December 1, 2011 (Borrego) -- The word is out: there are now more attractions than desert wildflowers and the spectacular Anza-Borrego Desert State Park drawing visitors to Borrego Valley.
People are coming from around the United States and internationally to see the 129 full-size metal sculptures, including many creations inspired by the animals that roamed this desert millions of years ago. These range from prehistoric mammals to historical characters, fanciful dinosaurs, and a 350-foot-long fanciful serpent.
December 1, 2011 (San Diego County) -- In time for the holiday season, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reminds shoppers to beware of cyber criminals and their aggressive and creative ways to steal money and personal information.
December 1, 2011 (Alpine) -- The Alpine Woman’s Club will hold its Seventh Annual Christmas in Alpine Holiday Home Tour on Sunday December 4 from 10a.m. to 4p.m. “You will have an opportunity to stroll through four stunning homes which will be exquisitely decorated for the holidays,” said Carlette Anderson with the Alpine Women’s Club. Also, visit the new Queen of Angles Catholic Church and enjoy food and refreshments at 4p.m. at the Historic Town Hall.
"Last night my story was leading the nightly news [in the United Kingdom], and on the front page of The Guardian. Right? But where it matters, here [in America], it disappears. I hate it." – Greg Palast
December 1, 2011, (Julian) -- The Pig and the Dragon, a fantasy novel by La Mesa author Cindy Schuricht, is available for purchase at Julianʼs Quilts Plus, 2125 Main St., Julian. Come meet Cindy, have her sign your copy, and have a cup of hot apple cider on Sat. Dec. 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Pig and the Dragon is an intergenerational fable that alternates between the parentʼs and the childʼs points of view. A discussion booklet suggests topics and questions for conversation.
December 1, 2011 (La Mesa)--The Windermere Realty Co in La Mesa is having a Holiday Bazaar on December 3 from 1-4. serving hot cider and cookies. There will also be locals crafts and other local vendors.
December 1, 2011 (San Diego)—Leaping cossacks and flurries of snowflakes--See them all leap across the stage in the 22nd annual production of the Nutcracker by the San Diego Ballet Company Ballet.
Productions of the cherished holiday favorite by Peter Tchaikovsy will be presented Dec. 3-4 at the Birch North Park Theater in a co-production with the Grossmont College Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale. Additional shows will be presented December 17-18 at the UCSD Mandeville Auditorium, directed and choreographed by Robin Sheretz-Morgan and Javier Velasco.
December 1, 2011(San Diego's East County)--ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
U.S.
Black Friday retail sales hit record, report says (CNN)
FCC moves to block ATT-T-Mobile merger: (newser.com)
Western states report comeback of cattle rustling (Reuters)
Chevy Volt battery catches fire: government investigates General Motors’ electric car (Huffington Post)
Woman says she and Cain had 13 year affair; Cain denies allegations (CNN)
Historian/former assistant secretary of education under Pres. Bush blasts education reforms (Seattle Times)
Hospitals sue to block Medi-Cal cuts (KPBS)
Black Friday worker rescued after losing control of car due to exhaustion (Huffington Post)
Web giants at odds with Chamber of Commerce over piracy bill (Washington Post)
Online piracy act endangered as opponents speak out (Reuters)
WORLD
Al Qaeda targets dwindle as group shrinks: {Washington Post)
Arab League plans Syria sanctions (BBC)
Pakistan cuts NATO supplies after deadly raid (Reuters)
Goldman Sachs is majority owner of property management firm headed by Senator Feinstein’s husband
Story by Miriam Raftery, photos by Ron Logan
November 30, 2011 (San Diego) –Startling ironies came to light today in the case of Ray Lutz, an East County political activist and former Democratic Congressional candidate arrested yesterday for refusing to move a voter registration table out of the Civic Center Plaza.
December 1, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--East County Roundup highlights articles on top regional and state issues of interest to East County and inland San Diego County, published in other media. This week’s top Roundup headlines include:
STATE
Kamala Harris, deal breaker: California attorney general refuses to let five big banks off easy in the mortgage mess (Los Angeles Times)
University of California Regents okay raises for several executives (Sacramento Bee)
Protesters disrupt University of California Regents, but peaceful mood prevails (Sacramento Bee)
LOCAL
UT: Eagles put pressure on SDG&E (10 News)
Police say OT for “Occupy” is $144,000 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Firm pulls plug on wind farm near Winters, citing risk to birds (Sacramento Bee)
Wind projects spur alarm among Indians (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Tribes say no to wind farm (Imperial Valley Press)
Sweetwater bans charter school teams from league (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Charter school parents blast district: exclusionary policy at Sweetwater decried (San Diego Union-Tribune)
72-year-old pleads not guilty to hit and run case involving toddler (La Mesa Patch)
Grossmont Hospital preps for major overhaul (San Diego Union-Tribune)
November 28, 2011 (Alpine) -- Circle Dec. 9 on your calendar for the 16th Annual Alpine Village Christmas Parade of Lights & Snow Festival in Alpine. The free Snow Festival at the Alpine Creek Town Center at 1347 Tavern Road includes a real snow hill, lighting of the Alpine Community Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, a Ronald McDonald Magic Show, family activities,vendors and crafters.
November 30, 2011 (Escondido) – Escondido police today released a sketch of a man who reportedly assaulted a 15-year-old girl who was walking to school. The girl told police that the man, who was dressed all in black, pushed her to the ground beside his white station wagon and tried to sexually assault her.
No holiday events slated to help downtown merchants this year, as redevelopment agency forced to close doors due to state funding cuts and lack of support from city
City to vote December on management of a new PBID
By Miriam Raftery
November 27, 2011 (El Cajon) – Community leaders are reacting with shock, dismay, and questions after learning that the Board of Directors of the El Cajon Community Development Corporation has voted to dissolve the redevelopment organization due to lack of funding from both the city and state.President and CEO Cindi Fargo has been laid off, along with the remaining staff.
The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is reporting that a bat found at a condominium complex in Del Cerro has tested positive for rabies. The sick bat was found on Nov. 23 by a building maintenance worker at the Adobe Falls Condominium Complex located at 5485 Adobe Falls Road in San Diego.
November 30, 2011 (Otay Mesa)--A drug tunnel discovered Tuesday between Tijuana and San Diego was described by U.S. authorities as one of the most elaborate ever found beneath the U.S.—Mexico border. The passageway, the second major one uncovered in the past two weeks, connected a warehouse in Mexico to another in Otay Mesa.
“It’s one of the most sophisticated tunnels we’ve ever discovered,” said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "It’s got a number of features that were used to facilitate the smuggling." She said details of the tunnel’s construction would be forthcoming Wednesday.
This image provided by the San Diego Tunnel Task Force shows the entrance to a cross-border tunnel in Tijuana on Tuesday Nov. 29, 2011, the latest in a spate of secret passages found to smuggle drugs from Mexico.
November 24, 2011 (El Cajon) The public is invited to join the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce Business after hours Holiday Mixer at Crunch Fitness. The event will be Thursday, December 1, 2011, at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The location is Crunch Fitness, 565 Fletcher Parkway, Suite 202, El Cajon CA, above Dick’s Sporting Goods, in the Parkway Plaza. The admission fee is Members $10; Non-members $15.
New initiative encourages seniors and their loved ones to ‘use their voice’ to advocate on important issues through workshops and social media
November 30, 2011 (San Diego) -- Seniors First San DiegoTM, an advocacy program of Senior Community Centers, announces a schedule of workshops for seniors and their loved ones to use their voice to advocate on important issues, such as care giving, entitlement benefits such as social security and Medicare, transportation, housing and more.
November 30, 2011 (La Mesa) -- Grossmont Shopping Center announces a series of free concerts each Friday night in December from 6-9 p.m. featuring popular local bands. In addition, each Saturday from 1-3 p.m., kids can enjoy craft activities with favorite holiday characters. In addition, free gift giveaways will be held each Sunday from 1-3 p.m.
For a complete schedule of events, click on read more.
November 30, 2011 (Sacramento) -- Studies show that two out of three California seniors will need long-term care at some point in their lives. To prepare for this silver tsunami, the state has launched www.RUReadyCA.org, an independent, easy to use Web site that offers a host of tools, information and calculators to help each Californian plan for their individually unique long-term care needs.
Celebrity Lifestyle Expert and Best-Selling Author Dawn Bryan Offers Ten Tips for Hosting This Holiday Season
November 30, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- Whether the Holiday is Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas Eve, Kwanza, or the New Year, these occasions are meant to be shared with an abundance of good food and drink, good conversation, and good cheer. In addition, the thoughtful host will know how to provide a welcoming atmosphere of warmth and conviviality.
November 30, 2011 (San Diego)—A 23-year-old woman suffered facial fractures after she was hit by a car while bicycling yesterday around 5:30 p.m. She was riding southbound on College Avenue in the 4900 block near Cresita Drive when she was struck by a Hyundai SUV trying to pass her.
November 30, 2011 (El Cajon ) – An investigation into the death of motorcyclist Shawn Russell Kinzer, 40, has determined that his injuries were caused by a hit and run accident—not losing control of his vehicle as initially reported by authorities. The accident occurred on November 10 at 8:40 p.m. on I-8 east of Magnolia.
“This is what they do in banana republics and undemocratic societies.”—former San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre, calling arrest a violation of the Civil Rights Act and the First Amendment
November 29, 2011 (Lemon Grove) -- The Lemon Grove School District will break ground on November 30 at 9:00 a.m. for the joint-use library/media center planned following passage of Proposition W.
The ceremony will take place at Lemon Grove Middle School, 7866 Lincoln Street, Lemon Grove. When the Proposition W bond passed in 2008, the Lemon Grove School District began to plan for the implimentation of the projects outlined in the bond:
New Technologies, local and national databases help reunite lost dogs and their owners
By Dawn Celapino
November 29, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--Have you ever experienced any doggy parent’s worst nightmare--losing your dog? Have you ever found a dog and didn't know what to do?
November 29, 2011 (Chula Vista) -- Even in challenging economic times, people do the right thing. On June 30, 2011, a construction worker at Sharp Hospital in Chula Vista found $700 in cash. He brought the money to a hospital staff member, who notified police.
Program provides rebates and incentives for hybrid cabs
November 29, 2011(San Diego) -- The first “green” taxis at San Diego International Airport made their official debut Monday, Nov. 21, 2011, as part of an initiative to bring hybrid vehicles into the taxi fleet involving the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), Mossy Toyota and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.
November 29, 2011 (Lemon Grove) Monday morning at 10:36 a.m., Lemon Grove Deputies responded to an armed robbery at Mobile.Com in the 7900 block of Broadway.
The first suspect was described as a black male juvenile 5’10”‐ 6'0'', thin build, wearing a dark colored hoodie, mask and dark shorts. This suspect was carrying a silver handgun. The second suspect was described as a black male juvenile, wearing a dark colored hoodie, and dark pants.
Holiday shopping tips 
December 1, 2011 (Alpine) -- The Alpine Woman’s Club will hold its Seventh Annual Christmas in Alpine Holiday Home Tour on Sunday December 4 from 10a.m. to 4p.m. 
An ECM Exclusive Interview with Greg Palast
By Miriam Raftery
November 24, 2011 (El Cajon) The public is invited to join the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce Business after hours Holiday Mixer at Crunch Fitness. The event will be Thursday, December 1, 2011, at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The location is Crunch Fitness, 565 Fletcher Parkway, Suite 202, El Cajon CA, above Dick’s Sporting Goods, in the Parkway Plaza. The admission fee is Members $10; Non-members $15. 
Californians Urged to Prepare for Silver Tsunami
Celebrity Lifestyle Expert and Best-Selling Author Dawn Bryan Offers Ten Tips for Hosting This Holiday Season
November 30, 2011 (San Diego)—A 23-year-old woman suffered facial fractures after she was hit by a car while bicycling yesterday around 5:30 p.m. She was riding southbound on College Avenue in the 4900 block near Cresita Drive when she was struck by a Hyundai SUV trying to pass her.
November 29, 2011 (Chula Vista) -- Even in challenging economic times, people do the right thing. On June 30, 2011, a construction worker at Sharp Hospital in Chula Vista found $700 in cash. He brought the money to a hospital staff member, who notified police.
Program provides rebates and incentives for hybrid cabs
November 29, 2011 (Lemon Grove) Monday morning at 10:36 a.m., Lemon Grove Deputies responded to an armed robbery at Mobile.Com in the 7900 block of Broadway.
Recent comments