By Miriam Raftery

June 11, 2015 (Alpine) – Alpine residents seeking to force the Grossmont Union High School District to turn over $70 million in bond funds and land acquired for construction of an Alpine High School will finally have their day in court.  Judge Joel Pressman ruled against Grossmont on Friday, refusing to dismiss the case and requiring that the money be set aside pending outcome of the trial.

The proceeding will be an administrative trial before Judge Pressman set for December 4^th with the Alpine Union School District and the Alpine Taxpayers for Bond Accountability squaring off against the GUHSD. A 3-judge appellate court panel previously denied Grossmont’s request for a stay to stop the proceedings, a move affirmed Friday by Pressman. The County Grand Jury also found that the district did not live up to its obligation to Alpine taxpayers and recommended that the district build the high school or turn over the money to the Alpine Union High School District to build the school.  The district's board majority defied the Grand Jury and did neither.

The plaintiffs contend that Grossmont misallocated millions of dollars from Propositions U and H,  spending much of the $700 million measures approved by voters for projects not listed in the bond while refusing to build the Alpine High School that was a priority project in the bond measures.

June 17, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Air Show San Diego will take to the skies over Gillespie Field in San Diego June 20 and 21. This year’s “AirShow San Diego” (formerly known as “Wings Over Gillespie”) will feature a representative collection of aircraft and acts to support the commemoration of the 70^th anniversary of the end of WWII.

June 9, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)—The San Diego County Board of Supervisors today accepted a donation of $276,000 from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation for the purchase of  80 AVL (automatic vehicle locator) equipment for rural San Diego fire departments.

June 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Volunteers who pick fruit to feed the hungry have an urgent need for sites to glean spare fruit from backyard gardens and farms in order to continue to supply churches and food pantries that distribute the produce.

By Joan Raphael

Climate Action Campaign's Executive Directore Nicole Capretz addresses legal problems of  La Mesa's CAP; Senior Planner Chris Jacobs takes notes.

June 8, 2015 (La Mesa)--On Wednesday, June 3, concerned citizens came together at a hearing of the La Mesa Planning Commission to press for a stronger Climate Action Plan (CAP). The hearing proved a reminder of what ordinary citizens working together can achieve.

By Miriam Raftery

June 7, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Artist Chuck McPherson has picked up six awards at the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar, after having a record nine entries accepted.  The talented artist grew up in Spring Valley, lives in La Mesa and regularly dazzles crowds with his innovative performance art and colorful style at local charity events (he’s been known to add lipstick, coffee grounds and other audience-provided items to his works).

East County News Service

June 6, 2015 (Boulevard) – Last week, a brand new fire station opened in Boulevard.  The $3.5 million, 8,000 square foot facility replaces an older station across the street. Capable of housing up to six vehicles, the new fire station is the first to house County Fire Authority reserves along with Cal Fire firefighters and a paramedic unit under one roof.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who led efforts to secure funding, was on site for a ribbon cutting along with Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale, Cal-Fire Chief Tony Mecham and other local dignitaries.

Story by Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: "Would you want these kids breathing that, every day for 15 years?" -- Jessica Webb

June 5, 2015 (Lakeside) –  Imagine up to 250 trucks a day – one every minute and a half—hauling sand along a rural  road right in front of your house--five days a week for the next 15 years or more in El Monte Valley, if a sand mining developer has his way.  It gets worse:  noise and dust from sand mining operations clogging the area, kicking up potentially deadly Valley Fever spores lurking in soil here, where several El Monte Valley residents have already contracted the disease. 

The sand loads would be transported for use on highways, roadways and other aggregate projects across San Diego County—potentially bringing sand  laden with Valley Fever spores to construction projects near you.  All thanks to a deal cut by Helix Water District to settle litigation over a golf course and water reclamation deal gone sour on land that Helix owned in El Monte Valley, a county-designated scenic view corridor.

This project has the Orwellian-like name “El Monte Nature Preserve” though all parties including the developer concede it is first and foremost a mining operation that will strip bare the valley for decades, lowering the valley floor 30 feet with dredging  far deeper in places, in a project three times wider than Lake Jennings.

Source: City of El Cajon

June 4, 2015 (El Cajon )—You’re invited to celebrate Independence Day with numerous games, musical entertainment and fireworks at the City of El Cajon’s Fourth of July Celebration.

By Lemon Grove Historical Society president Helen Ofield

Photo: Instagram #JusticeforZachBuob

By Miriam Raftery

June 3, 2015 (Santee) – Santee resident Zacharia Buob,39, a Navy Chief Petty Officer in special operations, was killed May 28^th in a bizarre road rage incident.  Darla Jackson, 26, has been charged with murder for allegedly striking Buob intentionally with her vehicle and running over him on his motorcycle.

By Miriam Raftery

June 1, 2015 (El Cajon)—Last week, we reported that parents in El Cajon have filed a lawsuit Ametek Aerospace & Defense, alleging that the company’s underground toxic waste dumping  is causing illness among children at Magnolia Elementary School next door. 

Now the Cajon Valley School District Board has voted unanimously to close down the school for the current school year.  All students and staff will be relocated to Bostonia Elementary School.

East County News Service

May 29, 2015 (La Mesa) –A Craft Beer and Wine Summer Festival to benefit the La Mesa Historical Society will be held on Saturday, June 6 from 1 to 6 p.m. at 4888 Date Avenue at the La Mesa Farmer’s Market parking lot.  The festivities include unlimited tastes from 20 breweries plus a VIP lounge, live music, food trucks, and over 30 vendors.

By Miriam Raftery

May 27, 2015 (El Cajon) – Parents have filed a class action lawsuit against Ametek Aerospace & Defense in El Cajon, alleging that the company dumped toxic waste into the ground for 20 years, from 1963 to the 1980s.  The site is located next door to Magnolia Elementary School, where children have been suffering mysterious health problems.