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East County Roundup – September

Printer-friendly versionLinks to top stories in other publications on East County issues WATER RATIONING GROWS INCREASINGLY LIKELY San Diego Union-Tribune (Sept. 26, 2008) —| For the first time since 1992, San Diego is facing the possibility of water rationing, a step that could happen as soon as January. The threat is expected to loom for years as Southern California readjusts

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Book It: New Library Opens in La Mesa

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery La Mesa’s new library is a bookworm’s delight.  A soaring wall of windows fills the library with sunlight, creating an inviting place for reading, studying, or browsing.   Banks of computers, including some at child-sized desks, make the library an inviting place for people of all ages.  Live music, face painting and a magic show for kids

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New Border Patrol Facility Opens

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery New Campo Border Patrol facility (photo credit: Leon Thompson) Public reactions varied to a new Border Patrol/Homeland Security facility in East County varied sharply. One local conservative blogger thought it was a casino under construction, adding that it resembled “a palace.” But an immigrant rights supporter observed, “It looks like a prison.” Beauty, it appears, is

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Green Beat – Green Citizenship: First Step to a Sustainable World

Printer-friendly versionBy Chuck Brands OK, I’m ticked off.  This is going to be a bit of a rant that will touch on hot-button issues facing all of us.   Just in case that prospect deters you from reading the rest, I’ll share this month’s green treat with you up front.  Wanna be a “green” know-it-all?  Visit www.green.alltop.com daily for the single

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“Delana’s Dirty Pizza” Wins Charity Cook-Off at New Sammy’s in La Mesa

Printer-friendly versionIf you’re a fan of Sammy’s Wood-fired Pizza,  check out "Delana’s Dirty Pizza" featured on the menu through mid-September.  The creation concocted by Delana Bennett of Star 94.1 radio’s  “Jeff and Jer Showgram”  was judged the winner during a charity cook-off held August 13th to kick off the grand opening of Sammy’s newest location in the La Mesa Trolley

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The Will Power Report – Solar Roofs

Printer-friendly version Nothing but the Truth! By Will Power The real unemployment rate in the U.S. is over 7%. Many people have stopped looking for jobs. Particularly hard hit is the construction business, due to the mortgage meltdown. The thin-film solar panel business needs a government subsidy and tax breaks for homeowners who install prefab solar panels.  The new laser-deposited

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Still No County Fire Department Five Years After Cedar Blaze

Printer-friendly version   Still No County Fire Department Five Years After Cedar Blaze By E.A. Barrera “Given the existing high-risk conditions that are projected to continue into the future, destructive firestorms will certainly occur again. Yet, even armed with this knowledge and after the Cedar Fire wake-up call, the San Diego region is woefully unprepared.” — San Diego County Grand

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Faith, Science and Anti-Catholicism: “THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE”

Printer-friendly versionBy E.A. Barrera Courtesy of 20th Century Fox. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2 King James Bible “THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE” is a solid, if not often campy thriller involving the nightmares and paranoia many science-fiction fans crave.   The

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A QUESTION OF POWER ON SDG&E’S PROPOSED SUNRISE POWERLINK:

Printer-friendly version  Video documentary distributed to CPUC is now online October 23, 2008 (San Diego, CA) – Stubborn Mule Productions and Backcountry Against the Dump, Inc. announce that “A Question of Power” is now available online. This one-hour locally produced grassroots documentary about the ongoing battle over the 150-mile “Sunrise Powerlink” transmission line proposed by San Diego Gas & Electric

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THE RENO REPORT: MORNING HAS BROKEN

Printer-friendly versionBy Jamie Reno Exclusive for East County Magazine October 15, 2008 (Tierrasanta) – Morning has broken. As the sun rises over the East County, a sense of calm permeates my body. Yesterday morning, when I started writing this column for East County Magazine on the new fire threats, it was a different story. I was filled with anxiety. The

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CONTROL OF GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL BOARD HANGS IN BALANCE

Printer-friendly versionElection creates rift among Republicans By Miriam Raftery Five candidates are vying for two seats on the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Board of Trustees. The stakes are high. The outcome of this election may determine if  a popular superintendent will be retained, if a new high school will be built in Alpine, and if divisive forces will

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PROPOSITION U SEEKS FUNDS FOR CLASSROOM UPGRADES, NEW BUILDINGS IN GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Grossmont Union High School District’s superintendent and four of five GUHSD school board trustees agree that Proposition U is critical to repair and replace aging buildings throughout the district—and build a long-awaited new high school for Alpine. “We can’t modernize the old industrial classrooms abandoned years ago without Proposition U,” GUHSD Superintendent Robert Collins said

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ETHICS, BUDGET CUTS, & CHOOSING NEW CHANCELLOR TOP ISSUES IN GROSSMONT-CUYAMACA COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD RACE

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery The race:  Four candidates are running for two seats on the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Board of Trustees.  Challengers Mary Kay Rosinski and Moe Bakeer face off against incumbents Tim Caruthers and Bill Garrett, board president.  ECM interviewed Rosinski, Caruthers and Garrett; Bakeer did not respond to interview requests. What’s at stake:  Community colleges face tough times amid

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Remember “L” is on “La Mesa” ballots

Printer-friendly versionCity faces low reserves; bond rating, city jobs at stake if measure fails to pass By Kristin Hobbs Kjaero The proposition Proponents call it the “Vital City Services Measure,” and opponents call it a “Pension Tax.” The impartial ballot analysis identifies it as a “general tax,” which means revenue would go into La Mesa’s general fund and “the City

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STATE OF DISUNION:  WAR VETERANS SPEAK OUT AGAINST MILITARY ABUSE OF TROOPS IN LOCAL STOP ON NATIONAL TOUR

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Editor’s Note:  Military authorities declined to speak with East County Magazine regarding this story. We also requested permission to interview veterans at Balboa Naval Hospital to obtain a diverse range of views on conditions in mlitary service.  Our request was denied.   October 18, 2008 (San Diego)–Army intelligence officer Selena Coppa has risked her freedom to speak out. 

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SAN DIEGO SOLAR HOMES TOUR: SATURDAY OCT. 18

Printer-friendly version The San Diego Solar Homes Tour is quite possibly the longest running and most popular tour in California.  Celebrating the ninth year of the free tour, over 40 homes throughout San Diego County are participating—including many in East County and San Diego’s Eastern region. This self-guided tour, sponsored by the California Center for Sustainable Energy,  offers real-life, working

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7th DISTRICT FIGHT – EMERALD VS. BOLING:  YOUR RINGSIDE GUIDE

Printer-friendly versionAccountant April Boling refuses to comment on allegations of “illegal and unethical bookkeeping”; opponent Marti Emerald shares vision for San Diego’s future By Joseph Rocha October 15, 2009 (San Diego)–Touted  as “The Troubleshooter vs. the Accountant” by local media,  San Diego’s 7th District Council race sounds more like a build-up to a Saturday night cage fight than a hotly contested

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