MAY 21, 2010
11
RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
New rules to bolster food safety
Commemorative bricks for sale at new Rowe School
By Consumer Reports
RANCHO SANTA FE — The Rancho Santa Fe School Board decided to open to students and the community the opportunity to buy commemorative bricks to be placed on a walkway at the new R. Roger Rowe School. “In our community, the legacy concept is very important,” board member Carlie Headapohl said. Because graduation is scheduled for June 16, the first bricks should be offered to the graduating eighthgraders, Superintendent Lindy Delaney said. They will cost $300 each and can be engraved with names or the year of a graduating class. It was agreed it would be too complicated and expensive to allow more verbiage. “We don’t want them to say ‘live free,’ or something,”
Peanut butter, burgers, spinach and cookie dough. With those and so many other everyday foods on the recall list in recent years, it seems as though no matter what you buy at the grocery store, you could be putting your health — or even your life — on the line. Each year, 76 million people in the United States are sickened by food-borne illnesses — 5,000 die, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And despite all the food scares, the recalls just keep coming. ShopSmart, the shopping magazine published by Consumer Reports, offers important safety tips for every aisle of the grocery store.
Canned foods and storage containers
— Inspect cans for damage. Bulges, leaks and rust can put you at risk of botulism, a potentially fatal illness. — Cut back on canned food. The chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is used in some hard, clear plastic bottles and most can liners. Some studies have linked it to reproductive abnormalities and a higher risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. — Avoid problem plastics. When buying food — storage containers, look for recycling codes. Avoid those marked with No. 7 and the letters “PC,” and unmarked hard, seethrough plastic ones, which could potentially be made with BPA.
Frozen foods
— Choose hard, cold packages. Warmed-up containers can lead to an increased risk of food poisoning from growing microorganisms. — Lean in. ShopSmart recommends selecting frozen foods from the back of the freezer case; those items usually remain the coldest and most frozen. — Look for telltale drips. They’re one sign that the food inside has thawed or melted, which could make them more vulnerable to bacteria growth.
Fruits and veggies
— Don’t buy it if it’s moldy or bruised. Soft spots are contamination petri dishes. If a tomato has cuts or bruises and salmonella was on the outside, it can migrate inside the fruit, where it can survive even if the tomato is washed thoroughly. — Buy local when possible. That’s no guarantee of safety, but if produce is shipped over a long TURN TO CONSUMER ON 31
By Patty McCormac
Headapohl said with a laugh. The board has been indecisive about the bricks, whether they are appropriate for the new school and if they are, if there should be a place designed for them. The fact that time is running out is one reason the board made the decision at its May 6 meeting. “We are getting to the point where we need to know,” said Tim Ireland, project manager of the new school construction. Board member Richard Burge said he was not sold on the idea of placing bricks with names of current students and residents. “We’ll be having people through here for the next 100 years,” he said. The board decided in the design to provide enough bricks to sell for many years to come and offer them for
sale about once a year. “You order a yearbook and a brick,” Headapohl said. The bricks would be in a designated area inside the school. “I think people would like to personalize this,” board member Jim Depolo said. “We can start in the center and work our way out.” Ireland said construction of the new school is on schedule and is about to go into “sprint mode.” He said observers will be seeing a flurry of activity for several weeks to come, before the efforts of the construction workers turn inward and will not be so obvious. He said he sees no problem with getting the school finished before the start of school on Sept. 7. Those interested in learning more about the bricks can contact the district office at (858) 756-1141.
City backs global warming act By Bianca Kaplanek
SOLANA BEACH — Demonstrating its ongoing leadership role toward environmental sustainability, City Council unanimously adopted at the May 12 meeting a resolution supporting the continued implementation of Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, and opposing any efforts to delay the law. In September 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill, which requires a statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The California Jobs Initiative, which will likely appear on the November ballot, is an effort to delay implementation of AB32 until the economic climate is back to where it was when the bill was signed into law. One stipulation is to wait until the unemployment rate is at 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive calendar quarters. In a presentation to council members, Danny King, the assistant city manager, said that has happened only three times in the last 30 years. The debate is focused on the potential costs of AB32. Proponents say it will create jobs and save individuals money. Opponents claim the cost of compliance will drive businesses out of the state. They say the numbers are inflated because the analysis was conducted during better economic times. A more recent analysis released in March concluded the bill would still have a positive impact on the economy, however, earlier estimated benefits were reduced. King said the updated analysis was approved by a 16-member committee and an independent panel of economic business and financial leaders.
Groups supporting AB32 include environmental organizations and the California chapters of the American Lung Association, League of Women Voters and Teamsters. Proponents of the California Jobs Initiative include the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California Small Business Association and state Republican Party. During the public comment period, council members received nothing but support to adopt a resolution for the continued implementation of AB32. “If anybody gives you any grief about it, we’ve got your back,” Steve Goetsch, chairman of the city’s Clean and Green Committee, said. Resident Roger Boyd called the resolution “an important signal to our region that we are a green city determined to lead the way to a clean and green environment.” Aaron Contorer, who once analyzed technology trends for Microsoft, said it would be “a huge mistake” to say AB32 will exacerbate unemployment. “In fact, AB32, by forcing the advancement of technology and the advancement of the high tech industry in California, will create vast numbers of jobs,” said Contorer, chairman of the nonpartisan Equinox Center, which seeks solutions to balance San Diego’s
regional growth with its finite natural resources. “We don’t have a spare planet to ruin so let’s take care of the one we’re on,” he said. Bruce Bekkar, chairman of Del Mar’s Energy Issues Advisory Committee, said his group will be recommending a similar resolution to that city’s council members in the next month or two. The California Air Resources Board, the agency charged with implementing AB32, adopted a plan outlining the state’s strategy to achieve the reduced limits. For its part Solana Beach has already taken several steps, starting with signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in 2007. The city has also implemented several changes in government operations and the community. These include adoption of a mandatory construction and demolition debris recycling ordinance, an incentive-based commuter policy and green building program, a ban on two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers and a baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory. All future efforts to comply with AB32, should it not be delayed, will be brought to City Council for full discussion to ensure fiscal responsibility, Mayor Tom Campbell said.
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Bingo likely on its way to Del Mar By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — Del Mar is currently the only city in the county that doesn’t allow bingo, but that may soon change. At the May 3 meeting, council members directed staff to begin preparing an ordinance that would permit the game of chance usually associated with church fundraising. The 22nd District Agricultural Association is seeking to conduct bingo games at the Del Mar Fairgrounds as a way to make up for a drastic decrease in satellite wagering attendance and revenue. The fairgrounds is proposing to hold bingo seven days a week with 11 sessions daily. There would be 20 to 25 games per session, with each game paying out $250 in prizes. Fairgrounds officials estimate profits of $4,000 per session, or approximately $200,000 annually. The city cannot profit directly from the games, however, it can recover all costs incurred for law enforcement and public safety services and a maximum of $50 to process a bingo permit. Del Mar would also receive increased sales tax from any food and beverages sold at the bingo games.
Although the request came from the fairgrounds, the ordinance will allow bingo to be played at any venue in the city, such as the Powerhouse or the church, as long as requirements included in the new law are met. State law allows bingo as a means to provide alternative funding for nonprofit groups. It is not intended to be a mechanism for generating revenue and must be operated by charitable organizations. The 22nd DAA has established the Friends of the San Diego County Fairgrounds as its nonprofit organization to operate the games. The group formed with a five-member board of directors. None are Del Mar residents. Proceeds would be used for the Don Diego Fund, which provides college scholarships to area high school seniors who have participated in fairgrounds events. Money will also fund capital improvements at the fairgrounds and possibly other local charities, such as the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority. Overall, council members TURN TO BINGO ON 31
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