By Miriam Raftery

September 7, 2014 (San Diego) –The League of Women Voters invites the public to a “Meet the Candidates Reception and Forum” featuring candidates running in the November 4 election for state legislative offices in San Diego and East County, as well as San Diego City Council, Superior Court Judge, San Diego Unified and San Diego Community College districtsw. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 1st from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. 

Candidates for the following offices are invited to participate:

•  State Senate, Districts 36, 38 and 40 (District 36 is an open seat; 38 and 40 are held by incumbent Senators Joel Anderson and Ben Hueso)
•  State Assembly, Districts 71, 77, 78 and 79 (currently held by incumbents Brian Jones, Brian Maienscheim, Toni Atkins, and Shirley Weber)
•  San Diego City Council, District 6 (open seat)
•  San Diego Community College, Districts A and E (currently held by incumbents Maria Nieto Senour and Peter Zschiesche
•  Superior Court Judge, Office 25 (open seat)
•  San Diego Unified School Board, District B (currently held by incumbent Kevin Beiser)
  

Community asked to sponsor a student for $50 each

September 7, 2014 (La Mesa)--On Saturday, September 13th, the students and staff of the Helix Highlander Band and Color Guard have committed to a 12 hour practice challenge for their annual Rehearse-A-Thon, raising money while perfecting their competitive show.

Photo courtesy National Park Service: Merced River with Half Dome in background

EVACUATIONS IN YOSEMITE DUE TO WILDFIRE

By Miriam Raftery

September 8, 2014 (Yosemite)--A wildfire burning in Yosemite National Park has forced closure of some of the Park’s most popular trails. Strong winds have whipped the fire into a 700 acre conflagration that on Sunday forced evacuation of over 100 hikers and climbers, including 40 on the trail to Half Dome, some airlifted out by helicopter.

By Susan A. Mahalick

September 6, 2014 (Baja, Mexico)--Nestled up in the golden hills is a winery that is the vision of another one of our women winemakers here in Baja. The location of this venue was determined by the location of the Pretty Horses Rescue ranch. This part of Baja and horses go together with wine tasting as a natural outcome of blending two favorite activities of residents down here. There is a hitching post at the tasting room and plans are to build a horse trail around the ranch property.

By Miriam Raftery, photos by Danielle Cook and Wayne Brammer

September 7, 2014 (Jacumba Hot Springs)—This high desert town in San Diego’s East County is normally characterized by dry washes.  But tonight around 7:30 p.m., the town’s Centennial Committee chair Danielle Cook reports, “I received a call a half hour ago from another Jacumba resident, Bill Pape, saying to "get down to the bridge right away, there is a flash flood here and about 20 of us are gathering to watch it.”

September7, 2014 (San Diego)—The San Diego League of Women Voters invites you to “Lunch with the League” on Thursday, September 18^th at 11:30 a.m. at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse restaurant, 2150 Harbor Drive in San Diego.  The topic is “Climate change and its challenges.”

By Miriam Raftery

September 7, 2014 (San Diego) – Eighteen local initiatives will appear on ballots in San Diego County, on issues ranging from school bond for funding schools to measures that would legalize medical marijuana dispensaries.

Part 1 in a series

By the very happy East County Eaters at East County Magazine

Week 1: Terra American Bistro (San Diego/La Mesa area) and Viejas Resort & Casino (Alpine)

September 4, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)—Our intrepid team of East County Eaters have been on the road in search of the best Happy Hours across our inland region. (It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!) Each week, we’ll be featuring two locales offering diverse experiences. Whether your tastes run to sushi bars or cowboy bars, wine bistros or craft brew pubs, urban eateries or mountain taverns, you’ll find plenty to whet your appetite!

To kick off our series, we start by featuring two of our favorites:  Terra American Bistro, a bistro and bar that prides itself on farm-to-table fresh cuisine--right down to the fresh-squeeze passionfruits in our cocktails and the refreshingly tasty and affordable appetizers, plus we tried our luck at Viejas Casino and Resort -- a four-star vacation destination hotel with some great specials sure to make you happy. Cheers!

Colorado company, Integrated Water Services, Inc. awarded contract

Santee, CA – Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors approved a $1,547,000 contract to Integrated Water Services to construct a new Advanced Water Purification Demonstration Project on September 3. The contract, funded through a three million dollar state grant, includes the construction and  installation of a pilot demonstration plant that will use Advanced Water Purification (AWP) technologies to provide a potential new source of water that is safe, reliable, locally controlled, drought-proof and environmentally sound.

Our June podcasts of the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ radio are now online, including many candidates who will be on your November ballot, as well as interviews on issues ranging from firefighting job opportunities to legal tips for surviving disasters.

To listen to our June radio shows online now, plus see a complete list of interviewees and other content on each show in June, click here or click "read more" and scroll down. (Please be patient, sound files may take a minute to load)

The East County Magazine Radio Show airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on KNSJ 89.1 FM.

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2014 (San Diego) – San Diego State University campus police have issued an alert warning students that a sexual assault occurred early this morning at 1:39 a.m. at the Granada Apartment complex on Hardy Avenue.

September 5, 2014 (San Diego)—A cultural celebration featuring music, dance and cuisine of San Diego’s Somali-Bantu community will be held on Saturday, September 20 from 2-5 p.m. at the United Domestic Workers of America office, 4855 Seminole Drive, San Diego.

September 6, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Cleveland National Forest (CNF) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a public meeting on October 1, 2014 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Blvd. in Alpine. The purpose is to obtain comments on a joint draft environmental impact report/draft environmental impact statement prepared by the two agencies regarding San Diego Gas & Electric Company’s proposal for a master special use permit in Cleveland National Forest and proposed replacement/fire hardening of select power lines in and around the federally protected Cleveland National Forest.

September 6, 2014 (El Cajon) – The East County Wellness Center provides free wellness tips for our readers.  This month’s wellness tips include infant massage, massage for weight loss, daily walking tips, neuromuscular massage, making your own coffee scrub, and relaxation tips for self confidence.