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Volunteer with Produce Good and pick excess fruit in our area on Feb 1

We received the following request for volunteers. Check it out!


My name is Dominique Dashwood and I am an AmeriCorps fellow working with the non-profit, ProduceGood. I saw on your website that Escondido Neighbors United is committed to improving the Escondido community for residents. This is why I am reaching out to you with a great opportunity to alleviate hunger and conserve the environment in your city.
We are currently looking for volunteers for an event on Saturday, February 1st at an orchard in Escondido (the exact location will be released upon sign up ). People of all ages can participate outside with the butterflies and bees, picking citrus by hand or with a picker pole. By actively picking healthy produce for San Diego’s food insecure and preventing this excess fruit from going to waste, your efforts will benefit the people and environment in your community. Additionally, taking part in the event allows volunteers to experience firsthand the tactical aspect of food recovery principles and become ambassadors of sustainable food systems. Here is a video from one of our events so you can get a better idea of the volunteer roles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_xqSVuyPso&t=19s
I would greatly appreciate if you could pass along this information to members of your organization. The events are well-enjoyed by groups of volunteers. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please reach out to me (my information is provided below) and you may sign up directly on our website https://producegood.volunteerhub.com/event/index/11320973. Please note you must register and sign a waiver to join us. Once you sign up as a volunteer you can register for other available events in our calendar as well. Sharing has never been sweeter!
Thank you, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I hope to see you out there!

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Environmental Community meeting, January 28th at 7 PM at Chalice

Our friends at Sierra Club North County Group will be holding their first monthly meeting of the year on Tuesday, January 28th, 7 PM at Chalice in the Blue Room.  Address is 2324 Miller Ave.


Environmental
Education and Action
Community
Meeting
 North County Habitat
Plans and Environmental
Ballot Measures A and B
What:                  Community Meeting   
Who:                    People interested in
learning about local environmental issues
When:                  Tuesday, January 28, 2020
                             7:00
to 8:30 PM
Where:                 Chalice UU Congregation, Blue
Room, 2324 Miller Ave,
Escondido Contact conservation@sierraclubncg.org with questions.

The meeting is free of charge.

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New Chatham Monitoring Results posted- Contamination still in Felicita Creek, levels rise in some monitoring wells

Today, the Chatham Barrel Yard October 2019 SemiAnnualDataSbmtl  was posted showing the results of the October, 2019 monitoring event.
Escondido Neighbors United will be reviewing the document and expects to have detailed comments, however a quick review shows that contamination is still in Felicita Creek in areas where people use the creek and several monitoring stations have higher contamination results than in previous sampling events. At least one well that is supposed to be sampled has not been.
ENU will also be asking questions about what the most recent massive erosion event caused by failure of the Oak Creek developers to control storm water may have on movement of contamination. This failure has already led to a Stop Work order and a Notice of Violation from the city.
We will share further information as we review the document.

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Rock Concert for the Environment- Spin Doctors in Escondido Feb. 16th

We have a great opportunity to hear a great concert and raise funds to Stop Sprawl in San Diego.
THE SPIN DOCTORS will perform a concert on February 16, 2020 at the Escondido Arts Center.  Here is the info  https://www.stopsprawl.org/events

Buy tickets here 

Uncontrolled sprawl is one of the the most serious problems in our region.  From increawsing carbon emissions, reducing quality of life, undermining our transit planning, and fire.  We have to stop relying on this antiquated type of development. Instead, we need to provide more housing in our urban core areas that is available to more economic levels.  Vote Yes and Measure A and NO on Measure B in the March 3rd election.

This concert is a fun way to help stop sprawl.

Don’t Miss It!!!!  We can save our region!

ROCK_4_Envir_FLYER LJG No Ad.jpg

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Oak Creek receives Notice of Violation and a Stop Work notice for failure to comply with storm water regulations

An update on the complaint filed by ENU.

The City issued a Notice of
Violation/Notice of Correction to Oak Creek on 12/31/19. While they worked hard
to get their BMPs in order by the deadline of today, we reinspected and found
them still deficient and issued a Stop Work Notice on January 6.  The site will be inspected again later
this week.
NOV and Photos of violations

Stop Work Order 

The Regional Board inspected
unannounced last Thursday and those results are pending. 
The mapping error ENU identified has been corrected and the result is the City will be inspecting every two
weeks for the remainder of the rainy season.

Stay Tuned.

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Oak Creek poor construction practices significantly erodes into Felicita Creek

We hate to say ‘we told you so’, but there it is.  One of our major concerns about this development was the risks it posed to the creek, the park, and downstream residents.

Now that the rains have come, the construction site of ‘Oak Creek’, having cut the oaks, is now damaging the creek.

Downstream neighbors have spent the week cleaning up the creek, removing debris, and loads of sand from Felicita creek. The creek in the Park is brown, even days after the last storm.

ENU documented just some of the problem which we believe is a violation of the storm water regulations.

We attempted to report to the city (as it is Escondido’s storm water permit which covers this site) but were unable to.  The website for reporting still says that ‘Oak Creek’ is not in the city of Escondido.

As we brace for another storm tonight, ENU has reported this situation to the Regional Water Board and the County.

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23 Environmental, Climate Coalition join forces to Oppose Harvest Hills in Escondido

Today,
more than 20 environmental, conservation, and climate organizations sent a letter to the Escondido City Council urging opposition to the proposed Harvest
Hills Development. 

The
groups noted that, in spite of a new marketing position, the project formerly
known as Safari Highlands Ranch is substantially the same when it comes to key
impacts, namely location in a high-risk fire zone, high evacuation hazards for
new and existing residents, and thousands of new cars on the roads in already
traffic constrained areas. 

The
groups noted that, in spite of a new marketing position, the project formerly
known as Safari Highlands Ranch is substantially the same when it comes to key
impacts, namely location in a high-risk fire zone, high evacuation hazards for
new and existing residents, and thousands of new cars on the roads in already
traffic constrained areas.
Also
of concern are traffic and long-term climate impacts from the addition of
67,000 daily vehicle miles traveled in a time when we need to be
reducing VMT in order to comply with climate protection goals. The destruction
of critical habitat areas key for successful adopted and proposed Habitat Management
plans are also a significant impact.  
Fire
is one serious concern. Dan Silver, Director of Endangered Habitats League
said, “Experts have shown that this
project cannot be safely evacuated if threatened by a fast-moving wildfire, and
it will endanger the ability of the surrounding community to evacuate as
well.  Elected officials need to
prioritize public safety and not create a fire trap.”
George
Courser, Conservation Chair of the San Diego Sierra Club stated, “This sprawl
project is one of the worst we have seen proposed. This area is more
appropriate as key wildlife habitat for local adopted conservation plans. As
the state burns, we hope the elected officials will search their conscience
before locating more housing in an extreme fire risk area.”  
Speaking
on the relationship of development and climate impacts, Sophie Wolfram of the
Climate Action Campaign stated, “Sprawl
development is one of the key culprits driving the climate crisis. At a time
when we have to be doing everything in our power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
denying this project, which will vastly increase vehicle trips and tailpipe
emissions, is just a no-brainer.”
The groups call out the fact
that the change in marketing of an old proposal fails to address the
fundamental concerns. “Safari Highlands Ranch may have a new name but it
remains the embodiment of reckless urban sprawl and the antithesis of Smart Growth.
When we know better, we must do better. Bottom line: Harvest Hills is the Wrong
Plan in the Wrong Place,” said NeySa Ely, President of the San Pasqual Valley Preservation
Alliance, a local community group.
The
organizations signed on to the letter include Sierra Club San Diego, Endangered
Habitats League, San Pasqual Valley Preservation Alliance, Escondido Neighbors
United, Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation, Environmental Center of San Diego,
San Diego Audubon Society, Preserve Calavera, San Diego Democrats for Environmental
Action, California Chaparral Institute, Buena Vista Audubon Society, Southwest
Wetlands Interpretive Association, California Native Plant Society, Friends of
Rose Creek, Friends of Agua Hedionda Creek, Escondido Chamber of Citizens,
Endangered Habitats Conservancy, San Diego Coastkeeper, Climate Action
Campaign, North County Climate Action Alliance, The Chaparral Lands
Conservancy, Palomar Audubon Society, and San Diego 350.
###

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Environmental Action Meeting, Thursday, November 14, 7:30 PM

North County

Environmental Action Meeting

Thursday, November 14, 2019, 7:30- 9:00 PM

2324 Miller Ave. (Chalice UU Congregation)
Escondido

Come
learn about:
  •            Escondido
    Creek restoration
  •            Plans
    to OPPOSE Harvest Hills sprawl development
  •            Plans
    to SUPPORT more housing density at Palomar Heights
  •            Plans
    to SUPPORT a Regional Transportation Plan that protects the climate

Take
action on important
issues

Join
together with
others.

Contact conservation@sierraclubncg.org for more information, or just come!

Sponsored by North County Group of the Sierra Club.

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Check out the Escondido Library Watchdog

Escondido Neighbors United received this message about the library.  If you care about public libraries, please take a look and help provide the oversight needed to ensure our library serves the public, even if operated by a for-profit corporate interest.

Dear Supporters of the Escondido Library,

We are happy to report that we have launched a new effort to oversee our library– The Escondido Library Watchdog.  The website was launched today at the regular meeting of the Board of Library Trustees.  Please see the statement of Brenda Townsend below.

Statement Announcing the launch of the Escondido Library Watchdog, October 10, 2019

Good Afternoon.

As some of you know, as long as I have lived in Escondido many years. I have been passionate user and supporter of our library.

Then, from the time I marched to and hand-delivered over 4,000 signatures to the City Clerk’s office in 2017 in opposition to LS&S, I became a dedicated defender of our library and committed to quality library services for our city, in spite of its operation by a for-profit corporation.

I’m happy to be here today to announce the launch of a new website the Escondido Library Watchdog.

Why a Watchdog?

Some of you will remember on January 14 of this year, a meeting was held.  Several of you were in attendance along with the Mayor and John Masson.  Without going into the details of that difficult meeting, we were told that we should engage with the public and the Trustees in the oversight of LS&S and the contract.  We took this directive to heart and the result is the new Escondido Library Watchdog website launched today. 

This kind of independent oversight is needed now. Since LS&S has taken over our library, many people have complained to us about its operation, the low staff morale, loss of books, high staff turnover rates, and many other problems.  When told them to file a complaint with LS&S, they replied they did not think it would do any good, that no one ‘will hear us’.

Since the Trustees have the obligation and desire to oversee the performance of LS&S in its contract, we are sure you will all agree with us that public input and involvement is highly desirable and necessary to have a library worth the residents of this city—and worth the tax-dollars we spend on it.

The Watchdog will be a clearinghouse for concerns, information, important links, and other information easily accessible to the public.  Importantly, it will have a form that can be submitted raising questions or concerns related to library services in Escondido.

The Library Watchdog will vet those concerns to the best of our ability and share those most relevant with you, the public appointed trustees of our library, for response and action. We would like to offer our first Community Concern today.  Several of our members are very concerned that while the library has a 3-D printer, no one gets to use it.

We request that the Trustees respond to the Notices of Concern in the public venue of these meetings so that your oversight is visible and known to the public.

We are very excited about this new public tool and we wanted to come to you first to announce it.  We hope you will check it out at www.EscondidoLibraryWatchdog.org

We can be contacted with questions should you have any at EscondidoLibraryWatchdog@gmail.com.

Thank you