October 20, 2013 (San Diego) – On October 15 at 8:54 p.m., two suspects robbed a victim of a backpack, cell phone and wallet at Pontiac Street and Rockford Drive near San Diego State University’s campus. 

According to campus police, one suspect approached the victim from the front while the second suspect approached from behind and demanded the victim’s property.  The suspects then fled west on foot towards Rockford Drive.  A small black sedan was seen leaving the area and may have been involved.  

By Miriam Raftery

October 19, 2013 (Jamul) – SoCal Parrot, the only local nonprofit which rescues wild parrots in our region, invites the public to  “Picnic with the Parrots” on October 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The event will be held at the SoCal Parrot Sanctuary and Garden, 3621 Hidden Ridge Road in Jamul.

Activities include tours, wild parrot aviary viewing,  meet the SoCal parrot ambassadors, a petting zoo, koi pond feeding,  harvest festival and pumpkin carving.  A silent auction and raffles will also be held.  The event also features guest speakers.  Box lunches can be purchased or bring your own picnic. The event costs $15 per adult, $10 per child, or $40 per family.

By Miriam Raftery

October 18, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Residents in Jamul are voicing concerns over a repaving project along State Route 94 that is causing dangerous conditions and delays of up to a half hour. Multiple sources have advised ECM that no warning signs are posting to warn motorists that traffic has been reduced to one lane. The delays are projected to continue through January. 

Kim Hamilton, editor of the Deerhorn Valley Antler, says the current situation may be just a precursor of traffic congestion that could occur if a proposed  casino at the Jamul Indian Casino is built. Already,  State Route 94 has a fatality rate per mile that is nearly six times the countywide average—before any casino is built.

October 18, 2013 (Ramona) – Bella Noble, A 5-year-old Ramona girl has died of injuries sustained when her mother, 42, accidentally backed over the child. The tragedy happened at 5:20 p.m. yesterday in the family's driveway on Carnation Road in Ramona, when the mother was backing her Chevrolet Astro van out to visit a friend. 

According to the CHP, the child ran behind the vehicle.

“The mother lost sight of her daughter and felt a bump at the rear of her vehicle and realized she may have struck her child.  Not realizing she had run over her daughter, she pulled forward and struck her child a second time,” said CHP Officer Tommy Doerr.

By Ariele Johannson

Our handy guide will help you find fall festivities and family fun throughout our inland region, from pumpkin patches to harvest events to “haunting” Halloween happenings.

If you have a pumpkin patch, fall parade, or harvest festival event that you would like to have added to our guide, please email ariele@eastcountymagazine.org. Please verify information with the event before heading out.

By Hugh Moore, Treasurer, San Diego County Green Party

Oct. 18, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) -- I received the attached response to my letter asking my representative, Duncan Hunter,  to vote in favor of a resolution to keep the government open and prevent a default on the debt of the United States.

My representative’s response was that he had voted against the resolution stating that it “fails to address some of the most serious issues facing this nation.” So what are those serious issues?

By Parke Ewing

“Our desert home is not really a home any longer, it is just a place to fight wind turbine syndrome, since the turbines crank out profits for huge investment companies and CEO's get big bonuses while the uninformed public is forced to subsidize and allow production tax credits for a wind industry that could care less about renewable energy.  Profit is the name of the game here.”—Parke Ewing

October 17, 2013 (Ocotillo) --I am a resident, another citizen forced to live adjacent to an Industrial Wind Turbine Facility.  The Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility consists of 112 Siemens 2.3-108 wind turbines, the nacelles are 262.5 feet high, the very tip of a turbine blade at 12 o'clock measures 438' above the desert floor.  This hideous project was approved and constructed by Pattern Energy surrounding the community of Ocotillo, California, which according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is designated as a "Marginal Wind Resource" area.

Rider South, son of Marshal South, is making a very rare appearance in southern California from October 21-30 at several venues including San Diego, El Cajon, Ramona, Julian, Escondido, Oceanside, Borrego Springs, and Palm Desert to talk about his father as a writer and an artist and to celebrate the publication of two of Marshal South’s western novels originally published 70 years ago. The two novels have the Anza-Borrego desert area as the setting for the stories, incorporating local legendry and desert places that Marshal South new well.

After an introduction about the South family and their experiment in primitive living, Rider will answer questions about this very unusual family and its 17-year sojourn on waterless Ghost Mountain. For an event schedule, scroll down or go to:

http://www.sunbeltbook.com/calendar/calendar.

October 17, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) --ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• S&P: Shutdown cost U.S. economy at least $24 billion (The Hill)
• Lawmakers launch budget talks as government restarts (Reuters)
• Business groups stand by Boehner, plot against Tea Party (Washington Post)
• Shutdown deal averts catastrophe but leaves economy in peril (Washington Post)
• US adults score below average on worldwide test (AP)

Global

• Palestinian shot dead in base attack (BBC)
• Nobel laureates urge Putin to free Greenpeace activists (BBC)
• Pregnant indigenous Mexican women face hospital discrimination (LA Times)
• For Now, No War Crimes Charges Against Syrian Regime (NPR)
• North Korea Has Restarted Nuclear Reactor, South Korea Says (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, scroll down.

October 17, 2013 —California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law AB 263, a bill designed to stop employers from retaliating against immigrant workers who stand up for their rights. AB 263 provides the strongest anti-retaliation protections for immigrant workers in the country.  

Brown previously signed two other bills, SB 666 and AB 524, as parts of a package sponsored by the California Labor Federation to protect workers from abuse regardless of immigration status. AB 263 and SB 666  prohibit employers from using immigration-related threats when workers speak out about unfair working conditions. AB 524 clarifies that making immigration threats in order to get away with stealing workers’ wages may constitute criminal extortion.

The 2013 Pumpkin Express returns at the  Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo This is the tenth annual Great Pumpkin event at the Museum.

Travel to the Great Pumpkin's Pumpkin Patch and tour the Haunted Train, where kids will pick out their own pumpkin and decorate it in the display building.

These trains are very popular and seating is limited, so reservations are required. Trains depart Saturdays and Sundays in October at 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m, and 2:30 p.m.

September 14, 2013 (Mt. Helix ) – If you own a winery or vineyard, or want to learn more about becoming a wine maker or growing grapes, you’re invited to the second annual Mt. Helix Wine Growers “Meet and Greet” on Sunday, October 20 from 2 to 5 pm.

“This is a casual event to give fellow vine growers and wine making enthusiast an opportunity to meet one another and share experiences. Also, several experts will be there to speak with anyone who has questions regarding growing grapes or maintaining a vineyard,” said Stephanie Young, founder of the organization.  “All are welcome to attend regardless if they currently have a vineyard or are interested in planting a few vines in the future.”

Update October 17, 2013:  President Obama signed the measure into law last night, ending the shutdown.

By Nadin Abbott

October 16, 2013 (San Diego)--Tonight both the House and the Senate voted to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling—just in time to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on our national debt by tomorrow’s deadline. The measure will fund the Government until January 15 and raise the ceiling until February 17. Moreover, a conference committee between the House and the Senate to discuss the budget has finally been appointed.

Among San Diego’s Congressional delegation, only Republican Duncan Hunter was unwilling to prevent a default on America’s debts, casting a “no” vote.  Republican Darrell Issa joined with Democrats Susan Davis, Juan Vargas and Scott Peters to vote in favor of the continuing resolution to find the government and end the shutdown. Overall in the House, 285 voted yes and 144 voted no. 

The vote in the Senate was overwhelming, with 81 of 100 Senators voting for the bill, including most Republicans.  California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein both voted yes.

October 16, 2013 (Alpine) – The San Diego Business Associates presents Fall Festival October 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Albertsons Parking Lot, 2955 Alpine Blvd., Alpine.  This free family friendly event will benefit The Heights Charter School.  Come out and enjoy children’s entertainment & games, silent auction, food and local merchants.