MARCH JULY 29 IN EL CAJON COMMEMORATES ALFRED OLANGO BIRTHDAY, CALLS FOR FIRING OF OFFICER WHO KILLED HIM
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery July 9, 2017 (El Cajon) – Alfred Olango would have celebrated his 39th birthday on July 29th, if he hadn’t been killed by El Cajon Police Officer Richard Gonsalves. The shooting was ruled justifiable by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. But his family and some civil rights activists from the National Action Network (NAN) and others believe justice was not served. NAN and 15 other organizations will hold a march and rally on July 29th in El Cajon, to announce a targeted effort calling on Police Chief Jeff Davis to fire Officer Gonsalves, who previously was demoted for sexually harassing women on the force and has triggered lawsuits against the City. The City has previously indicated that the City Manager, not the Police Chief, is responsible for hiring and firing of employees. The event convenes at 11 a.m. at 390 West Main Street in El Cajon with speakers, followed by a march at noon led by family members of Olango and faith based leaders including Rev. Shane Harris from NAN. The march will end at Prescott Promenade, 201 East Main Street, El Cajon with guest speakers, singing, poetry, food, face painting and a public address from the family of Olango and the Alfred Olango Foundation officers. The event is slated to end at 1 p.m. Olango, an unarmed African-American man, was fatally shot in September 2016 after his sister made calls to 911 voicing concerns about his “erratic” behavior. According to the Los Angeles Times, a dispatcher asked repeatedly if Olango was “black or white” and told his sister that the situation was not a priority. A psychiatric response team was unavailable due to another call. Arriving officers found Olango wandering in a parking lot of a Mexican restaurant drive-through. An officer ordered Olango to take his hands out of his pockets. He pulled out an e-cigarette that police said resembled a gun, pointing it at one of the officers. One officer fired a taser. His partner, Officer Gonsalves, fired several shots with his service revolver, killing Olango. The death resulted in days of civil unrest in El Cajon, drawing international media exposure. Printer-friendly version
TWINS OF FAMED SOCCER STAR CRISTIANO RONALDO REPORTEDLY BORN AT GROSSMONT HOSPITAL
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photos: Cristiano Ronaldo with twin son and daughter, via Instagram; Ronaldo via Real Madrid July 9, 2017 (La Mesa) – He’s been hailed as the greatest soccer star of all time by the Los Angeles Times and multiple international media outlets. Now soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the proud father of twins, born recently at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, according to British press reports. (The hospital has declined comment). Ronaldo announced the birth of his twin son and daughter, Mateo and Eva Maria Dos Santo, on Instagram last month. He also has a 7-ear-old son, Cristiano Junior. The Daily Mail newspaper in England reports that Ronaldo, who is single, conceived the twins via a surrogate, citing court records in San Diego. The British paper also reports that Ronaldo’s current girlfriend is sporting a “baby bump,” sparking speculation that his family may soon grow larger. Birth through surrogacy is illegal in Portugal, where Ronaldo resides, which could explain why his twins were born in California, where his 7-year-old son was also born. his children, born in the U.S., could be eligible to someday play on a U.S.soccer team. (Maybe even in San Diego, if the city ever gets a soccer stadium built!) The sports star is so popular in his homeland that an airport has been named after him. Born into poverty, Ronaldo’s full name at birth was Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveira. His second name was chosen in honor of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. In addition to being a star of soccer, or football (futbol) as it is known in Europe, Ronaldo is also noted for his philanthropy including helping survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami. He has been named Global Artist Ambassador by Save the Children. He also launched a selfie app for charity, allowing fans to choose through dozens of filters to “pose” in selfies with Ronaldo. A forward for Portugal’s national team and Spanish club Real Madrid, Ronaldo is often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many sports analysts as the greatest of all time. He has won four FIFA Ballon d’Or awards, the most for any European player, and is the first in history to win four European Golden Shoes. He has won 22 trophies in his career, including five league titles, four UEFA Champion UEFA Champions League titles and one UEFA European Championship. He also holds the record for the most goals scored in the top five European leagues—369, among other career achievements. Printer-friendly version
ECM PADRES REPORT: PHILLIES DEFEAT PADRES WITH SIX HOMERS
Printer-friendly version Like our sports coverage? Donate to help support ECM’s sports section! Follow @ECMagSports on Twitter for live sports coverage and stories! Story by Liz Alper Photo: Freddy Galvis’ two-home run day lifted the Phillies over the Padres as Austin Hedges looks disappointed. Via @Phillies on Twitter July 9, 2017 (Philadelphia) – The Padres aimed for the sweep today against the Phillies to go into the All-Star break feeling good about themselves. Trevor Cahill started against Jerad Eickhoff for the Phillies. As is the case on every Sunday when the Padres have the opportunity to sweep, they let it slip out of their hands. Nick Williams blasted a solo homer, his first as a major leaguer, in the second. Cameron Rupp followed that up with a homer of his own. Back-to-back homers gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Freddy Galvis extended that league big in the third with a two-run homer to make the score 4-0 Phillies. Craig Stammen relieved Cahill in the sixth, but he bombed too, giving up a homer to Odubel Herrera for a 5-0 Phillies lead. Phil Maton came in, but the home runs kept coming. Aaron Altherr hit one in the seventh and Galvis hit his second of the day for a 7-0 Philadelphia lead. The Padres did score one run in the ninth on a sac fly by Hector Sanchez, but the Padres handed Eickhoff his first win of the season as the Phillies won 7-1, hitting the most home runs in a game since 2004. The Padres do win the series 2-1, however. The Padres are off for a week for the All-Star break. The ECM Padres Report will be back on Friday with more Padres coverage when they’re at home at Petco Park taking on the Giants. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. Printer-friendly version
SAN MIGUEL FIRE & RESCUE GRADUATION BADGE CEREMONY JULY 11: A JOURNEY TO RETURN TO LOCAL CONTROL
Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 9, 2017 (Spring Valley) — San Miguel Fire & Rescue will hold a graduation and badge pinning ceremony for all 85 members of its Fire District on July 11th at 4 p.m. at Cuyamaca College, Bldg B. San Miguel Fire & Rescue’s Board of Directors terminated its contract with CAL FIRE (effective July 12th at 8 a.m.) after four years to return to a locally controlled Fire District. Advocates of the controversial change have said they believe it provides the citizens of Bostonia, Casa de Oro, Crest, Grossmont/Mt. Helix, La Presa, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley, as well as unincorporated areas of El Cajon and La Mesa with Fire and Emergency Medical Services that are locally controlled, more cost effective and focused exclusively on the communities they serve. San Miguel has rehired approximately 40 of its original firefighters and 38 new firefighters who have just completed several weeks of intense firefighter training as they prepare to assume full control of San Miguel’s many communities on July 12th. Printer-friendly version
PASSAGES: FORMER ALPINE SUN EDITOR’S HUSBAND, GREG SCOTT, KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery July 9, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Spring Valley resident Gregory Lawrence Scott, the father of two young children and husband of The Alpine Sun’s former editor Christy Scott, was killed in a car accident on I-15 on June 17th. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Christy and the couple’s children, Jacob,and Isabelle. “Greg will be remembered as a loving husband and father, a beloved son and brother, and an immense nerd and rabid hockey fan,” the Go Fund Me page states. He was on his way home from a hockey game when the accident occurred. A long-time employee of Crownair Aviation, he moved to the area shortly after marrying Christy, his high school sweetheart in 2003. He was the sole support of his family. Lori Bledsoe, current editor of The Alpine Sun, wrote in an article on the family’s tragic loss that the couple had been together for 23 years and that for Christy, Greg was “the love of her life.” Christy served as editor of the Alpine newspaper for six years and as a reporter before that. A devoted newswoman, her determination to be a “good wife and mother” eventually led her to resign her post when the family followed their dream and moved to the beach. Recently, they decided it was time to purchase a home and moved to Spring Valley, where they had room for a yard that included a garden, chickens, and room for children to play—children who lost their father just one day before Father’s Day. You can donate to help the Scott family at https://www.gofundme.com/8ktfuv-the-scott-family. Printer-friendly version
MORE HEAT RECORDS SCORCHED; BEACH WARNING ISSUED DUE TO LIGHTNING AND RIP CURRENT DANGERS
Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 9, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Sizzling temperatures on Friday, July 7th, shattered more records. Borrego Springs reached 120 degrees on Friday, the hottest in 41 years. Campo hit 108 and Ramona 102 degrees. The highs reached triple digits again on Saturday, but relief from the heat is in sight, with a tropical storm over Mexico moving into the area today bringing gusty winds, thunderstorms and lightning over inland areas and beaches. Those storm clouds also brought lightning followed by rain that helped firefighters swiftly douse small blazes along State Route 79 near Warner Springs, Cal Fire reports. More lightning is expected today so take precautions. A beach hazard warning has been issued for coastal areas off San Diego today, due to strong rip currents and possible lightning strikes. Printer-friendly version
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: RODENT CONTROL
Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 9, 2017 (Jamul) – Debbie Ekhaml sent in this great photo of a coyote that’s captured its prey, a plump squirrel, at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Jamul, where she also shot award-winning images honored in our recent photo contest. Printer-friendly version
EL CAJON CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES HOMELESS AID PROJECT; KALASHO AGAIN SPARKS CONTROVERSY OVER DISPUTED COMMENTS TO LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Printer-friendly version By Paul Kruze July 7, 2017 (El Cajon) — In a unanimous 4-0 vote (with Councilmember Bob McClellan absent), the El Cajon City Council has approved a major measure to address homelessness in El Cajon as part of an initiative developed by the East County Homeless Task Force (ECHTF.org). The measure includes an expenditure of $168,000 by the city. Council has considered the work by the East County Homeless Task Force the past couple of sessions. A presentation given by El Cajon Assistant Manager Graham Mitchell summed up challenges faced by the homeless in the region and the recent proposal made by the East County Homeless Task Force to the city. Mitchell pointed out that there has been a 7 percent increase in the number of homeless individuals in El Cajon over last year, which translates into a 32 percent increase in a five year period. In El Cajon, one in three persons of homeless individuals are “chronically homeless;” 73 percent are male. Of those, seven percent are military veterans, 39 percent have serious mental illness and one in four are either on parole or on probation after being incarcerated. “The regional statistics on homelessness very much reflect the homeless situation in El Cajon,” he said. The overall plan includes funding an anti-panhandling campaign, access to homeless services, and community and regional cooperation. Included in the budget would be nearly $4,000 allocated to a homeless services app compatible with smartphone and “flip” phones, animal shelter kenneling and monies directed to a homeless outreach team (staffed by law enforcement) and $70,000 towards an individual designed as a “housing navigator.” A “housing navigator” is an individual who has an extensive background working with individuals that are chronically. homeless and/or homeless veterans, and has knowledge of working with public housing authorities and housing subsidies. Money would also be directed to develop and convert local motels into temporary housing facilities. Mitchell said the total commitment the city would be making would be in the amount of $168,000. Before the vote, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells asked that communication be made with the County of San Diego on the amount of subsidy that the city could receive for its efforts to deal with its homeless population. “We hear a lot about this ‘vast amount of money’ the county has. I know how that is. Sometimes it is not as much people think.” Councilmember Ben Kalasho questioned Mitchell about the inherent costs of a person hired as a “housing navigator.” He concluded the questioning by saying, “There are things I like about this [plan], there are things that concern me. I think when you’re dealing with this issue you’re on a knife’s edge and you have to be very careful. The more services we provide… to the homeless, the more homeless you’re going to get in the city,” he said. “Especially with the conversion, I wouldn’t want that. I’m just sharing my opinion.” Councilman Steve Goble expressed his support for the funding. “This is a no brainer to me,” Goble said. “After listening to many of the stakeholders – as I’ve previously mentioned – the people of El Cajon are telling us that, ‘We can’t wait for somebody to take action.’ Is it supposed to be the County? Is it supposed to be the federal government? Is it supposed to be a private agency? Somebody just do something. We have before us a great opportunity today to do something and to do something smart,” he said. “Funding this through Crisis House, we are not creating a larger city bureaucracy. We are working with people who are much more expert than we are. We have to leverage that,” he added. Earlier in the Council session, embattled Councilman Kalasho again waded into controversy over remarks he had allegedly made during the previous week when Councilman Goble asked Kalasho to represent the city at the June 23rd meeting of the East County Economic Development Council (Goble, the city’s representative on the ECEDC, was not able to attend due to business obligations.) Kalasho is accused of making offhand comments that the city of El Cajon is in financial peril, which according to Goble and El Cajon City Manager, Doug Williford, is not the case. (East County Magazine has approached the East County Economic Development Council about a reported existence of an audio recording of Kalasho speaking at the meeting.) “It is not unusual on City Council to have different opinions how things should be done. That’s okay that we have different opinions. Differences can result in a sharper outcome at the end,” Goble said at the beginning of this three-minute statement. “I’m told through three sources that Mr. Kalasho’s viewpoint was, with respect to the city budget at that meeting, [he] stated, ‘Unless we do something dire to change our current circumstances, the city is going to be bankrupt in a few years,” Goble continued. “That comment concerns me. So I have a different opinion on that. There is no doubt that we will be paying out $23 million dollars over the next five years – more than we’re paying today – for CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System). The reason we are paying more is because El Cajon is like many of the 482 cities in California. All of these cities are facing the same CalPERS challenge because the CalPERS board lowered its rate of return. That means the cities have to make up the difference. That’s more out of pocket. It is a challenge – there is no doubt about that. And we will face difficult decisions. However, the city of El Cajon has $6.5 million set aside specifically towards this $23 million. We also have a reserve that’s unspoken for of $8.4 million dollars. Together, today we have $14.9 million dollars to meet that $23 million big bite we have to take in the next five years.” Goble continued, “El Cajon is open for business. El Cajon is a safe community. El Cajon is a
16 DRIVERS CITED FOR DRIVER’S LICENSE VIOLATIONS IN LEMON GROVE, BUT NO DUI ARRESTS MADE AT CHECKPOINT
Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 8, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – A sobriety checkpoint in Lemon Grove found no intoxicated drivers, but did lead to citations for license violations and impounding of several vehicles. The checkpoint was initiative due to numerous DUI-related accidents and recent tragedies. “In recent months, Lemon Grove has been impacted by an unusual number of traffic collisions where one of the involved parties has been found to be under the influence of alcoholic beverages and/or drugs. Lemon Grove has also been affected by a high number of “hit-and-run” collisions where one of the parties has fled the collision scene,” says Sergeant Jorge Dueño. “Regretfully, since October of 2016, Lemon Grove has endured the loss of several citizens involved in traffic collisions and has also sustained a substantial loss of property at the hands of motorists who collided against homes and parked vehicles.” On July 7th between 8 p.m. and 1:30 a.m., deputies from the County Sheriff’s Department conducted a DUI sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint at the 7900 block of Broadway in Lemon Grove. The checkpoint was staffed by approximately 22 Sheriff’s Deputies and other Sheriff’s Department employees. The purpose of the checkpoint was to raise public awareness about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcoholic beverages and/or drugs, to deter driving while under the influence and to intervene with motorists who are found driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The operation also served to check and ensure motorist traveling through the checkpoint were properly licensed to drive a motor vehicle. A total of 682 vehicles went through the checkpoint. Over 550 motorists were contacted and 63 of those had to be further evaluated due to driver’s license discrepancies, or to inspect for DUI symptoms. A total of 16 citations were issued to unlicensed or suspended drivers. Seven vehicles were impounded. Three motorists were evaluated for DUI. No one was arrested for DUI or any other reason. The Lemon Grove checkpoint was funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety in conjunction with the National Highway Safety Administration. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the city of Lemon Grove would like to remind all San Diego County citizens to take every precaution to avoid driving while under the influence of alcoholic beverages and/or drugs. A simple precaution may include planning ahead and arranging for a designated driver or alternate transportation. Any questions about the Lemon Grove DUI checkpoint may be directed to Sergeant J. Dueño, Lemon Grove Substation Traffic Unit – 619-337-2000. Printer-friendly version
LAKESIDE MUSEUM AND HISTORIC CHURCH TOURS AVAILABLE
Printer-friendly version East County News Service July 8, 2017 (Lakeside) – The Lakeside Museum and Olde Community Church (built in 1896) are open for free tours every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For other days and times, appointments can be made by calling the History Center at 561-1886. The Church is located at 9906 Maine Avenue, in Lakeside’s Historic District. The gift shop is open too featuring Carnival Glass, antiques, books and Lakeside T-Shirts. Printer-friendly version