Local News

April 30th, 2009

Escondido Checkpoint Nails 43 Car Impounds, Five Arrests

Escondido Police made five arrests and impounded 43 cars during a driver's license and sobriety checkpoint last Friday night, according to Sergeant Dana Ray. The traffic stop was held on Lincoln Avenue at Fig Street from 6:15 p.m. Friday until 12:15 a.m. Saturday.

3,185 cars entered the checkpoint and 1183 were screened with nearly 100 being sent to a secondary screening area, Ray said. Two people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. One misdemeanor criminal arrest was made. 18 drivers did not have auto insurance, 2 drivers had a suspended drivers license and 46 drivers did not have a drivers license. A total of 59 citations were issued at this checkpoint. Two other drivers were arrested for street racing ---- those two were clocked at 92 mph on police radar as they entered the checkpoint, according to Ray. Their cars were impounded for 30 days.

California law allows police to impound cars for up to 30 days when people are caught driving without a license or with a suspended license.

The purpose of the checkpoint, Escondido police said, was to find intoxicated and unlicensed drivers and provide "a highly visible operation" to stop impaired driving.

Escondido Firefighters Rescue Tree Trimmer

Recently, Escondido’s Fire Department received a call reporting that a tree trimmer had become trapped under heavy palm fronds approximately 50-60 feet up from ground level and that the tree trimmer was unconscious. The Escondido Fire Department aerial ladder truck enabled firefighters to reach the victim, secure him, and then bring him down to ground level for evaluation by paramedics and transport to Palomar Medical Center.

Rescues of this type occur all too often. Anyone attempting to trim the dead fronds of a palm tree should have the proper training and experience to avoid being crushed and suffocated.

Southern California Insurance Agent Sent to Prison

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has announced that Mark Brashear, 48, of San Marcos, was sentenced to three years in state prison by the San Diego Superior Court.

“Stealing from California seniors is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Commissioner Poizner. “Any agent or broker who purposely misleads consumers – especially seniors – will be prosecuted and put behind bars, where they belong.”

On February 19, Brashear pled guilty to two felony counts of grand theft against an elder.

Upon receiving complaints from seniors alleging Brashear misrepresented their investments, CDI’s Enforcement Branch launched an investigation. The investigation revealed that Brashear initially invested senior clients’ money into legitimate annuity accounts, as requested by the clients. After a period of time, Brashear allegedly persuaded his clients to invest in American First Fidelity, or AFF, promising higher returns on their investments. He purportedly failed to disclose that he was the owner of AFF, and that their investment would not be in an annuity. Investigators further discovered that Brashear allegedly used the victims’ money for personal expenses. According to investigators, the victims’ funds were not placed into any legitimate investment.

Brashear’s alleged schemes took place between February 2004 and August 2005. There were a total of five senior victims who incurred losses of more than $300,000 as a result of his purported scamming.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case. Close to 1900 insurance fraud-related arrests have been made by the Department of Insurance’s Enforcement Branch since Commissioner Poizner took office in 2007 – more arrests than have been made during any other two year period, under any previous insurance commissioner.

Unlicensed Contractors Sentenced for Soliciting 2007 Wildfire Victims

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has announced that Roger Paul Rajcic, 49, of San Diego, pled guilty to one felony violation of contracting without a license during the October 2007 Witch Creek Wildfires. Darrien Carl Webster, 40, of San Diego, also pled guilty to acting as an unlicensed public adjuster. Webster was sentenced to three years summary probation and ordered to pay $600 in fines and restitution.

“Unlicensed contractors and public adjusters routinely swarm wildfire zones to take advantage of disaster survivors,” said Commissioner Poizner. “These individuals should beware – the Department of Insurance will find you and prosecute you if you attempt to dupe fire victims who have already endured too much hardship.”

According to CDI investigators, a couple lost their home in the 2007 Witch Creek Fire in Ramona. The couple contracted with Rajcic and Webster, who, unbeknownst to the couple, were unlicensed. Rajcic was contracted to rebuild their home and Webster agreed to handle their insurance claim. When the couple discovered that both men were unlicensed, they contacted the Contractor’s State License Board to file a complaint. The Department of Insurance was notified of the situation and jointly investigated the case with the Contractor’s State License Board.

Sentencing for Rajcic is set for May 4, 2009 at 1:30pm. The case is being prosecuted by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Following the October 2007 wildfires, Commissioner Poizner sent strike teams of CDI enforcement officers to fire zones to conduct undercover operations to identify and help prosecute unlicensed contractors and public adjusters who attempted to scam wildfire victims.

Dixon Lake Trout Derby Delivers Large Trout

The 12 Annual Dixon Lake Trout Derby, sponsored by the Hidden Valley Kiwanis Club of Escondido, is now history. Lots of smiling faces following this past weekend’s trouting activity. None bigger than that of the grand prize winner, Jose Gurrola, who landed a 7.49 lb trout to take top honors and a check for $500. There were 382 adults, 14 seniors and 141 youth anglers on the lake over the weekend, which generated about $3450 in gross revenues. Add in the sponsor fees and the sale of Opportunity Drawing tickets and Kiwanis officials estimate that,after expenses, they may net around $10,000. That’s about $4270 less than they would normally raise since the city took away a $4270 revenue source previously available to the Kiwanis group.

This is the major fund raiser for the Hidden Valley Kiwanis Club. Whether they will continue sponsorship of the event next year, given the withdrawal of city support, has not yet been determined.

Two Cited in ABC Sting

On Thursday, April 23, 2009, the Escondido Police Department's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), in conjunction with the State of California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC), conducted a shoulder tap operation where decoys, under the age of twenty-one, approached adults outside several ABC licensed establishments in the City of Escondido. The decoys in this operation contacted several adults and asked them if they would purchase alcohol for them (decoys).

During this operation, six locations were visited and approximately twenty-eight adults were approached and asked to purchase alcohol. As a result, two adult men agreed to make purchases for the decoys.

The SIU/ABC team issued a citation to Timothy Jensen, 24, of Escondido, Ca. and Kenneth Hampton, 42, of Escondido, Ca, for furnishing alcohol to a minor, a violation of B&P 22658 (a).

These types of checks, as well as other types of ABC operations, are being conducted throughout the year with funding from a recent ABC grant awarded to the Escondido Police Department.

North County Letter Carriers Help Stamp Out Hunger!

On Saturday, May 9, all North County Post Offices, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), United States Postal Service, AFL-CIO, United Way of America, Campbell Soup Company and Feeding America San Diego join together to help Stamp Out Hunger! in San Diego County.

Stamp Out Hunger!, the annual National Association of Letter Carriers food drive is the nation’s largest single-day food drive. Residents throughout North County can leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable food such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular delivery on May 9. Food items should be in non-breakable containers such as boxes and cans.

Letter carriers will collect the food donation that day and deliver it to San Diego County’s hungry. For residents who would prefer not to leave the food out or who have a post office box, food donations may be taken to your local post office.

Last year, letter carriers across the country collected a record total of more than 73.1 million pounds of food. However, during these hard economic times, more people than ever are relying on food banks to provide food for their table. A recent survey of Feeding America food bank members reported a 30 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance. The reason cited for this dramatic increase in demand included rising cost of food, increasing unemployment and underemployment, cost of fuel and the burden of mortgage or rent costs.

“Letter Carriers see hunger daily while out on their routes,” said Ginger Austin, Oceanside letter carrier. “Hunger is an issue that needs to be addressed. Many children go to bed hungry at night and especially on the days there is no school; because of insufficient amount or lack of food. Many Americans, of all ages, are without food – and during these difficult economic times we need everybody’s help to make a real difference.”

For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger! food drive in San Diego County, ask your letter carrier, contact the post office or visit www.helpstamphunger.com. For more information about Feeding America San Diego, to volunteer, make a donation or host a food drive, please visit www.FeedSanDiego.org or call (858) 452-FOOD (3663).

Water Authority to Cut Water Deliveries to Local Agencies by 8 Percent

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors, responding to reduced water supplies caused by regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from Northern California, lingering drought, and cutbacks from the San Diego region's main water supplier, have approved cutting water deliveries to its member retail water agencies by 8 percent effective July 1.

To help achieve the required reduction in regional water use, the Water Authority Board also immediately declared a Level 2 "Drought Alert" condition. That action enables the Water Authority's 24 member retail agencies to adopt mandatory conservation measures for residents and businesses, such as use restrictions or tiered water rates that charge more for excessive water use.

"We have reached the point where mandatory conservation by residents, businesses and government agencies is now necessary to help us cope with our water shortage," said Claude A. "Bud" Lewis, chair of the Water Authority's board of directors. "We now must achieve a greater level of conservation, and today's move to a Drought Alert condition gives water agencies throughout the county more tools to achieve greater water savings through their local drought ordinances."

Thousands of agricultural water customers in San Diego County, who first faced mandatory water cutbacks in January 2008, also will continue to face reduced water deliveries. Growers and farmers will have agricultural water supplies cut between an estimated 13 percent and 30 percent, depending on the agricultural water program in which they are enrolled.

Most local ordinances generally reflect the Water Authority's model drought response ordinance, which has the following mandatory restrictions during a Drought Alert condition:

Residential and commercial landscape irrigation is limited to no more than three assigned days per week from June through October, and no more than once a week from November through May.

Residential and commercial lawns and landscapes irrigated by sprinklers are limited to no more than 10 minutes of watering per irrigation station per day.

Residential and commercial landscape watering is restricted to morning and late evenings.

Washing down paved surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways, tennis courts, patios and parking lots is prohibited.

Water waste resulting from inefficient landscape irrigation, such as runoff, low head drainage, or overspray is prohibited.

Vehicles must be washed using a bucket and a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, mobile high pressure/low volume wash system, or at a commercial site that re-circulates (reuses) water onsite.

Water leaks must be repaired within 72 hours of notification by the local water agency.

Restaurants and other food service establishments must serve and refill water for customers only upon request.

Hotels, motels, and other commercial lodging establishments must offer guests the option of not laundering towels and linens daily.

Recycled or non-potable water must be used for construction purposes when available.

Operating ornamental fountains or similar decorative water features is prohibited unless they use recycled water.

The Water Authority urges residents and businesses to contact their local water agency to learn about any restrictions and water rates that apply in their community.

Water Authority officials currently estimate MWD's allocation will reduce its deliveries to the San Diego region by about 13 percent. The Water Authority and its member ­­­­agencies face significant financial penalties from MWD if the San Diego region exceeds its allocation.

EHS Class of 1969 Reunion

The Escondido High School Class of 1969 40th reunion is not until Friday, July 17th but already 60 alums have confirmed they’ll attend, out of a class of 91. The class will meet at the Canyon Grill Restaurant at the Lawrence Welk Resort just north of Escondido.

Former EHS grads from 1969 are invited to check the website: http://www.ehsclassof69.com for additional details.

Philanne Wilden Dies --Longtime Chamber Staff Member

Philanne Willden, who had 18 years with the Esconedido Chamber of Commerce, most recently as the Director of Administration, died last weekend following a lingering illness. More details will follow in next week’s edition of The Paper.

Boys and Girls Club of San Marcos Holds 30th Annual “Island Luau” Auction

The Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos is celebrating its 30th Annual Auction with an Island Luau theme. The auction is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2009 at the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, 1 Positive Place. The 30th Annual Auction will begin at 5pm with a cocktail reception & silent auction followed by a buffet dinner and a spectacular live auction. Attire is business casual or Hawaiian style.

Guests will have an opportunity to bid on many exciting items including an Aerial Flight of San Marcos and North County flown by Mayor Jim Desmond, a full set of Callaway R-Flex irons with matching golf bag, a Ken Blanchard Leadership Workshop and a suite at Petco Park for one Padres game. The event hopes to raise over $102,000 to help support after school programs to the 3,688 youth members.

This event is the Club's largest fundraiser and is made possible by the generous support of businesses and individuals in the community. All proceeds benefit youth programs and services at the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos.

For more information or to purchase tickets or tables, please contact Pablo Maldonado at 760-471-2490 x305 or pmaldonado@americanis.net.

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