Planning Commission to hear appeal Friday;  ECM tours site; environmentalists threaten lawsuit

By Miriam Raftery

December 10,2015 (Alpine)—An appeal filed yesterday on behalf of three environmental groups and neighbors of Covert Canyon will be heard by the County Planning Commission tomorrow at 9 a.m.  If the appeal is denied,  a letter signed by appellants’ attorney Marco Gonzalez states, “the Environmental groups and Appellants intend to file suit and seek injunctive relief before the matter is heard by the Board of Supervisors.”  

In addition to Clark and Robin Williams, the closest neighbors, Gonzalez' letter states he is representing the Cleveland National Forest Foundation, Save Our Forests and Ranchlands, and Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation.

A staff report recommends denying the appeal and upholding the Planning Director’s decision to reclassify the use of the property as law enforcement. 

By Miriam Raftery

December 7, 2015 (Alpine)—Santa and Mrs. Claus rode in on a fire truck as Alpine’s Parade of Lights rolled through town.  The procession included everything from donkeys to big rigs—all festooned in holiday lights.

A craftsman wielded a chainsaw, carving a work of art from a block of ice amid a Snow Festival at the parade route’s end in the Alpine Creek shopping center.  His handicrafts included a glistening reindeer, gingerbread man and more.

Kids skidded gleefully down a sledding hill created just for the occasion, while adults and kids alike frolicked in frothy snow bubbles spewed into the air by a snow-making machine.

East County News Service

December 1, 2015 (Alpine) -- San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators from the Alpine Sheriff's Station are asking for assistance from the public to help identify and locate a man wanted for annoying a child.  Authorities have released a sketch of the suspect.

On November 4 and November 18, 2015, a 16 year-old girl was reportedly followed by a black man driving an older model tan Toyota Camry or similar vehicle while walking near Alpine Boulevard and West Victoria Drive in Alpine.  On November 4th, the suspect drove up to the girl and asked if she needed a ride to her car. When she ran away, the suspect circled the block several times to try and find her. On November 18th, the girl told deputies she saw the man again as she was walking to school and he followed her to the bus stop.

Animals are safely en route, soon to find refuge at sanctuaries

November 24, 2015 (Alpine)--Bobbi Brink, Founder/Director of Lions Tigers & Bears (LTB) in Alpine, and her team are making a 5,000 mile round trip journey to rescue and provide transport to six exotic animals, including four tigers from Ohio. The animals are en route to reputable sanctuaries in Nevada and California.

East County News Service

Lions, Tigers and Bears invites you to a Christmas Festival on  Saturday, December 5^th from 1 to 4 p.m.  You can watch the animals open their Christmas presents –and get holiday shopping all in one day at the exotic animal rescue facility east of Alpine.

There will be also be many local vendors, food, entertainment and a special appearance by the man in red--Santa Claus.

Board to vote Nov. 19 on whether to incur $550,000 in new debt to fund continuing legal battle

By Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2015 (Alpine)— Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman  has set a December 17^th hearing date for a trial filed against the Grossmont Union High School District by supporters of an Alpine High School. The suit seeks to assure that a fair share of bond money approved by voters will be used to build the long-promised school.  

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Judge Pressman urged both sides to settle and even offered to help—after an appeals court ruled that Grossmont violated an obligation to voters by failing to build the Alpine high school and upheld Pressman’s decision to order funds set aside.

But far from seeking to settle, the GUHSD this week will be considering approval of $550,000 in additional legal fees to continue the battle. The GUHSD already has authorization to spend $1.8 million and had spent $1.4 million as of June on the case, board documents reveal.

November 10, 2015 (Alpine)--Viejas Casino & Resort has officially opened its holiday ice rink for the winter season. Hundreds of guests arrived at Viejas Outlets for the opening night, October 30, to enjoy some holiday fun by spinning and gliding on Southern California’s largest outdoor ice skating rink.

East County News Service

November 5, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)—Shots fired from a dark SUV that pulled alongside a Lexus traveling east on I-8 at Los Coches Road in unincorporated El Cajon at 12:57 a.m., injuring the driver and passenger.   

The driver of the Lexus, a 43-year-old woman from Alpine, and her passenger, a 31-year-old man, were transported by ambulance to Sharp Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 29, 2015 (Alpine) – For Alpine parents, it sounds like a Halloween horror story.  But it's an unexpected treat for the board majority at the Grossmont Union High School District.  Today, Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman (photo) issued a tentative ruling granting Grossmont 's motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Alpine parents and taxpayers. 

The suit sought to  force the district to turn over funds to build an Alpine high school, which voters twice voted to approve in Propositions H and U. The board's action drew scrutiny from the County Grand Jury, which issued a scathing report titled "Fool us once, fool us twice?"

The tentative ruling comes as a shock since Judge Pressman  previously denied an attempt by Grossmont to dismiss the case and set a trial date for early December, as ECM reported. In his earlier ruling, the judge rejected Grossmont’s arguments that it did not have a contract commitment with Alpine to build a high school and that the text of Prop U did not compel the district to build the long-promised school.

Get your team ready or just come to watch the pumpkins fly!

October 14, 2015 (Alpine)--The 2nd Annual Alpine Education Foundation Punkin Chunkin is set forSunday, Nov. 8th, at 10 a.m. at Joan MacQueen Middle School. This family friendly educational fundraiser to benefit Alpine schools requires teams to create a launching device to chunk their pumpkins for accuracy and distance while competing for nearly $2,000 in cash prizes for distance and accuracy. Entry fee is $100. Admission is free.

October 10, 2015 (Alpine)--Could you use a bit of inspiration for your upcoming Halloween jack o’ lantern carving projects? There’s no better opportunity than learning from one of the best in the business – Master Carver Gene Granata. Granata will be displaying some of his jack o’ lantern creations, as well as offering carving tips, at the Alpine Education Foundation’s inaugural Night of the Jack o’ Lanterns event to be held at the Alpine Creek Town Center on Thursday, October 15 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. The event is free for all ages.

President of East County realtor trade group is directing realtor talent show

East County  News Service; photo  by Carey Guthrie

View video from the 2014 Un-fashion and Variety Show: http://youtu.be/XtBkvN8ETOw

September 21, 2015 (Alpine)--Who said real estate agents can only sell houses?

Alpine resident Carey Guthrie is directing and producing a talent show that will feature dancing and singing abilities of realtors from throughout San Diego County. Guthrie manages two real estate sales offices in La Mesa Village for Windermere Real Estate SoCal. She also serves as the 2015 president of the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors (PSAR).

On Thursday, Sept. 24, PSAR will present a fun-filled evening of fashion, food and entertainment at its fourth annual Un-Fashion and Variety Show at the Scottish Rite Event Center, 1895 Camino del Rio South in Mission Valley. Proceeds will benefit the Military Warriors Support Foundation.

"This is fiscal irresponsibility...The bond oversight is a joke." -- Nick Marinovich, bond oversight committee member who recently resigned in protest (photo, left).

"I don't think the public is aware of the damage being done by a handful of special interests." -- Jim Kelly, board member, referring to Alpine parents and taxpayers who sued the district over its failure to build the Alpine high school

By Janis Russell; Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

September 15, 2015 (El Cajon)- At the September 10^th Grossmont Union High School District board meeting, president Robert Shield gave his report regarding a lawsuit the board is facing filed by citizens of Alpine. An update on Propositions H and U was presented to the board. The majority approved an agreement with CliffordMoss and John Hoy to study  the likelihood that voters would re-authorize Prop U bonds or issuance of new bonds.

That could be a tough sell to voters, since the district is being sued by Alpine taxpayers for failing to spend Prop H and U bonds on building an Alpine high school as spelled out in the bonds. The district has claimed enrollment triggers weren't met, though multiple knowledgeable insiders have repeatedly reported that triggers were met.

September 4, 2015 (Alpine)--Bobbi Brink, Founder/Director of San Diego's Lions Tigers & Bears (LTB) sanctuary announced that a 2.5 month old tiger cub found roaming the Southern California neighborhood of Hemet is being transferred to the accredited sanctuary in East San Diego County on Friday afternoon.

East County News Service

August 6, 2015 (Alpine) – For Childhood Cancer Awareness month, the Kylie Rowland Foundation is hosting “Wine and Bunco Under the Stars” on  Sept. 9 at 6 pm.. to raise funds for promising less-toxic cancer treatments for children. The foundation was started in memory of Kylie Rowland, who lost her battle to neuroblastoma at age two in February 2015.