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ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) - D¨ªa de los Muertos came alive Friday night at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.Dozens of families came to build memorial altars known as ¡°ofrendas.¡± While many honored ancestors, the Fallbrook Youth Advocacy Coalition along with the North Inland Community Prevention Program came to honor those taken too soon. ¡°We just want to prevent more families from having this event or having an experience of losing a loved one,¡± said Pastor Anger Medrano from Victory Outreach Church. The groups were raising awareness of teen drug and alcohol use which can have tragic consequences. Veronica Hernandez with Fallbrook Youth Advocacy Coalition said her daughter lost a friend this summer after she was hit by a DUI driver. ¡°She was only 15 years old. So it¡¯s sad,¡± said Hernandez. 821

Europe is proposing a ban on single-use plastic items such as cutlery, straws?and cotton buds in a bid to clean up the oceans.The European Commission wants to ban 10 items that make up 70% of all litter in EU waters and on beaches. The list also includes plastic plates and drink stirrers.The draft rules were unveiled Monday but need the approval of all EU member states and the European Parliament. It could take three or four years for the rules to come into force.The legislation is not just about banning plastic products. It also wants to make plastic producers bear the cost of waste management and cleanup efforts, and it proposes that EU states must collect 90% of single-use plastic bottles by 2025 through new recycling programs.The European Commission estimates that these rules, once fully implemented in 2030, could cost businesses over €3 billion (.5 billion) per year. But they could also save consumers about €6.5 billion (.6 billion) per year, create 30,000 jobs, and avoid €22 billion (.6 billion) in environmental damage and cleanup costs.The Rethink Plastic Alliance -- an association of environmental organizations -- called the proposals "a leap forward in tackling plastic pollution" but criticized some perceived shortcomings.The proposals do not set targets for EU countries to reduce the use of plastic cups and food containers, it said."This could result in countries claiming they are taking the necessary steps as long as any reduction is achieved, regardless of how small," the alliance said in a statement.The proposal also faced criticism from the plastics industry.Plastics Europe, which represents manufacturers, said it supported the "overarching objective" of the proposal but said there must be more resources dedicated to "waste management" to ensure better collection of used plastic."Plastic product bans are not the solution," it said in a statement, and noted that "alternative products may not be more sustainable."On a global basis, only 14% of plastic is collected for recycling. The reuse rate is terrible compared to other materials -- 58% of paper and up to 90% of iron and steel gets recycled.Research shows there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world's oceans by 2050, which has spurred policy makers, individuals and companies into action.Last month a group of more than 40 companies including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Unilever and Procter & Gamble pledged to slash the?amount of plasticthey use and throw away in the United Kingdom.Starbucks also announced in March it was launching a  million grant challenge to solicit designs for a cup that's easier to recycle. 2689

ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) - A beloved custodian at an elementary school in Encinitas is recovering after a spider bite led to an amputation."He's happy. He's smiling. Thankful he's alive," said Megan Luce, PTA President at Park Dale Lane Elementary School.Guil Aguilar has been a custodian at the school for more than five years."His spirits are so high when I visited," said Luce.Luce says his ordeal began at work, just before Thanksgiving break. Aguilar says as he was moving trash cans near a dumpster, he saw spiders but didn't think anything of it. After he left the area, he felt a twinge in his foot. He went with family to visit relatives in Arizona during Thanksgiving and his bite began to swell. He was admitted into a hospital, then transferred to an Encinitas hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a venomous spider bite. The type of spider is unknown. The treatment was not enough."There was an infection that they tried to clean out. The infection resulted in amputation of his foot and partial leg," said Luce.Luce says Aguilar handled the difficult news by focusing on the bright side."He was okay with it. He'd rather his foot be gone than his life," said Luce.As news of his ordeal spread, parents at the school rallied."I was heartbroken. He's such as an amazing, amazing person ... Always happy. He's always there to help. Goes over and beyond what he's supposed to do at the school," said Luce.The parents organized a meal train and a Gofundme campaign to help his family, including his five children, with expenses."He's not just a janitor. He's part of the community and part of the Park Dale Lane family," said Luce.The Encinitas Union School District issued the following statement: "The situation that you are inquiring about involves one of our employees and is currently under investigation by the District. Due to privacy rights and confidentiality laws, we are unable to provide an update on the employee ... In an abundance of caution, the District has taken the necessary precautions to ensure that all areas of campus have been inspected and are safe. The District will continue to monitor the campus and address any issues immediately." 2186

ESCONDIDO ¡ª When Greg Spence talks board games, he isn't referring to your Yahtzee's or Scrabbles.The board games he's passionate about can take hours to play - think Settlers of Catan, Spirit Island, or Sagrada.¡°There are so many games out there that get deep into different genres and strategies and tactics that are so much fun,¡± he said. ¡°You can get lost in the variety of board games.¡±The problem Spence discovered with in-depth games, however, is they have dozens of pieces and can even take half-an-hour to set up.That's why in 2013, he launched the company called The Broken Token - which helps gamers organize pieces. Their products include levels of wooden trays, often marked for different kinds of game pieces.The Broken Token did so well that Spence quit his day job and opened a manufacturing space in Escondido. He's now selling internationally.But last year, he almost left California for Missouri or Indiana, states that would offer more distribution flexibility and are closer to conventions. The states are also lower cost than California, which has some of the highest taxes in the nation.¡°We didn't want to leave, but we were trying to make the best decision for the company,¡± Spence said.But instead, he got in touch with the group Innovate 78, a collection of city economic officials that pointed him in the direction of a California Competes tax credit. The 0,000 credit will allow The Broken Token to move into a new facility in Vista. In exchange, the company will invest 0,000 locally and hire 14 additional people through 2023.¡°There are places out there like us that need good staff and good talent,¡± Spence said,He added the pandemic hit them in terms of manufacturing and supply. But, they're catching up - with social distancing in place. 1785

Elton John is getting his very own Barbie doll.Mattel announced the launch, which has timed closely with the 45th anniversary of John's legendary 1975 Dodgers Stadium concert, USA Today reported.According to CNN, a picture of John at the concert is printed on the front of every box."The barbie herself is dressed in classic Elton John style with platform boots and pink-tinted glasses," Mattel said on its website. "The Elton John Barbie doll shines bright in a glittery top and flared denim embellished with Elton's sparkling initials. Her "Elton"-embossed bomber jacket features star-printed sleeves and a rainbow-striped hem. Nods to the artist's iconic style include rainbow-striped platform boots, a purple bowler hat, and sparkly, pink-tinted sunglasses."The doll's jacket and boots have rainbow strips, which is a nod to the singer's decades of activism in the LGBTQ community, CNN reported.The Elton John Barbie is available now on Mattel's website and Walmart.com and retails for . 1002

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