By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Rural residents rallied for protection from wind turbines after explosions; faith-based community leaders sought justice for immigrants outside County Administration Building at site that may soon be restricted for free speech rallies.

June 6, 2015 (San Diego)—For years, community groups and activists have rallied outside the County administration building where Supervisors meet to protest or urge support for various causes, from immigrant rights to stopping environmentally damaging projects, with rally organizers ranging from civil liberties advocates to conservative Tea Party groups. 

But under a new ordinance proposed for consideration on Tuesday’s agenda, people wishing to exercise First Amendment rights may be restricted to  designated “free speech zones” at the new Waterfront Park around the building, where you won’t be able to bring a megaphone, microphone, or even a chair on which to sit.  There will be noise limits and gatherings of 200 or more must obtain permits—meaning you’ll have to predict how many will show up for your event, or risk paying fines.

That’s not all.  The proposed ordinance would go farther,  changing codes regarding selling and advertising for all county parks and recreation facilities to regulate “other issues such as commercial photography, noise levels, and the prohibition on posting or affixing materials on park property.”

May 26,2015 (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

• Power company's Darling (SD Reader)
• San Diego County's Unemployment Rate Dips To Nearly 8-Year Low (KPBS)
• Tijuana Plans Protection For Rare River Habitat (KPBS)
• City sprays golf courses with tap water (U-T)
• As farms fade, will developers move in? (U-T)
• CPUC Votes To Approve New Gas Power Plant In Carlsbad (KPBS)
• San Diego County Water Authority Proposes Water Rate Hikes (KPBS)
• SANDAG Isn’t Good at Predicting Population Growth (Voice of SD)
• SD hospitals fined for dangerous care (U-T)
• Microgrid and Water Recurrent Worries for Borrego Springs (Borrego Sun)

STATE

• Power company's Darling (SD Reader)
• Santa Barbara oil spill: Pipeline operator has long record of problems (LA Times)
• Study Finds Lingering Spike In Car Theft After California Prison Change (KPBS)
• California water agency relies on flawed system to track use (U-T)
• California farmers agree to cut water use. Enough to stem the drought? (CS Monitor)
• 50 million gallons of water lost after California dam vandalized: newspaper (Reuters)
• In California, Technology Makes "Droughtshaming" Easier Than Ever (NPR)

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

Hear our interview with Ashley Mazanec, membership  manager, San Diego Energy District. 

Listen now:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

May 17, 2015 (San Diego) – If you’re looking for an alternative to SDG&E for buying your electric power, you can now become a member in the San Diego Energy District.  In an interview on KNSJ in April, Ashley Mazanec told us a dozen businesses have signed up so far.  Ratepayers can enjoy lower rates and know their energy is coming from clean energy sources, according to Mazanec.  Locally produced energy can also reduce the need for new power lines, improving wildfire safety.

San Diego has a feasibility study underway and Solana Beach has moved forward to become a community  choice city.  The San Diego Energy District is reaching out to additional communities and hopes to build support in other local cities such as La Mesa, El Cajon , Santee and Lemon Grove as well as with County Supervisors. Individual property owners can sell surplus power back into the grid. Entities such as nonprofit orgnaizations, school districts, Native American tribes and businesses can also join the grid.

County News Service

May 14, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Shortly after the release of a grand jury report that commends the County for making significant improvements to rural firefighting by unifying a patchwork of independent agencies, the Board of Supervisors approved a series of administrative steps toward bringing two more rural fire districts under the umbrella of the County Fire Authority.

May 7, 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

• Longtime TV personality Bob Dale dies at 83 (U-T)
• West Sacramento Claims Santee ‘Hijacked’ Tax Revenue (Times of San Diego)
• State questions tribal fund spending (U-T)
• Lemon Grove axing its planning commission (U-T)

STATE

• California Drought Killed 12 Million Forest Trees Since Last Year (KPBS)
• Earnings jump at Sempra (U-T)
• California approves new uniform rules for seawater desalination (Reuters)
• California Regulators Approve Unprecedented Water Cutbacks (AP)

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

April 23, 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

• El Cajon event brings hope, help to homeless (UT San Diego)

• Where San Diego Gets Its Water – and Where it Goes (Voice of SD)
• Federal official admits taking bribes, theft (U-T San Diego)
• 3 top staffers leave supe's office (U-T San Diego)
• Iraqi official seeks local Chaldean support (U-T)
• San Diego jobless rate falls to 5.1 percent (UT San Diego)
• Surprise! San Diegans are good budgeters (SD Reader)
• Schools That Best Prepare Neighborhood Kids for Graduation Also Retain Them, or Vice-Versa (Voice of San Diego)
• David Glismann, 91, Grossmont choral director (U-T San Diego)

STATE

• Bill would ease CPUC appeals (U-T)
• Regulators back higher electric rates for some (U-T)
• A call to invest in safety of the power grid (Marketplace.org)
• Elizabeth Warren to headline California Democratic convention (Sacramento Bee)
• Are race relations in California better than rest of US? (CS Monitor)
• Chairman: Scrap San Onofre deal (U-T)

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

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Cleveland National Forest, courtesy National Forest Service

April 6, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)—The Republican-controlled House and Senate have passed measures that would allow the sale or outright giveaway of most public lands –including national forests, federal wildernesses and  wildlife preserves and Bureau of Land Management properties.  Only Republicans voted for the language slipped into a non-binding budget resolution—which passed without a single Democratic vote. 

The shocking news is revealed in a New York Times editorial by Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Lands, titled “Our Land, Up for Grabs.”  

While it’s unlikely that President Barack Obama would support such an extreme measure, if a Republican president is elected in 2016 and Republicans maintains control of both houses of Congress, losing our cherished public lands such could be a very real possibility.

Here in San Diego County alone, that could mean the demise of:  Cleveland National Forest,  Otay Mountain Wildnerness, Hauser Wilderness, Pine Creek , Carrizo Gorge, Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness , Agua Tibia Wilderness, San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge , Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, McCain Valley National Recreation Area and more.

Update April 5, 2015 (San Diego's East County) -- Cal Fire has ended the no-burn proclamation due to improving conditions, higher humidity and availability of fire resources..

April 4, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Effective immediately, Cal Fire has issued a no-burn proclamation suspending burning permits and other uses of open fire, except for campfires in established campfire facilities in public campgrounds.

The order is due to the “extreme menace” posed by critical fire weather and acute dryness of vegetation and/or fire suppression forces being heavily committed to control fires, according to Dave Nissan, Deputy Chief of Cal-Fire’s San Diego unit.

A little April Fool's Day fun.

By Betty Burns

April 1, 2015 (San Diego)—Seeking to prevent fire stations from closing again this season due to budget cuts, the County of San Diego announced today that it has sold corporate naming rights to fire trucks.

Hooters Restaurant was the first to sign up for this opportunity, also agreeing to provide Hooters waitresses to serve firefighters at their base camp during wildfires.

Ambulance responses in our region raise alarms:  Part I in a series

By Miriam Raftery

March 22, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – What if you had a medical emergency and the nearest ambulance had to come from Imperial County or other distant places up to an hour away?  That’s the very real prospect facing rural East County residents under a stealth change in ambulance service approved by a county bureaucrat with no public notice, no hearing, and no vote by the Supervisors.

While some aspects of coverage stand to improve under the contract, adding more in-district ambulances and newer equipment, there are some major concerns raised by local safety advocates with regard to mutual aid and staffing.

By Miriam Raftery

March 20, 2015 (Alpine) – Lou Russo, an outspoken former member of the Alpine Community Planning Group, may soon be back on the board, the Registrar of Voters office has confirmed.

James Roe defeated Russo on the November ballot, but moved out of the area for a job prior to the election and is thus ineligible to take the seat.

March 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Our January radio shows are now online!  You can listen online now (note sound files may take a minute to load). For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics and interviews in January, click here and scroll down.

Our top newsmaker interviews included representatives from Cleveland National Forest, the County’s Farm to School produce program, a War Victims group seeking reparations for Iraq War refugees, the postal workers’ union on cuts in postal services, a leading solar company on changes in solar incentives for consumers, an environmental advocate battling Soitec Solar’s projects in Boulevard, and La Mesa’s Chamber of Commerce president on honoring local heroes. Plus we interviewed two law-enforcement officers-turned-authors, La Mesa Police Chief Dan Willis and former ICE special agent Timothy Daniels.

You can hear the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m., on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m, and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

East County News Service

February 27, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – A winter storm is due to hit our region tonight through Monday, bringing strong gusty winds to mountains and deserts.  Possible thunderstorms are possible starting Sunday night, bringing rain and potentially heavy snowfall down to levels that may include Julian, Descanso and Pine Valley.

The Sheriff offered this reminder to motorists traveling in the mountains: Have a full tank of gas, water and food supplies in case you are stranded in traffic for several hours. Have snow chains for areas where they will be required. Public restroom facilities are limited...Be mindful of areas that are private property which are marked by signs and fences. Private property is off limits to the public for recreational snow activities.

Parking violations will be enforced and citations will be issued. Vehicles blocking roadways and private property will be towed. Be aware of increased law enforcement activity to handle the large crowds.

 

View a presentation on the Gillespie Field Sports Village concept by clicking here.

Tune in Friday to our radio show at 5 p.m. on KNSJ 89.1 FM to hear our interview with Robert Germann, proponent of the Gillespie Field Sports Village.

By Miriam Raftery

February 26, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Imagine a new Chargers stadium and sports entertainment complex next to Gillespie Field on vacant land formerly occupied by the El Cajon Speedway.  Sounds far-fetched? The 250-acre  site is surrounded by four major freeways and a trolley stop close by.  Approximately 180 acres are currently vacant—and none of this land has been used for aviation.

Chargers fans’ future is in limbo, with the team threatening to move to Los Angeles County and share a stadium with the Raiders.  The team wants a new stadium, but thus far San Diego county and city leaders have not come up with a solid plan for an alternative location and environmental contamination prevents rebuilding on the existing Qualcomm stadium site.