April 22, 2011 (La Mesa) -- Oh Yeah! Once again, blues musicians will be jamming at the 12th annual Spring Harp Fest. Bring sunscreen, lawn chairs and friends to Harry Griffen Park (near the Amaya Street Trolley Station and Grossmont High School) in La Mesa for this fun, FREE concert on Saturday, April 23 from 12 noon to 7 p.m.
While the TEA Party calls for tax cuts and slashing services, a new taxpayers' movement is outraged by some of America's biggest corporations paying zero taxes while reaping huge profits. Now a national movement calling for corporations to pay a "fair share" has reached the streets in San Diego.
April 21, 2011 (La Mesa) – By a 4-1 vote, Helix Water District’s Board of Directors approved a new two-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) for its employees. General Manager Mark Weston said the “new reality” reflects recognition that employees need to share in pension contributions and that Helix pay rates and benefits are competitive with other districts.
But some ratepayers argued that the changes do not go far enough.
April 22, 2011 (Santa Ysabel) –Visit a pre-1840 North American fun trade encampment and see history come alive at the Manzinita High Mountain Rendezvous. The event also showcases frontier skills such as fire starting, tomahawk, and shooting with rifle, pistol, shotgun, smoothbore and primitive bow.
April 22, 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.
April 21, 2011 (El Cajon) – Michael Hendricks , 26, died Tuesday from a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting. He had been hospitalized and was in a coma after being stung a week earlier in Alpine. A pastor at East Valley Christian Fellowship, Hendricks is remembered by parishioners for his leadership in teen and youth programs.
April 21, 2011 (El Cajon)—On Earth Day, MLB Industries Inc, the San Diego-based manufacturer of Happy Heinys reusable diapers, will host one of over 400 sites at 32 countries worldwide where cloth diaper enthusiasts will gather and seek to add cloth diapers to the Guinness Book of World Records. The company aims to help set a world record for most disposable diapers changed out for cloth at its Happy Heinys manufacturing facility, along with its natural parenting store, Baby Frenzy, on Saturday, April 23 from 8:30- 9:15a.m. at 1529 N Cuyamaca St in El Cajon.
Every five minute,3,000 throwaway diapers will be sent to San Diego landfills.
April 21, 2011 (El Cajon)– GET Engineering Corporation, an El Cajon firm, was recognized for its quality and performance by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. GET received a Supplier Excellence Award at a recognition ceremony held at the Wyndham hotel in Andover, Massachusetts on April 13, 2011.
April 21, 2011 (San Diego)--The property values in San Diego County have been dropping in market value over the last couple of years. Consequently, some property owners are submitting a request for review of their assessed value with the County Assessor’s Office. Ernie Dronenburg, the San Diego County Assessor, reminds property owners that the deadline to request a review of their assessed value is April 29, 2011.
Public comments will be heard at hearing; action comes after years of citizen complaints and recent media spotlight on polluter
By Miriam Raftery
April 21, 2011 (El Cajon) – East County Magazine photographer Dennis Richard, disgusted by the sight of smoke belching from the Neptune Society crematorium at 13065 Old Highway 80 in El Cajon, sent a photo to media outlets that started a firestorm of controversy.
“You can see from my picture; the smoke of ...human bodies blowing out of the smoke stack and drifting over Jack in the Box and the nearby neighborhoods,” he wrote.
April 20, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Heritage of the Americas Museum, located on the campus of Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, is holding anl art sale featuring original works by well known artist Guadalupe Apodaca, whose popular works feature Native Americans and the West. He has galleries in Scottsdale and Santa Fe.
The Museum is also holding a sale featuring Pan Dao, the stitchery of the Lao Hmong. During the Vietnam War, the Lao Hmong allied with United States forces. Their service was vital in leading downed airmen back to friendly territory. Without a written language, their stitchery was the art form that recorded their beliefs and their history.
April 20, 2011 (San Diego) Kid Rock has announced the second leg of his "BORN FREE" tour that comes in support of his most recent release, "BORN FREE." The second leg of the tour, featuring Sheryl Crow, will kick off July 2nd in Cincinnati and cross the country hitting amphitheaters over the span of 30 shows.
Ticket sales began this week for their San Diego appearanceAugust 2nd at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre.
April 20, 2011 (El Cajon) – A bullet fired by an El Cajon Police offer at a fleeing subject late last night passed through the man's wrist and lodged him his chest.
Officers had responded to a call of several people on campus drinking and causing a disturbance at Johnson Elementary School at 500 East Madison Street around 11 p.m. Two suspects fled and the officers were separated as they chased the suspects.
Family wants case reopened; believes daughter may have been sold to human traffickers
Case raises concerns over safety of advertising on Craigslist
By Miriam Raftery
April 19, 2011 (San Diego) – John Steven Burgess confessed to drugging and killing San Diego State University freshman Donna Jou after meeting her on Craigslist, where she advertised tutoring services. Burgess, 38, a convicted sex offender, claimed he accidentally overdosed Jou and panicked, then dumped her body in the ocean. She was never found.
Burgess was sentenced to just five years in prison, convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He sought early release for good behavior after serving just two years. After protests by the family, California Deparment of Corrections last week announced it would release Burgess from state custody, though he will serve another year in Los Angeles County Jail. The news sparked outrage due to his dark history of sexual predation and violence--even before he met Jou.
Retirement benefit cost-sharing for employees also on the table
By Miriam Raftery
April 18, 2011 (La Mesa) – Metropolitan Water District declared the drought over after heavy winter rains. But Helix Water District' general manager Mark Weston, in a report to the Board, recommends that staff prepare a Water Rate Study which could lead to rate increases in the fall.
April 19, 2011 (El Cajon ) – Do you have blankets or a dog bed that you don’t need? The El Cajon Animal Shelter seeks donations or new or used dog beds and blankets for dogs that are currently housed in outdoor kennels with concrete floors. Cushioning will help make them more comfortable.
Guests savored fare served up by Chefs de Cuisine & S.D. County Vintners Associations;
Tough-to-build line was once called the “impossible railroad”
April 18, 2011 (Campo) – More than 400 fans of fine foods, winetasting and vintage trains turned out on April 2nd at the“Chef’s Fire Up the Iron Horse” celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo. Guests learned the colorful lore of San Diego's own railway line, rode the rails--and savored some memorable wining and dining.
Chefs de Cuisuine carved up up a whole roast pig as well as other mouth-watering dishes served up at seafood, barbecue and dessert stations. Owners of local wineries poured a generous array of samples at the San Diego County Vintners Association table. Other sponsors included Ballast Point Brewery, Café Calabria, and Viejas.
April 18, 2011 (La Mesa)--La Mesa Police Department in conjunction with the San Diego County Probation Department conducted a Probation Stakeout Operation today. This operation resulted in one arrest for a woman violating terms of her DUI (driving under the influence) probation.
The Probation Department identified 16 subjects, all on Court Ordered Probation and living in La Mesa. They are considered the “worst of the worst” of the DUI offenders. One of their probation conditions is “no alcohol” what so ever, at any time.
April 18, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-Santee) needs help finding a veteran in his district to honor. The 77th Assembly District is looking for a veteran to honor who is a veteran of Iraq/Afghanistan/Desert Storm and has contributed significantly to the community. (View map of 77th district.)
April 18, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- While beach denizens are contending with coastal fog, the sun is shining out here in East County--where it's just another day in paradise this time of year.
We hope you'll enjoy our local photographers' images of springtime in East County!
April 18, 2011 (San Diego) – The Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber is brewing up a big event – presenting America’s Finest Beer Festival. The festival will feature more than 120 California breweries as well as live music and food. The festival is on tap for July 22-24 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
April 18, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -Teamwork is often a forgotten concept in a sport like stock car racing, where individual accomplishment gains the most attention. Jimmie Johnson didn't forget the concept at the Aaron's 499 race at Talladega Speedway Sunday, April 17. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., gave him a push at the finish, giving Johnson his first win of the season and 54th of his career.
Planners seek ouster of wind farm's project manager
A column written for East County Magazine
By Billie Jo Jannen
April 16, 2011 (Boulevard)--The manager of Enel Green Power Jewel Valley made the claim that the Boulevard Planning Group scares her--and that she’s not going back without law enforcement protection.
April 17, 2011 (Julian) – A motorcycle accident prompted a SIG Alert briefly today near Julian, Incident Page Network reports. The accident occurred on Highway 79 in front of Jeremy’s on the Hill around 11:15 a.m.
Update 2:30 p.m.: SDG&E reports power is out to under 100 homes in this area.
April 17, 2011 (Jamul) – A vehicle that struck a power pole and caught fire has resulted in shut-down of Highway 94 in both directions at Honey Springs Road in Jamul. According to the CHP, there are live wires down across the roadway and SDG&E is en route, as of 1:47 p.m.
![](/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/resize/HelixWater-GordenPlace-sm-250x212.jpg ""I have zero COLA," said Gordon Place, who objected to cost-of-living increases for employees and the prospet of rate hikes.")
April 21, 2011 (La Mesa) – By a 4-1 vote, Helix Water District’s Board of Directors approved a new two-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) for its employees. General Manager Mark Weston said the “new reality” reflects recognition that employees need to share in pension contributions and that Helix pay rates and benefits are competitive with other districts.
April 21, 2011 (El Cajon)—On Earth Day, MLB Industries Inc, the San Diego-based manufacturer of Happy Heinys reusable diapers, will host one of over 400 sites at 32 countries worldwide where cloth diaper enthusiasts will gather and seek to add cloth diapers to the Guinness Book of World Records. The company aims to help set a world record for most disposable diapers changed out for cloth at its Happy Heinys manufacturing facility, along with its natural parenting store, Baby Frenzy, on Saturday, April 23 from 8:30- 9:15a.m. at 1529 N Cuyamaca St in El Cajon.
April 21, 2011 (San Diego)--The property values in San Diego County have been dropping in market value over the last couple of years. Consequently, some property owners are submitting a request for review of their assessed value with the County Assessor’s Office. Ernie Dronenburg, the San Diego County Assessor, reminds property owners that the deadline to request a review of their assessed value is April 29, 2011.
April 20, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Heritage of the Americas Museum, located on the campus of Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, is holding anl art sale featuring original works by well known artist Guadalupe Apodaca, whose popular works feature Native Americans and the West. He has galleries in Scottsdale and Santa Fe.
April 20, 2011 (San Diego) Kid Rock has announced the second leg of his "BORN FREE" tour that comes in support of his most recent release, "BORN FREE." The second leg of the tour, featuring Sheryl Crow, will kick off July 2nd in Cincinnati and cross the country hitting amphitheaters over the span of 30 shows. 
April 20, 2011 (El Cajon) – A bullet fired by an El Cajon Police offer at a fleeing subject late last night passed through the man's wrist and lodged him his chest. 
By Miriam Raftery
By Miriam Raftery
Southwest Railway Museum in Campo. Guests learned the colorful lore of San Diego's own railway line, rode the rails--and savored some memorable wining and dining.
April 18, 2011 (La Mesa)--La Mesa Police Department in conjunction with the San Diego County Probation Department conducted a Probation Stakeout Operation today. This operation resulted in one arrest for a woman violating terms of her DUI (driving under the influence) probation.
April 18, 2011 (San Diego) – The Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber is brewing up a big event – presenting America’s Finest Beer Festival. The festival will feature more than 120 California breweries as well as live music and food. The festival is on tap for July 22-24 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Planners seek ouster of wind farm's project manager 
April 17, 2011 (Jamul) – A vehicle that struck a power pole and caught fire has resulted in shut-down of Highway 94 in both directions at Honey Springs Road in Jamul. According to the CHP, there are live wires down across the roadway and SDG&E is en route, as of 1:47 p.m.
Recent comments