By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The Jacumba Community Service District invites you to a Fall Festival on Saturday,  Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jacumba Community Park (44653 Old Highway 80).

The event features live music, food provided by Jay’s Southern Café, raffles for adults, youths and children, plus vendor booths. All proceeds benefit the community park.

To reserve a vendor/swap meet spot for 10, call Gwendolyn at 619-889-3447 or Ellen at 619-766-4576.

Questions? Contact jacumbawater@att.net or 619-766-4359.

By Rebeca Person

Editor Miriam Raftery contributed to this report

Here are some fun facts about sunflowers: The beautiful blooms are native to the Americas.  A single sunflower can produce up to 2,000 seeds, feeding birds and wildlife.  Some varieties can grow up to 30 feet tall!  Sunflowers, as the name implies, turn to face the sun.

By Rebecca Person

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this article

Photos: An existing wind project on the Campo reservation has previously had multiple fires caused by exploding wind turbines, shown here, raising alarm among area residents over fire dangers and other potential hazards posed by the proposed new and far larger turbines

February 3, 2020 (Campo) -- Residents of Campo, Boulevard and Jacumba voiced their concerns Jan. 23rd at a meeting in Boulevard held by the County Planning Development Services staff addressing the construction of 120 wind turbines in Boulevard and on the Campo Reservation.

The wind turbines will be 596’ tall, taller than towers which dot the high desert that stand between 325' to almost 400 ft tall. 60 turbines are planned for the Campo Indian Reservation, and 30 turbines for McCain Valley near I-8 freeway in Boulevard. According to Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Community Planning Group, these may be the largest wind turbines ever erected on land. Turbines on tribal land would also abut her property in rural Boulevard. Setbacks from some homes would be far less than at many other wind projects, even though the turbines are larger.

Over 60 local residents gathered at the meeting and many spoke of the effects existing towers have had on their quality of life. Campo Band of Mission Indians tribal members who live on the Campo Reservation and oppose the project stated that they have presented a petition with 65 signatures asking their tribal council to overturn an earlier disputed vote to erect the giant turbines on the reservation.

The tribe earlier voted 32 to 14 in favor at a meeting that opponents say was announced as an informational-only meeting, thus some opponents were not present for the vote. View a document prepared by opponents outlining their concerns over the project's impacts

Tribal members who oppose the project expressed earnest backing of efforts of local non-profit Backcountry Against Dumps to bring people together and oppose the plans of Terra-Gen and SDG&E for their Boulder-Brush project (high-voltage substation and lines) in McCain Valley to connect turbines to Sunrise Powerlink  and Campo Wind Project (60 turbines 586’ tall) on the Campo Reservation. A third project, the Torrey Wind project (30 turbines 586’ tall) is planned on the Big Country Ranch property at the north end of Ribbonwood Road in Boulevard.

Tribal leaders supportive of building the wind turbines, by contrast, contend this would bring revenues to the tribe while providing renewable energy to the region. 

Alternatives to the planned projects were presented in four categories:

1/ Not building project at all 2/ Build no turbines or facilities on private land 3/ Relocate turbines from the Southern portion of the project  4/ Build underground.

The projects also involve building high voltage substation facilities, many miles of 230kv high voltage lines on 150’ steel power poles, concrete plant facilities, equipment staging and parking areas, Operation and Maintenance buildings, and road widening with eminent domain for SDG&E, paving and creating new access roads. Residents are seeing many of such installations already being built.

Battery storage fires, and spontaneous fires in which a burning turbine ignites neighboring turbines and wildfires are also a source for concern to the local residents.  As ECM has previously documented, wind turbines operated by the Campo tribe at its existing Kumeyaay Wind facility have exploded in the past, sparking brush fires, and stray voltage up to 1,000 times higher than normal have been measured in nearby homes. An interrupted medical study at Cal State San Marcos on Manzanita tribal members living near those turbines raised health concerns and recommended a larger study.

Effects on wildlife, pets and livestock are also worrying property owners and residents who have witnessed many incidents in the wake of previous, smaller windmill installations in their neighborhoods.

Residents who live in the vicinity of existing turbines compared noise levels to having jet engines flying over their homes. Flashing red lights and a phenomenon called ‘shadow flicker’ are also mentioned by residents who are directly affected by turbines near their homes.

Some residents have asked what impact the new turbines will have on the water supply in the area. The effect on springs, water levels and potential pollution from construction is a growing concern because of the impacts seen by previous electric and wind facility projects, including some residents’ wells that ran dry after pumping to build big energy facilities. Non-profit organization Backcountry Against Dumps has a detailed fact sheet on these impacts which can be obtained from Donna Tisdale at tisdale.donna@gmail.com .

Not the least of the problems addressed at the Jan. 23rd meeting was the loss of property values to owners, who were unable to sell or had to sell for much lower than current market values. If forced out by coming turbine construction, some residents expressed their belief they should be bought out by the energy companies and given current market value for their properties.

February 3rd at 4pm is the deadline to submit objections and comments in written form regarding the proposed windmill turbines. These comments can be emailed - with the words « Boulder Brush-Campo Wind DEIR » in the subject line to Susan.Harris@sdcounty.ca.gov and a cc sent to local county Supervisor Dianne Jacob at Dianne.Jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov .

By Larry Johnson, President, Mountain Empire Historical Society

July 16, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Have you driven down scenic Highway 80 through its eastern stretch of San Diego County and noticed a lone chimney standing like a silent sentinel in a field, or a very old building that appears to date back to a previous era and wondered about their history?

If so, a new book written by historian and author Cherry Diefenbach called Renegades, Rock Houses and Resorts…the Stories of Jacumba Hot Spring and Surrounds may be just the ticket.

This nearly 500-page book provides a comprehensive history of the area using more than 1,200 photos, hundreds of old newspaper articles, and personal accounts from the descendants of early settlers. Many of the photographs have not been published elsewhere.

Finished after nearly five years of research, the book chronicles the colorful history of local mountain and desert comunities including Bankhead Springs, Boulder Park/Desert View Tower, Boulevard/Manzanita, Hipass/Tierra Del Sol, Jacumba Hot Springs, Live Oak Springs, Mountain Springs, and Oasis.

This book is available for purchase from the Mountain Empire Historical Society (MEHS).

You can order a copy through the nonprofit Mountain Empire Historical Society online at https://www.cssmus.org/bookstore.html or call Larry at (619)478-5566. You can also mail a check for $54.90 (includes tax and shipping) to MEHS, PO Box 394, Campo, CA 91906.

The MEHS is a non-profit organization which operates the historic Gaskill Brothers Store Museum in Campo. The website is open for business but the Museum is temporarily closed due to the COVIC-19 virus. 

By Craig Deutsche

July 5, 2020 (Jacumba) - There have been a number of articles in large newspapers about the border wall and legal challenges. Most probably the story in California is only a detail in the big picture, although there might be several unique concerns here. One concern is that the Congressional designation of the Jacumba Wilderness in 1994 is very explicit and very restrictive in what is permitted within the boundaries.

More recently in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security waived seventeen federal environmental laws where border security was involved in Imperial County. These included the Wilderness Act of 1964, the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Waters Act, and the Antiquities Act of 1906. It is under this umbrella that the work proceeds. What is less clear, is whether it is possible to set aside state and county regulations that may otherwise apply.

The pipe shown in the photo runs five or six miles from several wells outside the Jacumba Wilderness Area to the construction area at the border. The pipe is 12 inches in diameter and is intended to provide water for concrete. [Aggregate for the concrete is visible in the second photo beside the equipment.] This water is drawn from a rather limited aquifer underlying several small communities in western Imperial County.

Because groundwater is a scarce resource, the County requires permits for every well that draws on the aquifer. No application for such a well has been filed by either Customs and Border Protection, by the Army Corp of Engineers (ACE), or by the company contracted to do the work. Beyond this, the AEC has not responded to requests made by the County for data on the operation of the wells.

The diameter of the pipe far exceeds the capacity used by the local communities, and so there is a concern that the wall may lower the water table sufficiently that local residents will be forced to relocate. A legal challenge to the use of this groundwater is currently being considered. Beyond this, it should be recognized that the aquifer extends underground into Mexico, and its use may have international consequences. Currently, there is no indication that this possibility has been recognized.

A second concern involves the actual design of the road being built along the border to support the construction. It is a large, heavily graded, gravel road. Hills have been cut down and small washes have been filled in. This means that in several places where washes run northward from Mexico into the wilderness area, the flow of water has been interrupted.

On the U.S. side, one of the washes drains into a sink which includes a large stand of Crucifixion Thorn, a California Endangered Species. Although rain is rare in this desert, the morphology of the thorn clearly indicates that, at least in part, it is dependent on surface water. It is unclear what the legal ramifications will be if water floods on the Mexican side and a state endangered species is lost on the American side.

The road from highway 98 into the Wilderness had been completed and surfaced by  May 7. Public comments to the Bureau of Land Management on the project were accepted until May 15. The photos documenting the damage to the (previously untouched) landscape were taken May 14 and 28.

The project appears to have been conceived in the spirit of Shoot First and Ask Questions Later.

The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

By Miriam Raftery

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: New power poles in Pine Valley are made of steel, not wood, for fire safety, as part of the upgrades that SDG&E has been installing across inland San Diego County.

Updated August 23, 2020 9:40 a.m. with response from SDG&E.

August 22, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Amid a record-breaking heat wave with monsoonal thunderstorms, flash floods and lightning-sparked fires forecast as potential added hazards, SDG&E has announced plans to shut off power for hours during the heat of the day on Sunday and Monday across much of San Diego County.  

The outages are to upgrade wood poles to steel, among other equipment upgrades or maintenance planned.

The NWS has warned that the intense heat  this week can be life-threatening for those without air conditioning, yet the power outage will leave any residents who lack generators without access to safe, cool spaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic when many public, air-conditioned places are shut down.

Rural residents with electric well pumps will also be left without water for people or livestock to drink, as well as for fighting fires, as many rural residents equipped with tanks and hoses have done in past brush fires, unless they have invested in generators. Downed communications including internet and in some areas, phone service also leave residents unable to receive emergency alerts despite a high potential for emergencies during the extreme weather conditions.

The National Weather Service reported that Campo had six consecutive days of all-time record heat with highs averaging 106 degrees. Yet SDG&E plans to shut off power tomorrow in Campo on Sunday, August 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., as well as in Dulzura and Potrero.  The high desert communities of Jacumba, Boulevard and Live Oak Springs are also scheduled for outages from  8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cool zones are closed on weekends, making Sunday’s outage particularly dangerous. Many residents in these remote towns and Native American reservations live below the federal poverty line and some lack transportation to leave home.  Even for those with vehicles, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are no air-conditioned places opened in these areas, other than casinos or some stores.. All indoor restaurants are closed. Community centers and libraries are closed Sunday, though the Alpine library will be opened as a cool zone Monday afternoon. 

Many more communities are on the list to lose power on Monday, August 24 including parts of El Cajon, Buckman Springs, Morena Village, Japatul, Escondido, Harbison Canyon, Alpine, Warner Springs, Ranchita, Pala, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, Rainbow, Pala, Viejas, Descanso and Boulder Creek. 

Valley Center, Rincon, and Pauma Valley are scheduled to lose power both days.

View the full list of planned outages:  https://www.sdge.com/residential/customer-service/outage-center/outage-map

On Facebook, residents are reacting with anger and disgust.  Karen Noblitt-McIntyre wrote, “Well just got the call EVIL SDG$E is still planning on cutting power to parts of Campo. The heat and humidity, and fires this is not good we are all on wells. Makes it hard to protect yourself if you need to! Everyone stay safe.”

Dorrie Dickinson-Stutz posted, “Crazy they are turning it off when it is so hot.”

Residents in other East County communities have previously complained of problems caused by outages due to the powerline upgrades.

Michael Silva of Pine Valley recently told ECM, “We’ve had 31 outages since December.”  All but four or five of those were planned outages, he said.  Silva said he’s had repeated spoilage of food in his refrigerator as well as damage to an icemaker due to a power surge when the power finally came back on. But he worries most about vulnerable elderly and disabled residents in the backcountry who may rely on medical equipment or be left sweltering in intense heat without the means to go elsewhere.

His neighbor, Tom Biggers, had a similar story. Biggers says his power was out 32 times during the same period. Despite a generator he said he’s damage to a stove and refrigerator due to power surges after outages. He indicated that SDG&E did pay for damage, but the inconvenience of being left in sweltering heat or during winter months, frigid cold, had him feeling frosted.

SDG&E spokesperson Denice Renard told ECM at the time that some Pine Valley residents were offered generators, as well as gift cards for gas to leave the area, after residents complained.  SDG&E also added a transformer and reconfigured its system to minimize outages in Pine Valey and Guatay to fewer homes, she said.

But it’s unclear whether any such accommodations have been offered to residents of any of the many other communities set to be impacted next.

The outages also bring headaches for many people who are working from home and for school children enrolled in distance learning programs, since some districts have already started back to school.

ECM emailed SDG&E’s media relations department to ask why the planned maintenance and upgrades, which are not emergency repairs, are slated to go forward despite dangerous heat, potential flash flooding and fires, amid a pandemic when there are no designated cool zones for people to find safety. 

Helen Gao, senior communications specialist for SDG&E, sent this reply, which addressed only the Campo area concerns:

The health and safety of our customers are a top priority. As with all of our projects, we are committed to minimizing impact on our customers to the greatest extent possible.

The planned outage, as you noted, would accommodate the replacement of wood poles with steel poles, which is critical to reducing wildfire risk in our region. Wood to steel replacement work is a key element of our Wildfire Mitigation Plan, approved by the California Public Utilities Commission.

There may be some misunderstanding about the extent of the planned outage. Only a small portion of those served by circuit 448 (59 meters out of 1,116 meters on the circuit) will be affected by the planned outage, not the entire Campo community. Sometimes visitors to our outage map see their circuit number listed for a planned outage, and they assume they would be impacted. Only those on circuit 448 who have been notified will be affected tomorrow.

We recognize outages present challenges, especially during summer heat and the COVID-19 pandemic. Please also understand that SDG&E has an obligation to complete wildfire mitigation work as expeditiously as possible to protect our community from devastating wildfires.

As part of our standard practice, we provide customers advance notice so they can take action to prepare. Notices went out on Aug. 14 to Campo customers who will be affected by the planned outage. There are currently no heat advisories or warnings issued by the National Weather Service for San Diego County in the forecast.

ECM has also reached out to Supervisor Dianne Jacob’s office.

If you are slated for your power to go out, here are some preparations to consider:

• If you have an electric garage door opener, park your vehicle outside in case you need to rune errands or evacuate, or make sure you know how to open the door manually.
• Fully charge your cell phone and any other vital devices, such as laptop computers.
• Have flashlights and extra batteries on hand.
• Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water or other cold drinks.
• If you have a well pump, pre-pump water for your family, pets and livestocks.
• Unplug major appliances to avoid damage from surges when power is restored.
• Keep your freezer and refrigerator closed. For outages of more than four or five hours, consider using an ice chest to keep foods cold and avoid spoilage.
• Make sure your vehicle has plenty of gas, since gas station pumps and credit card machines may not work when the power is out.
• Have a radio operated by batteries or solar power to stay in communication.
• If you feel overheated, take a cold shower or bath, provided you have access to water. Put a T-shirt in the fridge and put in on to cool down.
• To cool down, consider a trip to an air conditioned grocery store, big-box retailer such as Home Depot or Walmart, or shops in a regional mall (such as at Viejas Outlets Center in Alpine or Grossmont Center in La Mesa, are outdoor malls with all or nearly all stores open.  Parkway Plaza in El Cajon has stores open that face outdoors only, such as department stores.
• Be sure to check on elderly or disabled neighbors, friends and relatives in areas where power may be out.
• If you rely on electric medical equipment and need help, contact SDG&E.

By Miriam Raftery

September 17, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Community clean-up events are slated in three backcountry communities for residents to bring e-waste, furniture, box springs, appliances, mattress and other oversized trash (but no construction waste) from 8 a.m. until dumpsters are full. Chipping of green waste will also be available from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.  The events are scheduled for:

CAMPO:  Sept. 19 at Homemaker’s Thrift Shop, 987 Custer Rd.

JACUMBA: Oct. 17 at Jacumba Community Park, 44605 Old Highway 80

POTRERO: Nov. 21 at Potrero Community Park, 24800 Potrero Park Dr.

For more details, call 619-202-4047.  You can also email realeastcounty@yahoo.com or campolakemorenafasc@yahoo.com.

The event is made possible by EDCO, the Real East County Fire Safe Council, Campo Lake Morena Fire Safe Council, Potrero and Tecate Fire Safe Council, TEAME, County of San Diego, Urban Corps, Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation Grants Program, Bye Bye Mattress, CalRecycle and local volunteers.

Hazardous Waste, Electronics and Waste Tire will accept unused or leftover portions of products containing toxic chemicals and home generated "sharps."  Please transport in closed, rigid containers.

E-Waste includes computers, phones, printers, scanners, fax machines, televisions, fluorescent light bulbs and batteries, among other electronic items.

Tire Waste limits 9 passenger vehicle tires per vehicle.  Call 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-712-3784) for pre-approval of more than 9 tires per vehicle, or tires on rims.

They cannot accept business waste, ammunition, medications, explosive or radioactive material, air conditioners or large appliances.

COVID-19 Precautions: transport waste in the trunk or in the back/bed of a SUV or pickup. Staff will not open vehicle doors or enter the interior. Safe distancing and facial covering are required.

By Rebecca Person

November 23, 2020 (Jacumba Hot Springs) --  Residents of quiet Jacumba Hot Springs, a longtime retreat destination for traveling nature lovers and health seekers worldwide, are raising their voices to object to a proposed solar farm directly adjacent to the town. At a meeting Nov. 11 in town, they gathered to learn more about the proposed project and weigh in on its impact on their lives.

Locals say the project, which would cover an area of 643 acres, 6 times the area of their town, will impact its economic base and atmosphere. It could destroy the town’s travel appeal on historic Old Highway 80 where tourists, bicycle, motorcycle and classic car clubs venture, hikers explore the scenic high desert known for its boulder formations, desert washes and native plants, oaks, sunsets and sunshine.  

According to the county website on the project, JVR Solar would include a 90 megawatt (MW) solar energy facility and a battery energy storage system of up to 90  MW; the development footprint would use 643 acres of the 1,356 acre site adjacent to Jacumba Hot Springs and the Jacumba airport.

Ken Kramer’s popular ‘About San Diego’ television show featured Jacumba Hot Springs in its May 2019 episode, and covers the colorful history of the town, whose residents are working to restore it to its previous luster.

In October, the famous Jacumba Spa Resort acquired new owners, a team of young entrepreneurs who are adding their touches of inspiration to the mineral hot spring spa, renaming it Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel. Currently they are giving things a face-lift as much of the town was included in the purchase. 

In light of Jacumba’s promising future and its history as a travel destination just an hour’s drive from San Diego, town residents feel the proposed solar project will conflict with both the expected expansion of the town's future goals (as stated in the Mountain Empire’s Subregional Plan Agricultural Goal encouraging the expansion and continuance of its zoned agricultural uses). 

Residents have objections to the following impacts in relation to the solar project moving forward:

• depletion of their already diminishing water resources
• property values decreasing
• temperature increases up to 36 degrees in the area, known as ‘the heat island effect’ which already soars to over 100 degree ranges in summer 
• heavy equipment noise and 24 hour daily transformer and panel noise
• fire hazards increased where fire is already a danger, from high voltage equipment and related installations
• loss of the natural spaces and rural character the town is famous for, replacing it with an industrialized character of extensive chain link fencing topped with barbed wire
• impact on local wildlife and plants which includes the scenic aspect of the area
• 12 foot panels over a 634 acre area adjoining Old Highway 80 contradicts the status the California Legislature bestowed in 2006 upon Historic U.S. Route 80 which ends at Tybee Island Georgia.
• construction of 300,000 panels offers no employment benefits to locals and in fact jeopardizes its current reliance on tourism and the peaceful rural atmosphere which attracts visitors.

Comments and concerns on the project must be received by December 7, 2020 at 4 p.m .

You can email comments with JVR Energy Park (MUP-18–022) in the subject line to Susan.Harris@sdcounty.ca.gov

and/or by written letter to:

Susan Harris PDS 

5510 Overland Ave. Ste. 310  

San Diego CA 92123 by the same date.

The JVR Solar Park Project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Major Use Permit (MUP) can be seen at the Jacumba Library and online at http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/pds/ceqa/MUP-18-022/JVRAdminRecord.html 

By Greg Curran

May 27, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The community of Jacumba Hot Springs needs your voice to push back again the impending destruction of our small rural community which has been designated as a Colonia.

Jacumba is a diverse, low income community (~50 percent white, ~38 percent Latino or Hispanic, ~20 percent Pacific Islander.) Many of the residents are renters, and a large number are disabled and living on small fixed incomes. With Jacumba's affordable home prices (100K to 200K), people have an opportunity to own a modest home here. However, they will not have the resources to move to a more expensive community if the developer (BayWe re) is successful in pushing through a 623 acre utility-scale solar project within the Jacumba village boundary. This solar project will provide no jobs for locals and more importantly, it will keep Jacumba from growing or ever having a border crossing, things that would improve the vitality of this currently economically depressed town.(See brief project summary.)

Previously in April 2021, the Jacumba Sponsor Group voted to approve a 200 acre solar facility that would be pulled back away for residences, the Jacumba airport, and scenic Highway 80. On May 18, 2021, the sponsor group voted unanimously to deny the 623 acre Jacumba Valley Ranch (JVR) project for a variety of reasons.

Just two days ago, we learned that San Diego Community Power will be voting today on whether to approval a 20 year power purchase agreement with the JVR solar developer. It is item 16 on their agenda.

https://sdcommunitypower.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1.-AGENDA.2021.5.27_SDCP.BoardofDirectors_v4.pdf

I might add, that no one from the SDCP group has ever reached out to our community about their intentions to permanently screw up our quiet rural landscape well before the final EIR has been released, or the project has been approved by the planning commission or BOS. (I do expect the final EIR will be released in late June with a hearing before the Planning Commission in mid-July, followed by BOS project review in August 2021.)

As a resident of Jacumba, Board Member of the Jacumba Sponsor Group, Co-Founder of Jacumba Hikers and operator of an Airbnb & Hipcamp. I have a vested interest and a passion to keep Jacumba from becoming an industrial wasteland. I'm an advocate for green energy but belive there are more viable options and places for these projects.

We need some help in fighting this monstrosity of a project! Also attached is an idea of the scope and destructive potential of this project. Thank you for your consideration and assistance.

The views in this editorial reflect the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org

Story and photos by Henri Migala 

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

June 30, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Imagine moving to a small, quiet, rural community over an hour away from a major metropolitan area to enjoy the quiet solitude of the open backcountry--only to learn that an international investment group is planning on building a massive solar project, six times larger than your entire community, within feet from you house.

 Welcome to Jacumba.

 A crowd of 100 to 150 concerned residents attended the latest community meeting in Jacumba on June 17 to express their opposition to County Supervisor Joel Anderson regarding a proposed solar power project, JVR Energy Park, to be built in their community by a foreign investor. Although the Supervisor’s staff was there, Anderson did not attend the event.

 Greg Curran, a member of the Jacumba Sponsor Group (planning group) told ECM, “This was not what the community was expecting.”  He, and others, had expected Supervisor Anderson to show up and for there to be a formal presentation.

 Instead, Cherry Diefenbach, Jacumba Sponsor Group chair, thanked Supervisor Joel Anderson’s staff for turning out and setting up several constituent information stations for the attendees, noting “It’s hotter than hell out here.”

 She asked people to leave their contact information so they can be notified of future meetings of the County Planning Commission and Supervisors.

 She said for the state to meet its ambitious green energy goals, it will need eight times the battery storage and three times the number of solar and wind projects that it currently has.

 Philip Valenzuela, who used to work for Dow Chemical, asked, ”Why are they putting this in? I don’t want this to turn into another Owens Valley! They’ve got all this desert out here they could want. I don’t want to live next to an industrial plant and that’s what we’re going to get,” citing Imperial Valley as another example.

Another resident shouted out, “They want our water!”

 Carmen Gomez Villeda said angrily of developers, “They’ve been taking our water for years and when we stand up against it, they do this!”  She recalled living near contaminated uranium landfill in a Navajo area and asked, “What will happen to the animals?” if the solar project is built.

Valenzuela again stated, “Look what Mulholland did to Owens Valley. They took the water.”

 Diefenbach then said developers are wooing County planning commissioners and have paid millions for various reports to move project forward. “I would call it hush money,” she asserted.

 Someone asked about solar panels creating a heat island effect, where solar panels warm the surrounding area in this high desert town  Diefenbach acknowledged that this is also a concern.

 A woman suggesting pooling money so residents could buy up Kitchen Creek Dairy land from the developers.

 Diefenbach said that the developer spent millions of dollars trying to get biological and cultural studies done; they have already obtained a power purchase agreement with SDG&E even though project hasn’t been approved yet, she said, adding, “He [the developer] seems to think it’s a done deal.”

 Diefenbach warned that calling the project “short-term” is deceptive because “with the electrical switchyard here, there will be another project in the future, after this one ends.”  She added, “The green energy push is “moving faster than a speeding freight train.”

 An older woman said in a soft yet anguished voice, “I came to the beautiful town of Jacumba back in 1942 when I was 10 years old.  Now I’m 89.” She called Jacumba “the most beautiful place in the county” adding “I love it and I don’t want to see anything happen to it.” 

A labor representative from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) spoke up to say that their union supports the project because it will create jobs for their members. The collective response from the audience was unambiguous in its opposition to her comments, partly because the jobs will be only temporary.

Curran noted, “I live off the grid and have wind and solar. But this project is not green energy. This is industrial, and it’s destructive.”

 Diefenbach noted, “I wrote the history book” for this region. “I’d like to keep the history as well.”

 She said the County Planning Commission is expected to meet July 9.  After that it will go to the Supervisors.  She noted that three of the Supervisors don’t have land in East County, where these projects can be sited. She encouraged everyone to voice their opinions in writing and at the hearings, and urge decision makers “not to screw Jacumba.”

 Jeffrey Osborne, who is the new owner of the Jacumba hotel/spa, spoke to the group and said, “We can’t fight to stop it but we can vote for distance – to push it back away from homes and the town.” Osborne brought a map of an alternative plan that allows for more community space, calling it “Equity for Jacumba Alternative.”

 He, along with the new owner of De Anza Resort, “want to bring this valley back and we’re putting millions of dollars into it,” he said.

 Osborne encouraged everyone to talk with the land use staff who were present at the meeting behind tables they had set up to meet the residents.  “They’re here to represent us – we’ve got to give them something to work with, a compromise.” 

 Some voiced concerns about the project’s potential negative impacts on the economy and events that draw visitors to this tiny high desert town, such as a street fair held earlier in the month.  A man in the back mentioned, “I made $400 at the street fair last week selling kazoos.”

 The community meeting disbanded, and was followed by a meeting of the Jacumba Sponsor Group, the community’s advisory planning board. The board had voted unanimously at its May 18th meeting to deny the project as the developer presented. 

 “The feelings of those on the Board is that the developer's proposal is outrageous in size and scope; 623 acres is six time the size of the village of Jacumba,” said Curran. 

 An alternate plan, proposed by Jeff Osborne, is called "Equity for Jacumba Alternative," and “reduces the footprint of the project to 300 acres with dedicated open space, space for future development, Airport Safety & Expansion and a Wild Life Corridor,” continued Curran.

Two very important dates for community input are July 9th, at 9 a.m. when there will be a hearing on the Jacumba Valley Ranch Solar Project at the County Operations Center, at 5520 Overland Ave., San Diego (public comments will be limited to 3 minutes). 

 The last opportunity for public input is August 18, at the 9 a.m. hearing at the County Administration Building, at 1600 Pacific Highway in San Diego.

 Concerned citizens, and people supporting the community of Jacumba, should are urged to attend these meetings and express their concerns.

 View a short video excerpt of the public comments made at the community meeting in Jacumba: https://youtu.be/nHJWbO8N3DI

By Miriam Raftery

Image:  final Congressional districts in San Diego County. Courtesy Citizens Redistricting Commission

December 21, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Yesterday, California’s independent citizen redistricting commission unanimously approved the state’s new Congressional district maps, which will be certified December 27.  Today, two of East County’s Congressional members, Democrat Sara Jacobs and Republican Darrell Issa, announced plans to seek reelection in their new and solidly safe districts.

Jacobs’ 51^st district has a 22-point Democratic registration advantage. Issa will now represent the 48^th district, which has a 19-point Republican registration advantage.  Among San Diego County’s other Congressional members, all Democrats, Juan Vargas has a 36-point Democratic advantage in the 52^nd district and Scott Peters has a 27-point Democratic margin in the 50^th district. Mike Levin’s 49^th district, however, has only a slim 5-point Democratic edge.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of California’s 53^rd Congressional District,” Jacobs says.  “I am excited to continue to serve so many of my current constituents and a number of new communities that mean so much to San Diego in the 51^st district. This first year in Congress has been historic on many fronts, and through it all, we’ve shown that you don’t have to settle for the way things have always been done.”

She adds, “From historic investments in infrastructure, to expanding the Child Tax Credit and benefits for military families, we’ve succeeded in so much during this Congress, and there’s still more to do. I’m eager to continue working to build a future that works for all Americans.

Jacobs redrawn district includes the cities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove and El Cajon, as well as the San Diego communities of Normal Heights, Kensington, Talmadge, College Area, Rolando, Linda Vista, Serra Mesa, Allied Gardens, San Carlos, Grantville, Del Cerro, University City, Clairemont, Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Sorrento Valley, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Peñasquitos, Scripps Ranch, Spring Valley, La Presa and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Issa announced his decision to seek reelection in the new 48^th district, adding, “It is a community I know very well, have represented in Congress before, and hope to continue to serve for years to come.”  Issa is currently the representative of the 50^th Congressional district. With redistricting, he will pick up the southeast portion of East County previously represented by Vargas including the communities of Potrero, Campo, Boulevard, Alpine and Jacumba while continuing to represent Lakeside, Santee, Ramona, Julian, Borrego Springs, several North San Diego County cities including San Marcos, Escondido, Fallbrook and Valley Center, as well as Temecula in Riverside County.

The redistricting commission was under a court-ordered deadline to submit its maps to the Secretary of State by Dec. 27 despite a six-month delay in release of census data.  As a result, the commission held many late-night sessions to hear public comment and try to balance often completing interests. Potential court challenges could alter the outcomes, however.

By law, all Congressional districts must have equal populations with no more than a single individual difference in size. The nonpartisan commission is not supposed to allow political concerns to sway its decisions, must keep districts compact and try not to separate communities of interest, such as ethnic minorities.

The resulting maps for California, a heavily Democratic state, create 43 Democratic-leaning eats, seven Republican-leaning seats, and two highly competitive seats, similar to the current map except that the state lost one Democratic-leaning seat due to population loss.  Statewide, Latino voters stand to benefit with 16 of the state’s 52 House districts now having at least 50% of voters who are Latinos of voting age.

“There was robust discussion in terms of how these maps should be drawn,” Commission chairperson Alicia Fernandez told CalMatters.  “We know that not everyone will be happy, but I feel that they are fair maps for Californians.”

Commissioner Pedro Toledo, a no-party-preference voter and CEO of Petaluma Health Center, observed, “We accomplished all of this while in the midst of a global pandemic and unprecedented adversity that impacted us all personally, impacted our communities and our state.”

East County News Service 

February 3, 2022 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – You’re invited to a Bathhouse Bazaar at 44450 Old Highway Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. This Saturday, February 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a Taco Love food truck on site, along with Pine Valley Honey.

Rock Your World, just back from Quartzite, will have lots of rocks, gems, and crystals. You can also shop for collectibles, vintage clothes, crafts, herbals, plants, artistry, hardware, tools and more.

You can also go swimming in a natural mineral water oasis.

East County News Service

Update June 6, 2022:  The U.S. Navy has identified the deceased as Electronics Technician 2nd Class John Deltoro, 29.All five sailors involved in the crash are assigned to West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare units.

June 3, 2022 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Four women in the U.S. Navy were injured and a Navy man died in a solo vehicle crash in Jacumba Hot Springs this morning.

A Chevrolet Express Van traveling westbound on Interstate 8 near Carrizo Gorge around 9:55 a.m. veered off the roadway and down an embankment, striking a large boulder.

The man, who was in the middle rear passenger set, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Three of the women sustained major injuries and a fourth had moderate injury.  All of the injured were transported to hospitals in San Diego.

Cause of the crash is under investigation. However, according to the California Highway Patrol, alcohol and/or drugs are not believed to be factors in the deadly crash

The identities of the victims have not yet been released.

By Miriam Raftery

September 17, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Community clean-up events are slated in three backcountry communities for residents to bring e-waste, furniture, box springs, appliances, mattress and other oversized trash (but no construction waste) from 8 a.m. until dumpsters are full. Chipping of green waste will also be available from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.  The events are scheduled for:

CAMPO:  Sept. 19 at Homemaker’s Thrift Shop, 987 Custer Rd.

JACUMBA: Oct. 17 at Jacumba Community Park, 44605 Old Highway 80

POTRERO: Nov. 21 at Potrero Community Park, 24800 Potrero Park Dr.

For more details, call 619-202-4047.  You can also email realeastcounty@yahoo.com or campolakemorenafasc@yahoo.com.

The event is made possible by EDCO, the Real East County Fire Safe Council, Campo Lake Morena Fire Safe Council, Potrero and Tecate Fire Safe Council, TEAME, County of San Diego, Urban Corps, Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation Grants Program, Bye Bye Mattress, CalRecycle and local volunteers.

Hazardous Waste, Electronics and Waste Tire will accept unused or leftover portions of products containing toxic chemicals and home generated "sharps."  Please transport in closed, rigid containers.

E-Waste includes computers, phones, printers, scanners, fax machines, televisions, fluorescent light bulbs and batteries, among other electronic items.

Tire Waste limits 9 passenger vehicle tires per vehicle.  Call 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-712-3784) for pre-approval of more than 9 tires per vehicle, or tires on rims.

They cannot accept business waste, ammunition, medications, explosive or radioactive material, air conditioners or large appliances.

COVID-19 Precautions: transport waste in the trunk or in the back/bed of a SUV or pickup. Staff will not open vehicle doors or enter the interior. Safe distancing and facial covering are required.

By Rebecca Person

November 23, 2020 (Jacumba Hot Springs) --  Residents of quiet Jacumba Hot Springs, a longtime retreat destination for traveling nature lovers and health seekers worldwide, are raising their voices to object to a proposed solar farm directly adjacent to the town. At a meeting Nov. 11 in town, they gathered to learn more about the proposed project and weigh in on its impact on their lives.

Locals say the project, which would cover an area of 643 acres, 6 times the area of their town, will impact its economic base and atmosphere. It could destroy the town’s travel appeal on historic Old Highway 80 where tourists, bicycle, motorcycle and classic car clubs venture, hikers explore the scenic high desert known for its boulder formations, desert washes and native plants, oaks, sunsets and sunshine.  

According to the county website on the project, JVR Solar would include a 90 megawatt (MW) solar energy facility and a battery energy storage system of up to 90  MW; the development footprint would use 643 acres of the 1,356 acre site adjacent to Jacumba Hot Springs and the Jacumba airport.

Ken Kramer’s popular ‘About San Diego’ television show featured Jacumba Hot Springs in its May 2019 episode, and covers the colorful history of the town, whose residents are working to restore it to its previous luster.

In October, the famous Jacumba Spa Resort acquired new owners, a team of young entrepreneurs who are adding their touches of inspiration to the mineral hot spring spa, renaming it Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel. Currently they are giving things a face-lift as much of the town was included in the purchase. 

In light of Jacumba’s promising future and its history as a travel destination just an hour’s drive from San Diego, town residents feel the proposed solar project will conflict with both the expected expansion of the town's future goals (as stated in the Mountain Empire’s Subregional Plan Agricultural Goal encouraging the expansion and continuance of its zoned agricultural uses). 

Residents have objections to the following impacts in relation to the solar project moving forward:

• depletion of their already diminishing water resources
• property values decreasing
• temperature increases up to 36 degrees in the area, known as ‘the heat island effect’ which already soars to over 100 degree ranges in summer 
• heavy equipment noise and 24 hour daily transformer and panel noise
• fire hazards increased where fire is already a danger, from high voltage equipment and related installations
• loss of the natural spaces and rural character the town is famous for, replacing it with an industrialized character of extensive chain link fencing topped with barbed wire
• impact on local wildlife and plants which includes the scenic aspect of the area
• 12 foot panels over a 634 acre area adjoining Old Highway 80 contradicts the status the California Legislature bestowed in 2006 upon Historic U.S. Route 80 which ends at Tybee Island Georgia.
• construction of 300,000 panels offers no employment benefits to locals and in fact jeopardizes its current reliance on tourism and the peaceful rural atmosphere which attracts visitors.

Comments and concerns on the project must be received by December 7, 2020 at 4 p.m .

You can email comments with JVR Energy Park (MUP-18–022) in the subject line to Susan.Harris@sdcounty.ca.gov

and/or by written letter to:

Susan Harris PDS 

5510 Overland Ave. Ste. 310  

San Diego CA 92123 by the same date.

The JVR Solar Park Project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Major Use Permit (MUP) can be seen at the Jacumba Library and online at http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/pds/ceqa/MUP-18-022/JVRAdminRecord.html