A E I

EAST OF PINE HILLS

by Kiki Skagen Munshi

Constitutional Rights

Last week on our Community Facebook pages there was some discussion about the right of Julian community members (as opposed to the wisdom) to mount a protest in sympathy with other protests going on in the country. One individual invoked the Constitution in an unusual way so it seems a good time to look at a part of the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights, as you know, is the informal name given to the first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution which outline citizens’ and states’ rights. Some, like not having soldiers quartered in your house, are not perhaps as important today as they were in the late 18th century but others—always subject to interpretation as is the entire Constitution (and practically anything anybody writes)—are central to our democracy and have generated a lot of discussion, not to mention debate, argument and general verbal mayhem. So back to the source:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

This is pretty clear and our neighbors who decided to peaceably assemble and protest last week had every right to do so, contrary to one or two posts on local Facebook pages. Thanks to our citizens and the Sheriff and, probably, the fact that we are so far from the city and various miscreants who use the cover of gatherings to commit mayhem, everything was copacetic. Good going, Julian!

Amendment II

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

This is a thorny one because there are two parts to it. We, for instance, having been given a .22 on our thirteenth birthday (by a father who never quite believed he didn’t have a son) which .22 is kept handy and loaded for coyote sightings, would not want to give up our arms and the second part said it’s not necessary. BUT the first part gives the reason for the second part: “well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state…” Sigh and alas and alack and so forth, it’s hard to see how we, given a bad knee, advanced age, and poor marksmanship, could possibly be much of an addition to any well regulated militia. So where does that leave us? We don’t know; just don’t try to take the gun away.

Other amendments are important though some might be seen as dated, the right to trial by jury in all matters where amounts disputed exceed $20 was written at a time when $20 was worth a lot more than it is today. We could go on at length about such things as excessive bail and lawyers do go on at great length (and great cost) about them but let us close with one more amendment, the last.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Think about this one.

My Thoughts by Michele Harvey I Wonder How Many Earwigs

One Earwig Can Make

Years ago earwigs gave me the heebeegeebees, the shivers and other reactions. In my early twenties I had a very productive fruit and vegetable garden, but the first time I pulled off a leaf of lettuce and saw an earwig hiding in between it and the next one; that was the last lettuce leaf I harvested.

This week seems to be earwig season here in Wynola. A few days ago I planned to sit in a chair on my porch. Before sitting, I wanted to shake out the pillow and rugs that were on the chair. When I did that; I set free over fifty earwigs and they scurried in all directions. Naturally, the chickens weren’t on the porch at the time to eat them.

This afternoon I was standing in my son Thomas’s front yard leaning on a dead hot water heater. On top of the hot water heater were a few items that I decided to move so I could lean my arm on that place. First I moved a tree saw blade and out from under it scurried an earwig. After moving another saw blade and a sponge I saw two more earwigs. Thankfully earwigs don’t bother me anymore yet we can’t help but wonder where they come from and why do they decide to hide to hide in such interesting places.

Though I don’t like earwigs I don’t always kill them because they are actually helpful. They are not poisonous and they don’t spread disease. They eat dead plant matter and they like to eat dead bugs too. They like eating snails, slugs and larvae, so that’s in their favor.

They often come into houses for two reasons. First, they come in because they can through cracks in doors, screens or window frame seals. Secondly, they will come in during inclement weather or to find moisture. Instead of killing them, it’s best to take them outside and place them in plants where they can eat harmful bugs. When you see an earwig in your house then you know it’s time to winterize or summerise your house. Look for weather stripping on door frames and window frames that needs replacing. Look for cracks in window sealant. In winter, you can walk through your house safely with a lit candle. If the candle flickers, you may have found a draft that cold air and earwigs can get through.

Earwigs are great stowaways. They come into your home in boxes, in rolled up newspapers, in books, in the folds of grocery bags and in anything else that may have been set down before you opened your door to go in.

Like moths, earwigs are attracted to light, so don’t be surprised if you find them around your porch light when it is turned on.

Earwigs lay from two to sixty eggs once each spring about three inches underground. This does not explain how fifty of them managed to migrate to the back of the pillow on my porch chair. The babies hatch into earwigs, not into larvae. I’m not sure when they change color from nearly transparent to brown or rust color, but it seems to happen fairly fast. Adult earwigs in my yard are no more than an inch long and the dark babies that I’ve seen are at least a third that length.

Earwigs do not climb into ears. They do not try to eat their way into people’s brains. Once in a house, they look for moist places to eat, like near a kitchen sink where dead bugs might be or where pieces of bad fruit may have been discarded.

Earwigs like to hide in piles of decaying leaves. That’s where they can find choice bugs and larvae to eat. They eat pollens, lichens and certain plants. They also eat rotten fruit. Insects that are favorite meals of earwigs, which they will consume alive or dead, include sowbugs, mites, aphids and the eggs of other insects. See. You don’t really want to kill them. I know I don’t want to kill them anymore, though the evil side of me would love to see a mass of them fall on the floor of the porch just as the chickens arrive.

By the way, earwigs have pinchers because it allows the boys to hang on to the girls when they are being intimate and Earwigs got their name because some varieties fly and their wings are shaped like a human ear.

Now you probably know a lot more than you ever wanted to about earwigs. However, once I moved that chair pillow and saw so many scurry away, I got very curious. Clearly I got curious because I researched them and wrote this column about them. These are my thoughts.

Fun Playtime Ideas For Father's Day

(StatePoint) Playtime is one of the best opportunities for dads, grandfathers and other father figures to serve as role models in a child’s life, and research shows that these experiences have a number of positive health benefits for kids.

According to experts at The Genius of Play, a research-based initiative providing parents and caregivers with facts, inspiration, and hands-on resources to help make playtime an important part of every day, regular active physical play between fathers and young children is associated with improved developmental outcomes.

To help make Father’s Day special for kids and dads alike, check out these fun and creative playtime ideas from The Genius of Play. • Storytime Stretch: Read or tell a story to your child that has a single word repeated often. Have your child jump, stretch, clap or do some other exaggerated physical movement every time they hear the word. Then, mix things up and have your child tell you a story. This is a great way to spend time together building vocabulary, boosting creativity and having fun. • Science Kit: Whether it’s erupting a volcano, building a system of pulleys and levers or continued on page 11

self-quarantined at home and monitored for symptoms of COVID-19, which typically are a fever, cough or shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

If you test positive for COVID-19, your doctor or another health official will let you know. A positive case must be reported to County Public Health Services so that each confirmed case can be used to help in identifying others who may have been exposed. Contact tracing can start the process of reaching out to the close contacts.

“When a contact tracer calls you, it is important that you answer because immediate action is needed,” Wooten said.

If you don’t answer, the contact tracer should leave a voicemail message. Call the contact tracer back because they need to know that you have isolated yourself and who you have had close contact with.

The contact tracer will identify themselves as being part of the County and all information gathered during the contact tracing effort is kept confidential. The goal is developing trust and a partnership with the contact to fight the virus together and slow the spread.

What to Do if You’ve Been Exposed to COVID-19

Tracers call those who were a close contact with a person with COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a close contact is someone who was within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 48 hours before symptoms developed in the case and until the time the patient is isolated.

If you are placed under self-quarantine, this is what you will be asked to do:

- Stay home as much as possible for 14 days - Maintain physical distance from others who were not exposed - Monitor yourself for symptoms and take your temperature twice daily - Do not share utensils, cups or glasses - Use good hand hygiene and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water

“We now know that people without symptoms can spread COVID-19. That’s why it’s important that people who were exposed to someone with the virus stay home and away from others,” Dr. Wooten said.

A County Public Health nurse or health care worker might also check on you occasionally to make sure you’re staying away from others to find out if you’ve developed symptoms and link you to support and services you might need.

If you are identified as a close contact and develop symptoms, you should immediately isolate yourself and notify your case manager and your doctor to get care and testing if needed. If you don’t have a place to isolate, the county will provide a paid hotel for the duration of the isolation.

Until a vaccine is available, contact tracing will be an important activity to further prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our region.

Beware The Scams Are Out There

Scammers are back at it again and we would love your help to spread the word about the latest tactics which specifically target the elderly.

There is a new wave of scammers targeting our customers, and they are using the same old tactic: they threaten to turn off your power unless you offer up immediate payment for a past due bill.

The uptick we are seeing is troubling because some of the scammers are targeting elderly SDG&E customers who are especially vulnerable, such as those who require electricity to meet critical medical needs.

The current tactics used by scammers include impersonating SDG&E’s billing department and asking for payment using Green Dot MoneyPak, a way of sending cash via prepaid or bank debit cards. SDG&E does not ask customers to pay using methods such as Green Dot MoneyPak.

Tactics Happening Now

One scam that is currently active targets seniors, some of whom rely on assisted oxygen therapy powered by electricity. Scammers convince them to use Green Dot MoneyPak to load prepaid or bank debit cards at grocery stores. Victims are told to pay by this method in order to avoid service disconnection. It can be especially confusing for victims, as the phone number scammers are currently using is a 1-800 number (1-800-262-3917) with a recorded message and menu options that mimic SDG&E’s official customer service line, which is 1-800-411-7343. When victims call this number, they hear a recorded message that tells them that they are calling SDG&E’s business line. They are given different menu options, including one to pay their bill or to report a gas leak or power outage. f scammers do not get you on the phone directly, they may leave you an automated message like this:

“Hi, this is an automated message from San Diego Gas and Electric Billing Department. This call is to inform you that your power will get disconnected in 30 minutes due to a pending balance on the account. Please call the direct billing department number at 1-800-262-3917 to avoid power disconnection again the number is 1-800-262-3917."

Bottom Line

SDG&E will never proactively contact customers requesting their credit card, banking or other financial information or threaten immediate disconnection. Even if you have a past-due balance that needs to be paid, we will always provide past-due notices in writing before shutting off service and offer payment plan options. Currently, due to the financial impact the coronavirus is having on customers who have been laid-off or seen their hours cut back, we are suspending service disconnections for nonpayment until further notice. More details here. <https://sdgenews.com/article/utility-scammers-areback-it-heres-what-you-need-know>

* * * I'm nervous about our civic culture. I'm not sure the Internet is largely the cause of it. It's certainly the cause of careless writing. People who get used to blurbing things on the Internet are never going to be good writers. — Antonin Scalia * * *