Communities

Green, Orange and Blue Lines now offer added flexibility and reliability for transit riders

Source:  MTS

January 27, 2025 (San Diego) - San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is increasing Trolley service for the Green, Blue and Orange lines, offering additional late night and weekend service to provide riders with more options to take transit.

Impact has left refugee aid groups locally and nationally in shock

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Pentagon:  Troops evacuating Afghans after fall of Kabul

January 26, 2025 (San Diego) – Following an executive order issued by Donald Trump to suspend refugee resettlement,  the Trump administration has cancelled all flights for over 10,000 refugees already approved to resettle in the United States. According to Associated Press. This includes over 1,660 Afghans who helped America’s military as well as relatives of active-duty U.S. military personnel, Reuters reports.

The impacts hit hard in San Diego County, which in recent years has resettled more refugees from around the world than any other county in the U.S. including refugees from Africa, Asia, war-torn Middle-Eastern countries such as Iraq and Syria, Ukraine and other European nations, Haitian refugees fleeing natural disasters, and many more.

“This executive order is a step backwards for America,” the International Rescue Committee states on its website, urging the Trump administration to reverse the order. 

The Trump administration has taken down entirely the State Department's page on the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

The IRC, which helps to resettle vulnerable refugees, warns, “If the program is not restored, political dissidents, religious minorities, and the most vulnerable victims of war and disaster will pay the price, and so will the United States.”

The 1980 Refugee Act established the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which has been managed by the U.S. government, working with the United Nations Refugee Agency to identify, screen and vet backgrounds of refugees for resettlement in the U.S. This has historically been a bipartisan effort that has significantly boosted the economy.

Refugees have contributed a net positive $124 billion to the U.S. economy from 2005 to 2019, the IRC site states, citing a Health and Human Services webpage that the Trump administration has since taken down.

The Trump order claims,"The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees.  This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States." The order cites no studies to support any of these statements.

Photo, right by Rachel Williams, East County Magazine: Syrian refugee children in El Cajon, 2016

San Diego Navy veteran Shan VanDiver is president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of veterans and advocates who have helped Afghans obtain permission to resettle in the U.S. after the fall of Kabul at the end of the war in Afghanistan in August 2021. The organization’s policy goa states, “After 20 years of war, the United States has an obligation to help relocate and resettle those who risked all to assist our forces on the battlefield.

After the Trump order banning refugee flights, VanDiver told KPBS, “Veterans, advocates, Afghans are all freaking out, worried about the people that they love.”

He added that the Afghan refugees include “partner forces that stood alongside our U.S. forces” as well as “family, children, babies that were separated during the withdrawal and after. It means lawyers, judges, and prosecutors who put the Taliban away.”

Many have been waiting for years in Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey or other nearbyl nations before receiving permission to come to the U.S.  If returned to their homeland in Afghanistan, they could face ostracization, mistreatment or even death at the hands of the Taliban now in control. Others remain in Afghanistan.

Among those in limbo are the father, mother and two brothers of Omid Shiraz, an Uber driver who came to the U.S. on a special immigrant vias three years ago and plans to move to La Mesa this month. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Shirzad’s father was a general in the Afghanistan army who served with American troops and had a Priority One Visa under the U.S. refugee admissions program to come here.  Shirzad said of his family members now stranded in Afghanistan, ”They are sleeping with fear every night.”

Noori Barka in El Cajon, founder of the Chaldean Community Council and an Iraqi imimigrant, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Trump’s order could also affect Iraqis hoping to come to the U.S. A Trump supporter, he voiced hope that through negotiations, the Trump administration may be persuaded to change its order.  “I believe that we can make things happen if we approach it the right way,” Barka said.

The Alliance for African Assistance in San Diego posted on Facebook, "These harmful laws blocking refugee resettlement are a tragedy for America. Refugees have already enriched our economy and communities. Denying them the chance to contribute further undermines the values that built this nation."  The post notes that many famous people have come to the U.S. as refugees, including Albert Einstein and Madeleine Albright.

Krish O;Mara Vignarajah, head of Global Refugee, one of 10 U.S. resettlement agencies, notes that refugees are different than asylum seekers who come to the border.  Refugees must be living outside the U.S. when they apply for resettlement and are typically referred by the United Nations to the U.S. State Department.

Unlike the undocumented immigrants whom Trump has long vowed to target, Vignarajah said in a statement issued January 22, “Refugees go through one of the most rigorous vetting processes in the world, and many are now seeing their travel canceled just days, or even hours, before they were set to begin their new lives in the United States.”

Sources:

Trump cancels flights for Afghan refugees approved to come to U.S. (KPBS)

Afghans who assisted U.S. troops among those targeted in federal suspension of refugee program (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Afghans who fled Taliban rule urge Trump to lift refugee program suspension (AP)

Alliance for African Assistance post on social media

International Rescue Committee statement on social media

Source:  Downtown El Cajon

January 24, 2025 (El Cajon) - For the first time in 30 years, dogs are wagging their tails back into downtown El Cajon! Join the city on Saturday, January 25th for the End of Pawhibition, a celebration of this historic ordinance repeal. This all-day event will be filled with pawsitively delightful activities for you and your four-legged friends.

Our El Cajon Living section covers the city of El Cajon and unincorporated El Cajon areas including Fletcher Hlils and Rancho San Diego.

Click here for fascinating facts about El Cajon.  For community and city links, click here.

FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT EL CAJON

El Cajon is located in Southern California, 15 miles east of San Diego and is the fifth largest of 18 cities in San Diego County.

El Cajon is Spanish for “the box”, a reference to its valley location.

The Spanish padres at San Diego’s mission once ran cattle and grew grapes in the El Cajon Valley.

El Cajon became a city in 1912 and recently celebrated its centennial. 

One of the first official acts of the new Council was to ban horse racing down Maine Street and ownership of livestock within the city limits.

In 1914, the city repealed a portion of that law to once again allow chicken ownership in El Cajon.

El Cajon and the Rancho San Diego area are home to 40,000 to 60,000 Iraqi Chaldean Christians, the second largest Chaldean population in the United States, after Detroit.

The Chase gold mine in El Cajon yielded over $100,000 in gold before it shut down during World War II.

The El Cajon/Rancho San Diego communities are home to two community colleges, Grossmont and Cuyamaca.

Each Sunday before Thanksgiving, El Cajon hosts the annual Mother Goose Parade, the largest parade of its type west of the Mississippi with floats, bands, equestrians, clowns, giant helium balloons, celebrities and Santa Claus.

Downtown El Cajon hosts Cajon Classic Cruises and Concerts on the Green all summer along, as well as HauntFest on Main at Halloween. America on Main Street is yet another annual festivity in downtown El Cajon.

The world-famous Taylor Guitars is located in El Cajon. Taylor has made guitars for many famous musicians from Taylor Swift to Kenny Loggins and bands from Chicago to the Rolling Stones.

El Cajon has had many residents achieve fame including Olympic diver Greg Louganis, NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, Padres infielder Kurt Bevacqua, NFL quarterback Brian Sipes, and many other sports stars as well as James Wong, producer of the X-Files, and Lester Bangs, rock music critic for Rolling Stone magazine.

By Alyssa Hiestand

May 26, 2024 (El Cajon) -- Just fifteen minutes from Downtown San Diego lies El Cajon, bustling with small businesses, delicious eateries, and more to make any day or night well-spent. Offering an insider perspective, here’s what we’d recommend doing for the ultimate day on Main Street in El Cajon:

• Begin your day at Surje Coffee at the Gallery – a delightful fusion of your favorite cup of joe and the elegance of art! This unique stop along Main Street, open Thursday through Sunday, offers a one-of-a-kind way to start your day in El Cajon.  

• Spend your morning and early afternoon at The Weighorst Museum and The Water Conservation Garden, two prime examples of how El Cajon celebrates nature, art, and history. The Weighorst Museum pays homage to Olaf Wieghorst, renowned for his depictions of the nineteenth-century American West, including the cowboys, Native Americans, and settlers who shaped the Western landscape. The Water Conservation Garden showcases drought-tolerant plants, a butterfly pavilion, a soil erosion exhibit, and more, offering a unique perspective on environmental conservation. 

• Moving to lunchtime, we recommend Por Favor. It has served traditional Mexican fare to El Cajon since 1974, making it a popular destination for enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, burritos, Punta de Filete, Arroz con pollo, Carnitas and Fajitas. Happy hour runs daily from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and all day on Mondays! 

• Another option is Mal Al Sham Mediterranean Food, offering a modern interpretation of classic dishes. Also found along Main Street, a stop at this local eatery is a must, allowing guests to indulge in options like Mal Al Sham Falafel, Chicken Tikka, Hummus, and a variety of Kabobs!  

• Head to Burning Beard Brewery before the evening hits, a brewing operation local to El Cajon. It focuses on instilling quality, craftsmanship, and service into every bite and sip. Proudly serving their Burning Beard Hazy IPA is local venue The Magnolia – a nighttime staple for any great day in El Cajon! 

• End your day with a concert at The Magnolia. It’s the entertainment epicenter for connecting not only El Cajon but all of San Diego with diverse performers, including A-list concert artists, comedians, community events, live podcasts, and more! Following a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2019, The Magnolia includes free parking, pre-show happenings in an expansive outdoor plaza, a completely refurbished lobby bar serving craft beer and cocktails, a brand-new VIP Lounge, updated guest amenities, and stunning audio and visual capabilities. Upcoming performers include Iron & Wine, Joe Jackson, Whitney Cummings!

By Mike Allen

Photo: Workers at GKN opening ceremony

December 18, 2024 (El Cajon) -- The site that was once planned as an Amazon warehouse is taking shape to house some of the most sophisticated machinery in the world, as well as the skilled workers to run it.

Just across the street from Gillespie Field at the confluence of Cuyamaca Street and Weld Avenue is the new home for GKN Aerospace, a top tier aircraft components supplier and refurbisher of engines for such customers as Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, General Electric and Boeing.

GKN has been operating in El Cajon for more than 70 years, but its two segments, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and Repair Solutions, have been growing at such a nice clip, soit needed added room.

“We’ve outgrown that campus and needed a little more space so we decided to move the repair solutions here,” said Eric Viklund, vice president of strategic growth. The company held an opening day ceremony on December 17.

A “little” translates to about 162,000 more square feet or about a third of the new Weld Distribution Center that began construction some two years ago. Viklund said the plan is to relocate some 300 employees to the new facility, and hire another 50 workers next year. At the current West Bradley Avenue site, there are about 850 total employees, making it among the largest employers in East County.

GKN Aerospace said it spent about $55 million on the project both in construction and new machinery to maintain the competitive edge it has with its customers, which are most of the world’s airlines.

When you’re talking about that size of an investment, it isn’t done lightly and not without considerable research on the best location for the expansion, said Joakim Anderson, president of GKN Engines. But after going through the process, the company determined El Cajon, the site where it was already doing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work for the last 40 years made the best sense, he said.

“We’ve done repair work here for 40 years and it’s time to take it to the next level” Andersson said.

He noted the growth of commercial airline traffic is the key driver to the local expansion. Today, some 25,000 jets are flying the skies, but over the next two decades, “we think that’ll be 50,000,” he said. “That’s 100,000 engines.”

To give a value on what the aerospace industry means to the San Diego region and state, State Sen. Brian Jones (photo, second from right) noted in his speech that it employs more than 500,000 people, generates some $100 billion in revenue and about $7 billion in state and local taxes. “When aerospace does well, all sectors of the California economy benefits,” Jones said.

In a tour of the still unfinished warehouse floor, project manager Aaron Parkinson (photo, left) showed visitors the various steps that jet engine blades go through before being returned to the airline customers. The MRO work, which included the use of robotic machinery on the engine blades and other components “is our bread and butter. We do about 50,000 to 60,000 blades a year,” he said.

An average blade may cost about $150,000, although those made for the defense department, say for an F-35 jet, will run more than $1 million, so the industry’s emphasis is on maintaining aircraft equipment quality. A typical blade needs maintenance every six to seven years.

GKN is constantly reevaluating its systems and upgrading its technology in an effort to maximize the performance and longevity of the engine’s parts while minimizing the heretofore disposal of certain parts, Parkinson said.

“Our goal is to stop throwing components away.”

Both GKN executives and elected officials speaking at the ceremony noted the success the company has attained is largely the result of its dedicated and skilled workers, several hundred of whom were in attendance.

Assemblyman Chris Ward said the company’s expansion was mostly due to the company’s local workforce. “This is about the people here who are going to be able to make the business grow, and your investment is going to have a profound impact on this region, creating a lot of well-paying, high skilled jobs,” Ward said. On the firm’s website, he said there are openings for machinists, programmers, engineers and electricians.

Chris Blessum, GKN’s HR director, said the positions for the bulk of the staffing excluding management at the new facility pay annual salaries ranging from $55,000 to more than $130,000.

To help GKN get many of these jobs filled, the state of California’s Employment Training Panel recently awarded a $785,000 grant to the company.

While GKN Aerospace keeps a low profile locally, it’s known worldwide as a supplier of both aircraft parts that range from engine components, wing and fuselage parts, electrical systems and windows, and a dominant player in the MRO space. It competes in both the civil and defense realms. As a subsidiary of Melrose PLC, a London stock exchange traded company, GKN is on track to surpass 3 billion pounds in revenue this year with the repair solutions segment alone exceeding $100 million next year.

GKN’s roots can be traced to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in England, when the Dowlais Ironworks Co was founded in 1759 in Wales. The first products revolved around making iron parts for Britain’s new railroads and bridges, but also included cannon balls during the Napoleonic Wars. Ever evolving and shifting through the various changes inherent in technological progress, the company also acquired and merged and at one point in the 1900s was known as Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds, Ltd.

Today, GKN Aerospace operates from 31 locations in 12 countries, employing some 16,000 workers, including its newest site in El Cajon.

By Miram Raftery

January 15, 2025 (San Diego) – President-elect Donald Trump has  pledged “mass deportations” of 11 million undocumented immigrants, most of whom do not have criminal backgrounds. But many people are unaware that he has also threatened to revoke temporary protected status (TPS) from some immigrants who are here legally.

San Diego’s  East County is home to many people who came here with TPS status, including Iraqis and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government, such as translators for our military, as well as Somalis and Sudanese displaced by civil unrest, and Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion.

Currently, 17 nations have TPS designations which protect immigrants such  as Afghans who helped the U.S. military,  Ukrainians, Syrians and Sudanese with war-torn homelands, and Haitians displaced by earthquakes and gang violence after the assassination of the nation’s president. The list also includes immigrants from Burma, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Asked if he would revoke temporary protected status for TPS holders such as Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, Trump told News Nation,” Absolutely, I’d revoke it.”  

Vice President-elect J.D. Vance has characterized TPS holders as “illegal aliens” adding, “We’re going to stop doing mass grants of Temporary Protected Status,” the New York Times reports.

Trump and Vance falsely claimed Haitians in Springfield were eating cats and dogs. They have refused to recant those claims, even though Springfield’s Police Chief said there have been no complaints of Haitians eating pets.

Revoking or failing to extend Temporary Protected Status could lead to deportation of many immigrants back to countries that are dangerous due to war or natural disasters. 

During Trump’s first administration, he tried to scrap the TPS program for immigrants in the U.S. from a half dozen nations with predominantly black, Hispanic, or Asian residents.  The American Civil Liberties Union sued and got a temporary injunction; that case was pending before the U.S. Supreme Court when Joe Biden took office and opted to keep the TPS program, so the case was never heard.  With a new conservative majority, including three justices appointed by Trump, however, a similar suit might well be decided in favor of axing TPS status for some or all recipients.

Trump also alienated many in the Iraqi Chaldean Christian Community in 2017, when his Department of Homeland Security identified some 1600 Iraqi nationals for removal, of whom 800 had committed no crimes. Others were decades-old, the Guardian newspaper in London reported.

Of those with criminal records, some had committed only minor offenses, such as a youth convicted of marijuana possession whose record was expunged when he became an adult, yet he was still among 300 Iraqis detained and threatened with deportation despite being a Catholic with cross tattoos, which could put him at risk of torture or death in a Muslim-ruled nation at a time when ISIS terrorists were murdering religious minorities.

One Iraqi man who did have a serious criminal history, also suffering from schizophrenia, died after he was deported to Iraq, after reportedly being beaten and denied insulin to treat his diabetes. Like many Iraqis in the U.S., he spoke no Arabic and had spent most of his life in America. The deportations of Iraqis were ongoing despite a “do not travel” advisory for Americans seeking to visit Iraq due to the dangers there including terrorism and armed conflict. 

Mass deportations of TPS recipients here legally, as well as undocumented immigrants, could rip families apart since children born here could remain, while one or both parents could be deported. 

Trump has also threatened to deport people sympathetic to Hamas, ostensibly to make college campuses safe. Could this mean deporting Palestinian immigrants and other students protesting the Gaza war?

He has previously shown animosity towards Muslims, notably with his ban on Muslim immigrants during COVID, which courts struck down as unconstitutional.

The question of who might be deported under the next Trump presidency is particularly relevant in communities such as El Cajon, where political leaders are wrestling with whether or not to publicly affirm an intent to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. At yesterday's meeting, after numerous Latino leaders voiced concerns, the Council asked staff to revise the ordinnance; it is expected to be consder at the next El Cajon Council meeting on January 28.

While some believe such a resolution would only support deportation of people who committed crimes, what if the Trump administration defines “crime” to include merely crossing the border illegally decades ago and seeks to deport all undocumented people, even “dreamers” brought here as children?  What if efforts go even further, with federal authorities asking local police to round up people whose TPS status is revoked, such as translators who helped our military and would face death if returned home?  Or people who fled violence and genocide in some African nations? 

Another issue for taxpayers is the cost of mass deportations. The American Immigration Council has estimated that to deport all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. would cost nearly a trillion dollars.

USA Today reports that Trump could use emergency and executive powers to bypass existing protections for immigrants.  He could activate powers from decades-old provisions once used to detain Japanese, German and Italians in the U.S. during World War II.  He could deploy the military and National Guard members to round up immigrants, push local police forces to cooperate in those efforts, and shift financial resources from other agencies to  fund mass deportations.

A key obstacle to Trump’s mass deportation goals is that most nations have said they will refuse to accept immigrants.  If no other nation will take them, that could mean immigrants rounded up could languish for years in detention camps. Based on conditions in detention camps during Trump’s first term of office, some immigrants’ lives could be at risk from diseases, stress, or other health-related concerns.

Currently, Congress provides funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain 41,500 people daily. But the American Immigration Council estimates that deporting even 1 million people a year, as Vance has proposed, would require increasing that 24-fold—a highly costly proposition.  If Congress balks at such steep funding, what would then happen to detained immigrants?

Meanwhile, immigrant communities across the U.S. are permeated with fear over the potential to be stopped at any time over the next four years, ripped from their homes, jobs and families, and potentially deported to a homeland they fled due to dangers that still remain.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/us/trump-immigrants-temporary-protected-status.html

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/temporary-protected-status-overview

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/17/iraqi-christians-face-deportation-conned-trump

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/06/trump-deportation-immigration/76088969007/

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-7-part-f-chapter-10

https://www.uscis.gov/save/whats-new/afghan-special-immigrant-parolee-and-lawful-permanent-resident-status

https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-afghanistan

https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status

https://immigrationforum.org/article/bill-summary-deferred-removal-for-iraqi-nationals-including-minorities-act-of-2019/

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/07/iraqi-man-dies-deportation-trump-administration-1643512

Suicidal suspect had doused self in gasoline before intentionally ramming officer,  ECPD reports

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: Two officers train guns on driver after Sergeant Maxwell was struck.

January 11, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police Department has released surveillance and body cam video from the officer-involved shooting outside ECPD headquarters on December 11 during preparations for a retirement ceremony. (Warning: graphic content.)

The video shows a Toyota Tundra SUV driven by Benjamin Grube, 24, a nonbinary person earlier identified as Andrea Grube, park and later drive onto a sidewalk and ram Sergeant Kevin Maxwell as he tried to run from the oncoming vehicle. He was thrown into the air before the vehicle struck a bush. The injured sergeant managed to grab his service revolver while still on his knees, ordering Grube to exit the vehicle.

A lieutenant nearby called for backup. Officer Evan Drescher arrived on the scene, shouting “Don’t move!”   But Grube instead pulled forward, trying to run over Maxwell a second time even as both officers had guns trained on her.

Photo, right: Vehicle driven by Benjamin Grube strikes Sergeant Kevin Maxwell, who was thrown into the air before rising to his knees, gun drawn, ordering suspect to exit the vehicle.

Both Maxwell and Drescher fired their weapons, Maxwell through the windshield and Drescher through the driver’s side window. Maxwell jumps out of the path of the oncoming vehicle. Several shots can be heard on the audio from body cam footage (the earlier surveillance footage has no audio).

Officers pulled Grube from the vehicle and rendered medical aid, as did paramedics. Grube was transported  to a hospital, where the suspect was pronounced dead.

“Grube was found to be soaked in gasoline and three gas cans were found in the truck,” captions on the video state. “During the follow-up investigation, Grube was found to have suicidal ideations and was anti-law enforcement.”

Sergeant Maxwell was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries including a concussion, and was later released. No other officers or civilians were injured.

San Diego Police is conducting an investigation, as is customary for officer-involved shootings involving other local police agencies. The District Attorney’s office will review results of that investigation. El Cajon Police is also conducting an administrative review into the officers’ use of force involving discharge of their service guns.

Resources available for impacted customers at community resource centers

January 8, 2025 (San Diego) – This week marks the driest start to the rainy season in San Diego County in 174 years. As a result of these dry conditions and Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) continues to implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in an effort to reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety.

As of tonight, 8,946 customers have power shut off.  Another 69,155 are at risk of power shutoffs.The effort aims to prevent hellacious firestorms such as those currently ravaging L.A., as wind gusts up to 85 miles per hour are forecast to reach San Diego County soon.

Because of the extended wind forecast, customers may experience prolonged or more than one PSPS. An up-to-date list of impacted communities can be found at sdge.com/ready.

Available Resources for Impacted Customers

SDG&E is opening of Community Resource Centers in affected communities. These Centers are equipped with resources such as Wi-Fi and phone and medical device charging, and they will remain open for customers in need until conditions improve. A list of active Community Resource Center locations and their hours of operation can be found at sdge.com/ready.

SDG&E has also partnered with 211 San Diego and Orange County United Way (formerly 211 Orange County) to offer enhanced community resources during a PSPS. 211 is free, confidential and available to answer customer calls 24/7, in over 200 languages. Customers with hearing impairment can dial 211 or 711 and ask to be connected to 211 at 858-900-1211.

PSPS & Unplanned Outage Safety Tips

High winds and other weather conditions also have the potential to lead to unplanned outages throughout the region, which are separate from a PSPS. Customers are encouraged to visit SDG&E’s outage map at sdge.com/outages for unplanned outage details and expected restoration times.

• Customers should never approach damaged infrastructure or downed power lines and should instead report them by calling 911 or SGD&E’s call center at 1-800-411-7343.
• Generator Safety: While backup generators can be a valuable tool when a power outage occurs, using a generator incorrectly can be dangerous. Customers are encouraged to visit sdge.com/generator to find safety guidelines to help keep their family and home safe.

For ongoing updates about this PSPS, visit SDGEtoday.com or follow SDG&E’s X channel, @SDGE.