday, June 21 and the ABCA Players of the Year will be announced Wednesday, June 28. Printer-friendly version
TWO SAILORS KILLED IN NAVY DESTROYER COLLISION WERE FROM SAN DIEGO
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery June 19, 2017 (San Diego) – The Department of Defense has released the names of seven sailors who were reported missing but have since been confirmed dead after the Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a merchant vessel from the Philippines on Sunday, June 18th at 2:30 a.m. Two of the sailors were from San Diego County: 25-year-old Petty Officer 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass of San Diego, and 23-year old Petty Officer 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan from Chula Vista. Their remains were found in flooded berthing compartments after divers gained access to the damaged spaces, according to a press release issued by the Department of Defense. The collision occurred about 64 miles off the coast of Yokosuka Japan, according to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Japanese Coast Guard aided in the search and rescue efforts. The damaged destroyer was able to return to its home port at Yokosuka, aided by tugboats, after the collision. Cause of the deadly collision remains under investigation. Other sailors were injured and three required medical evacuation from the damaged Fitzgerald, including Bryce Benson, the Fitzgerald’s commanding officer, who is reportedly in stable condition. Benson and the two other injured sailors were transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka. Navy Rear Admiral Charles Williams stated in a press release, “I want to highlight the extraordinary courage of the Fitzgerald sailors who contained the flooding, stabilized the ship and sailed her back to Yokosuka despite the exceptionally trying circumstances.” Printer-friendly version
RESIDENTS URGED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS IN EXCESSIVE HEAT
Printer-friendly version By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office June 19, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – With high temperatures expected to hover around 120 degrees in eastern San Diego County desert areas through the middle of next week, County health officials are reminding the public to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses and pay extra attention to children, elderly and pets. The National Weather Service in San Diego issued an excessive heat warning effective from 11 a.m. today through Wednesday at 9 p.m. for the desert areas of eastern San Diego County including Borrego Springs. Temperatures will be in the 110 to 116 range today through Sunday with highs of 116 to 122 Monday through Wednesday. The County is extending the Cool Zone hours at the Borrego Springs branch of the San Diego County Library. The library will be open on Monday, when it’s normally closed, from 12 to 5 p.m. The library is normally open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, but is shifting its hours that day to 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The library is located at 587 Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 125. A heat advisory is also in effect for the mountain areas including Julian and Pine Valley from 11 a.m. Saturday until 9 p.m. Wednesday. Mountain and foothill areas in the county are expected to be hot as well with from 92 to 102 Saturday and Sunday increasing to 96 to 104 Monday through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The County operates the Cool Zones program and has designated more than 115 air-conditioned buildings as cooling centers. Locations and hours of operation can be found on a new interactive map on CoolZones.org, or by calling 2-1-1 San Diego (dial 2-1-1). You can also call 1-800-510-2020, ext. 6 Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sites are identified by a light blue polar bear Cool Zone logo. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler. Do not rely on electric fans for cooling if temperatures exceed 90 degrees. To avoid heat-related problems, health officials recommend the following: Stay in an air-conditioned area during the hottest hours of the day Wear light, loose-fitting clothing Drink plenty of water (avoid alcohol and sugary drinks) and don’t wait until you are thirsty Take cool showers Never leave a child, elderly person, or pet unattended in a car Keeping pets cool in hot weather Avoid unnecessary hard work or activities outside during the hottest part of the day Avoid unnecessary sun exposure and wear a wide-brim hat if you need to be in the sun Avoid using the oven to cook An extremely high body temperature (103 or higher), dizziness, nausea, confusion, and headache are signs of heat-stroke or exhaustion. If someone shows these signs, call 9-1-1 and begin cooling the individual by: Moving them to a shaded area Spraying with cool water and fanning them Placing them in a cool shower if they are alert Monitoring the body temperature and continue cooling efforts Do not give the victim fluids to drink Elderly people (65 years and older), infants and children, and people with chronic medical conditions are more prone to heat stress. People with elderly neighbors should check on the well-being of the older persons. Printer-friendly version
WATER TESTING FOR LEAD COMES UP CLEAN IN CAJON VALLEY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
Printer-friendly version East County News Service June 18, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – A new state program authorizes school districts to work with local water districts to provide free lead testing of drinking water at all school sites. The results are in for Cajon Valley Union School District campuses, which draw water from three water agencies: Helix Water District, Otay Water District and Padre Dam Municipal Water District. Scott Buxbaum, Assistant Superintendent and Chief Business Officer for the district, announced the outcome. “Following the strict sampling instructions set forth by the State Water Resources Control Board, testing has been completed and we are pleased to report that all of CVUSD’s school campuses passed with good results. All schools were below the minimum recordable levels,” he says. Multiple samples were taken at each school from March to May. Click here to view the test results. Below is a list of all of the schools tested in the Cajon Valley Union School District: Helix Water District Includes the following school sites: Anza Elementary, Bostonia Language Academy, Cajon Valley Community Day School, Cajon Valley Middle, Chase Elementary, Emerald Middle, Flying Hills Elementary, Fuerte Elementary, Greenfield Middle, Johnson Elementary, Lexington Elementary, Madison Elementary, Magnolia Elementary, Meridian Elementary, Montgomery Middle, Naranca Elementary, Sevick Special Education, W.D. Hall Elementary Otay Water District Includes the following school sites: Avocado Elementary, Hillsdale Middle, Jamacha Elementary, Rancho San Diego Elementary, Vista Grande Elementary Padre Dam District Includes the following school sites: Blossom Valley Elementary, Crest Elementary/Cajon Valley Home School, Los Coches Creek Middle, Rios Elementary Printer-friendly version
CHEERS, BEER FANS! SAN DIEGO NOW TOPS IN CRAFT BREWING COMPANIES
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photos: BNS Brewery, Santee June 18, 2017 (San Diego) – Already famed for producing among the best beers in the nation, San Diego now has the most craft brewing operations of any American city, according to a new report from the real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield. America’s finest city now boasts 125 craft breweries, according to the report, which along with brew pubs popping up in urban neighborhoods are fueling the latest “cool trend” revitalizing communities. But they’re not just limited to urban areas. East County has its share of beer brewing businesses in places as far-flung as rural Alpine, the picturesque mountain town of Julian and our inland cities: Santee, La Mesa and El Cajon. San Diego edged out Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles County, which have the second and third most breweries, according to the report. Other burgeoning brew spots on the list are Chicago, Portland, Oregon, Denver, phoenix, Boulder, Colorado, Orange County, California, and Minneapolis. “We define “cool street” markets as up-and-coming urban submarkets where shifting demographic trends—driven by strong millennial and empty-nester in-migration—have transformed often long-neglected neighborhoods into burgeoning alternative retail markets,” the report said. The Cushman report relied on data from Brewers Association Trade Group and other sources, but did not include some local start-ups such as Ballast Point that have since been acquired by big national beer makers. According to Times of San Diego, however, our county now has 140 licensed brewing establishments, providing even more choices for both local craft brew aficionados and tourists. Cheers! Printer-friendly version
EX-SDSU GOLF STAR XANDER SCHAUFFELE TIES FOR FIFTH AT U.S. OPEN
Printer-friendly version Aztec alumnus earns exemption to next year’s championship Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com June 18, 2017 (Erin, Wisc.) – Making his first major championship appearance, former San Diego State All-American Xander Schauffele (San Diego, Calif.) tied for fifth place at the 117th U.S. Open on Sunday after carding a 3-under-par 69 during the final round at Erin Hills Golf Club. With his total, Schauffele completed the tournament at 10-under 278, along with Bill Haas and Rickie Fowler, finishing five strokes behind champion Brooks Koepka (-15), while Hideki Matsuyama and Brian Harman tied for second at 12-under, followed closely by Tommy Fleetwood (-11), who took fourth. By virtue of his top-10 performance, Schauffele also earned an exemption to next year’s U.S. Open, slated for Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Schauffele, who began the day in a tie for 10th at 7-under on the heels of a third-round 70, managed to offset two bogeys with five birdies to climb five places on the leaderboard. After carding a bogey on the par-4 11th, the Aztec alumnus finished strong with four pars and three birdies, including back-to-back drains on the 14th and 15th greens. In all, Schauffele sank 19 birdies for the weekend against seven bogeys and one double-bogey to tie for his highest placement in 17 events this season—his first on the PGA Tour. Last October, the Scripps Ranch High product also landed in the fifth position at the Sanderson Farms Championships in Jackson, Mississippi, where he recorded a 15-under 273. In addition, he tied for 11th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April and finished 24th position at the Wells Fargo Championship last month in Wilmington, North Carolina. A three-time all-Mountain West Conference honoree, Schauffele received All-America recognition following a brilliant senior campaign at San Diego State in 2015, earning third-team distinction from the both the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and Golfweek. In his three years on Montezuma Mesa, Schauffele compiled 21 top-10 finishes, 16 top-five efforts and two individual titles before graduating with a degree in social science. He also owns the school record with a 71.50 career scoring average in 118 rounds played, as well as the program’s single-season standard of 171 birdies set in 2014-15. Printer-friendly version
FINE FATHER’S DAY FEASTING AT RAMONA RANCH WINERY
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photo: Mark Raftery celebrates Father’s Day with tri-tip and sangria at Ramona Ranch Winery June 18, 2017 (Ramona) – What could bring a smile to Dads more than savoring grilled tri-tip, wine and sangria on a canopied hilltop terrace? Ramona Ranch Winery provided this idyllic setting, drawing a crowd for Father’s Day this afternoon despite a pre-summer heat wave. Alyssa Walker, a young singer-songwriter with an angelic voice and remarkable talent, provided entertainment while we dined, sipped, and made some new friends while enjoying vineyard and garden views. Caterer John Little, who also owns the Roundup Grill restaurant at Lake Henshaw, carve the delicious tri-tip, also serving up savory baked beans, salad, grilled corn on the cob, corn bread muffins with jalapeños, and bread pudding—ultimate comfort food. Winemaker Micole Moore and his partner, Teri Kerns, personally poured a variety of vintages to taste – including a delightful new white wine, “Burlesque” blend of muscat and estate Symphony with hints of orange blossom and apricot. We took home a bottle of our favorite red, a super Tuscan that again won a gold medal at the Taste of the Coast competition, to enjoy at home. Printer-friendly version
DALAI LAMA URGES KINDNESS AND COMPASSION
Printer-friendly version Story and photos by Ron Logan June 18, 2017 (La Jolla) – The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, spoke today in front of a capacity crowd at UCSD’s RIMAC Field. More than 20,000 people were in attendance for a public talk by His Holiness in advance of his university commencement keynote speech scheduled for Saturday, June 17. The Dalai Lama has received 72 honorary doctorate degrees for his contributions to the fields of Neuroscience, Humanities, Buddhist Science, Humane Arts & Letters, Oriental Studies, Theology, Divinity, Diplomatic Science, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Law and Philosophy. As an author, he has written 80 books, with more than 200 publications, translated into 63 languages. He has spoken at 146 universities worldwide. In this, his second appearance at UCSD since 2012, the Dalai Lama urged compassion from our society. He was introduced by his personal friend, NBC News television journalist Ann Curry, following brief speeches by UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who awarded His Holiness a key to the city. Curry introduced the Dalai Lama as a wise and compassionate human being, a man who says his religion is ‘kindness.’ “He knows that our true human potential is far greater than we can even imagine,” said Curry. “He knows, not only from studying the rich wisdom found in ancient Tibetan texts, but also from a field of scientific inquiry that he initiated, that has analyzed compassion and the human brain. Modern science, it turns out, has found that compassion is a fundamental human trait. The evidence indicates that humans that practice compassion tend to be happier, and may even live longer. The Dalai Lama says this evidence is reason to hope that we humans will find our better selves.” “His message of compassion, peace, and non-violence is taken into 62 countries. many repeatedly, and has had him win 84 awards and counting, including the coveted Nobel Peace Prize,” she continued. “But everyone who has come to know the Dalai Lama will tell you that he is a humble man and he doesn’t want awards. What he wants is action. Tangible, positive change in us and the way we treat one another. Which is how, at the age of 81, he is still traveling the world, and he is still speaking to people including to you today.” The Dalai Lama’s speech, which lasted approximately 70 minutes and included a question and answer session, focused mostly on love, compassion and oneness. “Everybody wants [a] happy life. That is alright. The very purpose of our life is for happiness. Joyfulness,” said His Holiness. He explained that our future is based on hope. Our planet has seven billion human beings who all want to be happy, but there are a lot of problems. And many of the problems in society are our own creation. What he calls “Man-made problems.” The Dalai Lama said we can solve most of our problems if we tackle our emotions, learn compassion and kindness to others, through education and awareness, and through a deep desire to create oneness with the seven billion people. Oneness of humanity. His Holiness believes too much emphasis is placed on our differences: color, nationality, language, culture, religion, rich, poor, educated and uneducated. He explained that this planet is a giant garden, and that the beauty of the garden is enhanced by a variety of different flowers. that a garden full of the same flowers would not be as beautiful. This is the 21st century. We have a global economy, global warming, global population – we are all the same. His Holiness warned that the gap is too great between rich and poor. He said this is not only morally wrong, but a source of many of our problems. This is a global problem, but particularly in the U.S. “We have to work together and share each other’s problem[s] as one human family,” he said. “We have to pay more attention to deepen our value, that’s loving kindness. Human affection. Basic human nature is more compassionate. Constant fear and anger eats our immune system. A more compassionate mind brings more self-confidence, brings inner strength, brings [a] friendly atmosphere … a smile brings a closeness.” His Holiness encouraged his audience to respect all religions, but to also respect non-believers. Out of seven billion people on earth, one billion are non-believers. “[Let’s] not talk about [our] next life, not talk about Heaven and Hell. Just talk about how to create happy human being[s] on this planet,” he said. “[The] concept of oneness of humanity. If [we put] too much emphasis on we, we, we, then it automatically create[s] they, they. So then [it creates] distance. We, they. That’s the basis of bully[ing], exploitation, and finally, violence. If we keep our love, then there is [the] real possibility that [our] enemy will become [our] best friend.” Tolerance and forgiveness are the keys to real change. When asked what students can do to make the world a better place, the Dalai Lama responded, “They can change this century … The 21st century. In order to create [a] peaceful century, this century should be [the] century of dialogue. Then, whenever we find disagreement, we have to think ‘how to solve, how to reduce this gap through talk.’ With mutual respect. Mutual love. Consider, they [are] also part of [our] human brothers, sisters … so, this century should be [a] century of open dialogue in order to make [a] century of peace.” His Holiness explained how the 20th century, which he calls his century, was a century of violence and war. But he has great hope for the 21st century. He believes that by the end of the century we can create a century of peace. “I have more hope … Sometimes I tell people that if we had met Jesus Christ, and Mohammad, and Buddha, and you asked ‘please, please bring peace on this planet’ most probably they would tell us ‘who, who creates violence?’ Not God,