East County News Service

October 27, 2021 (Julian) – You’re invited to get into the Halloween spooky spirit Halloween weekend at Ghost Town Banner City’s haunted forest from 7 to 11 p.m. The Haunted Forest is located at historic Banner Ranch about seven miles from downtown Julian.

By Henri Migala, East County Eater

October 26, 2021 (La Mesa) -- East County is quickly becoming the new go-to place in San Diego for the best BBQ in town. One of the most delicious is West Coast Smoke and Tap House in La Mesa, where new owners defied all odds by taking over amid the pandemic and serving up the restaurant’s most successful year ever.

By Mimi Pollack

October 26, 2021 (Alpine) -- Giving back to others is always good, but when you can give back to both animals and humans, that is even better! Local humanitarian, Agnes Barrelet, is doing just that up in Alpine, heading up the non-profit, Children’s Nature Retreat Foundation.  Now the retreat needs our help.

By Elijah McKee

October 25, 2021 (Lemon Grove) -- Anyone who owns a car hopes to drive on roads that are smooth and safe, for their sake and their community’s. The reality for many drivers in Lemon Grove is the opposite, as they face an array of holes, cracks, and ridges that jostle their daily transit.

Source: Caltrans

Photo: Creative Commons-SA via Bing

October 23, 2021 (Dulzura) --  Pavement rehabilitation work on a nine-mile segment of State Route 94,  from just west of Arnold Road to State Route 188 in East County, will move to weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Monday, according to Caltrans.

The work will require lane closures on 1.5-mile sections of roadway within the project area through November. Highway personnel will direct traffic onto the open lane, one direction at a time, as crews work on the closed lane.

Traffic delays are expected depending on the traffic queues and motorists are advised to allow additional travel time to reach their destinations.

Signs will be posted ahead of the closures to alert drivers.

By Miriam Raftery

October 23, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – The drought has dried up watering holes and vegetation that the Anza Borrego Desert’s iconic bighorn sheep rely upon.  Scott Gibson with the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep told ECM, “Endangered bighorn sheep mortality due to dehydration has been documented recently."

Fortunately, the U.S. Marines came to the rescue – with help from several nonprofit organizations and state agencies. In September, a Marine Corps helicopter crew made the first-ever helicopter water delivery to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Click here view a video by David Owen Hawxhurst, www.hawxhurtst.com and scroll down for details.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Creative commons image via Bing

October 22, 2021 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove’s City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to join Tree City USA, a national program that has provided 3.6 million trees to  communities since its inception in 1976. Lemon Grove joins East County’s other cities (La Mesa, El Cajon and Santee) and  3,600 other communities in all 50 states.

Planting a thriving urban forest creates theses benefits for communities, according to Tree City USA, a project of the Arbor Day Foundation:  

By Miriam Raftery

October 21, 2021 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police arrested a man this evening for domestic violence after a physical altercation at Salon Radiance.

Officers responded to a report of the altercation between a man and woman around 5:30 p.m. at the hair salon located at 4753 Palm Avenue in the La Mesa downtown village.

“When officers arrived, their investigation revealed that it was a domestic violence incident and the victim had a valid restraining order against the suspect. The victim suffered minor injuries (abrasions),” Lieutenant Greg Runge with La Mesa Police told ECM in an email response to our request for information.

East County News Service

October 21, 2021 (Jamul) – A retail shopping center in Jamul has been sold for $6 million. The property, which had not been listed for sale, sold on Sept. 17, Commercial Asset Advisors announced.  The 18,926-square-foot center has multiple tenants and is anchored by a 7-Eleven gas station. It is located at 12918-12930 Campo Road, Jamul, CA 91935.

CAA’s Gino Kalasho and Mike Conger represented the buyer, Fuel Team Inc., on this transaction. The seller was Dan Floit.The property includes approximately one acre of unused land that could be developed in the future.

By Miriam Raftery

October 20, 2021 (El Cajon) – U.S. District Court Judge William Hayes has issued an order ruling on behalf of the Cajon Valley Union School District and dismissed a lawsuit filed against the district in 2019 by Trustee Jill Barto. 

Barto declined comment. Her attorney, Michael Aguirre, told ECM, “We are appealing,” but did not elaborate. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 20, 2021 (La Mesa) – The family of Corneilius Donte Brown is offering a $9,000 reward in addition to a $1,000 reward from Crimestoppers, bringing the total to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest for his killing. 

The 22-year-old stationed at Naval Base Coronado was fatally shot by one of two men wearing ski masks and black hooded sweatshirts show came to the front door of his home on Echo Court in La Mesa on April 24 around 12:30 a.m.  

Review By Kathy Carpenter

October 18, 2021 (La Mesa) - Is There a Perfect Crime? Lamplighters in La Mesa presents the classic "Dial M For Murder." The play is based on a 1954 movie starring Ray Millank and Grace Kelly, directed by Hitchcock--a thriller perfect for this time of year. Written by Frederick Knott, directed by Calvin Manson, the play combines to bring us a story with both plot and delicious characters--a detailed plot for murder. Will the would-be killer get away with it? 

The plot centers around a tennis star who married a wealthy socialite for her money. He can no longer play tennis and discovers his wife has cheated on him. Now he plans to murder her for her fortune. He concocts quite the plot. The man his wife cheated with is a writer, but her husband's imagination makes them equals.

By Miriam Raftery

October 17, 2021 (La Mesa) – A memorial service for long-time local umpire and newsman Michael “Mike” Jon Hart  will be held on November 9 at 11 a.m. at the La Mesa National Little League Field.  Hart spent years as an umpire behind the plate at the field where he also played baseball in his youth.  A 1970 graduate of Grossmont High, where he also coached, Hart spent decades umpiring local youth and college sports, became President of the San Diego County Umpires Association, and was inducted into the San Diego Sports Officials Hall of Fame.

“It would really mean a lot to our family, and a true honor to Mike, if we saw a lot of umpires in the audience,” says Carlynne Albee, sister of Hart’s wife, Michelle Harvey. Umpires are invited to dress in uniform as a tribute.

Hart, also known locally as the long-time publisher of the Julian News , died September 14 after battling brain and lung cancer.

By Henri Migala

October 16, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- If you’ve ever seen the classic 1972 movie, Jeremiah Johnson, played by Robert Redford, about the golden age of Mountain Men, you might remember the last line of the movie, “…. and some men say, he’s up there still.”

October 15, 2021 (La Mesa) -- Four candidates participated in a lively forum last night hosted by East County Magazine on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook.  Mejgan Afshan, Kathleen Brand, Patricia Dillard and Laura Lothian participated. (Note, Lothian joined a minute late due to techincal issues and is not shown in the screenshot)

shared their diverse views on issues including homelessness, equity/police reforms and public safety,  affordable housing and development, the downtown district and neighborhood revitalization, the potential for a new library and/or community meeting space, public health mandates, the role of the new Arts and Culture Commission, and candidates' endorsements.

Each candidate gave a two minute opening statement and a one minute closing statement. (Two other candidates, Jim Stieringer and Michelle Louden, did not participate in the forum but Stieringer sent candidate information. Read more about the candidates at https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/ecm-host-la-mesa-city-council-candida... .

View forum full screen by clicking the Youtube image above or this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htVd2cSh-2E

You can also share this link on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EastCountyMagazine/videos/981838262677468

Hear radio versions of the forum broadcast on KNSJ (part 1 and part 2) by clicking the audio links below.