County Tries on Compost Socks

The County is looking at an innovative way to control storm water runoff. It's eco-friendly, it's effective, and uses something that's usually thrown away. Recycling Program Coordinator Wayne Williams explains in this County Chronicles story.

County Landmark Celebrates 70 Years

County employee Kellie Barclay holds a faded photo of herself taken in front of the “Guardian of the Water” fountain, showing a four-year-old girl who has no idea that she will someday work in the historic building behind her.

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“It’s amazing how it came full circle. I never thought I’d be working for the County or the Clerk of the Board,” said Barclay as she attended the monument’s 70^th anniversary celebration. {Watch it!}

She was joined by her mother, who took the photo more than 40 years ago after a trip to the County building to get her daughter’s immunizations, and dozens of others who gathered in front of the statue to mark its dedication on June 10, 1939.

Clerk of the Board of the Supervisors Thomas Pastuszka opened the ceremony, noting the changes that the 12-foot sculpture has seen as she’s looked out over the bay for seven decades, including the passing of military ships headed to conflicts, and later returning home safely.

He then ceremoniously turned on the fountain below the statue, as it was done at the original dedication. The water has been turned off since June 1 to comply with the city of San Diego’s level two drought alert.

Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dianne Jacob was joined by Vice Chairwoman Pam Slater-Price and Supervisor Greg Cox, each one talking about the County’s efforts to conserve water and other natural resources, as well as what the public can do to reduce water use.

“The statue is an ever-present reminder of how precious this resource is,” said Jacob.

She noted that low-usage devices had been installed on toilets, faucets and showerheads at the County Administration Center, reducing water use at the building by 40 percent during the first four months of the year, compared to the same time period in 2008.

The event even sparked a little rivalry. While the 22-ton piece of granite for the sculpture came from Lakeside in Jacob’s district, Cox was quick to remind the crowd that “it may have come from District 2, but it’s in District 1 now!”

The Supervisors ended the ceremony by turning off the fountain, as the steel drum band from the Monarch School played “Happy Birthday” and cake was served.

For more information about the “Guardian of the Water” sculpture created by local artist Donal Hord, as well as the history of the County Administration Center, visit the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Storm Spotters Needed

The County of San Diego is in the process of becoming certified as a StormReady County. This means that the County has taken steps to assure that when severe storms and storm-related disasters occur, the County will be prepared to respond to the event.

One of the requirements of the program is for the County to be actively engaged in soliciting for County workers to help be the eyes and ears of the National Weather Service so they can issue timely weather warnings. These people are called Storm Spotters.

Storm Spotters are volunteers who observe the weather in their town or workplace, and report their observations to the National Weather Service (NWS). Storm Spotters serve as the eyes and ears of the NWS on the ground and are important because the information they provide helps the NWS spot hazardous weather conditions and allows it to quickly issue severe weather warnings. The Storm Spotter program is a volunteer -- not a required -- County activity. Participation in the program will help the NWS to issue more timely warnings to county residents.

Storm Spotters are asked to report on:

   · Rainfall (amounts and intensity)

   · Flooding (location and depth)

   · High winds (30 mph or greater)

   · Fog (when visibility is near zero)

   · Any weather related damage

If you are interested in becoming a Storm Spotter, the County will be hosting one or more free Storm Spotter Training Classes put on by the NWS. If you are interested in participating, please contact Rand Allan with the Flood Control office at (858) 495-5557 or email him at rand.allan@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Once a sufficient number of people have show an interest in attending, Allan will contact Storm Spotter candidates with training dates and times. Additional information about the Storm Spotter program can be found here.

Yellow-Bellied Marmot Hitches Wild Ride

County Animal Services recently rescued a yellow-bellied marmot after it was found hiding on the inside of a bumper of a car that had traveled six hours from the Dinky Lakes Wilderness area to Encinitas.

Encinitas resident Karl Knoblock was three hours into his drive back from Dinky Wilderness when he stopped to take a break. He noticed what appeared to be a tail sticking out from the front bumper of his car. He thought he had hit and killed an animal and proceeded home. Three hours later when he arrived in Encinitas, he heard the animal under the bumper of his car.

“I just couldn’t believe the animal was actually alive and it had traveled all that way,” said Knoblock. “I couldn’t get it out of my car, so I contacted County Animal Services.”

Knoblock drove his vehicle to Animal Services shelter in Carlsbad where staff confined his car in an enclosed area in case the animal got loose. Animal Control Officer Joni Palumbo spent an hour attempting to capture the animal as it cunningly moved about various areas of the vehicle’s engine.

“Once I got a hold of the animal’s hindquarters, I was amazed at how strong it was as it grabbed a portion of the vehicle and wouldn’t let go,” said Officer Palumbo. “I had no idea what type of animal I was dealing with at this point.”

The animal was successfully captured unharmed. Yellow-bellied Marmots are not indigenous to San Diego County. The animal is a ground squirrel that lives in the western United States and southwestern Canada, including the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada at elevations above 6,500 feet. The California Fish and Game Department has been notified and will be making arrangements to re-home the animal.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation…

If you’re reading this, you likely aren’t on a beach or a mountaintop. (Or if you are, you really need to disconnect and enjoy your time off!) But it’s a good bet you took, or are planning to take, some vacation time this summer.

Well, we want to see your pictures! No matter if you went to Paris, France or Paris, Texas.

Send County News a snapshot of your summer vacation, with a sentence that can be used as a caption, and we will publish it in September.

E-mail your submissions to CountyNews@sdcounty.ca.gov. Please include your job title and your department, and the names of any others in the photo. Also be sure to include the location where the photo was taken.

Safe travels!