By Rebecca Paida

December 13, 2015 (San Diego)--Now is the time to welcome refugees, not shut them out. Given the recent controversy over refugees, I am compelled to write about my refugee story and call on cities to create an inclusive Citizen Commissions on Refugee and Immigrant Affairs.

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our full interview with Mike Harrison, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio: http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/0nrblk7onb/Newsmaker-Harrison-Mike-Assembly71Candidate.mp3

December 12, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –“The 71s Assembly District is a great district…with a lot of little rural towns and communities,  and great people,” says Mike Harrison, who is running for the seat. He believes it’s important for the people across East County to have someone serving them in Sacramento “who knows each town and its issues" and believes his experience makes him the best qualified candidate for the job. He adds, "I do have a love of public policy and finding solutions to issues that people are facing.”

Harrison is a seasoned political policy professional who has spent 21 years working for political leaders representing East County. A Republican and Ramona resident, he is Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Duncan D. Hunter and previously worked for  Hunter’s father, the former  Congressman by the same name. Harrison also holds a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Stanislaus.

This column is also published in

the http://EastCountyMagazine.org

Readers

December 12, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - December 13 (Sunday, 12:00 pm) — Local Author Meet and Greet. Mysterious Galaxy brings you the local talent of more than a dozen authors — in our genres and beyond — who are enthused to share their work. We will mingle, hear about each author’s work with some holiday refreshments to top off the afternoon. There will be a variety of genres and subjects ranging from pixies to ghosts, from memoirs to mystery, and from pictures books to novels to non-fiction. These fun gatherings are a great opportunity to meet new people and support our local authors. You might just be the first to support a future best-selling author of our time! Participants so far include: Dennis Greenhill, Lauri Taylor, Fraser C. Heston, Heather J. McAdams, Cindy C. Murray, William Anthony, Marcia Berneger, David J. Schmidt, Janet Elizabeth Lynn, Will Zeilinger, Dick Holt, Jill G. Hall, Leslie Johansen Nack, Elizabeth Comer, and Lynn Lipinski.

Coveting the Dream, by Jacintha Griffith (Katamja Press, Mckinney, Texas, 2012, 153 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

December 12, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - In this time of heightened awareness in immigration reform, highlighted by Immigrants from Mexico and our country’s reluctance to allow into the country Syrian immigrants, Jacintha Griffith has written a fictional account of what it must be like for immigrants pursuing the American Dream, Coveting the Dream. Herself an immigrant, originally from the island of Grenada in the West Indies, this is her first novel – which from its design and literary craftsmanship many more will follow.

December 11, 2015 (San Diego)--Gretchen Newsom announced today that she is withdrawing from the San Diego mayoral race.

She issued a statement today which reads, "I have decided that I will not run for Mayor. My husband and I have recently decided to divorce on an amicable basis and, therefore, I need to focus on our son. I appreciate everyone's respect of our privacy."

By Miriam Raftery

December 11, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Calling it a “Christmas miracle—a bipartisan bill signing”,  President Barack Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, which passed Congress with strong support among both Republicans and Democrats.

The new law preserves the goals and spirit of the No Child Left Behind law enacted under the George W. Bush administration, but eliminates that measure’s unpopular  heavy testing and eases consequences for schools that underperform. The Every Student Succeeds Act offers a more flexible approach to student testing and school accountability, also shifting much of the responsibility for improving troubled schools back to the states.

East County News Service

December 11, 2015 (San Diego)—Over 88,213 marijuana plants were seized in San Diego County in 2015 from 98 separate grow locations, including 60 outdoor and 38 indoor sites with a value of $464,149. The announcement was made by the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Narcotics Task Force in San Diego County, along with the Sheriff’s Department and Health Advocates Rejecting Marijuana (HARM).   

 Of additional significance is the fact that 52,439 plants were removed from our public lands, including U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management properties. DEA/NTF officials estimate that it takes approximately 900 gallons of water to bring an outdoor marijuana plant to harvest, and 450 gallons for an indoor grown plant.  Based on those numbers, the marijuana seized this year used approximately 72 million gallons of water.

By Miriam Raftery

December 8, 2015 (Santee) – Michael Balazs has created the ultimate Christmas light show at his Santee home “to bring smiles to the neighborhood children and adults alike.”  This year’s show at 9773 Roe Drive, Santee features 28,000 lights synced to eight musical songs ranging from Party Rock to Carol of the Bells. It's all synced to FM radio so people can get out of their cars and dance to show their holiday spirit.

This year, he switched to professional LED lighting – and slashed his electricity bill to a shockingly low $50 to $70 a month, he says.

Source: U.S.. Customs and Border Patrol

December 10, 2015 (Otay Mesa)--U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin testing new biometric technology at the Otay Mesa pedestrian crossing this week to enhance identification of certain non-U.S. citizens entering and exiting the U.S. CBP uses biometrics in order to accurately verify who arrives in the United States and who leaves.

By Kathy Carpenter

Associate/Youth Reviewer www.sdtheatrereviews.com

December 8, 2015 (El Cajon) - The students at El Cajon Valley High School took on two Christmas plays this winter. Both with fairly large casts, with only a couple students taking on roles in both shows. A huge undertaking for teacher and director Shannon Turner. These students work hard, come out for the evening and support the local arts. The two shows the students performed were A Charlie Brown Christmas and Scrooge Makes UP!. The Christmas message in both ...the holiday season is one of love, kindness, giving, and being out best selves. Is seven dollars and an hour and a half to much too give?

24 private postpartum birthing suites feature spa-like look and feel

December 8, 2015 (La Mesa)-- Sharp Grossmont Hospital has unveiled a new, fresh lower level of the Women’s Health Center, where moms and newborns are now enjoying 24 completely remodeled, private postpartum delivery suites. The upgrades are the first phase of an overall renovation of the center, which is expected to be completed in 2017 to accommodate the families of the approximately 4,000 babies born at the hospital each year.

By Miriam Raftery

December 10, 2015 (Sacramento) – Helix Water District board member Kathleen Hedberg spoke at a public workshop in Sacramento held by the State Water Resources Control Board on Monday.  Hedberg urged the Board to revise  current emergency regulations that mandate huge water cuts statewide and to take into consideration water districts where customers have already been conserving.

In an impassioned plea, she noted that Helix customers already cut use and have exceeded the mandate, but that this has forced many to allow trees and shrubs to die. She noted that the district has invested in increasing water supply and has adequate water to meet customer needs.

"My constituents and Helix Water District customers are outraged and frustrated that they have paid for water supply, storage and reliability projects and we are being told to cut back on water use even when we have enough water as we prepared for drought times and the future," Hedberg testified. Below are her full comments to the Board, along with her assessment of mixed reactions received from state regulators:

December 8, 2015 (La Mesa)--The East County Roller Girls is a new start-up women's Roller Derby league that will play under WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association) rules.

A boot camp and tryout will be held on Sunday, December 19 at 11 a.m. at 8855 Dallas Street, La Mesa. Childcare will be provided.

By Miriam Raftery

December 8, 2015 (Alpine) – A lawsuit over a high school for Alpine is slated to be back in Superior Court downtown on December 17at 9:30 a.m.

Alpine taxpayers and the Alpine Union School District have filed a  reconsideration request asking Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman to grant Alpine’s  motion for summary adjudication and deny Grossmont’s motion for summary judgment, in  light of a Court of Appeals decision that found  Propositions H and U contain a promise to build an Alpine High School. 

Grossmont filed a  response asking just the opposite – urging Judge Pressman to deny Alpine’s motion for reconsideration.