21 minute read
Prepared for an Earchquake? Cont. on
Prepared for an Earthquake? Cont. from Page 3
S. Geological Survey (both studies appeared in the American Geophysical Union’s “Journal of Geophysical Research”).
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Adding to the vulnerability of all of North San Diego County was another disturbing discovery: fault lines that were once thought to be inactive have proven otherwise in recent years. For example, San Diego State University researchers discovered that San Diego’s Rose Canyon fault line is actually more active than initially thought – a most unexpected surprise!
The 40-mile-long Rose Canyon Fault line extends from the Mission Valley area and heads past Mt. Soledad and offshore La Jolla where it travels in the Pacific Ocean and joins other faults, such as the Oceanside Fault (previously mentioned at the top of this article).
In addition to all these unexpected findings, two previously hidden earthquake fault lines were recently discovered, both of which are just off the coast of San Diego’s North County, and which travel north to Los Angeles and Orange counties!
LOS ANGELES SITS ON A POWDER KEG WHICH INTERCONNECTS WITH NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY! According to the world’s foremost seismologists today: “The city of Los Angeles sits directly on top of a least 100 active earthquake faults, all of which are directly underneath some of the most expensive real estate in the country, as well as being directly underneath densely-populated metropolitan areas, freeways, bridges, buildings, hospitals, schools, power grids and countless critical lifelines.”
These newly-discovered fault systems, crisscrossing San Diego and Los Angeles regions, have: “The deadly potential of unleashing a powerful earthquake that would affect the lives of as many as 20-million people,” according to geoscientists. (Journal of Geophysical Research, ibid)
ESCONDIDO NARROWINGLY MISSED REGIONAL DAMAGE BY LESS THAN 45 MILES! The Northridge event released deep underground energy so unreal that it even shocked the world’s leading scientists who had studied other worldwide earth-movers, as famed geologist James Dolan was quoted: “From the San Fernando Valley the earth shook and the shockwaves actually travelled underneath . . . (Dolan pauses here in disbelief, and then continues) . . .the shockwaves actually travelled underneath an entire mountain range, devastating buildings in Santa Monica, 18 miles to the south!”
Instead of San Fernando Valley, the epicenter was actually in Reseda, California and the devastation spread out in a radius of over 85 miles (137 km), devastating areas in San Fernando Valley, and as far away as Santa Monica, Hollywood, Simi Valley, and Santa Clarita.
Escondido, sitting less than 130 miles southward, narrowly missed the physical destruction perimeter by a scant 45 miles!
In reality, and in geophysical retrospect, the potential danger to all of North County back then was much higher!
The interconnecting network of fault lines, the discovery of new, unknown fault systems, as well as the unexpected level of power causing the earth’s crust to shift 12 miles deep, and the (physical alterations in the elevation of mountain ranges) between North County and Northridge was -- in hindsight -- a very “close encounter” which could have set off a chain-reaction of the most horrifying sort.
Few people outside of the scientific community ever knew and comprehended how close and terrifying and horrific this scenario could have played out!
One geologist said in stunned amazement: “It took only 6 seconds to release its deadly energy. In only 6 seconds, it derailed trains, 9 freeway bridges were left in shambles, and 4 freeway overpasses were sliced completely in half. And it still wasn’t done!”
The earth continued shaking for a full 20 seconds!
If the quake had not been so deep underground (almost 12 miles), the destruction would have been unimaginable!
HOW CLOSE WAS THE “POWER LEVEL” TO NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY REGIONS? It was too close, by earthquake standards. The 12-mile underground power and energy moved foremost geologist, Lucy Jones, of the U.S. Geological Survey to state: “The underground quake movement was so powerful that it overwhelmed all ground sensors. The earth’s underground -over 10 miles deep, was moving in so many places at once that we actually thought -- ‘this cannot be real – this must be a glitch in our measurement computer systems!’”
Scientist, James Dolan, weighed in: “The amount of energy involved in moving a part of the earth’s crust –a crust 10 miles thick – moving that much earth 20-feet in a couple seconds . . . is mind-boggling!” For San Diego’s North County region, with its interconnected network of faults – it was a far, far closer call than anyone thought!
THE QUAKE MOVED MOUNTAINS BETWEEN NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY & LOS ANGELES! The world’s leading experts say it is virtually impossible – even for trained theoretical scientists –to fully comprehend the following truth: “The Northridge quake, in
Prepared for an Earthquake? Cont. from Page 5
fact, buckled the earth upwards, adding over one-foot to the elevation of hills and mountains surrounding the northern edge of the city of Los Angeles. Normally, mountains and hills grow only a few millimeters in elevation every 100 years! (For a better illustration: 25 millimeters over a span of 500 years would, normally, add less than one inch to a mountain’s elevation.) The Northridge quake added over 12” in a few seconds!”
Keep in mind, North San Diego County is close to fault lines that are interconnected directly with Los Angeles and Orange County!
FOOLS, CHARLATANS, AND LIARS. Make no mistake, earthquakes are among the most insidious of natural disasters because they are diabolically unpredictable.
Charles Richter (1900-1985), American seismologist and physicist who invented the Richter Scale to measure the strength (magnitude) of earthquakes stated: “Only fools, charlatans and liars predict earthquakes.”
Regarding a major, colossal California earthquake, worldrenowned geoscientist, James Dolan, phrases it this way: “We’re going to have earthquakes. Everyone needs to be prepared for an earthquake at any time. We don’t know when it’s going to happen. We don’t know where it’s going to happen. We do know – it will happen.”
This thinking applies to the supercatastrophic Big One – the megagiant California earthquake –which is long, long overdue and now . . . just sits, with fault lines that have accumulated thousands of years of built-up stress . . . just waiting to snap!
IS NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY A HIGH-RISK REGION FOR A “MAJOR” EARTHQUAKE? In just Southern California, alone, earthquakes are as abundant as surfers, sunshine, and palm trees.
And North County has felt its daily share of tremors, although mostly slight and unnoticed.
Out of the 10,000 annual earthquakes in our beautiful SoCal paradise, only several hundred are magnitude 3.0 to 3.9 (minor quake) and about 15 to 20 exceed magnitude 4.0 to 4.9 (light quake).
According to the U. S. Geological Survey database: “Escondido, California shows an 87.26% chance of a major earthquake within 50 kilometers (or 31 miles) of Escondido, within the next 30 years.”
This means it could hit us at anytime within that 30 year span: tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, next decade – no one knows exactly when. But, as all seismologists agree: “It is just a matter of time.”
ESCONDIDO’S FIRE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE IS EXCELLENT FOR EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS. Never take life for granted. As the Boy Scout motto has it: “Always be prepared.”
If you, for example reside in Escondido, visit the Escondido Fire Department’s website at: https://fire.escondido-risk-in-escondido.
For those readers who do not live in Escondido, visit the various websites for your particular city.
Start with your local city fire department.
They provide information on earthquake basics, securing property, needed supplies & equipment, disaster planning, as well as special needs for: 1. Alzheimer or dementia family members. 2. The disabled. 3. Seniors who live alone. 4. Pets. Children. 5. Some websites even have as a segment titled, “Talking to Children About Disasters.”
DID YOU KNOW? By law, California schools must have emergency plans in place – but, do these emergency plans actually include periodic, simulated disaster drills for your children’s safety?
As a responsible parent, you NEED to find out ASAP.
In a major earthquake where all electrical power is disrupted and gas mains explode and out-of-control fires engulf entire cities . . . you may be separated, isolated from your children . . . so ask NOW: Does your school have emergency disaster drills?
If the schools your kids are attending have emergency plans that do not involve periodic emergency safety practice drills – find out why not.
It’s your right to know.
Remember, a major earthquake can disrupt services like electricity, water, leaving you isolated, in total darkness, and vulnerable, and which may limit access in and out of the region.
Fire and police departments will be dealing with the most serious situations first and may be unable to respond quickly to issues in your own community.
BRIEF LIST OF EMERGENCY ITEMS TO BE STORED: The Escondido Fire Department website gives a list of emergency items you should store away. Make a list, such as: (1) At least 3-day supply of non-perishable food. (2) Flashlights w/extra batteries. (3) First Aid kit. (4) Whistle to signal for help. (5) Manual can opener for
Wildfire Oversight
During California’s disastrous 2020 fire season, almost 4.2 million acres burned. Tragically, 33 people died, thousands of homes were lost, and an estimated 112 million metric tons of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere.
Now we’re in the second year of a drought and the 2021 fire season has begun. The Dixie Fire is raging across the Northern Sierras and Cascades, and the Concord Fire, southwest of Lake Tahoe, has ravaged the community of Grizzly Flats.
An oversight hearing in the Assembly Budget Sub 3 Committee was scheduled for August 18 to review strategy and goals for investments in wildfire prevention and forest resiliency, along with barriers to preventing wildfires and improving forest health. With the fall Santa Ana season approaching, we must take stock of our wildfire prevention programs, marshal our resources and prepare for what could become the worst fire season in history. Hence, the need for Assembly involvement/oversight is obvious.
Well, maybe not so much. Four days before the hearing, majority leadership abruptly postponed it indefinitely. Families are being displaced, children are not in school, communities are being destroyed, pollution from the fires is rampant, more fires are likely on the way, and yet a hearing to bring in experts to discuss wildfire prevention strategies and goals was canceled without explanation. Perhaps it’s because the hearing would also delve into a Capitol Public Radio and National Public Radio report that found priority fire prevention projects were overstated and funding for wildfire programs was cut, despite devastating recent fires and a $38 billion budget surplus. More on the report is available here.
Rest assured I will continue working with my colleagues to ensure that providing resources for wildfire prevention and management remains a top priority, despite some in Sacramento who don’t seem to want to talk about it.
Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Rainbow, San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center and Vista.
5th District Supervisor Jim Desmond
Living with the Virus
As the Delta variant starts to encompass San Diego County and our case numbers rise, I think it’s important to take a step back and look at the data in hopes of returning to normal. Prior to my time on the Board of Supervisors, I was an airline pilot and an engineer and in all my training I looked at data and evaluated it. As cases rise again, it’s time to look at the data.
Vaccines work well at protecting against COVID-19 including reducing the severity of symptoms that can be caused by the Delta Variant, and I encourage everyone who wants one to get one. Of those hospitalized as COVID-19 cases since March 1, 2021, 97.6% were not vaccinated and 2.4% were vaccinated.
Unfortunately, the vaccines aren’t the complete, definitive answer. Israel, which was one of the first countries to inoculate their people, has seen a surge of COVID-19 and has reinstated mask-wearing and quarantine mandates. Dr. Fauci stated last week it is likely that everyone will need a COVID-19 booster shot. COVID-19 is here to stay. Thankfully, our numbers are nowhere near the peak of last Fall and earlier this year. Unfortunately, our hope that a vaccine would allow us to return to normal has not come to fruition. We must learn to live with this virus. We must allow a choice for parents to return kids to in-person learning. We must allow business owners to continue to operate and provide jobs, and we must get the workforce back to work to provide for their families.
To contact
North County Office – by appointment only 325 S. Melrose Ave., Suite 5200 Vista, CA 92081 Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Website: www.supervisorjimdesmond.com Email: Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov
Prepared for an Earthquake? Continued from Page 6
food. (6) Cell phone w/back-up batteries (7) Fire extinguisher. (8) Matches in waterproof container. (9) Books, games, puzzles & other activities for children. (10) Be prepared to shelter your family for (at least) 24 hours. (11) In case you’re stranded while driving, keep an emergency kit in your car. (12) Have a meeting place in case family members are separated. Remember, not everyone will be together when an unexpected major quake occurs.
THIS IS NOT A GAME. On May 30, 2018, an earthquake magnitude 3.8 struck at 12:41 p.m. Pacific daylight time, rattling the nerves of residents in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Temecula, Fallbrook, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, and Poway.
According to the U. S. Geological Survey, the epicenter of the quake was just 14 miles east/northeast of Palm Springs and yet its movement was felt as far as our North San Diego regions.
Less than three months later, on August 14, 2018, the USGS reported a 4.4 earthquake at 5:25 p.m. PDT, startling residents from Temecula to Oceanside to Escondido. The earthquake was centered 4.3-miles (7 kilometers) from Aguanga in Riverside County, yet earth movement traveled underground impacting our San Diego County’s northern cities.
DATELINE: NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY. Friday, June 10, 2016, an earth tremor would disturb North San Diego County residents out of a dead sleep. It would strike at exactly 1:04 a.m. at a very shallow depth of only ½mile beneath the earth’s surface and register a magnitude of 5.2, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS officially stated that such a magnitude quake can create considerable damage – luckily, this one did not. The quake’s center was 13-miles north-northwest of Borrego Springs, in San Diego County. It was strong enough to be felt in the city of Los Angeles, as well as in the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino and, of course, San Diego’s North County region. The earthquake occurred near one of the most active faults in Southern California – the San Jacinto fault line, according to seismologist Lucy Jones. Though the shaker did not produce great damage, it did rattle a lot of nerves, particularly in Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Poway, and other pockets of North San Diego regions. Some felt it more than others. Many reacted with different levels of fear.
It takes a lot to scare our new Southern California resident, movie and television actress, McKaley Miller, who was 20-years-old at the
PROBLEM SOLVED
BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT
Q: My husband and I have tickets to see a Ron White show in Minneapolis. We bought the tickets through Ticketmaster. The event has been rescheduled twice because of COVID-19. When we bought the tickets in early 2020, the event was in April 2020, then due to COVID, it was postponed to fall 2020 and again to this spring. All along, we were planning to keep our tickets and go to the rescheduled event.
However, in the meantime, I have been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. We were still planning on going to the May event until March, when my surgeons scheduled my double mastectomy for May 10. I get my COVID test on May 7, the day of the concert, and have to quarantine until surgery on Monday, May 10. Therefore, I can't attend this event.
Ticketmaster will not allow me to re-sell my tickets online. I am only allowed to transfer my tickets online to friends or family. However, my friends and family are not available or interested in attending.
I tried contacting Ticketmaster several times via their chat and email. There is no phone for customer support. The answer is always the same: The organizer is not accepting cancellations at this time. We are past the window of acceptance for that. Well, when they offered refunds, I was still planning on going. I asked Ticketmaster in my email if they would connect me with the promoter directly and of course, they did not respond to that request.
If there is any way you could help, it would be appreciated. It’s not like we are losing a ton of money, but all funds count now when our medical bills are rising. -- Diane Dukes, Lakeville, Minn.
A: I'm so sorry to hear about your illness. At a time like this, Ticketmaster and the event organizer should be understanding -- particularly since you were so understanding after they rescheduled the Ron White show twice before. This is like a bad joke.
Ticketmaster does, in fact, have managers with phone numbers. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of all the <a href="https://www.elliott.org/comp a n y contacts/ticketmaster/">Ticketmast er executives</a> on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. I think you could have also taken this directly to Ron White. You can get in touch with him directly <a href="https://tatersalad.com/">thro ugh his website<a>.
I realize that event tickets come with significant restrictions. But when the organizers don't hold up
Historically Speaking
by Tom Morrow
The Well-Lived Life of Victor Mature
One of my favorite interviews was with the noted movie star Victor Mature, who for the last 30 years of his retired life lived in Rancho Santa Fe here in North San Diego County.
Victor John Mature, born Jan. 29, 1913, in Louisville, KY, was one o f Hollywood’s most successful actors who starred in a variety of musical, suspense, western, and comedy films.
Those under 50 probably aren’t acquainted with Mature’s work, but, to movie buffs he was a top star of more than 70 films. Some of his best known roles include: “My Darling Clementine” (1946), “Kiss of Death” (1947), “Samson and Delilah” (1949), and “The Robe” (1953). He also appeared in many musicals opposite such luminaries as Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable. Mature studied acting at the Pasadena Community Playhouse and for three years he lived in a tent in the back yard of a fellow student. In 1939 he was spotted by an agent for Hal Roach while acting in a PCP stage play. He made 10 films before World War II.
In July 1942, Mature enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and was assigned to the Cutter Storis, which was part of the Greenland Patrol. After 14 months Mature was promoted to chief petty officer. He was discharged in November 1945.
The first film he did after the War was John Ford’s “My Darling Clementine,” in 1946 playing Doc Holliday opposite Henry Fonda's Wyatt Earp. The film was produced by 20th Century Fox, whose head of production, Darryl F. Zanuck, was delighted Ford cast Mature, telling the director: “Personally, I think the guy has been one of the most under-rated performers in Hollywood.”
In 1978, Mature told me “Clementine” was his favorite movie. “It was a great script and I got to work with a great cast,” he said.
It wasn’t the only time Mature was cast with great actors. During the ‘30s, 40s, and 50s, he worked with a number of Hollywood’s finest. Death,” was developed specifically for Mature. The movie wasn’t “boffo” but it earned Mature some of his best critical reviews.
Mature was famously self-deprecating. Once, after being rejected for membership in a L.A. country club because he was an actor, Mature cracked, "Hell, I'm no actor … I've got 64 films to prove it!" He was quoted in 1968 commenting on his acting career: “… I never was an actor. Ask anybody, particularly the critics."
And, he had a great sense of humor telling Hollywood stories. During the filming of “Demetrius & the Gladiators” Mature put to use his quick wit between takes when he and a fellow actor walked across the street to a bar for a drink. They were still costumed in battle dress as Roman Centurions. The bar was crowded and the two actors went unnoticed. After a few minutes being ignored, Mature got up and in a loud voice: “Well, it’s obvious this joint doesn’t cater to service personnel.”
When Mature died of leukemia in 1999, his long-time golfing buddy, the late John Mamaux of Carlsbad, told me a side of Mature few people knew about. It had to do with Marine Sergeant John Basilone. After the Marine was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism on Guadalcanal, he was brought back home to sell war bonds with Mature and a number of other celebrities. They became close friends. Mature worried about his buddy, fearing the Marine had a death wish. At nearly every war bond show Basilone would go on stage and angrily address the audience, yelling he shouldn't be wasting his time trying to entertain them, rather, he should be "over in the Pacific killing (the enemy)!" The Marine Corps did it's best to keep Basilone out of harm's way. When Basilone wasn't selling bonds, the Corps had him working in Special Services as a beach lifeguard at Camp Pendleton. But the sergeant complained enough about sitting around and wanting to go back into combat, he finally was issued orders to return to the Pacific. Chief Petty Officer Mature nearly got in trouble because of his loud protests to the Marines for sending Basilone back into combat. "Vic was certain Basilone had a death wish saying he shouldn't be sent back," Mamaux recalled. "Vic talked about Basilone countless times over the years I knew him. He did his damnedest to save Basilone. He raised so much hell with the Marine general who was Basilone’s commander that Vic almost got a court martial." In February 1945, Basilone landed on Iwo Jima, charged and captured a Japanese bunker single-handedly, but soon after was killed by a mortar round. He received the Silver Star posthumously. Mature may not have earned an Oscar in Hollywood, but he should always be remembered for the role he played trying to save an American hero.
OBITUARY A TRIBUTE TO AN EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY MAN
William T. Berryman June 19,1932 - August 15, 2021
William T. Berryman was honored by the City of Escondido on August 10, 2021 at Kit Carson Park Baseball Fields. Bill and his wife donated two new baseball scoreboards to the City and Escondido Youth Baseball. That day was their 64th wedding anniversary.
This gift came about because Bill loved to play baseball and played in the Texas-New Mexico League years and years ago. He gave up an offer to go to the Cleveland Indians Training Camp because he was getting married to Jessie in a week and stated that he could not support a wife on what he would earn playing in the minors.
In 2013, he was invited to be the guest speaker at t h e Pittsburgh Pirates training camp at Pirate City in Florida. His son in law, Mark Walker, set it up.
Bill spoke to all the players and rookies on what it meant to play baseball for “LOVE OF THE GAME”. In his speech he also reminded everyone to play with
“DESIRE, INTEGRITY AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE “.
Bill died on August 15, 2021 of complications of Lewy Body.
Hopefully young ball players will look up at the Scoreboards, see stats and read the reminders from Bill.
To follow in the footprints of a man like William Berryman is the greatest gift I can wish for you. He lived his life with integrity, love, patience, kindness, and the sweetness that reflected his love and teachings of our Lord.
I can only pray that God will Bless this world with more men like the baby he brought into the world on June 19, 1932.
He grew up to became an example to his family, friends and everyone who knew this wonderful, loving man.
In loving memory of William Thomas Berryman Born June 19,1932 Monette, Arkansas.
Went to be with the Lord August 15, 2021 Escondido, California
He will be missed by His loving family, Jessie, Linda, Mark, Wyatt, Bob, Lupita and other family members and friends who knew and loved him.
Thanks to Pat Martinez, Community Services Supervisor III, Communications & Community Services / City of Escondido, John Sidlowski of Nevco Scoreboards, Mayor McNamara and all at the City who made this possible.
An added note: As a resident of Escondido, you too can help your City by commemorating the ones you love by others gifts and donations.
