By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Now You’re Cooking – With Safety!

November 14, 2016 (San Diego)--Thanks giving is quickly approaching and did you know Thanksgiving Day is the leading day for home cooking fires, with three times as many occurring on Thanksgiving as any other day of the year? “Thanksgiving is a fun, festive holiday, but it’s also very hectic says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. “All the entertaining and distractions make it easy to forget about what’s cooking on the stovetop.”

East County News Service

November 7, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes a Veterans Day commemoration, breakfast with firefighters, Kidz Dance Kompany’s production of 1968, a Wieghorst Museum Holiday Lunch, a wine and painting gathering in La Mesa, and the Spinners live in concert at Sycuan.

Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including a Turkey Bowl in Spring Valley, Casa de Oro’s first Fall Festival, the Mother Goose Parade, Pomegranate Days at the Oasis Camel Farm in Ramona, Jesus Christ Superstar at San Diego State, breakfast with Santa in Santee, a Jingle Paws walk for pets, Lakeside’s Spirit on Maine, and a Country Christmas in Julian.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

East County News Service

October 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) - This week’s Destination East County includes the college area Boo! Parade and a HallowScream extravaganza.

Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including La Mesa’s Historical Home Tour, a fall plantstravaganza, the Ramona Art & Wine Festival, the Trout Opener at Santee Lakes, a Veterans Day commemoration in El Cajon, the Wieghorst Museum’s holiday lunch and the Mother Goose parade celebrates its 70^th year of ushering in the holiday season in East County.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

From the Editors of E - The Environmental Magazine

Caption: Green Halloween encourages parents to organize costume swaps & give out healthy snacks or treasures instead of candy this year at Halloween. Credit: Cascadian Farms, FlickrCC.

Dear EarthTalk: Any tips for how to green up my Halloween this year? -- Jason Falcone, Bern,NC

October 22, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - Halloween may be fun, but...this most ghoulish of holidays is also cause for lots of waste, given the preponderance of one-time use costumes that end up in a box or in the trash come November 1. And sustainability proponents also decry Halloween for promoting unhealthy eating habits, as obesity and diabetes rates among American kids continue to skyrocket. So what’s a green Halloween reveler to do?

Dedicated to the Men of Engine Company 57

“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was home in Orange County leaving for work in Los Angeles. I could see the large plume of smoke to the east. In a matter of moments it intensified. The plumb expanded and rose quickly into the atmosphere. I knew something went bad. I didn’t think it was this bad… Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna”

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

October 17, 2016 (San Diego) -- October 26^th 2006, 1:11 a.m. Santa Ana winds stirred across the southland.

A Red Flag warning had been identified and was in effect. A high probability for large fire growth was in effect as conditions were high temperatures, low humidity, and Santa Ana winds.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

October 11, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.

Wine Awareness Month

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna October 1,  2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- To date, some of this year’s most destructive fires were dangerously close to the Napa, Paso and Santa Barbara Wine Regions. Our hearts go out to the victims of these dangerous wildfires. Ask any Firefighter - they take any loss personally. Sometimes were just outnumbered, many times mother nature and the fires fury is too much. Especially with these drought conditions.

East County News Service

September 20, 2016 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s Destination East County includes a Latin film festival, Julian Apple days, Lemon Grove’s community potluck, Peace Day in La Mesa, and  a cowboy swap meet in Descanso.

 Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including Oktoberfests in La Mesa and El Cajon, Marshall Scotty’s scare trail,  Haunt Fest on Main,  East County’s first over-the-line tournament and a tailgate barbecue cook-off.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

Hear our KNSJ radio broadcast of this week's Destination East County by clicking the orange button above.

East County News Service

September 15, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes the Julian Music Festival, concerts by Siren’s Crush and the Grossmont Symphony and Master Chorale and a hike to the Valley of the Moon.

 Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including Julian Apple Days, Oktoberfests in La Mesa and El Cajon, an OktOVERfest and over-the-line tournament in Santee, a Marty Stuart concert in downtown El Cajon, Stockzilla at Santee Lakes, the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, open house with firefighters, a tailgate barbecue contest in Spring Valley, and Haunt Fest on Main.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Sam DiGiovanna

September 12, 2016 (San Diego) -- Some would say they strike fast and hit hard. That most occur in the 'outfield" and not on my home turf.  Or that the MLB Playoffs are in the fall and so are our Santa Ana winds. But what homeowners should be most concerned about is if their home is a “catcher’s mitt!”

By the East County Eaters

September 4, 2016 (El Cajon) – Long known for its flame-grilled steaks, cattle rancher roots and Western-themed décor,  Black Angus restaurants have now added a new hand-crafted, fresh juice cocktail menu to their Bulls Eye Bar.   From a Brazilian margarita that may make you want to dance the Samba to a Citrus Pomegranate Mule, you’ll find plenty to whet your whistle during all-day Happy Hours each Sunday , or from 3-7 p.m. all other days except Saturday.

We stopped by the Black Angus in El Cajon, where we savored some refreshing libations as well as tasty appetizers that roped us in to stay for a full dinner feast. 

By Miriam Raftery

August 30, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes a living history pageant on Mt. Laguna, the Barona Powwow, a grape stomp festival in Julian, Stockzilla at Santee Lakes and more.

 Plus, we’ll tell you about coming attractions including musical festivals in Santee and Julian, the Sycuan Powwow, a chili cook-off in Alpine, Julian’s Apple Days, and La Mesa’s expanded Oktoberfest.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Let’s All Have A Little Class!

August 30, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- When I was younger I hated all the “back to school commercials and ads.” It was the dreaded reminder summer was over and it was back to school time!

One class we all need is, It’s important to use extra caution while driving as excited students will be walking, bicycling, driving, riding buses and may not be paying attention while traveling to and from school.

Let’s take our first lesson with some safety reminders:

Answering your questions about writing, publishing, and marketing books

By Sarka-Jonae Miller, author of the free book Between Boyfriends

August 19, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - One of my favorite local authors, Jan Moran, is helping me to talk about romance and writing. Jan and I “met” on Goodreads.com when I reached out to her because she had recently moved to San Diego and my Between Boyfriends protagonist is named Jan as well. We've since done two local author events together and I've found her to be as smart about publishing as she is talented at writing. We also happen to each have a book included in the Finding Love in All the Right Places romance bundle, 12 novels for 99 cents.

How do you think the romance genre has grown? Is it overwhelmed, growing, dying, or in need of a face lift? – Annelle Willard, author of Frosted Sweets

By Chisato Iversen

August 17, 2016 (La Mesa) - East County Magazine stopped by Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza ( 8555 Fletcher Pkwy, La Mesa) to have some lunch.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that unlike most pizza places this restaurant has wide variety of foods and was really international--from soups, to tacos, all the way to, of course pizzas. I am pescatarian, so was definitely really happy to see that they have a lot of food options that are for vegetarians or vegans.