By Miriam Raftery

Updated March 31 with new info from the County Office of Education.

March 15, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The County Committee on School District Organization will hold six hearings to get public input on the Grossmont Union High School District’s proposed shift to electing governing board trustees by districts.  The GUHSD board voted 4-1 to adopt a controversial map and seek a waiver of a public vote despite opposition from members of the public who spoke, some alleging gerrymandering to oust a dissenting board member and break up a vocal minority voting block, as ECM reported.

The six hearings are set for March 17 in La Mesa, March 28 in El Cajon,  April 4 in Alpine,  April 5 in Jamul, April 6 in Lemon Grove, and April 11 in Lakeside.  The public can testify at the meetings and also submit written comments up until April 7.  The County’s committee will vote to approve or disapprove the district’s request at its April 13 meeting. The Alpine hearing was added after ECM and community members asked that Alpine be added as a location due to the many controversies involving the Alpine area.

For the full schedule of meetings, rules and details, click "read more" and scroll down.

To view the San Diego County Office of Education hearings announcement in English, Spanish and Arabic, click here.

To view data on the GUHSD redistricting plan including demographic details and maps, click here.

March 10,  2016 (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

• Luxury development approved for Julian (U-T)
• Heavily redacted memo shields notes in fatal San Diego police shooting (KPBS)
• Charity accused of improper billing (U-T)
• MTS Board Members Ask For Faster Data Security Upgrades (KPBS)
• Contractors lose appeal on 'free speech’ gifts (U-T)
• San Diego Politicians Asked To Stop Voting On Their Own Salaries (KPBS)
• Is ballot crowding at work in San Diego city council races? (KPBS)
• Southern California aerospace industry continues to lose jobs (U-T)

STATE

• Brown’s judge friend removed from CPUC case (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Motivating the state’s refugee voters (KPBS)
• My $54,000 helicopter ride (Los Angeles Times)
• California advances bills to raise smoking age, regulate vaping (Sacramento Bee)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Hear our interview, which originally aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ  89.1 FM on December 14, 2015: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Ice core sample, Creative Commons image from AntarcticGlaciers.org

February 27, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Jeffrey Severinghaus, PhD, is one of the world’s top climate scientists.   A professor of geosciences at Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, he was recently appointed to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.   Dr. Severinghaus has pioneered research efforts measuring trapped gas bubbles in ice cores in Antarctica and Greenland to detect past ocean temperature changes – with astonishing results.

Asked about climate skeptics who claim climate change is merely cyclical, he quickly dispels the theory that recent warming is part of an age-old trend.  That’s because molecules from burning fossil fuels are chemically different from carbon naturally seeping from the ocean floor.  The differences are obvious, measurable, and provide clear evidence that man’s actions are rapidly accelerating climate change.

February 17,  2016 (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/REGIONAL

• Porter Ranch Natural Gas Leak Temporarily Controlled (City News Service)
• Hungry? Amazon delivers from local eateries in an hour (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Obama to designate new national monuments in the California desert (The Washington Post)
• Hasty water policies don’t mix well with long-term planning (Voice of San Diego )
• Officials Show Off Facility Where Passengers Apply For TSA Pre-Check Program (KPBS)
• Dueling SANDAG Proposals Pit Transit Against Local Infrastructure (Voice of SD)
• CPUC boss and energy innovator were friendly (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Cell-tracking 'Stingray' device was kept secret (San Diego Union-Tribune)

STATE

• Coastal Commission fires executive director over objections of hundreds of supporters (Los Angeles Times)
• Governor Brown’s budget includes Salton Sea funding (The Sun)
• California farmers reap record sales in record drought (Chron.com) (AP)
• How the drought boosts your utility bills, and global warming (SF Gate)
• 2 Golden Gate Bridge pedestrians hit by blow darts (SF Gate)
• US hospital held to ransom by hackers (BBC)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.” – Irish blessing

January 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County)—Those winter rains have left our drought-parched hills wearing a lovely coat of green.  In fact, some areas in San Diego’s backcountry now bear a striking resemblance to Ireland!  Can you tell which photo was taken in East County yesterday, and which was shot in the Irish countryside? (Click “read more” for the answer.)

By Miriam Raftery

January 14, 2016 (San Diego) – The San Diego City Council has proclaimed 2016 as the Year of Inclusion.  The proclamation notes that immigrants comprise 23 percent of the population in our region, with over 100 languages spoken by San Diego residents from around the world.

The proclamation recognizes organizations in San Diego dedicated to helping s build a “culture of civic participation among new generations” that empower leadership and activism. The city's welcoming gesture toward immigrants comes at a time when anti-immigrant has been on the rise nationally and among some prominent political figures, most notably Republican presidential frontrunner candidate Donald Trump.

East County News Service

January 2, 2016 (Borrego) -On Wednesday January 6^th,  San Diego Supervisors’ agenda  includes a public hearing on authorizing the County to become a groundwater sustainability agency, giving it jurisdiction over the Borrego Valley groundwater basin—the sole source of water for the Borrego region, jointly with the Borrego Water District.

The Borrego Valley area uses four times more groundwater than is replenished annually, on average.  As a result, groundwater levels have declined over 100 feet in some parts of the Borrego Valley, due to heavy water use for irrigated agriculture, residential, and commercial users including golf courses and resorts that draw tourists to the region, as well as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, according to a  U.S. Geological Survey study on the Borrego Valley groundwater basin from 1945-2010, done in cooperation with the Borrego Water District. View study  here.

By Miriam Raftery, Editor

December 24, 2015 (San Diego's East County) --It’s been a tumultuous year around the world and also here in San Diego’s East County. 

These ranged from water woes to lawsuits over education and transportation.  East County residents rallied for refugees and protested land use projects ranging from a sand mine to a shooting range, as well as a casino, solar farms, a hotel highrise, and safety concerns after a plane crash near Gillespie Field.  Our coverage helped clean up illegal dumping in Cleveland National Forest and save free speech outside Supervisors' meeting place.  Other hot stories touched on fire safety, terrorism, police scandals, and winery regulations,  There was also some good news--Lake Jennings was spared, a new habitat for bears opened, local police stepped up efforts to protect pedestrians, and Supervisor Dianne Jacob led efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's. 

Here are the stories and issues that captured the attention of our East County readers in 2015:

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all across East County

Not a creature was stirring, from Borrego to El Monte.

The cowboy boots were hung by the chimneys with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

By Miriam Raftery

December 16, 2015 (San Diego)—By a unanimous vote, the San Diego City Council  on Tuesday enacted a plan to address climate change that may be the most ambitious in the nation. The plan sets a goal for the city to attain 100 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2035, also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in 2020 and 50 percent by 2035.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer told Councilmembers, “We are a city where the quality of the environment is essential to our quality of life.”  Faulconer said the plan will create jobs and preserve the city’s leadership in the clean-tech industry, also improving public health and air quality, reducing dependence on imported water, and increasing use of clean energy.

Climate Action Campaign announced the San Diego is the largest American city to commit to producing all of its energy from renewable resources.

By Miriam Raftery

December 14, 2015 (San Diego)--A rare but serious birth defect in Brazil has been linked to a mosquito—the Aedes aegypti species, which has recently been found in San Diego County.

This type of mosquito was already known to carry diseases such as Yellow Fever, dengue fever, chikungunya and the Zika virus.  But now the Zika virus is suspected of causing microencephaly, a rare neurological disorder that results in infants having small heads and underdeveloped brains, resulting in severe developmental issues. The mosquito bites an expectant mother, transmitting the disease to her unborn child.  Babies born with this illness are likely to die young and require constant care.

December 1, 2015 (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

• Murdoch says L.A. Times to be sold: If true, Union-Tribune will also likely have new owner soon (Reader)
• New winery law: good vintage or sour grapes? (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• At least a dozen sickened by batch of spice near Petco Park (KNSD)
• Police warn homeless about El Nino flooding (10 News)
• Floating Another Way to Pay for New Water (Voice of San Diego)
• Medical marijuana dominates discussion with lieutenant (Ramona Sentinel)
• County deserves adjustments to state water restrictions (San Diego Union-Tribune editorial)
• Breceda sculptures find new home: Dinosaurs and serpents come to Vista (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases On The Rise In San Diego County  (KPBS)

STATE

• Widespread cheating by instructors, cadets alleged at California’s fire training academy (Sacramento Bee)
• Native American Tribe Bets On Olive Oil (NPR)
• Rogue agency enabled by governor (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Feinstein turns to Obama to protect California’s desert (San Francisco Chronicle)
• The feds just got sued for allowing Nestle to bottle water in California’s drought country (Mother Jones)
• Assemblywoman proposes double-time pay for retail employees working on Thanksgiving (10 News)
• E-mail hints at possible Brown complicity in corruption (Los Angeles Daily News)
• Email Suggests Brown Took Edison's Side On San Onofre; Governor Denies It  (KPBS)
• California Farmer Works To Restore Groundwater By Purposely Flooding Crops (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Source: CAL FIRE

November 9, 2015 (San Diego)--Members of CAL FIRE Firefighters, along with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, will celebrate their 61-year partnership and kick off the fire fighters' annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to benefit children and adults affected by muscle disease throughout the San Diego area.

More than 300 members of CAL FIRE will fan out across San Diego County with boots in hand for this year’s drive during the week of November 9 through 13^th at intersections throughout the San Diego region.

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The 45-day review period for public comments on proposed changes to the County’s Tiered Winery Ordinance ends November 23^rd. 

In 2010, Supervisors established a Tiered Winery Ordinance. A key component of it was creation of a Boutique Winery tier, which allowed for tasting rooms in conjunction with ongoing agricultural vineyard operations. Since its adoption, a number of issues have arisen that affect implementation of the ordinance. Planning & Development Services (PDS) held workshops on January 17, 2014 and July 1, 2015  to gather information and comments to utilize in formulating the proposed amendments to the Tiered Winery Ordinance. See our prior coverage of the July hearing here, when some wineries voiced alarm over proposals they feared could put some wineries out of business, while others voiced support for suggestions such as limiting food offerings and sharply restricting entertaining at smaller wineries. 

One set of stakeholders whose voices have been largely ignored thus far have been consumers--the wine tasting public who may want to weigh in on whether they want to hear music at weekend wine tastings or be able to savor food along with wine when visiting local wineries. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 22, 2015 (Borrego Springs) – Treasure hunters have long been drawn to the Anza-Borrego Desert, seeking gold and precious gemstones. But the real treasure to be found today is La Casa del Zorro Resort, restored to its former splendor with a hospitality that welcomes all—a sparkling oasis amid the desert sands.

Whether you’re heading out for this weekend’s 50^th anniversary Borrego Days Desert Festival and parade, or seeking an off-season adventure in summer, spring or fall, La Casa del Zorro provides a delightful haven year-round.