READER’S EDITORIAL: CRUEL AND INDISCRIMINATE DEPORTATIONS OF CALIFORNIAN DADS WILL LEAVE FAR TOO MANY AMERICAN FAMILIES WITH EMPTY SEATS AT THANKSGIVING
By Frank Sharry, America’s Voice California November 20, 2017 (Sacramento) — This Thanksgiving, too many American families will have empty seats at their tables due to the Trump Administration’s cruel and indiscriminate deportations. Thousands of other families will be giving thanks while worrying if their loved ones, who are facing imminent threats of deportation, will be around to celebrate with them at the next holiday. These stories, all too common across America, include: In California, the Press Enterprise highlights the story of Ramon Ruiz Ortiz, who was separated from his family and deported to Mexico in May. Ruiz’s case is one that Southern California immigration advocates signaled as a shift in enforcement. He was an undocumented immigrant with no criminal record who was deported when his application to adjust his legal status was denied. Previously, people who did not qualify were just denied, not deported … He left his wife Norma Perez, 42, his daughter Luisa Ruiz, 16, his youngest son Sebastian, 5, and his stepson Erik Silva, back in Moreno Valley. “It’s something very difficult,” said Ruiz, who was born in the Mexican state of Jalisco. “Being separated from my children, my wife, it’s very hard. It was a drastic change. All the plans we had made … The future was a lot different from what we are living right now.” In Texas, a New York Times documentary video tells the story of Juan Rodriguez and his mixed immigration status family, including three U.S. citizen daughters. After checking in for 11 years with immigration officials, Juan now faces deportation to El Salvador. The powerful video is viewable here. In Ohio, the Dayton Daily News tells the story of Fatiha Elgharib, a mom of four, including a child with Down Syndrome. After 21 years in America, Elgharib faces a deportation to Morocco on the date of November 27 (see more background here, with excerpts from the Daily News below). Sara Hamdi is still trying to figure out how to tell her brother, Sami, that their mother will be getting on an airplane after Thanksgiving and there’s no saying when they will see her again. Their mother,, received orders recently that she is being deported back to Morocco on Nov. 27 for over-staying her visa after living in the country since 1995. Sami, a U.S. citizen because he was born in the U.S., has Down syndrome. As Sami’s primary caregiver, Elgharib gets him up every day at their Englewood home, helps him dress, gets him to school, makes his snacks and gets him to doctor’s appointments for myriad health issues he has. “When he comes home from school and walks in the door…if he doesn’t see her when he walks in that door he’s asking, ‘Where’s mom,’” Sara said. “We’ve just been hinting that my mom is going to visit Morocco but he doesn’t really understand what’s going on,” she said. “I don’t know how to tell him for him to understand.” Also in Ohio, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer and local NBC affiliate WKYC cover the support for Esperanza Pacheco, a local woman facing imminent deportation this week in another example of a silent raid: Pacheco, a married mother of four U.S. citizen daughters, was taken into custody Tuesday for deportation. She’s been a Painesville resident for more than 25 years. In Connecticut, the Hartford Courant shares that Stamford mom of two Miriam Martinez-Lemus is facing imminent deportation today to Guatemala, a country she fled in 1992 following death threats. Since 2012, Martinez-Lemus has been checking in with ICE and has been granted stays of removal preventing her deportation and allowing her to stay with her family, her husband Raphael Benavides said. “Besides the fact that she’s a human being, she’s a mother, she’s a wife. We’re a family,” he said. “That’s what we’ve created. We wanted our children to grow up in a healthy environment.” [after fleeing Guatemala], she moved to Stamford, where she has lived since with Benavides, and their two daughters — Brianna, 12, and Alison, 10, both of whom are U.S. citizens. Martinez-Lemus said Brianna was diagnosed two years ago with juvenile Type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires her to receive constant care and supervision. “Mom is the backbone of this whole operation,” Benavides said. …Since 2012, Benavides said his wife has been reporting to ICE for yearly check-ins and each year she has filed for stays of removal that would prevent her deportation. Every year they have been granted, but Benavides said that his wife’s latest application, made in August, was denied. “It was scary. It was beyond horrendous to put that thought in our minds and then passing that information to your children that that’s something that might happen was horrific,” he said. …“We ask people of faith to pray for Miriam and her family … The United States is a country of heroes and good guys. We are kind, compassionate and we are not cruel. The decisions of our government should reflect who we are.” [said Catalina Horak, the executive director of the Stamford-based organization Building One Community] According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, “For most Americans, the Thanksgiving holiday is a time to share a slow meal and conversation with extended family. This year, far too many families will sit down with an empty chair due to a loved one’s deportation. A year after Trump’s election, he has clearly made good on his promise of deporting as many people as his agents can get their hands on. This mass deportation strategy has brought tragedy and pain to many American families, including U.S. citizen children, with no real benefit. These deportations are being carried out in our name, paid for by our tax dollars, and we as Americans need to stand up and say this is not acceptable.” The views in this editorial reflect 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.
CHICKEN AND TURKEY SALADS RECALLED BY TRADER JOE’S
East County News Service November 20, 2017 (San Diego) – Packaged salads with chicken and turkey in them have been recalled by Trader Joe’s because they may contain pieces of glass or hard plastic. The salads have a use-by dates 11/10 through 11/21 and the USDA inspected code P-40299. “Products with different ‘inspected’ codes are produced in separate facilities and are not impacted by this potential concern,” according to a statement issued by the grocery chain. The products recalled in several states including California are: White Meat Chicken and Curried White Chicken Deli salads and Turkey Cranberry Apple salads. If you purchased these products, do not use them. Return them for a full refund, or throw them out. If you have any questions, you may call Trader Joe’s Customer Relations at (626) 599-3817 [Monday through Friday, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm Pacific Time] or send them an email.
GROSSMONT HEALTHCARE DISTRICT CONTINUES SUPPORT TO SAN DIEGO REGIONAL FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVIES FOUNDATION
East County News Service November 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) — The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is continuing its support of the San Diego Regional Fire & Emergency Services Foundation (Fire Foundation) with a $116,459 grant for mobile data computers (MDCs), which will provide address and mapping information to first responders during medical emergencies and brush fires in rural back country areas of the county. The GHD grant will equip 26 fire engines and rescue vehicles with the mapping information, including dirt roads and safety hazards. The fire engines and rescue vehicles are stationed at 13 fire rural stations within GHD’s service area, including Boulevard, Campo, Deerhorn Valley, Descanso, Dulzura, Harbison Canyon, Jacumba, Jamul, Lake Moreno, Lyons Valley, Mt. Laguna, Pine Valley and Potrero. “We’re proud to support the efforts of the Fire Foundation and help first responders reduce response times and strengthen the system of fire and emergency services to our District residents,” said GHD board president Michael Emerson. “Timing is most critical in treating an individual who has suffered a serious health issue, seconds matter and can affect the patient’s survivability and quality of their recovery,” said Gloria Chadwick, GHD board member and chair of the GHD Grants Committee. “Our support will enable first responders to get to the scene of an emergency more quickly, with location information that current county mapping doesn’t provide for rural areas.” “Urban fire departments have MDCs in their response vehicles, but rural fire departments do not,” said Frank Ault, chairman, Fire Foundation. “Today, our first responders in rural areas do not have access to maps or data once they leave the fire station, which can cause critical delays in getting to the scene of an emergency on unmarked backcountry roads. We’re grateful for the support of the Grossmont Healthcare District to help improve the system of fire and emergency services in San Diego County.” “Having this information readily available on response vehicles will reduce response times and enable first responders to start medical treatment for patients more quickly and to stop fires while they are small,” said Chief Tony Mecham, Cal Fire/San Diego Fire Chief. “Quickly controlling fires can help avoid the firestorms like we experienced 10 years ago in San Diego or most recently in Northern California.” This grant is part of a $530,000 project to provide mobile date computers and mapping information for 70 fire and rescue vehicles in 42 stations in San Diego’s rural areas. “Including this grant covering vehicles and stations within GHD’s service area, 65 percent of the funds have been raised for the project, leaving $180,000 needed to complete a countywide effort,” said Joan Jones, Fire Foundation Executive Director. GHD has supported the Fire Foundation with grants since 1998. GHD grants have helped pay for fire rescue and safety equipment and medical equipment, including medical supplies used by volunteer firefighters at rural fire departments. Founded in 1989, the Fire Foundation has provided more than $5 million in medical, fire, and communications equipment and training to County fire agencies to improve the system of fire and emergency services. The non-profit Fire Foundation said rural fire departments serve more than 60 percent of San Diego County and respond to more than 6,000 emergencies annually. More than 80 percent of these emergency calls are medical related. The Grossmont Healthcare District is a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in the East Region. Formed in 1952 to build and operate Grossmont Hospital, GHD now leases operations to Sharp HealthCare via a public-private partnership, and continues to own the hospital on behalf of local taxpayers. The District is governed by a five-member board of directors, each elected to four-year terms, who represent more than 500,000 people residing within the District’s 750 square miles in San Diego‘s East County. For more information about GHD, visit www.grossmonthealthcare.org.
SDSU’S RASHAAD PENNY NAMED THE MW SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Penny wins seventh weekly MW accolade this season Source: goaztecs.com Photo courtesy goaztecs.com November 20, 2017 (San Diego) – San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.) has been named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week for his play against Nevada in a 42-23 Aztec win on Saturday night, the league announced Monday. Penny, who earlier this season became the first player in MW history to be named a player of the week in four consecutive weeks, now has nine MW player-of-the-week awards for his career, including seven this year (five offensive and two special teams). Penny’s nine career MW weekly accolades are the most in Aztec history. Penny, who yesterday was named the Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week for the second time of the season, amassed 429 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns against the Wolf Pack, rushing 24 times for 222 yards (9.2 avg.) and two touchdowns, catching a 6-yard pass, returning two kicks for 131 yards, including a 100-yard touchdown, and returning a 70-yard punt for another score. The 429 all-purpose yards are tied for the ninth most in a game in NCAA FBS history and broke Marshall Faulk’s school record of 422 vs. Pacific on Sept. 14, 1991. The Norwalk, Calif., native became just the second FBS player since at least 1996 with a rushing touchdown, kick return touchdown and punt return touchdown in the same game (also Missouri’s Marcus Murphy vs. Florida on Oct. 18, 2014) and the only player since 1996 with two rushing touchdowns, one kick return touchdown and one punt return touchdown. Penny’s kick return touchdown was the seventh of his career, tying Clemson’s C.J. Spiller (2006-09) and Houston’s Tyron Carrier (2008-11) for the most in NCAA FBS history. His 100-yard KR score was also the fourth of his career, one shy of tying an NCAA FBS record. A semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award (nation’s most outstanding player), Maxwell Award (college player of the year) and the Doak Walker Award (nation’s premier running back), Penny became the first Aztec in program history with at least 200 yards rushing in three consecutive games and the first by an NCAA FBS player since LSU’s Leonard Fournette in 205. His three straight games with at least 200 rushing yards is tied for the fifth-longest streak since at least 1996. Penny’s 70-yard punt return was the first time he had been back in punt return formation. He is just the second player in FBS this season with a rushing touchdown, receiving touchdown, kick return touchdown and punt return touchdown (also TCU’s KaVontae Turpin), while his four touchdowns were a career high and are tied for the seventh most in a FBS game this year. Penny, a two-time MW Special Teams Player of the Year (2015-16), broke 100 rushing yards for the ninth time this year (T-3rd in SDSU single-season history) and 14th time of his career (T-4th in SDSU history), and eclipsed 200 yard rushing for the fourth time this year (T-1st in SDSU single-season history with Donnel Pumphrey (2016) and Marshall Faulk (2012)) and fifth time of his career (3rd in SDSU history). On the season, Penny leads all NCAA FBS players in rushing yards (1,824), all-purpose yards (2,462) and all-purpose yards per game (223.82), second in total touchdowns (22), tied for second in points per game (12.0), tied for third in rushing touchdowns (17), tied for fourth in kick return touchdowns (2), seventh in kick return average (30.4), eighth in rushing yards per carry (7.21) and tied for 10th in punt return touchdowns (1). The Aztecs (9-2, 5-2 MW) play host to their final regular-season game at 12:30 p.m. PT Friday against New Mexico (3-8, 1-6 MW).
EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS
November 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) — East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include: LOCAL County acquires Dictionary Hill open space (San Diego Union-Tribune) Desert View Tower, Jacumba roadside site, on sale for $1.25M (San Diego Union-Tribune) Hunter calls for preemptive strike against North Korea (San Diego Union-Tribune) Judge orders Arabo to repay Neighborhood Market Association $248,000 (San Diego Union-Tribune) Record of physician running for Congress warrants scrutiny (San Diego Union-Tribune) Board of Supervisors Approve $500K in Rental Assistance For Homeless (KPBS) To resist scammers, SDG&E makes changes in worker uniforms (San Diego Union-Tribune) San Diego’s only commercial marijuana grower to greatly expand production (San Diego Union-Tribune) Scathing Emails Highlight Dem Party-Union Rift (Voice of San Diego) STATE How California ranks in the nation’s opioid epidemic (San Diego Union-Tribune) California judge says companies must remove pre-1951 lead paint in homes (San Francisco Chronicle) Atmospheric river brings storm and flash flood warnings to fire-ravaged wine country (Los Angeles Times) For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down. LOCAL County acquires Dictionary Hill open space (San Diego Union-Tribune) The county Board of Supervisors is planning on adding part of Dictionary Hill in Spring Valley to its open space areas across the county. Desert View Tower, Jacumba roadside site, on sale for $1.25M (San Diego Union-Tribune) … The Desert View Tower site in Jacumba, totaling 90 acres, is on the market for $1.25 million. Built in the 1920s, the location is a popular spot for roadtrippers…In recent years, it has doubled as a yoga retreat. The site is best known for its circular four-story tower built in the 1920s that has expansive views of the Anza-Borrego Desert and serves as a landmark for travelers on Interstate 8. The site also has nearly 40 animals and objects carved into boulders, including a ceremonial fertility rock owners have said was made by Native Americans. Hunter calls for preemptive strike against North Korea (San Diego Union-Tribune) Rep. Duncan Hunter said that the United States needs to launch a pre-emptive strike against North Korea in order to prevent the rogue nation from harming the U.S. first. Judge orders Arabo to repay Neighborhood Market Association $248,000 (San Diego Union-Tribune) San Diego judge ordered Mark Arabo, the longtime leader of the Neighborhood Market Association and prominent activist for Middle Eastern Christians, to pay back $248,000 in bonus and expense payments that the judge said he should not have been given by the association’s board. Record of physician running for Congress warrants scrutiny (San Diego Union-Tribune) When Dr. James Veltmeyer announced his campaign for Congress, he touted his resume as a doctor. He’s a board certified family physician, has a leadership position at work and was named by his colleagues to a list of top doctors four times. But a review of public records show that some of the claims Veltmeyer’s campaign has made about his education, training, and charitable work warrant further explanation. Board of Supervisors Approve $500K in Rental Assistance For Homeless (KPBS) The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved $500,000 in rental assistance for the homeless in unincorporated areas of San Diego County. To resist scammers, SDG&E makes changes in worker uniforms (San Diego Union-Tribune) Earlier this year, San Diego Gas & Electric warned of scam artists making phone calls to customers, looking to rip them off. Now, in part due to reports of impostors physically showing up at the homes of some ratepayers, the utility Monday debuted new uniforms for SDG&E field employees. San Diego’s only commercial marijuana grower to greatly expand production (San Diego Union-Tribune) San Diego County’s only licensed commercial marijuana grower plans to at least double production, largely to help meet demand when stores begin selling recreational cannabis in early January. Scathing Emails Highlight Dem Party-Union Rift (Voice of San Diego) …Leaders of the county’s Democratic Party and one of the most politically influential local unions have been at odds throughout the year. The behind-the-scenes fight climaxed this summer with a physical altercation, followed by a series of scathing emails obtained by Voice of San Diego. STATE How California ranks in the nation’s opioid epidemic (San Diego Union-Tribune) … California ranks No. 1 when it comes to the raw number of drug-overdose deaths — more than 4,600 victims in 2015, a trend primarily driven by opioids.… In California last year there were 1,925 deaths blamed specifically on opioids, including at least 234 fentanyl deaths, according to the California Opioid Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. San Diego County accounted for 12 percent of those deaths, with 239. California judge says companies must remove pre-1951 lead paint in homes (San Francisco Chronicle) Paint companies must pay the state for the cost of removing lead paint from the interior surfaces of homes in San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo and seven other counties, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. The Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose upheld a judge’s ruling that the three companies — Conagra, NL Industries and Sherwin-Williams — had marketed lead paint for decades while knowing of its health dangers to children. Atmospheric river brings storm and flash flood warnings to fire-ravaged wine country (Los Angeles Times) The first atmospheric river-fueled storm of the season is expected to make landfall in California on Wednesday afternoon … The storm should hit the entire northern half of the state by Friday and pack enough moisture to wet the ground after the hottest summer in recorded history
VIDEO OF THE MONTH: TALKING TURKEY
November 21, 2017 (Fletcher Hlls) – Ten-year-old Luke Lumsden of Alpine was recently invited to bring his Blue Heritage turkey named Tire to the Fletcher Hills Library in El Cajon for a special pre-Thanksgiving presentation to children. The breed is named for his blue tint. Luke got the turkey as a chick from Richard and Marcia Edwords about 15 months ago and has raised it as a pet “which he loves—not for cooking,” says Luke’s grandfather, Craig Linden. Luke spoke about research he’s done on wild and commercially bred turkeys. “This breed was nearly extinct and is slowly making a comeback,” says Linden. “They are the same as when Columbus landed.”
WARM THANKSGIVING FORECAST
East County News Service November 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Your turkey in the oven won’t be the only thing warming up this Thanksgiving. The National Weather Service predicts warm, dry weather through the holiday weekend—with record temperatures likely Wednesday and Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. Ramona and Borrego Springs could reach 91 and 89 respectively, breaking all-time temperature records, according to forecasters Mark Moede and Stephen Harrison at NWS in San Diego. Enjoy the sunny weather while you can, since warm days could give way to a storm early next week. To view a video briefing, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Q50q3qjSg
DEADLY MANGE LINKED TO RODENT POISONS
By Miriam Raftery Photo: Bobcat with necrotic mange in Deerhorn Valley, 2012 November 18, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Deadly outbreaks of mange in wildlife across California has been linked to second-generation anti-coagulant poisons meant to kill rats and other rodents. Locally, numerous cases of mange have been reported among coyotes in Lakeside as recently as this month. In Deerhorn Valley, the Antler documented bobcats dying of necrotic mange from second generation rodenticides in 2012. “It’s a vicious cycle,” Antler editor Kim Hamilton told East County Magazine. “Unless the predator population is restored to healthy numbers, we’ll have these super populations of rodents. People will try to control them by setting out poisons, predator populations will diminish. And the rodents will continue to overpopulate.” Sadly, we learned that a family of bobcats that ECM ran photos of all died of the deadly mange, including this bobcat kitten photographed in a backyard tree in Jamul. Though banned in California in mid-2014 for use by individuals, the second-generation anti-coagulant poisons can still be applied by licensed pest control operators and some consumers may still have products at home. They are also available in Mexico and some feed stores. If used, these can decimate predators such as hawks, owls, eagles, bobcats, mountain lions, foxes and coyotes that eat the poisoned rodents. The toxins can also kill pets that ingest tainted rodents. The second-generation anticoagulants take longer to kill rodents than some other forms of poison, so a rat may feed on the poison multiple times before dying of internal bleeding. So, it’s more apt to be consumed by predators. The poison weakens the predators’ immune systems, making them more susceptible to mange, a mite-borne illness that causes the animals to lose their fur, develop itchy and scaling skin and eventually go blind until death ultimately occurs, unless the animal is captured and treated. Facts: In 2002, the National Park Service found rat poison in nearly every bobcat in and around the Santa Monica Mountains. The devastation continues despite a 2014 ban on second-generation anti-coagulant poisons. In March 2017, KPPC reported, the National Park Service confirmed a bobcat death in Simi Valley from mange after consuming large amounts of rat poison. The Antler has reported that NPS biologists documenting mange in bobcats in Thousand Oaks found the survival rate for bobcats plummeted from nearly 80% to just 28%. Second-generation anti-coagulant rodenticides have been documented in over 70% of wildlife tested in California, including eagles, hawks, owls, foxes, bobcats and mountain lions, the Center for Biological Diversity announced in a 2014 press release. In the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, park service scientists found 88% of 150 bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions tested were found positive for one or more anticoagulant compounds and scores of animals were known to have died there from internal bleeding, the National Park Service reported in April 2014. Exposure included California’s famous P-22 cougar, who was also sickened from mange. The banned second-generation anti-coagulant poisons include brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum and difethialone. But non-banned rodenticides may be even worse, some experts say. For instance, products containing bromethalin, a neurotoxin that causes swelling around the brain, has no antidote, KPPR reported in 2014. By contrast, 90% of dogs poisoned with the banned compounds recovered. While treating poisoned wildlife is difficult, it is possible if an animal can be trapped and given two treatments. Safer alternatives Start by using exclusion and barriers to keep rodents out of your home. Snap traps can trap and kill smaller rodents for as little as $2. The Squirrel-N-Nator baited with sunflower seeds is reported to be very effective at catching multiple squirrels in a single cage. Zap traps are battery operated and kill rates quickly and cleanly with a jolt of electricity, hiding the carcass inside for easy disposal. They cost $50 or more but are reusable. The county offers free reusable snap traps inside a box so larger animals cannot get caught in the trap. The locking box is reusable. You can call County Vector Control to get these at (858) 694-2888. Rodent blasters explode underground rodent tunnels with propane and oxygen, useful on gophers and ground squirrels. Don’t kill natural predators such as gopher snakes or coyotes, that will eat rodents.
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE CONVENES SESSION WITH GREEN BUILDING INDUSTRY LEADERS TO BRING MANUFACTURING JOBS TO EAST COUNTY
“We can create at least 6,000 jobs here.” – Pete Beauregard By Miriam Raftery November 17, 2017 (Ramona) – Out of the ashes of the 2007 firestorm in Ramona, Casa Aguilar arose. The home of Pete Beauregard and his wife, Amy McQuillan, just won the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2017 Innovation Award for zero net energy use. It’s also built to withstand wildfires. On October 24, Beauregard, a rancher, veteran, ex-rodeo bullrider and candidate for Congress in the 50th Congressional district took the bull by the horns and convened a think tank meeting at his visionary home. The event brought together top green industry leaders to brainstorm ideas for bringing green manufacturing and building jobs to East County. “Pete has a vision of creating green manufacturing here and creating jobs,” says Rich Williams, vice president of Alliance Green Builders, which constructed the home. “We thought it was a good idea to have a think tank, a brainstorming event.” Williams added that the goal is to learn “What kind of incentives are needed to bring companies here?” Jeff Adams, Alliance Green Building’s president (photo, right, with Katie Teare), says that in building this home, he wanted to build a “pilgrimage site that demonstrates the viability of a better future” and demonstrate what is possible in our region. In addition to the national federal award, the home is also the first LEED certified, net-zero home and passive solar house in Southern California, with windows situated to maximize energy from the sun. The home also has San Diego County’s first onsite wastewater treatment permit and the first permit to use all collected rainwater for all indoor water use. In addition, it strives for eventual grid-disconnection through utilization of batter power, solar photovoltaic panels, and a 45-foot wind turbine. From controllable lighting to insulated windows, energy-efficient appliances and organic gardens in raised beds, the home is as sustainable as currently possible under existing technology. “It takes innovation to solve the problems of climate change and keep fossil fuels in the ground. The oil age will end from innovation,” Adams says. According to Alliance Green Builders’ website, “the home serves as a demonstration and case study for future high-performance residential projects in the region.” Beauregard laid out his vision. “East County is such a blighted area. A lot of people are out of work….We need to start building here. We can create at least 6,000 jobs here.” Casa Aguilar is built to the “outer limits” of what’s possible technologically in the green building field. But Beauregard found that many products weren’t available in the U.S. A wind turbine from China broke down twice. “We had a guy replace the ball beaings with aircraft ball bearings. Now it’s not even humming. There’s no wobbling. This is something that we can build here,” Beauregard says. Windows from Germany are designed to withstand 125 winds and keep “climate out and comfort in,” says Beauregard. Lane Sharman, energy consultant to Solana Energy who helped design the home, also spoke at the event. “We need to regenerate our future.” He says Beauregard shares that value. “We are now living the transition,” from fossil fuels to sustainability, he adds. A cutting edge technology is using water to move energy uphill, and in the evening move it downhill to create electricity. “Hydro equals perfect storage. Large scale hydro storage is how you make intermittent energy available all the time.” John Beck from Wellspring says his company would like to do manufacturing in San Diego, but is also considering China or Mexico. “If we can just get a package of all things related to manufacturing to be as good or better than Mexico or China,” he says, “Our desire is to manufacturer here, bring jobs here.” The company has done 100 installations ranging from whole house to pool and landscaping systems. But to expand, Wellsprings needs full injection molding. Wellspring’s water system recycles landscaping water and rainwater collected from rooftops through a Wellspring water treatment system. Standing beside a swimming pool on the property’s tiled courtyard, Beck says, “You can drink this pool. It’s potable water.” A former avocado farmer with a biotech background, he says he created the Wellspring system because well water on his own property was too salty. The system uses no electricity, has no mechanical moving parts, and no waste. The concept utilizes physical changes in water permeability and has been published in three peer-reviewed scientific journals, according to Beck. Water permeates through soil, so it takes less energy for plants to get water—using 30 percent less water to get the same crop yield. Another innovator at the brainstorming session is Onur Topcu from Ustucco. “Our product covers seven times more than conventional stucco and it is lighter,” Topcu says. “We use 50 percent less water to prepare it, it’s green, and made of 40% recycled minerals; the rest is water.” The produce has the highest R value on the market for insulating and also provides water proofing and fire proofing, he adds. “WE can install up to one inch in a single day, so there’s no waiting between coats.” Currently the company is based overseas, building factories in Dubai, South Africa, Turkey and other places with a warehouse in Long Beach, CA. Topcu says Ustucco wants to build a factory and also an academy here. “I would like to organize events like this every month – bring in manufacturers and educate them,” he says, adding that there is a lot of interest in the company’s products in California. It can save time and labor, building better insulated homes. I’m willing to make products in the USA. I moved my family here, and I will hopefully become a citizen in two years.” As for Beauregard’s vision, he tells the Congressional candidate, “Your goal, your dream is amazing.” Dan Hume from Hume and Company spoke about sodium borate, a micronutrient mined in borate regulated as a fungicide and termiticide that can be infused into wood. The product is
MAMMA MIA! BUSINESS RECOGNITION SERIES HAILS LIDO’S ITALIAN FOODS
By Helen Ofield, Lemon Grove Historical Society November 19, 2017 (Lemon Grove) — The Lemon Grove Historical Society and the City of Lemon Grove will continue the Business Recognition Series by honoring Lido’s Italian Foods on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at the city council meeting in the Community Center, 3140 School Lane, when Mayor Raquel Vasquez will present the restaurant’s owners with a city proclamation, Miss Lemon Grove will present flowers, and an appreciative audience will take photos and applaud the business beloved in the town for 62 years. Vi prego, datemi una forchetta! That’s “Please, give me a fork!” Forgive the shameless piggery. When we recently sat down with Elisabetta Simi, co-owner with her brother, Marco Simi, of Lido’s Italian Foods, we could barely restrain ourselves, so aromatic were the fabled sauce, pizza, pasta, meatballs and more en route to a happy lunchtime crowd. You’re a fan. You regularly visit Lido’s, 7252 Broadway, Lemon Grove, for food born in Lucca, Italy and redolent of Old World family recipes and methods. But do you know these facts? Lido’s was founded and opened on April 17, 1955 by the Nick Farella family, who named it for the famous, seven-mile Lido beach at Venice. Earlier, the Farellas had immigrated to Chicago to open a restaurant. In 1966, Angelo and Vilma Simi, with babies Elisabetta and Marco in tow, landed in Chicago to do likewise. These Lucchese families became fast friends. But the Farellas, weary of Chicago’s ghastly winter, headed to an uncle in San Diego, learned of a restaurant opportunity in teensy Lemon Grove, and history was made. After 23 years of running Lido’s, the Farellas packed it in–but not before luring the Simis to the site in 1978. Angelo and Nick made the deal and the Chicken Florentine lived on. Today, 40 years later, Angelo and Vilma are in their eighties–and Lido’s is run by the second and third generations of Simis: Elisabetta, Marco and Elisabetta’s two sons, Nicholas and Lucas. Marco’s son is the godchild of Nick Farella, by the way. You get the picture. This is a classic immigrant success story; a story of family ties and cultural identity in the promised land; a story of why mom-and-pop businesses are the backbone of this nation and this town — after all, the Simis grew the business from a dozen employees in 1978 to three dozen in 2017, all locally hired and all loyal to the place. As Elisabetta noted, “You either leave the first week, or you stay forever.” Take André Villaverde, who got his first job at 15 at Lido’s. He’s still there 18 years later. And Martin Cedano, on deck for 29 years. Like every other member of Team Lido, they cook, serve, repair, run errands and keep the restaurant humming seven days a week, open for lunch, dinner and take-out until 11 p.m. The day starts at 8 a.m. in the galley kitchen when the 10-burner industrial stoves and the four giant pizza ovens are fired up, the legendary sauce is prepared and simmered in huge pots, the slicer goes to work on stacks of salami, mortadella and cheeses, and the steaks, pork and chicken are cut and seasoned. The full bar and the menu wine and beer have expanded to include locally-sourced craft beers. The rear delivery door welcomes deliveries of fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, meats and cheeses. The Simis’ motto is “never change, always add; enhance, don’t change,” hence their stellar reputation for consistently good food and the popular demand that expanded dinner-only to lunch and dinner, and a take-out business that never quits. Literally millions of customers, including a huge family clientele and famous names, have thronged the restaurant over nearly seven decades, all enjoying the patina of vintage décor, the cozy bar, the lobby displaying family photos and mementoes, the warmly attentive service, and the sense of being in the Old World and the New World at the same time. Vi prego, datemi una forchetta. Molto bene. Grazie! Informazione: 619-460-4353.