San Diego, CA Focus

EVENTS:

You can find great calendar of events for San Deigo, California, thanks to the San Diego County Democrats. Check it out and get involved with your local community. That is how change happens from the bottom up.

Here are some particularly important events coming up:

San Diego Democratic Women Club Meeting
Saturday, August 28, 2010, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
City Heights-Weingart Branch Library, 3795 Fairmount Ave (2nd Floor Community Room) San Diego 92105
Contact: (619) 948-4515
Email: president@women.sddem.org
Website: www.women.sddem.org

San Diego County Democratic Convention and Rally
Sunday, August 29, 2010, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Harry Griffen Park, 9550 Milden St., La Mesa 91942

Save the date for this half-day rally, potluck, and volunteer recognition event! More details coming soon, including special guests and entertainment.

Contact: (858)277-3367
Email: info@sddemocrats.org

Chicano Democratic Association Meeting
Date(s): Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Sherman Heights Community Center, 2258 Island Ave, San Diego 92102 (little yellow house to the right)
Contact: (619) 384-4353
Email: chicanodem_club@sddem.org
Website: www.chicanodemocrats.com

San Diego DFA & SD PDA Metro Joint Meetup
Date(s): Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:45 PM
Description:
Richard Barrera, Vice President, San Diego Unified School District #D.VP Richard Barrera, will discuss all the issues confronting the school board these days. As well as give us the latest on BILL KOWBA, the new SD Unified School District Superintendent. Mr. Barrea will speak abou the numerous challenges, few transcend in importance the state of our public school,
Location: Giovanni's Restaurant, 9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92123. On the Corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd & Ruffin Road. (Across from the Voter Registration Offices)
Contact: (858) 459-7044
Email: cchangus@san.rr.com
Website: www.dfa.meetup.com/23

Filipino-American Democratic Club Meeting
Date(s): Saturday, September 11, 2010
Location: Filipino-American Veterans Association, San Diego 92102
Contact: (619) 764-8926
Email: filipinoamerican_club@sddem.org

Fifth Annual Picnic of the Fallbrook Democratic Club
Date(s): Saturday, September 11, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Description: The Fallbrook Democratic Club will celebrate its 5th annual picnic. on Sept. 11. Jess Durfee, SD Democratic chair, will be keynote speaker. Steve Gronke, candidate for the 5th San Diego County Supervisor, will speak also. Gronke opposes Republican Bill Horn. Live music by folk singer, Larry Robinson. Pot luck, beer, wine. White elephant and book sale.

Cost: $12 at door. $10 in advance - bring potluck
Location: 1815 S. Stagecoach Lane, Fallbrook, CA 92028
Contact: Connie Freese at (760) 519-2302
Email: josephhcrews@gmail.com
Website: www.fallbrookdemocraticclub.com

New Citizens Voter Registration
Date(s): Friday, September 24, 2010
Time: 7:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Description: New Citizens Voter Registration - These people are happy and excited, come help our newest citizens gain their full complement of rights, get them registered to vote! 7:45 - 9:45 am or 9:45 - 11:45 am - How to sign up? Just phone or email Jessica at numbers below.
Location: Homeland Security Building,
1261 Third Ave, Chula Vista
Parking lot in front of the building.
Contact: Jessica at (619) 200-4612
Email: jessica.w.hayes@gmail.com


San Diego LGBT Pride:

The specific purpose of this corporation is to produce civic, cultural and educational programs, which support and encourage pride within San Diego's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

Formed in 1974, as a sponsored program of The Center for Social Services, we produced the first Lesbian and Gay Parade in San Diego to celebrate the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion on New York's Christopher Street. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1994 and today San Diego Pride continues to bring together the skills, talents and vision of our diverse community through numerous programs including the Equality Torch Relay, Walk For Equality and the annual LGBT Pride Celebration which attracts 250,000 participants to Hillcrest for America's Finest Pride Parade and Festival.

To find local LGBT events in San Diego, click here.

To volunteer to help the LGBT community, click here.


BIODIESEL IN SAN DIEGO:

Biodiesel is one of the alternatives I have been pushing for some time. It can be used in any diesel engine, is less polluting and has a smaller carbon footprint than regular diesel.

Here are some gas stations that offer biodiesel in the San Diego area:

Carr's Car Center: 3940 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, CA 92054, 760-433-2166. Offers B5 (5% biodiesel, good for any diesel engine). Open M-SAT 6AM-6PM.

Soco Group: 145 Vernon Way, El Cajon, CA 92020, 858-627-0440. Offers B20 (20% biodiesel, good for any diesel engine). Open 7 AM - 5PM M-F.

Pearson Ford/RTC Fuels: 4067 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92105, 619-243-0456. Offers B99 (99% biodiesel, good for new engines, some old engines not ok). Open 7AM-10PM.


SAN DIEGO FOOD CO-OPS:

Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Co-op
4765 Voltaire St.
San Diego, California 92107
Phone: (619) 224-1387
FAX: (619) 224-5089
editor@oceanbeachpeoples.com
http://www.obpeoplesfood.coop

Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market is a member-owned vegetarian consumer co-op that has been serving the community since 1971. Originally a worker's collective, the cooperative has grown to include 6000 feet of retail space and more than 8000 member/owners. The Co-op offers an extensive selection of organic produce, grocery, dairy, and bulk foods and herbs, as well as vitamins and homeopathics, cruelty-free bodycare, and aromatherapy products. Enjoy a full service sit-down deli featuring a delicious selection of home-style vegetarian and vegan entrees, salads, sandwiches, freshly prepared baked goods, desserts, and more! At People's, San Diego's only community owned grocery store, we specialize in products that are organic, wholesome, minimally processed, cruelty-free, and environmentally safe.

They also have a good community events calendar.

The UCSD Food Coop
0323F Student Cooperative Center,
San Diego, California 92093
Phone: (619) 546-8339
foodcoop@burn.ucsd.edu

I used to shop at this one way, way back when I went to UCSD. It was great then!

Since its introduction to the campus in 1978, the Food Co-op has committed itself to providing the UCSD community with a natural food alternative, as well as a resource for environmentally conscious products and information.

The Food Co-op carries a variety of food and non-food products ranging from baked goods, juices, sandwiches, fresh organic produce, macro-biotic and ethnic foods to cruelty-free cosmetics and environmentally safe cleaning agents. Many foods are stocked in bulk to reduce the price to the customer and the waste of packaging (please bring bags when buying!). Special orders can be made at discount prices (good for items not necessarily carried in the store, as well!).

Come in to shop, get informed, and/or volunteer as a general member of our store. For more information, call (858) 546-8339.

I will also point out some other UCSD co-ops that I liked when I was a student there.

The Ché Café

The Ché Café Collective is dedicated to providing cheap, healthy vegetarian food, all-ages entertainment, and alternative education. We have All-We-Can-Eat dinners every Thursday from 5 pm to 7 pm. Entertainment at the Ché ranges from poetry readings and plays to forums, or shows of local bands.

The Ché Café is surrounded by a grove of old eucalyptus trees and is next to the beautiful garden of the Farm Co-op. Tables and chairs inside and outside of the Ché and its close proximity to the Farm Co-op make it an inviting place to eat, study, or just hang out.

The Ché Café is open to having people come by and help out. The Café provides a great opportunity for people to get involved in the process of cooking, running a restaurant and/or putting on events at any level they feel comfortable at. Stop by or call us at (858) 534-2311.

(The Ché Café is located on the Revelle campus behind the Undergraduate library and down the hill from Stonehenge. We're the building with all the murals on it.) Read more about the Che Cafe Collective at its very own website: http://checafe.ucsd.edu/.

General Store

The General Store Co-op is a student-run store which was founded in 1980 to offer students a less expensive alternative to the high Price Center. [EDITOR'S NOTE: This is not quite right...the Price Center didn't even exist when the General Store was founded and greatly appreciated by students like myself.] As a student cooperative, we try to provide the University community with the best quality merchandise at the lowest prices. And we succeed! The General Store Co-op carries items such as selected essential school and office supplies, household and personal items, stationery and gift wrap, clothing (including UCSD logos), craft-center jewelry, and some food and snack items -- all of which range from 5-25% less than anywhere else on campus.

Students are generally most interested in the fact that we sell textbooks, which are guaranteed to cost less than at the UCSD bookstore. We also try to carry as many used texts as possible. Also, we buy back current editions year round. Stop by to check which classes' books we're carrying.

We encourage everyone to visit the General Store Co-op for our low prices and friendly service. Additionally, anyone is invited to come in and volunteer anytime as volunteers are the backbone of our organization. For further information or friendly help please feel free to call us at (858) 534-3932.