Holiday food drive runs through Nov. 12

Friends & Family Community Connection is collecting items until Nov. 12 for its annual Thanksgiving food drive, which this year will benefit about 1,200 people, according to organizers.

There are two ways people can help — by donating all ingredients on a Thanksgiving dinner list or just dropping off a few non-perishable food items.

Either donation method will help the local charitable organization, known for its meal-packing events throughout the area, brighten Thanksgiving for about 300 families, according to Phil Harris, who founded FFCC in 1995.

Six teens caught in Poway curfew sweep

An organized sweep though Poway by law enforcement officers Friday night netted six teenagers who were violating the curfew, which extends from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Sixteen lawmen from various jurisdictions conducted the sweep, which centered on Poway, 4S Ranch and Ramona,

While the teens felt they had valid reasons for being out late, none met the exceptions, as spelled out in the curfew law, said Detective Chris Johnson.

Now THAT’S a good-sized pumpkin

Just in time for Halloween, a giant pumpkin is dominating the front yard of the Latus home in Poway.

When Chris Ulmer planted the seed in mid-June, he knew it would produce a large pumpkin, perhaps 300 pounds, but he didn’t expect one that weighs 600 to 700 pounds, based on its measurements.

Bilbray shares his views on Washington

Rep. Brian Bilbray said he advocates a two-year budget cycle, tax breaks to bring $1 trillion back to the United States and eliminating “safe” districts during his visit to Rancho Bernardo.

Bilbray said at the Oct. 28 Rancho Bernardo Community Council meeting he successfully passed, with the bipartisan help of Rep. Bob Filner, a two-year budget cycle for veterans. Bilbray said his next goal is to get a two-year cycle for active military, then education and homeland security.

Theater company cancels Escondido run of ‘Jane Eyre’ musical

The Fullerton Civic Light Opera has announced that it has pulled the plug on the production of “Jane Eyre” that was scheduled Nov. 5-7 in Escondido.

Inventor wants to clean up kids

Tired of telling his two children to go back and wash their hands again, Mike Reiter was inspired to invent the Bub’BLOOP!

For the past two years, the Bernardo Point resident has worked on the hand-washing toy that some perceive as an alien on a flying saucer. Others see a porcupine or sea creature, Reiter said.

Regardless of what it is seen as, the toy sold only on the Internet — for now — is supposed to make children ages 3 to 8 spend more time washing their hands. The trick: getting them to repeatedly squeeze and squish the rubber toy in their attempts to blow a big soap bubble.

Editorial: Ballot recommedations

As a service to our readers seeking guidance, we offer the following recommendations regarding Tuesday’s election.
We encourage our readers to study the candidates and issues and to make informed ballot decisions.

Poway Unified
Todd Gutschow, Penny Ranftle and Marc Davis.

Poway mayor
Don Higginson

Poway City Council
Carl Kruse and John Mullin

Mr. Marketing: E-mail getting lost in the crowd?

Many businesses today find their in-house e-mail list isn’t as lucrative as it once was. Yet with any online marketing — website, blog, or e-mail — content remains king. Every word must work hard to draw in sales prospects, holding them until you can close the sale.

E-mail newsletters have an average open rate of 8.9 percent. You’ll beat that number with solid, creative, relevant content. Your goals must be building relationships with visitors, turning eyeballs into buyballs, and developing stronger brands as prospects click through to your offers.

The problem: Cyberspace is now so noisy that it’s increasingly difficult to make yourself heard. So we return to the basics to build the right content and get attention. Here are a few of the best practices typically associated with e-mail success.

Letters to the Editor: Oct. 28, 2010

Letters to the Editor: Oct. 28, 2010

Maienschein: Mother Teresa and the spread of voluntourism

This past August would have been Mother Teresa’s 100th birthday. She is remembered for her commitment to the poor, for bringing hope and compassion to those most in need. For her work, she received the Nobel Peace Prize, and is remembered with reverence by millions throughout the world.

She should be further remembered, however, for popularizing “voluntourism,” whereby tourists perform charity work during part, or all, of a vacation trip. Some of the trips may be lengthy, covering several months to a year, while others may be just a few days. Mother Teresa encouraged regular people to perform volunteer work on vacations, even if only for a day or two.