East County News Service

September 21, 2023 (Spring Valley) - The Saps at Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the Laurel & Hardy fan organization, present their October "Pre-Halloween Spectacular" meeting October 21 at Williams Hall at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Spring Valley.

By Miriam Raftery

September 18, 2023 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and his all-star band will revisit pop and soul classics in a concert to benefit the East County Transitional Living Center, a facility which helps homeless individuals and families transition off the streets and transform their lives.

By Kathy Carpenter 

September 1, 2023 (La Mesa) - "Silence is rest for the mind," says Masha - a thought that rings true when pondered upon. With any kind of sound, your mind engages in interpretation. Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa is currently staging the uplifting comedy, "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike." For years, I resisted watching this play due to its seemingly unappealing title. I stand corrected. This production turned out to be uproariously funny and while San Diego hosts numerous humorous shows, not many prompt genuine, laugh-out-loud reactions. "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" is an exception.

By: Jessyka Heredia

August 14, 2023 (Lemon Grove) -- There is a new bistro coming to Lemon Grove in what was formerly the Lemon Grove Bakery. Located at 3308 Main Street, the building has a long history that has  been the center of town ever since and Lemon Grove Bistro will be the next business to keep this historical building alive.

East County News Service

August 1, 2023 (San Diego) - Country music legend Crystal Gayle will perform at Sycuan’s Live and Up Close Theatre on Saturday, September 9 at 8 p.m.

Shel was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2017 by her sister, Loretta Lynn. Her signature songs include Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, You’ve Been Talking in Your Sleep, When I Dream, Half the Way and her duet with Eddie Rabbitt, Just You and I.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Photo, left: Comic Con attendees dressed up as ghosts ready to go to the Haunted Mansion.

July 27, 2023 (San Diego) -- San Diego Comic-Con returned to its roots – comics – after strikes by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federal of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) brought celebrity-stacked panels and appearances to a halt. Still costumes, Gaslamp Quarter happenings, the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park, and a multitude of other activities helped keep badge holders and non-badge holders happy.

While it is considered a multi-genre entertainment event, celebrities in a different genre -  cartoonists and illustrators—ruled, creating artwork for children and adults on the spot while highlighting that they, the artists, were the sources for the adventure films and cartoons that became films and tv shows. Up-and-coming artists and lesser-known cartoonists also drew in crowds.

By Jacob Pamus

Photos via Wikimedia Commons

July 14, 2023 (Hollywood, CA) – The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike in Hollywood since May 2nd, meaning that all writing for film and television has halted. Now on July 13th,  after the Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has failed to negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP),  they have decided to join the strike with the WGA. This means that along with all writing, all acting in Hollywood has halted as well.

By Branda Gorgies

Photos: Left: Model at Runway Chardonnay Fashion Show at Trevi Hills Winery; right: Dawn Sebaugh

July 1, 2023 (Spring Valley)—Dawn Sebaugh is a local artist who wears, lives, and loves her art in every way. Sebaugh, creator of “Wear Art, Live Art,” has a unique twist to her art: for every painting, she creates a fabric to match. Her slogan is "Wear art, live art, love art."

By Patricia Daly-Lipe

Review by Pennel Paugh

June 24, 2023 (San Diego) -- With a brief biography, author Patricia Daly-Lipe and her husband put together a lovely collection of notes, drawings, and paintings they inherited from Steele’s mother, Georgeanna Lipe. The talented artist lived from 1909 – 2012.

Georgeanna Lipe’s watercolors in How She Did It include areas in San Diego and Europe. Her style is delightful. This review includes examples of her paintings.

East County News Service

June 17, 2023 (San Diego) — C. Hook Theater will present  “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” June 21-24 at the Ray & Joan Kroc Performing Arts Theatre (6611 University Ave., San Diego).

The musical is based on the beloved characters created by Charles Shultz in the comic strip “Peanuts.”

East County News Service

June 8,2023 (La Mesa)—You’re invited to enjoy Art in the Park, an evening with appetizers, drinks and entertainment starting at 4 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Garden at MacArthur Park. Socialize while viewing and bidding on artwork for sale from local artists.

Ticket sales help support La Mesa's parks and cost $35 per person. This is a 21+ event.

East County News Service

June 6, 2023 (Santee) -- Santee officials say it’s music to their ears – with the start of the city’s Summer Concerts taking stage on June 15th and running through August 17^th. 

The concerts are held at  Town Center Community Park East on Thursday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (except for July 6^th).

Update: Due to construction on the "barrier- the WALL"  organizers had to make adjustments and have the water merge at Imperial Beach by the pier on June 14. The driving access to the park will be gated. The water that was collected will still be taken/ran to the corner of Mexico and California. This was changed because this event is for everyone and easier for brothers and sisters with disabilities, according to a post on Bobby Wallace's Facebook page. 

By Miriam  Raftery

Photo, left:  Barona tribal members with Passamaquoddy tribal members in Maine

Photo,right: via "Run with the Sun" page of indigenousnetwork.org; Bobby Wallace (right) with run participants

June 1, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) --  Local Native Americans are about to complete the longest  indigenous prayer run in U.S. history. “Run with the Sun” is the brainchild of Lakeside resident Bobby Wallace, a member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians,  in hopes of protecting waters across America.

“It’s been awesome making changes in people’s minds about water everywhere,” Wallace told ECM in an interview today.  “We started running, traveling with the water over every footstep of this continent, over every major waterway, with a prayer for all water.”

The effort is supported by the Barona, Sycuan and Viejas tribes in San Diego’s East County, as well as participants from other tribes across the U.S.

By Miriam Raftery

May 27, 2023  (San Diego’s East County) – The County of San Diego is kicking off its annual movies in the park, which this year features 150 movies at dozens of parks across the County.  Bring the family—along with blankets and lawn chairs—to cozy up for a night under the stars.

The season opens this Memorial Day weekend at Waterfront Park downtown and runs through October.  East  County and inland locations include Anza Borrego,Campo, El Cajon, Encanto, Escondido, Julian , Lakeside,  La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Pine Valley,  Potrero, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Penasquitos, Rolando, San Carlos, and Spring Valley.

Theme weekends have also been scheduled, including Juneteenth (June 16 and 17), Comic-Con (July 21-22), Ladies Night (Aug. 12), International Dog Day (Aug. 25 and 26), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) and Halloween (late October).