By Miriam Raftery

July 21, 2017 (Jamul) – At last month’s Jamul-Dulzura Planning Group meeting, concerns were raised over Sunrise Powerlink Mitigation grants – specifically, why some homes near the high voltage line in Deerhorn Valley received no grant money, while homes in Alpine further area where added to the eligible area for grants and did receive funds. Questions have also been raised as to why Alpine has representation on the Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation Board, but Deerhorn Valley/Jamul does not.

East County Magazine

July 19, 2017 (Campo-Lake Morena) – The Campo Lake Morena Planning Group has announced a new vacancy on the board.  (See details, left, on how to apply and get application at www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/communitygroups.html.)

The agenda for the July 24 meeting includes voting on filling an earlier vacancy.  Other agenda items include an update on Backcountry Land Trust negotiations to acquire Star Ranch,  a proposed agricultural clearing permit for property on Buckman Springs Road, and subcommittee reports on topics ranging from groundwater issues to traffic and public safety.

View full agenda below:

East County News Service

July 11, 2017 (Flinn Springs) – “I watched this whole fire play out, since we live so close,” Renee Owens wrote in an email to ECM. “It’s not the first fire I have ever witnessed, but this one got so hot and moved so quickly at first it was downright scary. You could hear the trees pop and explode, the fire reached 60 foot flames on some of the steep slopes, and stopped right at the I-8 just a couple hundred feet from a huge propane storage tank. It traveled frighteningly fast at first, but once the air tankers and helicopters showed up - combined with hitting some steep and sparsely vegetated cliff faces - they managed to tamp it down pretty quickly despite the heat and wind. It came within a couple hundred feet of houses near Dunbar lane. Watching it go from enormously hot and fast to under control was seriously impressive, and we owe some major thanks to the pilots on this one.”

As of 10 p.m. tonight, the fire is 10% contained and has burned over 400 acres.  All roads have been reopened.

Three firefights injured battling blaze

By Miriam Raftery,  photo by Jonathan Goetz

July 11, 2017 (Alpine/Lakeside./Flinn Springs) -- The #JenningsFire that began at 1:40 p.m. near Lake Jennings in Lakeside has swelled to 400 acres, Cal Fire reports.  Forward spread of the fire has been stopped.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for 15000 Viewside Lane along the south side of I-8 in Alpine and is a structure threat to five homes. 

An evacuation center is open at Joan MacQueen Middle School located at 2001 Tavern Road in Alpine.

An earlier announced evacuation center at Granite Hills High has been closed.

East County News Service

July 9, 2017 (Spring Valley) -- San Miguel Fire & Rescue will hold a graduation and badge pinning ceremony for all 85 members of its Fire District on July 11th at 4 p.m. at Cuyamaca College, Bldg B.

East County News Service

July 9, 2017 (Jamul) – Debbie Ekhaml  sent in this great photo of a coyote that’s captured its prey, a plump squirrel, at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge  in Jamul, where she also shot award-winning images honored in our recent photo contest. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Diego Valley Charter School students protesting to save their school at November 2015 GUHSD board meeting

July 8, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Several recent court rulings impact the future of many charter schools in California, including several in East County.

Last October, a California appellate court ruled that charter schools can’t expand within their home county by opening campuses outside their own authorizing district.  That ruling affected a suit filed back in 2015 by the Grossmont Union High School District seeking to shut down the Julian Charter School, Alpine Academy and Diego Valley Charter School, all operating within the GUHSD boundaries.

East County News Service

July 4, 2017 (La Mesa-Spring Valley) -  Applications are being accepted now through July 24 to fill a vacancy on the La Mesa-Spring Valley Board of Education. Board member Rick Winet resigned after taking a position with McGregor Inc., a benefits administrator, to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, reside within the boundaries of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, be a United States citizen, and a registered voter.  The appointee will serve through December 2018.

Updated with corrections based on CHP data just received:  accidents spiked in 2015, before the casino opened. But DUI-related crashes are up.

By Miriam Raftery; Jonathan Goetz also contributed to this report

Photo by Jonathan Goetz

July 2, 2017 (Jamul) – Supervisor Dianne Jacob joined Jamul residents Friday in a press conference to share concerns over accidents along an 11-mile stretch of State Route 94.  The group also called for completion of promised roadway improvements that have not yet begun. 

The Jamul Indian Village has issued a response contending that the casino is being unfairly blamed for an uptick in accidents that may be related to other factors, and points a finger at CalTrans and Supervisor Jacob for delays in roadway improvements that the tribe says is due to Caltrans lacking land use authority.

By Jo Moreland, Alpine Chamber of Commerce

June 30, 2017 (Alpine) -- Follow the money at the next “Hot Topics Breakfast” of the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce. Guest speaker Dan McAllister, the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector, will give an overview of what his office does during the Tuesday, July 11 Chamber meeting.

By Jo Moreland

June 28, 2017 (Alpine) -- Browsing and buying cheap goods, great services and delicious food made the Alpine Flea Market the spot to shop on June 24.

Shoppers and vendors at 45 booths ignored the warm weather in order to make hot sales.at the flea market, located in the parking lot at Joan MacQueen Middle School.

Update 12:05 p.m. - The fire is now 30% contained, per Cal Fire.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Gloria Chadwick

June 27, 2017 (Dehesa) -- Cal Fire's incident commander reports that forward spread has been stopped on a 20-acre brush fire in Dehesa. The Sloane Fire started at Sloane Canyon east of Dehesa Road in East County mid-morning. 

No structures are threatened.

By M. Harris

Photo: Creative commons image by Amin Eshaiker, via Wikipedia

June 24, 2017 (Alpine) -- I am an Alpine resident who attended the Alpine Community Planning Group meetings in September 2016 and again in May 2017. What follows are some of my thoughts about both meetings.

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2017 (Jamul) – East County has a fabulous new destination for lovers of French foods. Fabrice and Allison Borel, owners of Fabrison’s French Creperie San Diego’s Little Italy and Coronado, have opened up Fabrison’s  in  Jamul .

This location has not only their signature “crepes for lovers,” but also a full menu of country French cuisine for breakfast, lunch and now, dinner.  So far, the Jamul location has earned a five-star review on Yelp, and it’s not hard to see—and taste—why.

By Miriam Raftery

June 20, 2017 (Deerhorn Valley) – The Deerhorn Valley Independence Day parade and picnic returns this July 4^th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., after the Border Fire forced cancellation of last year’s event. Spectators are encouraged to bring flags, drums, rattles, shakers and lawn chairs to enjoy the festivities.  Community members are invited to march in the parade including wagons, bikes, trucks, horses, goats and emus.  “If it moves, it can march!” the flyer proclaims.