By Miriam Raftery
 
February 28, 2010 (Lakeside) – What could be sweeter than plump, ripe, just-picked strawberries?
 
Victoria’s Gardens offers guests the opportunity to pick their own berries on a working farm—and also enjoy family fun activities that include a petting zoo, giant slides, train rides, pony rides, hay rides, fun jump and more.

February 28, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –Lakeside firefighters rescued two passengers from a rollover accident February 22. At 10:08 PM, the Heartland Communications Center dispatched one engine company, one rescue company, and an ALS ambulance and Battalion Chief to the 14000 block of Highway 8 business in the Johnston community, Captain Mark Grow of Lakeside Fire District reported at http://lakesidefiredist.blogspot.com/.

February 21, 2010 (Lakeside) -- Multiple units from the Lakeside Fire District responded to a single vehicle rollover on rain-slickened Highway 67 in northern Lakeside this afternoon. Several passers-by including off-duty fire and police personnel performed CPR on the seriously injured driver until Lakeside Fire units arrived, Captain Scott Culkin reports.

February 20, 2010 (Lakeside) – Sean Scenna, 22, has been arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Scenna is accused of stabbing a juvenile at Lindo Lake County Park in Lakeside on February 14th.

February 17, 2010 (Lakeside) – Amy Beringhaus, 35, of Lakeside was struck by a car and killed yesterday morning on Los Coches Road in El Cajon while jogging with her husband, Shaun, and their dog.  According to authorities, she stepped off the sidewalk into an unmarked crossing area in the northbound land in front of an oncoming car.

February 6, 2010 (Lakeside) - A high-speed, head-on traffic collision with entrapment on a rain-slicked road brought a multi-agency response to Lake Jennings Park Road in Lakeside.  Crews used hydraulic rescue tools to extricate the front seat passenger of one vehicle. Firefighter/paramedics provided advanced life support care and transported a total of three patients to the trauma centers at Sharp Memorial and Scripps Mercy hospitals.

February 6, 2010 (Lakeside) 9:25 a.m. -- Center lanes remain blocked on I-8 westbound at Lake Jennings Road in Lakeside due to a vehicle accident.  Emergency workers have now freed all people trapped in a vehicle and transported three patients to a hospital, according to Heartland Fire dispatch.

 
February 5, 2010 (Lakeside) -- The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) reports that six students at Xara Garden School, a K-2 charter school sponsored by the Lakeside Union School District, have been diagnosed with chickenpox (varicella). None of the six students were vaccinated against chickenpox.

By Miriam Raftery

 “How can you sit there and say it’s safe to be there when that canyon has burned every year—and you’re going to put those towers up, leave us with no power, and we only have one way in and one way out?” -- Myles Thurman, Lakeside

February 3, 2010 (Lakeside) – SDG&E officials received a far-from-warm welcome from Lakeside residents at a community forum last night hosted by the utility to discuss impacts of Sunrise Powerlink. SDG&E plans to hold a follow-up meeting within 30 days.

February 2, 2010 (Lakeside)  SDG&E will host a community meeting with the Lakeside Community Council  tonight at 6 pm. to discuss impacts of Sunrise Powerlink on Lakeside.   Members of the East County Community Action Coalition will also be on hand to provide information on citizens' efforts to halt the controversial high-voltage line. The meeting, whichi is open to the publicf, will be held at the VFW hall at 12650 Lindo Lane.

FIRE BOARD AXES ITS CHIEF

 By Dennis Richardson

January 16, 2010 (Lakeside) -- The Lakeside Fire Board fired our Chief for doing his job far above the expectations. The rushed lynching of Chief Mark Baker was not announced or publicized to the public by the Fire Board.

This firing was done with the hearing room filled with his supporters who all voiced their heart-filled opinions to keep him; standing room only. The board went against the public outcry to keep Chief Baker.

December 14, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – Residential fires have caused major damage to homes in Descanso, Lakeside, Valley Center and La Mesa this month. The latest blaze occurred this morning at 4:17 a.m. in a condominium complex at 9320 Earl Street #25 in La Mesa, where fire crews arrived in less than five minutes and ran hose lines inside through thick, dark smoke down to the floor. Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to locate the fire in the kitchen.

The Magic Horse Therapeutic Riding Center hosts an art fair and live auction on Sunday, December 13th from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Lakeside VFW Hall, 12650 Lindo Lane, Lakeside 92040. Admission and meal costs $25, or reserve a table for six including wine for $150. The event includes a live auction, opportunity drawing, creative activities for children, and T-shirt. Auction and drawin include items donated by local businesses and art by local artists, and artwork created by the horses!

December 4, 2009 (Lakeside) – Jacob Otto Hume, 22, has been arrested and will be booked on two counts of attempted murder, San Diego County Sheriff Department reports. Hume will be charged in the stabbing yesterday of David H. F Fleming, Jr., 29, and another young adult male victim.

November 16, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – A series of water main breaks in East County over the weekend have led some area residents to ask what’s caused so many infrastructure failures.

On Friday, November 13th, a water main break at the corner of La Mesa Blvd. and 4th Street sent large amounts of water flowing down La Mesa Blvd. and Allison Ave., causing damage to at least two businesses including the new Bella Mesa Art Gallery. Heartland Fire dispatched a response at 11:29 a.m. Fire crews closed roads and evacuated some businesses and restaurants. But damage could have been worse. 

November 15, 2009 (Lakeside) - Community leaders turned out for a grand opening at Garden Fresh Market in Lakeside last weekend, where children frolicked down a giant inflatable slide as parents shopped and savored free barbecued hotdogs and tacos.

“We have more products now,” said owner Noko Kako, an Iraqi Chaldean immigrant who also owns markets in Chula Vista and San Diego. “We have a pizza restaurant—and we do delivery.” The in-store deli counter also serves up sub sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, calzones, fish and chips, shrimp baskets and more.

Story By: Captain Mark Grow

November 4, 2009 (Lakeside) --The Lakeside Fire Protection District received a call of a multi-patient vehicle accident at the intersection of State Highway 67 and Gold Bar Way. This accident was a high velocity head-on collision between two SUV- type vehicles. One vehicle was occupied by a mother, small child, and an infant.

 
 
July 2, 2009 (Lakeside) –  A child whose head became trapped in a storm drain has been freed following a dramatic rescue.  The seven-year-old boy tried to retrieve a toy that had fallen into a storm drain near 10252 Big Cone Court, when his head got stuck. 

By Sandra Millers Younger
 
Editor’s note: We’re so inspired by this reader’s “unrattled” attitude over a common backcountry fear that we'd like to make “Tales from East County Readers” a regular feature. Do you have a memorable East County experience to share? If so, please send your essay to editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
 
June 17, 2009 (Lakeside)--It had to happen. Leaving suburbia for the raw beauty of San Diego’s backcountry meant that sooner or later I was going to meet a few rattlesnakes. But even knowing that, staying alert, watching my step, it came as a shock the day I opened my front door and found a three-foot-long Southwestern speckled rattler stretched full-length across the porch.

April 15, 2009 (Lakeside) The 45th annual Lakeside Rodeo has gained national exposure over the last 44 years, from a small hometown event to being named the International Professional Rodeo Association Rodeo (IPRA) of the year FOUR times! Events include bull-riding, bareback bronc, steer wrestling, team riding, and more. The annual Lakeside Rodeo held every April is the largest fundraiser for the El Capitan Stadium Association.

By Miriam Raftery April 1, 2009 (San Diego's East County)--Aloha! Viejas teams up with El Cajon to host a brand new festival on Saturday, April 4. The new "It's 5'clock Somewhere Party" includes transformation of a downtown warehouse into an inland "beach" paradise complete with tiki bar, Hawaiian food and music by Shipwrecked, a Jimmy Buffet-style band. Also this weekend, community members are invited to turn out for a Community Mural Project and "River Blitz," both hosted by the San Diego River Park Foundation. Need a laugh? On Saturday night, TV comics team up in Lemon Grove for a rib-tickling Comedy Extravaganza Comedians Show.

By Charlene Ayers

February 26, 2009 (Lakeside)--Last night SDG&E had all of its easels up and tables placed so that folks could mozy around the large Lakeside community room and inform themselves about the Sunrise PowerLink. There were approximately 30 black pants and white shirted people there to help. As soon as a person stopped to read, they were surrounded by these cheerful minders, er, messengers. It was like entering Circuit City.

But even with all these smooooth operators inside, there was trouble brewing outside in the hall. It was "The Battle of the Tables."

San Diego Gas & Electric will be at the Lakeside Community Planning Group (LCGP) Mtg on February 18 at 7 PM at the Lakeside Community Center at 9841 Vine Street, Lakeside, CA to discuss the Sunrise Powerlink high-voltage power lines proposed for the El Monte Valley.

A map and view of the proposed powerline path, which would include three sides of the valley, is at: http://www.flickr.com/gp/34534939@N07/oku65G.