LOCAL RESIDENTS JOIN NATIONAL PROTEST OF WALL STREET BAIL-OUT BILL
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery September 26, 2008 (El Cajon) – East County residents angered by the Bush administration’s proposed $700 billion bail-out bill for Wall Street financial firms took to the streets yesterday as part of a national protest action organized by True Majority. Thousands protested across the nation (photo: New York protest, taken by Jeremy Scahill.) “Many people in the evening rush hour honked. Even more gave thumbs up or flashed peace signs.” said Wren Osborn, who participated in a protest at Chase and Nidrah in El Cajon. View a video from Channel 10 news with interviews from the El Cajon event: www.10news.com/video/17562521/index.html?taf=sand. The massive bailout has raised concerns on both sides of the political aisle. “As disturbing as the volatility and turmoil on Wall Street are, the prospect of transferring trillions of dollars of risk and losses to taxpayers is appalling. How can any American look their neighbor in the eye and suggest that they should bear the losses for the mistakes and greed of America’s wealthiest financial firms?” Congressman Darrell Issa (R-San Diego) wrote in a letter to constitutents. “ I am emphatically against it.” Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) has received over 17,000 e-mails and 2,000 phone calls about the bailout, nearly all opposed. “We all agree that the government needs to act swiftly to prevent this crisis from further escalating, but we also need to ensure that as we act, we do no repeat the mistakes of the past—lax oversight by federal agencies and commissions and a continued disdain by this Administration for congressional oversight,” Boxer said in a statement posted at her website. “If the American taxpayers come to the rescue in this financial crisis, you have to provide assurances that they aren’t just taking on bad debt and further jeopardizing their future.” Boxer and other Senate Democrats have balked at signing the Administration proposal backed by many Republicans because it asks for authority “so broad, it could be used to pay outlandish multimillion dollar benefits to the same executives who ran their companies into the ground,” she said. To restore confidence in markets and strengthen the economy, she called for job creation through infrastructure investment, extension of unemployment benefits, and refinancing to help keep people from losing their homes. “If we don’t, housing prices will continue to freefall and we will still be in a mess,” she added. “In California, we have more foreclosures than any other state—in August more than 101,000 Californians received foreclosure notices and more than 33,000 lost their homes.” Boxer supports a proposal by Senator Christopher Dodd, which she called “a fair package that accomplishes its goals while protecting the American people from a continuation of the greed and irresponsibility that caused this crisis in the first place.” Just what else could $700 billion buy? The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) sent out an e-mail today proposing alternatives to bailing out giant financial institutions. “Tens of millions of Americans can be helped if we invest in programs that will help revive our economy,” the letter stated. “We’re proposing a $350 billion long-term investment in America’s families.” That investment proposal includes: A national health care plan. Estimated cost: $130 billion over two years. A plan for energy independence and green job creation. Estimated cost: $20 billion over two years. Improved infrastructure. Estimated cost: $22 billion over two years. Tax reforms to correct a system that currently favors CEOs and business while contributing to a growing income divide. Estimated cost: $80 billion. Affordable education. Estimated cost: $100 billion over two years. SEIU listed additional programs to aid the economy that it claims would not cost government a dime: Relief for struggling homeowners – halting foreclosures so families can keep their homes. Estimated cost: $0. Reforms that ensure workers have real freedom to choose a voice at work by passing the Employee Free Choice Act. Estimated cost: $0. Retirement security. Estimated cost: Negligible If you would like to voice your opinion to your Senators and Congressional members, please visit East County Magazine’s Citizens Action Center. Printer-friendly version
FDA ALERT: DEADLY TOXIN FOUND IN COFFEE & TEA; CANDY & INFANT FORMULA MAY ALSO BE TAINTED
Printer-friendly version September 25, 2008 (SAN DIEGO) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a consumer alert today warning that numerous products have been found to be contaminated with melamine – the same deadly toxin that killed thousands of cats and dogs in contaminated pet food last year. The FDA found that seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products manufactured in China are being recalled by the King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd. due to possible contamination with melamine. The products, manufactured by China’s Shandong Duqing Inc., are: Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1) Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1) Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1) Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1) Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1) Mr. Brown Mandhling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1) Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1) The FDA recommends that consumers not consume any of the above Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products. The FDA also recommends that retailers and foodservice operators remove the products from sale or service. Anyone who has consumed these products and is having health problems is advised to seek medical help immediately. More than 20,000 children in China have been hospitalized this month with kidney stones and other serious health problems from infant formula contaminated with melamine. Although the FDA has thus far not found the tainted formula in the U.S., consumers are cautioned not to order Chinese-made infant formula over the Internet and to avoid purchasing Chinese-made infant formula that may be on shelves in Asian markets. White Rabbit creamy candies tested in New Zealand have also been found to contain high levels of melamine. It is unclear whether these candies have been sold in the U.S. The latest round of poisonings highlights serious deficiencies in the U.S. food supply. Only a small fraction of foods imported into the U.S. are currently tested by the FDA. Recent salmonella outbreaks revealed news that imported produce is often mixed together before sale, making it difficult or impossible to trace to the original source. In response to the melamine crisis, the FDA reports that it has broadened its domestic and import sampling and testing of milk-derived ingredients and finished food products containing milk, such as candies, desserts, and beverages that could contain these ingredients from Chinese sources. Milk-derived ingredients include whole milk powder, non-fat milk powder, whey powder, lactose powder, and casein. The FDA is also working with state and local governments, Customs and Border Protection within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, other federal agencies, and foreign governments. Printer-friendly version
PENDLETON FIRE CHARS 400 ACRES
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Capt. Nick Schuler, CAL-FIRE September 25, 2008 5:00 p.m. CAMP PENDLETON – More than 400 acres have burned at Camp Pendleton in a brush fire that remains active this evening. East County Magazine was the first local media to post news online of the fire, which began around 12:30 p.m. today The blaze began near Roblar Road in a field used to explode military ordnance on the Marine Corps base. Cause of the fire, which has sent plumes of smoke visible through much of North County, has not been determined. By 4 p.m., ground and air crews had made "good progress" in slowing the fire, Channel 10 news reported. "Right now we have two San Diego County mutual aid helicopters fighting it," First Lieutenant Tom Garnett at Camp Pendleton Emergency Services told East County Magazine earlier today. "We also have four brush trucks and a water tender." The fire is not threatening any people or structures at present, added Garnett, who could not estimate when the fire may be contained. "No freeways are threatened," CAL-FIRE Captain Nick Schuler informed East County Magazine. Watch for updates at our website. You can post eyewitness accounts in the "Comments" section below, or at our Editor’s blog. Printer-friendly version
RECIPES OF THE MONTH
Printer-friendly versionLavender Raspberry Oat Muffins and Lavender Avocados October 1, 2008 (Valley Center) – Lovely lavender blooms are good for more than sachets! Try these tempting recipes, compliments of The Lavender Fields in Valley Center. Printer-friendly version
EXTRAORDINARY TIMES, EXTRAORDINARY ART
Printer-friendly versionBy Jolene Crowley October 1, 2008 (SAN DIEGO) – Three local artists, Theresa Vandenberg Donche of Mt. Helix, Encinitas resident Reed Cardwell, and Igor Kautsenko of Fallbrook, will be displaying their latest work collectively entitled “Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Art!” at 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, at 3911 Harney Street in Old Town. East County resident Vandenberg Donche was born to a family of Dutch immigrant farmers. Growing up on a farm in Central California, she has always been sensitive to the sounds, smells, and colors of nature. Like many artists, Theresa attributes a lot of her inspiration to the environment she lived in as a child: the cultivated landscape, the overwhelming skies, and the constant variations of the seasons. She likes to say about her art that "expressing feelings about what you see and smell is an abstract notion that can’t be sketched. It’s like a Bach concerto, you feel it, but you can’t describe what it looks like. It’s an emotion. Abstract art is the expression of an emotion." Cardwell, who worked as an animation artist for Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank for six years, currently makes a living as a painter and teacher in Fine Arts. His philosophy is to paint “…not what you see, but what you prefer to see.” Reed is currently an instructor at the Athenaeum School of the Arts, the Art Academy of San Diego and at UCSD Extension. He has exhibited locally and nationally and has work in private collections. Koutsenko was born in Evpatoria, a resort city on the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea. He was educated at the Penza School of Art and received rigorous training in the old traditions of Russian realist art. Koutsenko immigrated to the United States and in 1995 was granted permanent United States residency as an alien of extraordinary abilities. Numerous works by Koutsenko have entered some distinguished private collections in the United States, as well as the permanent collections of the Riverside Art Museum, Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company, Institute for Specialized Medicine, Hoffman Trust Collection and many others. Jolene Crowley is a life-long East County resident who spent a decade at The Tribune (which later merged with the San Diego Union), another decade in several local public relations firms, and now operates Crowley Communications, a boutique communications consulting firm specializing in media relations. She is currently studying graphic design at Cuyamaca College and plans to add design services to her client roster in the near future. Printer-friendly version
TAP INTO THE MAIN TAP TAVERN
Printer-friendly version Story and photos by Jolene Crowley Courtesy of Main Tap Tavern. Main Tap Tavern in El Cajon boasts 24 hand-blown glass tap handles created by local artist Dan McStocker. The rehabilitation and beautification of Main Street in El Cajon continues with the July opening of Main Tap Tavern. Currently owned and operated by the East County father and son team, T. L. and Zack Summers, this prime location had been a dive bar since the ‘60s. “We’d been thinking about the tavern thing for years,” Zack explained. With the flagging economy in general, and the construction industry more specifically, the timing for change from their business as general contractors had come. “If you look back in history at the Great Depression, beer was five cents a pint, after the Depression it was 10 cents a pint,” quipped Zack. Though the Summers’ didn’t have prior bar/restaurant experience, Zack is a self-professed beer drinker. “I’ve always been into beer, and started drinking microbrews about eight years ago,” said the 30-year-old, Valhalla High School alum. Jolene Crowley. T.L. (left) and Zack Summers, co-owner/operators of Main Tap Tavern in El Cajon. “We knew we couldn’t rely on major foot traffic, so to be truly successful we had to make a sizable commitment,” said Zack. The Summers’ sweat investment has certainly broken the mold for East County bars. I’d go so far as to call it a destination spot, and a friendly one at that. The bartender knew my name within the first few minutes of my plopping down at the curvilinear granite-topped bar, and remembered it when I returned a week later. Remodeling the bar earlier this year was the Summers’ last construction job. “We hired ourselves to do almost all the renovation work,” said Zack. Three months and half million dollars later, Main Tap Tavern has been converted from a rather dark hole-in-the-wall to a sparkling clean (yes, even the bathrooms), breezy joint with over-sized punched-out windows in the front facing Main Street, and large French doors opening to the back-side patio creating a breezy, nicely lit atmosphere for a game of pool, foosball, darts and visiting. The most stunning feature of Main Tap Tavern is the two dozen hand-blown glass tap handles, each with a unique design accentuated by tiny colored lights. The inspiration for the elegant pulls came from necessity being the mother of invention. “I have a kegerator at home,” Zack explained. “About a year ago, I was putting in a keg that didn’t have a handle. A friend recommended a local glassblower, Dan McStocker of the fledgling Liquid Glass Company, who blew a clear glass handle with blue swirls. Everyone who saw and used it commented on the piece of art not for its practicality but for its beauty and novelty. “When we were fixing up the bar, one of the first things we did was commission Dan to create another 24 handles,” Zack said. Jolene Crowley. Bartender Cody Summers serves a taster flight of craft beers at Main Tap Tavern in El Cajon. While Main Tap’s main focus is microbrews, the modestly priced food menu is more like that of a small restaurant than the typical bar food. It includes an ample choice of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers and even salads. (The chili burger, smothered in Southwestern-style chili, chipotle mayo and cheddar cheese is the most expensive menu item at $8.25.) “Everything is handmade including the burgers that are pressed on the spot,” says Zack. I found the made-from-scratch fries a bit greasy, but all the better to soak up the copious libations, and quite tasty. The Texas Style BBQ Beef and Irish Ruben<cq>- Corned Beef sandwiches came out piping hot with a copious mound of flavorful meat. Served with a choice of fries or potato salad, both sandwiches were $7.50. Thinking I could trip up the chef (who goes by the name of “Chef”) who was visiting with patrons, I asked for some aioli for my fries (as they needed just a touch more fat). He shot back, “What flavor would you like?” and then listed a half dozen from which I could choose. That’s when I pinched myself and asked the guy seated next to me at the bar if I was really in El Cajon. With two dozen beers on tap, plus another 50 or so bottle choices, I opted to stretch my beer tasting horizons by ordering a taster flight (six generous pours for $5.25) on two separate occasions. My four favorites were Allagash Black, a Belgian stout from Portland, Maine; Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter; Left Coast Hope Juice, a double India pale ale; and Electrostatic Ale, a full-bodied French farm house brew from Poway with a whopping 10 percent abv (alcohol by volume), which is twice that of your typical macro lager such as Budweiser. A chaser of those “alcohol-absorbing” French fries followed. Spirits and a small array of wines are also available. During the regular football season, football fans can congregate on Sundays starting at … well heck, spend your whole day there starting at 9 a.m. with breakfast while watching the East Coast games airing on three 42-inch HD plasmas (two inside and one on the amply shaded patio) courtesy of DirecTV’s High Def package, then through lunch and dinner with the afternoon and evening games, all the while enjoying happy hour pricing. On Monday night, happy hour ends when the televised NFL game ends. Main Tap Tavern is located at 518 East Main Street in El Cajon. Open 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day, with the exception of select holidays. During regular season NFL football, opening time is 9 a.m. on Sundays. Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Check the web site for no-cover charge live music dates. Ample parking in the back. maintaptavern.com. 619-749-6333. Jolene Crowley is a life-long East County resident who spent a decade at The Tribune (which later merged with the San Diego Union), another decade
WINING AND DINING AT LA BELLA VIDA
Printer-friendly version Benefit for Community Projects By Miriam Raftery September 20, 2008 (RANCHO SAN DIEGO) – More than 200 people attended the La Bella Vida Wine and Food Fest on September 20th, hosted by the Rancho San Diego/Spring Valley Rotary Club in the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College. Patrons sampled fare from numerous East County wineries and restaurants, also savoring the opportunity to chat with local vintners. “It was a dream of my wife’s,” said Mert Thomas of Gloriosa Vineyards, who started up a vineyard in Campo after his retirement. He offered up a glass of his favorite vintage, a syrah that was rich and mellow, every bit as good as vintages I’d tasted in Napa Valley or Temecula. “We have a unique climate in Campo,” he said, citing the East County community’s warm, dry climate. Other visitors bid on auction items ranging from vacation getaways to jewelry, quilts, gift baskets and autographed Chargers memorabilia. The event raised over $21,000 to fund Rotary club projects. The Rancho San Diego/Spring Valley Rotary Club supported creation of the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, also donating funds for local causes ranging from the college’s Heritage of the America’s museum to Adopt-A-Highway cleanup. The club also partnered with Tecate Rotary Club to build a school for handicapped children and provide a wheelchair accessible bus. The Club has also helped provide cleft palate surgery for children in Baja, California and participated in Rotary International’s effort to eradicate polio worldwide. For more information, visit www.ranchosandiegorotary.org. Miriam Raftery, editor of East County Magazine, is a 25-year journalist who has won national and local awards for her investigative reporting and community journalism. If you are indicated in syndicating or reprinting this column, please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version
Editorial: Where is the Liberty Going?
Printer-friendly versionThe Loss of Freedom and the Slide towards Tyranny By Michael Benoit What is tyranny? October 1, 2008 (San Diego’s East County) – It is the taking control of your body, mind or property without your consent. Freedom comes to us naturally and tyranny is a stripping away of that freedom. Our freedom can be classified into two categories — the first being personal, and the second being economic. These freedoms, of course, are joined, so a loss of one equates to a loss of the other. I don’t believe that there can ever be a consistent level of freedom from one person to the next. For example, if the politicians make it mandatory to wear a seatbelt, this is an infringement on our personal liberty; if we are punished by the state for not wearing the belt, which usually comes in the form of a fine which diminishes our economic freedom. To the wealthy the loss of freedom is likely not to be perceived at all. If someone is arrested for cause, or for no cause, obviously there is a loss of freedom. This is a loss felt by all. The country’s founders gave us a way to restore this lost freedom if government had no right to take it from us. This protection is called Habeas Corpus, “the right to have a neutral judge decide whether or not there was cause to deny your freedom or not.” We all know that the current administration in Washington DC, along with a bipartisan congress, has stripped us of this protection against infringement on our liberties. They have, as well, violated our freedoms to be secure in our papers and personal effects as guaranteed under the 4th Amendment. Today, I am motivated to write due to the gargantuan loss of freedom this administration is proposing, and what they have already done in regards to Wall Street bailouts. People, we, and our children and their children, are being sold into slavery to bail out the wealthy and the elite from their reckless endeavors, and it is being sold to us as a plan to save us from financial ruin. I ask you, how is it possible that placing debt on the working middle class and poor, and all future generations, is doing anything but enslaving? Michael Benoit (www.benoit08.com) is the Libertarian candidate for the 52nd Congressional District seat. Editorials are strictly the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine or our publisher. If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version
DRIVER SENTENCED FOR THREATENING PEACE ACTIVISTS IN RAMONA
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery September 23, 2008 (RAMONA) – Keith Alan Davis, a Ramona man who drove his pickup truck toward a group of anti-war protesters n June, has been sentenced to probation, ordered to take anger-management classes and must perform 20 days of community service. “This is America. You can’t just go running people over, but let’s not just hogtie people and throw them in prison, either,” said Dave Patterson, organizer of the Ramona “Enough” anti-war protests held each Sunday at noon in downtown Ramona and other County locations. “If you put him in jail, he can’t support his family,” added Patterson, who believes the verdict is fair. “Maybe the guy driving can be rehabilitated.” A Vietnam veteran, Patterson believes dissent is patriotic and once mailed his medals to President George W. Bush to protest the Iraq War, which he believes to be unjustified. Davis has similarly claimed a patriotic right to object to anti-war messages. Patterson told East County Magazine that the District Attorney did not press charges until several citizens wrote letters urging that action be taken. Patterson said he recommended Constitution classes to educate the driver, but said he is satisfied with the verdict. Patterson has called Davis’ action was a “premeditated act” because he knew the protest was being held. According to protestors who witnessed the incident, Davis drove his car onto the curb and struck their signs, forcing protesters to jump out of the way. Davis has contended he was exercising his First Amendment right of expression when he drove onto the shoulder of state Route 67 and displayed his middle finger to protesters. The Ramona protestors have faced other challenges. In June, the California Department of Transportation (Cal Trans) and California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to complaints alleging that the demonstrators needed a permit and were trampling vegetation. Officials ordered peace activists to vacate the premises. But Patterson refused to halt the protest without a court order, citing First Amendment rights. A pro-war demonstrator agreed that protests on both sides should be allowed. Authorities later backed down, after concluding no laws had been violated. “Enough” anti-war protestors in La Mesa also had a confrontation with a motorist earlier this year. According to eyewitnesses, a motorist stopped and ripped up a protestor’s sign. Police were called but the motorist, who fled the scene, was not arrested. Davis, who had no prior arrest record, apologized to protestors at his sentencing hearing on September 20, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. “All my life I’ve tried to do good deeds,” he said. “I’m ashamed and embarrassed I’ve done this. I can’t believe I’m here. I’ve always tried to be someone to be looked up to.” El Cajon Superior Court judge Roderick Shelton designed a punishment to fit the crime. “Just as they were protesting on the side of the street, you will be picking up trash on the side of the street,” he informed Davis, who pled guilty to reckless driving. Noting that some peace activists said they now fear standing beside the road to protest, Judge Shelton concluded, “I hope this does not have a chilling effect on people to use their constitutional rights to protest.” Miriam Raftery, editor of East County Magazine, is a 25-year journalist who has won national and local awards for her investigative reporting and community journalism. If you are indicated in syndicating or reprinting this column, please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version
7 BANDS HOLD CONCERT TO HELP FIRE VICTIMS OCT 4
Printer-friendly versionROC For Fire Relief Concert and Fire Expo Helps Neighbors, Celebrates Heroes Saturday, October 4th, 2008 12:00pm to 10:00pm Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, Lakeside www.rocsd.net Listen to music from the bands. October 1, 2008 (Lakeside) – “Relief is still needed in a serious way,” said Randy Seol of the band Strawberry Alarm Clock, a longtime San Diego resident who watched in horror with the rest of us as our county was ravaged by the 2003 and 2007 wildfires. Some fire survivors are now losing their FEMA trailers; many are struggling in severe financial and emotional need to rebuild their lives, he added. Seol decided to do something to help the families whose homes and lives were destroyed by the fire. So he used his connections in the music industry to organize a major live music event and fire expo to raise money for local victims. “It’s time for the people to help the people,” said Seol, who called upon many of his old musician friends from the heyday of ‘60s and ‘70s rock. Old rockers heeded his call, and after countless hours of work Seol has assembled an impressive bill featuring stellar names from the world of garage, psychedelic and classic rock: Badfinger, the Electric Prunes, Canned Heat, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Sky Saxon & the Seeds, the Rose Garden, and of course the Strawberry Alarm Clock themselves, are all making rare live appearances to help the cause. Nobody in San Diego County can forget the devastation and disruption caused by those blazes, but once the fires were extinguished, the story seemed to disappear overnight as media attention shifted elsewhere. Yet after-effects of the fire are still being felt by hundreds of families and individuals, young and old, including both renters and homeowners. The event, to be held at Lakeside Rodeo Grounds on Saturday, October 4, also aims to educate San Diego County residents with a Public Safety Expo, including fire safety exhibits, emergency readiness, health and safety resources, earth-friendly rebuilding, energy efficiency tips, and renewable energy booths. Food, beverages and merchandise will also be sold. It’s the stories of real San Diego area families that most inspired Seol to put together the event, and money raised will directly benefit these families. Bill and Judy Thompson, their 13-year-old daughter,Jessica, and 11-year-old son Joshua, lost their Dulzura home in the 2007 fire. The property, where Judy had lived since childhood, was not insured. Judy is a teacher who lost her job due to budget cuts, and the family has been struggling to rebuild and put some stability back into their lives. A bridge leading to their house was also burned in the fire. They are working to afford the costs of fixing the bridge and replacing their home and all that they lost. Claudia Ortega is a single mom with four children, ages 16, 14, 6 and 4, Alejandra, Manuel, Claudia, Maximiliano. Claudia’s parents, Alejandra and Jose Rivera, also live with the family. They worked hard to buy their four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Tecate, but their budget could not stretch to insurance. Then the Harris Fire hit, and their home and all of their belongings were consumed in the flames. After the fire they were forced to stay with family and were broken into separate temporary homes. FEMA came to their aid, but the grant could only stretch so far, and the trailer they had was on loan for a limited time. Their only remaining option was a loan from SBA, but three separate applications were denied because the family is self-employed. Claudia’s goal is simply to reunite her family. All their memories and everything they owned were lost in the fire, but they are just thankful to have each other. The stories of the Thompsons and the Ortegas are typical of dozens of other families across Southern California. Tickets cost $30. Order online at www.rocsd.net or buy tickets (cash only) at Wild Bill’s Western Emporium, 1235 Broadway, El Cajon. Printer-friendly version