SDSU VOLLEYBALL DOWNS AIR FORCE IN FOUR SETS; COLLINS-PARKER COLLECTS 300TH CAREER VICTORY
Source: goaztecs.com Photo: Deitre Collins-Parker courtesy goaztecs.com October 7, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State volleyball head coach Deitre Collins-Parker picked up her 300th career victory on Saturday as the Aztecs emerged triumphant over Air Force 3-1 (25-14, 29-31, 25-20, 25) in a Mountain West match at Aztec Court. With the win, SDSU improves to 8-11 on the year and 2-4 in conference play, while the Falcons drop to 8-12 overall and 1-5 in the MW. The Aztecs outhit the visitors .284-.163, maintaining a 53-47 advantage in kills and a 13.0-.7.0 spread in team blocks to help key their conquest. In addition, SDSU was the beneficiary of 16 Falcon service errors, including seven in the third set alone. Individually, the Aztecs boasted four players with double-digit kill totals, led by Alexis Cage, who finished with 13 put-aways and hit .407 on the evening, while Hannah Turnlund (.333) launched 12 non-returnables of own. In addition, Deja Harris and Ashlynn Dunbar contributed 10 kills apiece, while setter Gabi Peoples handed out 45 assists. Harris also anchored a solid defensive effort, matching her season-high with seven block assists, while Peoples and Baylee Little totals six stuffs apiece. Not to be outdone, Devyn Pritchard collected 13 digs, while Dunbar and Sam McGrath (4 aces) totaled nine scoops each. The Aztecs got off to a blazing start in the opening set, outing the Academy .440-.067 on 13 kills in 25 attempts with just two errors. Little, Turnlund and Dunbar floored three consecutive swings to start the match, and SDSU never looked back. Air Force crept within four points midway through frame at 14-10, before the Scarlet and Black fashioned a 7-0 blitz to put the score out of reach. McGrath keyed the run with three service aces, while Turnlund, Cage and Harris provided kills. Set number two was the most entertaining of the night as the two sides combined for a whopping 19 ties and 11 lead changes. Turnlund blasted six of the Aztecs 17 kills in the stanza, while Dunbar and Harris chipped in four apiece. The Falcons built a pair of six-point leads, including a 14-8 spread following a kill by Piper Heineck. However, the Aztecs crept back into contention with a 9-2 spurt to nudge in front 17-16, setting the stage for a wild finish. Air Force appeared in control as a Heineck ace gave the Falcons a 24-21 advantage, but SDSU quickly regrouped with four consecutive tallies to go back in front 25-24. The Aztecs were unable to seal the deal, however, falling short on four set points, including a 29-28 spread following a block by Peoples and Harris. The Falcons caught lightning in a bottle at the end, closing with three straight points on a Heineck kill, an errant SDSU attack and a block by Heineck and Denise Ssozi. Stung, the Aztecs found themselves trailing early in the third frame 2-1 before responding with a timely 9-2 run to seize control. The host school received three blocks and two kills by Cage during the run, while Air Force imploded with two attack errors, a wayward serve and a bad set, which gave SDSU a 10-4 lead. The Aztecs gradually upped their advantage to 22-14, before the Falcons trimmed the margin in half at 24-20 following a kill by Abigail Miksch. However, the rally came too little too late as Cage slammed the door with a put-away on the very next serve. SDSU never trailed in the fourth stanza, but Air Force kept things close, trimming the margin to 10-9 after two consecutive attack errors. However, the Aztecs maintained their composure, stringing together another crucial 9-2 spurt to give themselves some breathing room. Peoples and Little combined for a pair of blocks during the run, while Cage added three kills. Cage also provided two more put-aways down the stretch, while the match fittingly concluded on a Falcon service error. SDSU hit .379 in the set, knocking down 15 kills on 29 swings with four errors. Air Force was paced by Miksch, who finished with a match-high 17 kills, while Ssozi (11) and Heineck also reached double figures in that statistic. San Diego State hits the road next week for a pair of conference matches at New Mexico (Oct. 12) and UNLV (Oct. 14). Box
A TALE OF TWO OKTOBERFESTS
By Miriam Raftery October 7, 2017 (El Cajon) – Crowds flocked to Oktoberfests in El Cajon and La Mesa for bratwurst, beer, and festivities. The two community events differed sharply, with the German-American club’s event at its headquarters in El Cajon focused on authentic offerings such as a German band and Bavarian pastries, while La Mesa added some international elements and carnival attractions. In El Cajon, we savored bratwurst with red cabbage and potato salad (other options included German meatloaf and roasted ox on a spit). La Mesa offered bratwurst but also vendors selling non-German foods. In El Cajon’s big beer garden, many were dressed in Bavarian attire. A man in German liederhosen pulled frauleins and kinder (women and children) from the audience to learn the lively steps. Before I knew it, I was being twirled across the dance floor to the sounds of tuba and accordion music from a live Bavarian band. Another popular activity was the chicken dance, where a large crowd wiggled elbows like wings and strutted around, some wearing chicken hats. La Mesa’s festival also served up German lager (beer), but also offered craft cocktails for visitors to cool down on a toasty warm fall day. In La Mesa, Mexican Folklorico dancers and kids twirling hula hoops were also present, along with a Ferris wheel, big stuffed animals and bubble blowing for kids. Each event also had vendors. Most, though not all, in El Cajon hawked German-themed souvenirs, from beer steins to Alpine-style caps and chicken hats, though you could also purchase jewelry, quilts and more. La Mesa had more vendors, many of them offering up crafts. Both events offered contests, including a beer barrel hoist in La Mesa and a nail pounding contest in El Cajon. View video of women competeting in a nail-pounding contest in El Cajon’s Oktoberfest: This is the second and final weekend of El Cajon’s big bash, which concludes Sunday, while La Mesa’s ran last weekend. We couldn’t resist bringing home some Bavarian pastries from the El Cajon Oktoberfest to savor later at home. If you missed the fun and frolicking, there’s always next year!
READER’S EDITORIAL: UNMASKING CAL FIRE — ILLUMINATING THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY/CAL FIRE PLAN FOR JCFPD
By Patricia Landis, former board member, Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District October 7, 2017 (Julian) — I am a retired psychologist and not a journalist or investigative reporter. As a psychologist, my job was to listen. Maybe that is why so many individuals come and tell me “what’s going on.” I have become a repository of information about our fire department and I believe I need to share what I am hearing because it affects the lives of all of us living in the Julian-Cuyamaca fire district. At first, I thought the proposal for the Fire Authority to take over JCFPD was being driven by Dianne Jacob, since she was the visionary for the formation of the Fire Authority and consolidation of back-country volunteer fire departments. I have fought this proposal because I do not believe this small rural town could be managed better and more effectively from a bureaucratic organization that is 50 miles away (San Diego County Fire Authority), or by people who do not live in this community and value its history and culture. But, after reading reports of how Cal Fire operated in the San Miguel Fire Protection District, and experiencing the flood of information into Julian from Patrick Walker, an officer of Cal Fire Local 2881, I think I may have been wrong. I am now concerned that the plan is for JCFPD to be managed by Cal Fire from Sacramento, 520 miles away. That is where Cal Fire and Local 2881 are headquartered. Patrick Walker became a divisive actor on the Julian Facebook sites, to the point that locals saw nothing but his posts and arguments with local Facebook members. He appeared at a Fire Board meeting, placed a full-page ad in the Julian Journal, set up a fake Facebook page for “Julian-Cuyamaca Area Citizens in Support of CAL FIRE San Diego”, and mailed a postcard advertisement to every resident stating “Fire protection and safety services in the Julian-Cuyamaca area is at risk. Do you want to lose your paramedic engine?” I kept asking him, via Facebook, why he was so interested in Julian since he neither lives nor works here. It was perplexing. Then I read how active he was when San Miguel Fire decided to cancel their contract with Cal Fire. His argument there was that 70 firefighters would lose their jobs. This did not turn out to be true because many of the firefighters who were previously San Miguel Fire employees were hired back and other Cal Fire staff were redeployed. But that argument was revealing as to the possible reason Walker has been so vigorous in promoting the County/Cal Fire proposal, to-wit: revenue for Cal Fire from San Diego County, and the creation and protection of union jobs. Julian seems like a small dot on the map, not a big deal for Cal Fire. But when you combine Descanso, Shelter Valley, Intermountain, Shadow Ridge, Palomar Mountain and Mount Laguna, a larger picture is observed. Also, Julian is a strategic location that provides roads in the direction of all these other fire stations. So, bringing Julian-Cuyamaca into the fold would be a boon to Cal Fire’s goal to ease the sharing and deploying of resources to these various areas. For this reason, people might think it reasonable to assume Cal Fire will staff our station adequately and put us at the top of the hierarchy for protection. This is not necessarily how it would work. Cal Fire employees are moved around a lot, especially if they want promotions. That means no guarantee that permanent staff, familiar with the community, would be stationed in Julian. It also means that Cal Fire can deploy all of Julian’s resources to an ongoing wildfire (even the paramedic staffed engine), leaving Julian unprotected for structure fires and emergency medical services. This is what happened during the Cedar Fire. Our volunteers were assisting down the hill when our Fire Chief realized the fire was turning and heading back toward Julian. He did not need permission to return to Julian to protect as many homes as possible. Under Cal Fire’s authority, resources will be concentrated in the most populous areas or most active fire zone. JCFPD will always have this community as its first priority. We live in a high-risk wildfire part of the county. We are very thankful for any and all firefighters that have helped during large fires in our district, especially Cal Fire. We have been very careful not to offend or step on the toes of those men and women to whom we are so grateful. As a result, we may have failed to see the forest for the trees; to see the big picture from the viewpoint of Sacramento. On September 12, 2017, the JCFPD Board of Directors voted to remain independent and declined the County/Cal Fire offer. What we ask now is that San Diego County Fire Authority and Cal Fire let us plan our future without interference or disruption. The opinions voiced in this editorial are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
CPUC HOLDS MEETING IN CHULA VISTA, PUTS OFF DECISION OF SDG&E CHARGING RATEPAYERS FOR 2007 SAN DIEGO COUNTY WILDFIRE LOSSES
By Paul Kruze October 7, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) — Residents from San Diego’s East County testified during the open comment period at last Thursday’s California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) meeting in Chula Vista. Earlier in the day, the CPUC held a hearing on whether or not to approve a recommendation made by two CPUC administrative law judges to reject SDG&E’s application seeking to charge ratepayers for its uninsured losses in three of the 2007 wildfires. That hearing consisted largely of technical arguments. Afterward, a second meeting in Chula Vista was held for all parties involved, and public testimony was also taken. During public testimony at the second meeting, 29 residents spoke, including 10 who addressed the commission about the SDG&E controversy – three-quarters of whom criticized the investor-owned electric utility. The Witch Creek fire started when power lines whipped by hurricane-like Santa Ana winds started a small fire east of Ramona. The fire spread to the San Diego city limits and merged with the Guejito Fire which started in the San Pasqual Valley. The Harris fire started the same day in Potrero. The fires triggered the largest evacuation in San Diego County which ended up forcing more than 500,000 people from their homes. SDG&E has claimed that multiple communications lines on poles which it shares with cable TV operator Cox Communications, were lashed together with metal wire. It says that that metal wire had become loosened and arched when it touched SDG&E’s wires below it. SDG&E has maintained that it was not responsible for the fires and wants recoup its uninsured losses by charging ratepayers $379 million dollars, rather than dipping into its profits. The 2007 wildfires, which devastated parts of East County and resulted in the deaths of 10 people, 288,430 acres burned, and 1,650 buildings destroyed. Of these, Cal Fire found SDG&E responsible for the Witch, Rice and Guejito Fires (Cox Cable also shared responsibility for one fire.) After a decade, many residents have yet to be compensated for their losses caused by the fire. The original agenda of the CPUC was set for the directors to either approve or disapprove the administrative law judges’ earlier recommendation that SDG&E must pay claims against it from its own coffers instead of charging ratepayers. However, at the last minute the agenda item that would have decided the petition was held over until the CPUC’s next meeting on October 12th in San Francisco. That action came after SDG&E engaged in ex-pate communications to lobby CPUC commissioners staff, a disclosure document filed with the CPUC indicates. SDG&E has argued that the California Constitution guarantees that requires payment of just compensation be made when property has been taken or damaged for the public use. It says that it is an important element to be considered if it is able to recover the $379 million in expenses it says it sustained because of the fire, which it says, was caused by circumstances beyond its control. It further says that courts have ruled in the past in California that utilities can spread their costs which they have incurred to ratepayers. That would mean that ratepayers would be charged $1.67 more per month over six years. Photo, right: Lee Schavrien, SDG&E Chief Regulatory Officer Lee Schavrien, SDG&E’s Chief of Regulatory Affairs, cited an independent report issued by the Federal Energy Resource Commission which called the utility as a “prudent operator.” It said the settlements that SDG&E has reached totalling some $2 million dollars and other costs “were reasonable as the result of the application of inverse condemnation and the State of California, in particular, of the Supreme Court, in this specific case.” He also cited the extreme “hurricane” like winds which caused many families to evacuate from the area including his. “Inverse condemnation” is a legal term describe a situation in which the government takes private property but fails to pay the compensation required by the 5th Amendment of the Constitution, so the property’s owner has to sue to obtain the required just compensation. It is the opposite of “eminent domain.” The cadre of East County residents who came to the meeting couldn’t have disagreed more with SDG&E’s claims that it needs protection. A ratepayer from Borrego Springs, Maris Brancheau, expressed her disappointment to the five commissioners who sat at the dais, usually reserved for members of the Chula Vista City Council. “The community is very disappointed that this agenda item had been held–that we can’t see you with our own eyes vote on this,” Brancheau continued to say. “We ask you – do not turn your backs on us by going back to San Francisco and proving for the investor-owned utility what we consider a large windfall.” Photo, left: Ramona Resident Diane Conklin Ramona Resident Diane Conklin representing the “Mussey Grade Road Alliance” said that the proposed decision offered by two CPUC Administrative Judge’s decision that SDG&E did not meet the “prudent manager” standard for the Witch Fire, and should be adopted. Reading from a pre-prepared statement, Conklin said, “SDG&E did meteorological studies showing that winds of up to 120 miles per hour could be expected in its service area, yet they continued to build, maintain and operate its equipment for a 56 miles per hour wind loading,” Conklin said. She also stated that SDG&E sponsored an academic study that showed that “line slap” as what SDG&E alleges to have happened when the loosened wire lashing on the Cox Communications wire bunch could cause wildfires, but did nothing with that knowledge. Sally Crosno, a victim of the Witch Fire who attended the meeting said to NBC San Diego, “If there’s no fault, ever, then they’ll never be held accountable for having started the fires, and that’s what we’re pushing for,” she said. Although the investor-owned utility has paid more than $2 million in settlements and other costs, it has not admitted any liability in the wildfires. Photo, right: Michael Aguire Led Out by CHP Officer Former San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre, who
IDENTIFY THEFT SUSPECT WANTED: UP TO $1,000 REWARD
East County News Service October 7, 2017 (Santee/La Mesa) — San Diego County Crime Stoppers along with investigators from the Santee Sheriff’s Station are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a man wanted for identity theft. The victim from Santee never lost her credit card and does not know how her information was compromised. On August 21 and August 22, 2017, a man used the victim’s credit card number to make about $900 in unauthorized purchases at the Shell Gas Station located at 5302 Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa, the Sarku Japan restaurant at the Fashion Valley Mall and at the Travel Mart in Mission Valley. Surveillance video from the Shell Gas Station shows the suspect getting into the backseat of a white SUV when he left the area. There appeared to be two more people in that vehicle. According to the clerk at the Travel Mart, the suspect was accompanied by a Black male adult during the purchases made at that business. The clerk also said that the white male presented an out of state, pink colored, driver license. Surveillance video from the restaurant, Sarku Japan confirmed the suspect was with a Black male adult during the transaction. Suspect’s Description: The suspect is described as a White male, 20 to 30‐years‐old, with short brown hair. He was unshaven and was last seen wearing dark sunglasses, a dark “Lucky Brand” t‐shirt, plaid shorts and dark “skater style” shoes. Companion’s Description: The companion is described as a Black male adult with short hair and was last seen wearing a pink collared shirt. Vehicle Description: The vehicle is described as a white four‐door SUV. Anyone with information on the identity or location of the suspect is asked to call the Santee Sheriff’s Station at (619) 956‐4000 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580‐ 8477. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case. Information on how to send anonymous emails and mobile app tips can be found on our website www.sdcrimestoppers.org.
MAN ATTACKS FEMALE STUDENT NEAR SDSU
By Miriam Raftery October 7, 2017 (San Diego) – Campus police at San Diego State University are asking for public help to identify a suspect accused of attacking a female student Sunday around 10:30 p.m. The victim told police she was walking in the 4900 block of Campanile Drive when a man threw water in her face, then wrestled her to the ground. She managed to fight off the assailant, who fled in a faded, dark blue car. The suspect was described as a Hispanic man, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He wore a dark, long-sleeve shirt and dark pants. Although the bulletin was released by SDSU police, the San Diego Police Department is investigating the crime. Anyone with information on the incident was asked to contact SDPD at (619) 531-2000 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
SDSU SWIMMING & DIVING PLACES SECOND AT CHICK-FIL-A INVITATIONAL
Aztecs finish first among Mountain West programs Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com October 7, 2017 (Fresno) – The San Diego State swimming and diving team capped a strong weekend performance, finishing the Chick-fil-A Invitational in second place (677 points) among five teams on Saturday afternoon. The Aztecs finished ahead of four Mountain West programs, topping Nevada (654.5), Fresno State (518), and San Jose State (460), while 2016-17 national runner-up Cal recorded 1318.5 points to bring home first-place honors. With 443 points after Day 1, the Aztecs recorded an additional 234 points on Day 2 in the final eight events. McKenna Meyer posted the biggest highlight of the day for SDSU, finishing in first place in the 1650 free with a time of 17:08.03. Frida Berggren posted a top-3 finish in the 200 fly, recording a time of 2:04.42 to lead SDSU. Alma Thormalm also had a top-3 finish of her own in the 100 free, recording a time of 51.88, just one second slower than Cal’s Katie McLaughin who finished in first place. After an action-packed weekend, the Aztecs have a two-week break from competition and will head to UC Davis on Oct. 21 for a dual meet in Northern California. Final results
MISSING COLLEGE AREA WOMAN’S PHONE FOUND IN DUMPSTER: POLICE SEEK HELP TO FIND HER
East County News Service October 7, 20127 (San Diego) – Alexandria Nicole Smith, 30, left her home near San Diego State University last Monday morning around 11 p.m. in her grey 2015 Toyota Corolla (license 7CPB649). She hasn’t been seen since, though her cell phone was found thrown in a dumpster in Vista on Wednesday. Her mother, who reported her missing, believes her daughter was going to a party in National City, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. National City Police are asking public help to find her. The missing woman has a young daughter and both live with Smith’s mother. Smith, who attended Garfield High School in the past, is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds. She has red hair and brown eyes, as well as several tattoos including a star on her chest, a peacock and a lily on her back. She was wearing a blue sweater and jeans when last seen. Her family told police that she has suffered from depression and has a history of drug use. If you have information, you’re asking to call National City Police dispatch at (619) 336-4411 or email Detective Ken Springer at kspringer@nationalcityca.gov.