By Miriam Raftery

November 17, 2011 (Poway) – A quick-thinking emergency room nurse at Pomerado Medical Center in Poway helped reunite a Caltrans worker with his arm, which was severed in a freak accident at 1:45 p.m.  The nurse suggested calling the San Diego Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team to find the missing arm.

“There is a three-hour window to reattach the arm,” Melissa Aquino, public affairs officer with the Sheriff, said. Fortunately, a recovery team of 25 volunteers and two search dogs located the missing limb at 3 p.m. The victim is now undergoing surgery to be fully “armed” in time for Thanksgiving.

November 14, 2011 (Poway) – A westbound vehicle struck a pedestrian who was crossing Poway Road just west of Tarascan Drive at 8:55 p.m. last night. According to Sergeant B. Jenkins with the San Diego Sheriff, “The pedestrian was transported to Palomar Hospital with significant injuries.”

November 6, 2011 (Poway)-- San Diego Sheriff's deputies responded to call Friday evening, November 4, to assist the fire department with male juveniles who were using drugs and hallucinating in the 14800 block of Midland Road.  While en route to the call, the deputies received word that one of the youths had been shot.

October 21, 2011 (Poway)--Looking for a knight in shining armor?  

Watch knights engage in medieval-style live action events this weekend as the Tournament of the Phoenix and Festival of History returns to Poway Rodeo grounds for its fifth year October 21-23. A trio of two-man teams will battle to win grueling international competitions in jousting, foot combat with pollaxes, and a club tournament.  

Update October 12:  A second cougar sighting occurred today within a mile of the school.  

October 11, 2011 (Poway) – Chaparral Elementary School in Poway has sent a warning letter to parents advising that the Sheriff’s Department reported that a mountain lion, also known as a cougar, had been seen in the neighborhood this morning.

September 15, 2011 (Poway) – Grab your cowboy hats and your dancing shoes, then head on out to the 2nd annual Poway Days Battle of the Bands, where rock, country, bluegrass and contemporary music bands will vie for cash prizes—and bragging rights. Try out your cowboy skills on a mechanical bull, enter a pie-eating contest, and try your luck at casino blackjack and poker games.

Stone & Port Brewing will serve up micro brews in a beer and wine garden. Food vendors will also be on hand. Tickets? Just $5.

September 13, 2011 (Poway) – A 36-year-old Poway woman suffered a head injury and additional injuries when she was struck by a white pickup while walking on Valle Verde Road at Dorset Way in Poway. The accident occurred at 10:56 this morning.

August 16, 2011 (Poway) – San Diego Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team is searching for a lost hiker, possibly injured, Incident Page Network reports.  The hiker has erratic cellphone communication in the vicinity of Twin Peaks Road and Midland Road, possibly on Twin Peaks Mountain. 

August 10, 2011 (Poway)--Thomas Cantrell, III, 30, of Poway died of injuries sustained August 7th at 2:41 a.m. in an automobile accident.  According to witnesses, he was traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Poway Road when he lost control of the Mercedes he was driving and skidded down an enbankment, striking trees.

August 10, 2011 (Poway) – Leon B. Livingston, 56, of San Diego died August 7th of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Poway. Livingston, who wore a helmet, was driving southbound on State Route 67 in Poway when the vehicle in front of him stopped suddenly and Livingston rear-ended the vehicle.

July 4, 2011 (Poway) –Decked out with red and blue bunting on wooden railway bridges, water tower and gazebo/bandstand, Old Poway Park today looked like a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The Old West-themed park exemplifies the best of Americana this 4th of July, compete with rides on the Baldwin steam train (watch for train robbers), a Dixieland jazz band, square dancing, quilting show/contest and craft show—plus two-acres of picnic grounds and family-oriented activities such as three-legged races.

 
June 28, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- Communities across San Diego's inland regions will host a variety of events celebrating Independence Day on Monday, July 4th including festivals, parades, picnics, an ice cream social, Western-themed events, and of course, fireworks. 
 
 
Below are highlights of celebrations planned in numerous East County and inland San Diego areas:

June 6, 2011 (Poway) -- A 57-year-old driver was rescued today after he lost control of his vehicle on Kirkham Way and plummeted 360 feet down into a valley.

Poway Sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash around 8:12 a.m. and found the black Mercedes, which was upright in the canyon despite hurtling downhill for hundreds of feet. A helicopter air-lifted the survivor and sole occupant out of the valley; he was then transported by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center, the Sheriff’s office reports.

May 25, 2011 (Poway) – Poway Chamber of Commerce is planning the inaugural San Diego Inland Business Expo. The Expo will showcase a variety of businesses, giving attendees an opportunity to find business services and products appropriate for their needs.  The event will be held at Barona Resort & Casino’s Golf Center,1932 Wildcat Canyon Rd. in Lakeside on June 2 from 3-7 p.m.

Update May 22:  View an underwater video of the training session:  http://vimeo.com/24063472

May 21, 2011 (Poway) -- They sweep the ocean floor, cling to boats and search bodies of water to recover victims and evidence. Sheriff’s Divers have been swimming their way through San Diego’s waterways for more than 40 years to help solve cases. It can be a tough job, but they still volunteer for it.

On Saturday, May 21st, the Sheriff’s Dive Recovery Unit will work on improving skills with an exercise at Lake Poway/ During the exercise, Sheriff’s divers will recover a practice dummy and two guns at a mocked crime scene.

April 30, 2011 (Poway) -- The  Echo Pacific/POW! Golf Challenge  will tee off on May 16, 2011.  Golf, cocktails, games, dinner, live entertainment, and a silent auction are the components of a lively day and evening. Bid on weekend spa getaways, private cruises on San Diego Big Bay, VIP Padres tickets and a wide variety of dinner and entertainment packages- all to benefit  the POW! Foundation Profession Performances and Arts in Education Initiatives. 

Neighbor hospitalized with chest pains

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Ron Logan

April 27, 2011 (Poway) – A fire in the 13600 block of Sycamore Tree Lane this afternoon forced evacuation of 16 homes and has displaced a family with two children.
 

“The fire gutted the home and the fire department needed to cut a hole in the roof to control the fire,” photographer Ron Logan, who was at the scene, informed East County Magazine.

April 25, 2011 (Poway) – A Poway woman, 27, was attacked by an unknown assailant and knocked unconscious shortly after midnight on Saturday.  According to the San Diego Sheriff's department, the victim was walking in the 12600 block of Metate Lane around 12:30 a.m. when she was assaulted. 

After awakening in a nearby field, she made her way to a nearby residence where she was helped by people who called the Sheriff’s Department. The victim was taken to Pomerado Hospital, treated for injuries and examined for a sexual assault.

March 14, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Don’t want to fight crowds to head to downtown San Diego for the St. Patrick’s Day parade, or drive home after a night of partying? Sure ‘n’ we’ve got the answer!

Irish pubs in La Mesa, Rancho San Diego and Poway are hosting their own celebrations—complete with free cab rides home. For families, an Escondido park is offering a St. Patrick’s Day hike and crafts.  Plus a Scripps Ranch church is holding a special St. Patrick’s Day mass--in Gaelic.

Don’t forget to wear green!

March 2, 2011 (San Diego) – Deputies from the Poway Sheriff’s station responded to a burglar alarm at 2:30 a.m. at Apricorn Electronics, 12191 Kirkham Road in Poway. The suspects had been in the process of loading a van stolen from Oceanside with computers taken from the business when deputies arrived. Three suspects fled the business and hid in brush nearby.

February 29, 2011 (Poway)-- The Poway Chamber of Commerce and the City of Poway will be hosting a State of the Community Breakfast on Thursday, March 3rd from 7:30am to 9:30am, at Maderas Golf Club- 17750 Old Coach Rd. Featured speakers include Mayor Don Higginson and Mickey Morera, Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield. Morera will speak on the crisis in commercial real estate.

Former dancer draws inspiration from La Jolla woman who created a written sign language, inspiring a global movement

January 30, 2011 (Poway) –Ballerinas Nancy Romero and Valerie Sutton met during their dancing careers—and soon turned their creative energies to helping deaf people read in sign language. “It happened by accident,” recalls Romero, a Poway resident who recently completed writing The Gospel According to John in American Sign Language (ASL). 

January 23, 2011 (Poway) – San Diego Fire and Rescue airlifted a 13-year-old girl with an injured ankle off the popular Iron Mountain Trail, approximately half a mile east of Highway 67 in Poway.

January 17, 2010 (Poway) – Ramona resident Cynthia Clay, founder of Clay’s Canine Sidekicks and Leashes for Leaving, died Christmas night, December 25th, one day before her 58th birthday.

“Cyndy, while seriously disabled herself, created and managed over the years two service dog training groups,” said Hope Goodwin, a client who owns a service dog obtained through Clay. “I believe that Cyndy's training group is the only one in the U.S. that teaches the disabled how to train their own Service Dogs,” she said of the two-year program.

 December 3, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –In a continuing effort to reduce the number of people killed and injured in alcohol related crashes. The Sheriff’s Poway and Santee Stations will be deploying deputies on saturation patrols and DUI/driver’s license checkpoints tonight and tomorrow.

Alpine artist’s work celebrates Tchaikovsky’s homeland and her own Russian heritage

December 3, 2010 (Poway)—Enchanting Russian scenes created by Alpine Artist Catherine Hand, MA, MFA frame Southern California Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker on December 4, at 1:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road, Poway. Inspired by her mother’s legacy and her own travel in Russia, Hand designed backdrops rich in Russian art and architecture for SCB’s performance. Russian-themed sets are rare among Nutcracker productions.

East County News Service
High fees violate state law, and discourage rooftop solar, Sierra Club says
 

November 29, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The Sierra Club has launched a campaign to urge local municipalities charging exorbitant permit fees for commercial rooftop solar installations to lower those fees to actual cost-recovery levels. A survey by Sierra Club found that fees in San Diego County ranged from a low of $155 to a high of $14,940 for a 131 kw system.

November 4, 2010 (Poway) - Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, two of the world's most celebrated Celtic fiddlers and the power couple of the Canadian fiddling world, return to Poway for a concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 6th.

Known for her flamboyant style and trademark step-dancing, MacMaster is the sweetheart superstar of the Cape Breton fiddle who packed the house in Poway in 2008. Leahy is part of the family group Leahy, which dazzled audiences in 2006 and 2008. Now these world-class talents (who are married) join forces in a whirlwind of fiddle-driven music, dance and song.

September 20, 2010 (Poway) – This Friday and Saturday September 24-25, the 38th annual Poway Rodeo evokes the spirit of our region's western heritage. Saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing and team roping are among the events showcasing skills that date back to the era of Spanish California ranchos. The annual roundup of cattle was a time for cowboys, or vaqueros, to display horsemanship and roping skills--skills that continue to thrill audiences today.