By Janis Mork

February 28, 2013 (El Cajon)-At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, members voted unanimously to send a “deemed approved” ordinance to restrict single-serve alcohol sales to the Planning Commission.

City manager Doug Wlliford introduced the alcohol sales land use study session, advising Council members, “It’s a very complex issue.” A PowerPoint presentation included three speakers- Chief of Police Jim Redman, Planning Manager Manjeet Ranu, and City Attorney Morgan Foley.”

By Miriam Raftery

November 27, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) --  Looking to support our local economy while choosing special holiday gifts? We’ve scoured East County to find truly unique gifts made and sold locally. What could be finer than to receive an alpaca sweater spun and woven with locally grown wool? Or a hand-stitched quilt, locally crafted jewelry  or a delectable freshly baked dessert? Perhaps your gift recipients would savor local wines grown in the Old World style, camel milk soaps scented with frankincense and myrrh, or intricately hand-beaded  pottery.

Search no more! You’ll find all of these delightful items and more in our “Gifts from the East: 2012 Holiday Shopping Guide” below:

By Miriam Raftery

November 21, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – This holiday season, why not support our local economy by buying your gifts locally? Below are our picks to some of this year’s most unique and special offerings from San Diego’s eastern regions.

 
 
 
By Matt Kopjak
 
August 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--Ernest Hemingway wrote:  “Wine… offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”

 
Looking for something quick and easy to bring to your Labor Day party?Wine makes the perfect complement to any meal, and the perfect gift for any social occasion.  So it’s easy to say, “I’ll pick up a bottle.”  But is it really that simple to choose the right wine for your family gathering? Grocery and liquor stores carry hundreds of bottles of wine, each one crafted for a different occasion.
 

Fruitful wine industry restores farmers’ dreams in rural East County
 

Story by Miriam Raftery

Photos by Mark and Miriam Raftery

July 22, 2011 (Spring Valley) – Friends and neighbors turned out to help plant 600 grapevine rootstocks from Napa Valley last weekend at the Vineyard Mansion in Spring Valley. Afterwards, guests savored a poolside tri-tip barbecue and sampled estate-bottled vintages in a stone-lined wine cellar. 

Their efforts are all part of a vision by East County vintners to establish a wine-making region along Highway 94—revitalizing the local economy with a new agricultural market to reward the fruits of their labors.