Trump administration’s new version of food pyramid draws criticism from health experts on fats and alcohol, praise for advice to “eat real foods” and avoid processed products
October 24, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A rash of sign-stealing and defacement has marred the campaign trail in East County communities including Santee, Lakeside, El Cajon. The latest targets are large signs criticizing gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.
Vandals in Santee cut the name “Meg” out of numerous 4 x 8 foot signs that read: “What’s Meg Hiding? $200 million to buy election; didn’t vote for 28 years; caters to the rich and corporations. What’s her REAL agenda?” ECM photographer Dennis Richardson spotted at least four of the damaged signs this afternoon--and noticed several others had gone missing completely.
October 24, 2010 (San Diego) – The Arco Gas Station at 8787 Lake Murray Boulevard was robbed at gunpoint last night at 5:23 p.m., San Diego Police report.
Family-Friendly, Safe Halloween Party and Craft Fair
October 9, 2010 (San Diego ) -- Local children are invited to celebrate Halloween in a safe, family-friendly environment at Salvation Army Kroc Center’s annual BOO BASH and Harvest Fair on Saturday, October 30th at 5 p.m.
October 24, 2010 (La Mesa) -- With the election nine days away, ECM offers La Mesa voters this expanded collection of interviews, video clips, debate and news coverage for candidates on their ballots.
October 24, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The U.S. Forest Service’s Regional Forester Randy Moore has upheld the Record of Decision (ROD) approving construction of Sunrise Powerlink, SDG&E's high-voltage transmission line slated to cross 19 miles of National Forest land in Cleveland National Forest as well as 49 miles of Bureau of Land Management land.
Halloween event includes prizes for runners with best costumes
October 21, 2010 (El Cajon) – Up to 3,000 participants are expected to take part in a 5K “Mud Run” on October 31st. The charity fundraiser takes off at Skyline Church, 11330 in La Mesa, raising money to benefit children’s programs with Sonshinehaven.org, programs offered by Skyline Sports, and Rescue Task Force, a world relief organization.
October 23, 2010 (Spring Valley) – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered flags in the state capitol flown at half-mast to honor Sergeant Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley. Martinez was serving his third tour of duty when he was killed on October 14 by insurgents who attacked his unit in Afghanistan with an improvised explosive device. Two other soldiers, Sgt. Carlos A. Benitz and Pfc. Tremaine J. Billingsley, also died from the explosion.
“He served our country with honor, integrity and steadfast loyalty, and in the end he made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” the Governor said, extending condolences to the Martinez family. "Rafael will be remembered and honored forever in our hearts."
October 23, 2010 (El Cajon) – Camp Bow-Wow invites you and your dog to celebrate Halloween early at “Yappy Hour” on Thursday, October 28 from 6-8 p.m. at the Downtown Café. “Bring your pup or pups in costume and win some great prizes,” a press release for the event states. “We will be judging most creative, funniest and owner/pup best duos—so you two-legged folks, come dressed up as well.”
October 23, 2010 (Sacred Rocks) -- The inaugural horse camp experience launched October 15-17 at Sacred Rocks Horse Camp, with several participants and many horses visiting for a complementary weekend. “Riding, sitting around the campfire telling tales, and the Saturday night barbeque brought to mind the lifestyle of the old west when time seemed meaningless while folks were enjoying their days,” said Sharon Courmousis, owner of Scared Rocks Reserve and the new Sacred Rocks Horse Camp.
October 23, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Timothy Allen Bliss of Ramona has been arrested following a chase through Lakeside, Poway and Ramona on State Route 67.
October 23, 2010 (San Diego) -- With Halloween and trick-or-treating just a week away, two imported candies from China that are distributed by a Chula Vista company have been found to contain high levels of lead.
October 23, 2010 (San Diego)--After the hilarious yet powerfully dramatic and tragic Gran Torino and the rousing Invictus, director Clint Eastwood has followed up with the somber and sedate Hereafter, which presented a challenge for my attention span. The movie opens with a spectacular tsunami that nearly takes the life of French journalist Marie LeLay (Cecile De France). For the first hour after this sequence I started getting a little restless, feeling that the film wasn’t delivering anything close to the level of the opening action. But that changed over the next hour and I began to fully appreciate it. It doesn’t rank among Eastwood’s best directorial efforts but it is a good movie that doesn’t have a lot to say about its subject matter but is interesting if you’re willing to listen.
Lothian accused by local business owner of staging photo shoot to trash Madrid
East County News Service
October 21, 2010 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa Mayoral challenger Laura Lothian generated headlines yesterday when her campaign was seen piling trash and draping it over a wall so she could pose in the midst of the trash, smiling proudly with a campaign sign for a photo shoot.
October 22, 2010 (San Diego) -- After three public hearings and hours of testimony from scores of people, including the homeless, the San Diego City Council has chosen a site in its own backyard to serve as a winter shelter: Golden Hall, the convention complex attached to City Hall.
“This is the best compromise available for this year’s winter shelter,” said Councilmember Emerald, a former TV newscaster who once went spent a week living on the streets for an undercover story on homelessness.
October 22, 2010 (San Diego) – San Diego Police report two incidents today involving young teens approached while walking in San Diego’s eastern areas. At 7:55 a.m., a 14-year old walking towards Hoover High School at 4400 University Avenue in Talmdage told police that a man wearing clothing with paint on them walked up behind her and grabbed her buttocks, telling her to go with him.
No kidding! Youngsters had a great time at the San Miguel Fire open house in Spring Valley earlier this month, where this boy got a close-up look at goats owned by Johnny Gonzalez; the four-footed brush clearing team is used to create firebreaks in East County’s rural areas. Photo by Miriam Raftery.
“My son grew up here in Boulevard and loves what God gave us,” wrote reader Leslie Mauris, who submitted this photo of boulders balanced as if by divine design.
Scroll down to see more amazing images of East County.....
October 21, 2010, (Ramona) -- The Palomar Ranger District of Cleveland National Forest in Ramona is maintaining closure of the Orosco Ridge Recreational Target Shooting Area for an indefinite amount of time, due to public safety concerns. Those include an accidental shooting, near misses at or near the range, and repeated wildfire starts caused by use of both legal and illegal firearms, the U.S. Forest Service reports.
October 22, 2010 (San Diego)--Conviction has a well-told, if formulaic, story. The acting is OK, although I felt at times Hilary Swank was trying too hard. It somewhat touched me emotionally and I got mad at times, in a good way. However, I cannot recommend it because of its one major flaw: it’s nothing more than big screen television.
October 22, 2010 (San Diego)--Last week, a 19-year-old student named Diana Gonzalez was found dead in a men’s bathroom at San Diego City College. Investigators are looking for her estranged husband because there has been a history of domestic violence reported between them. It’s a shocking incident that has made front-page headlines.
I work as a counselor at San Diego City College and I don’t want to focus on the horror of the violence. What I want to tell you about is the candlelight vigil organized by the campus Associated Students in front of the school cafeteria Thursday evening in honor of their fellow student.
By Bob Yarris, Board Emeritus
Grossmont Healthcare District
October 20, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- Having served 16 years on the Grossmont Healthcare District Board of Directors, I would strongly encourage East County voters on Nov. 2 to cast their very important vote for Gloria Chadwick, RN and Michael Long MD.
"It is a public good, and that’s why to starve it is crazy. We should invest more, not less.” -- Jerry Brown, on higher education funding
By Tanya Huang
Photos by David J. Olender
October 21, 2010 (San Diego) — Gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown addressed a crowd of hundreds at San Diego State University on Thursday afternoon—his only stop in San Diego—about the importance of funding higher education while criticizing his opponent, Meg Whitman for excessively spending on her campaign. See full video of Brown's speech at SDSU or scroll down for details.
October 22, 2010 (Ramona)--The Palomar Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest is conducting prescribed burning from October 19th 2010 to May, 2011 if weather and fuel moisture conditions permit. This vegetation treatment is for community defense, fuel break maintenance and forest health, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The prescribed burning will take place on Forest Service Land that adjoins the San Diego Country Estates.
October 22, 2010 (San Diego) -- A proposal to implement a high-tech Graffiti Tracker Program was recently approved by The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. The Grafitti Tracker Program is a comprehensive, web-based system designed to identify, track, prosecute, and seek restitution from graffiti vandals.
Seventy-Five Percent of Pertussis Cases are Children 18 Years of Age and Younger
October 22, 2010 (San Diego) -- A six-week-old infant, born prematurely, died last week after being diagnosed with pertussis at Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego, according to County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) officials today. This is the second death of an infant from whooping cough in San Diego County.
October 21, 2010 (Julian) -- On Sunday, October 31, at 5:00 p.m. Jeremy’s on the Hill California-Style Bistro teams up with Stone Brewing Company to host a five-course Beer Pairing. The event will feature local produce and ingredients, as well as specialty hops and at least one course featuring grass fed American bison from Star B Buffalo Ranch and Hops Farm.
Guests are invited to wear Halloween Costumes (if they dare….) and prizes will be awarded.
October 21, 2010 (Alpine) – Viejas Outlet Center is once again offering a safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. Stores will welcome little ghosts, goblins and parents to participate in this free family event, which runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, October 31.
October 21, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Valley Music Store hosts its next open mike nights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sasturday, October 30th. For many years now, the 58-year-old music store has had a reputation for drawing some of the best musical talent around at its open mike nights. These events are free and open to the public at the store’s new location at 1611 Magnolia Ave. in El Cajon.
Public turns out primarily in opposition, though majority of planning groups support
By Lola Sherman
October 21, 2010 (San Diego) - After listening to seven hours of testimony from dozens of speakers for and against a controversial General Plan Update affecting much of East County, the county Board of Supervisors yesterday put off a decision until Nov. 10.
On that date, the board expects to hear from 150 more speakers over another seven-hour period—and it plans to vote on the entire Update package.
![](/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/resize/MegSign-vandalized-350x233.jpg "Vandals cut "Meg" out of signs critical of Meg Whitman, the ex-E-Bay CEO running for Governor.")
By Miriam Raftery
October 24, 2010 (San Diego) – The Arco Gas Station at 8787 Lake Murray Boulevard was robbed at gunpoint last night at 5:23 p.m., San Diego Police report.
October 9, 2010 (San Diego ) -- Local children are invited to celebrate Halloween in a safe, family-friendly environment at Salvation Army Kroc Center’s annual BOO BASH and Harvest Fair on Saturday, October 30th at 5 p.m.
By Kristin Kjaero and Miriam Raftery
October 24, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The U.S. Forest Service’s Regional Forester Randy Moore has upheld the Record of Decision (ROD) approving construction of Sunrise Powerlink, SDG&E's high-voltage transmission line slated to cross 19 miles of National Forest land in Cleveland National Forest as well as 49 miles of Bureau of Land Management land. 
October 21, 2010 (El Cajon) – Up to 3,000 participants are expected to take part in a 5K “Mud Run” on October 31st. The charity fundraiser takes off at Skyline Church, 11330 in La Mesa, raising money to benefit children’s programs with Sonshinehaven.org, programs offered by Skyline Sports, and Rescue Task Force, a world relief organization.
October 23, 2010 (Spring Valley) – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered flags in the state capitol flown at half-mast to honor Sergeant Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley. Martinez was serving his third tour of duty when he was killed on October 14 by insurgents who attacked his unit in Afghanistan with an improvised explosive device. Two other soldiers, Sgt. Carlos A. Benitz and Pfc. Tremaine J. Billingsley, also died from the explosion.
October 23, 2010 (El Cajon) – Camp Bow-Wow invites you and your dog to celebrate Halloween early at “Yappy Hour” on Thursday, October 28 from 6-8 p.m. at the Downtown Café. “Bring your pup or pups in costume and win some great prizes,” a press release for the event states. “We will be judging most creative, funniest and owner/pup best duos—so you two-legged folks, come dressed up as well.”
October 23, 2010 (San Diego) -- With Halloween and trick-or-treating just a week away, two imported candies from China that are distributed by a Chula Vista company have been found to contain high levels of lead.
By Brian Lafferty
October 22, 2010 (San Diego) -- After three public hearings and hours of testimony from scores of people, including the homeless, the San Diego City Council has chosen a site in its own backyard to serve as a winter shelter: Golden Hall, the convention complex attached to City Hall.
October 22, 2010 (San Diego) – San Diego Police report two incidents today involving young teens approached while walking in San Diego’s eastern areas. At 7:55 a.m., a 14-year old walking towards Hoover High School at 4400 University Avenue in Talmdage told police that a man wearing clothing with paint on them walked up behind her and grabbed her buttocks, telling her to go with him.
No kidding! Youngsters had a great time at the San Miguel Fire open house in Spring Valley earlier this month, where this boy got a close-up look at goats owned by Johnny Gonzalez; the four-footed brush clearing team is used to create firebreaks in East County’s rural areas. Photo by Miriam Raftery. 
By Miriam Raftery
October 20, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- Having served 16 years on the Grossmont Healthcare District Board of Directors, I would strongly encourage East County voters on Nov. 2 to cast their very important vote for Gloria Chadwick, RN and Michael Long MD.
y Tanya Huang
East County News Service
East County News
By Anne Spencer and Hub Thompson
By Lola Sherman
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