By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2023 (San Diego) -- A desperate race against time to find and save passengers and crew aboard a missing submarine at the Titanic wreckage site is making worldwide news. Knocking sounds have led searchers to believe people are still alive aboard the missing vessel, the Titan. But oxygen will likely run out tomorrow.

The effort evokes memories of  a similar story nearly 50 years ago in August 1973, when two San Diegans, Bob Watts and Larry Brady, were involved in the dramatic rescue of two men trapped above a submarine on the floor of the  Atlantic Ocean.

In  September 2021, Reina Menasche interviewed Stephen McGinty, author of the true-story thriller, The Dive: The Untold Story of the World’s Deepest Submarine Rescue during the Bookshelf segment on East County Magazine's radio show.  You can listen to the full  interview aired on KNSJ, and read highlights below.

May 29,2023 -- Our radio shows from January through April 2023 are now online. 

Highlights included interview with Supervisor Joel Anderson over ICE dropping migrants off at the trolley in winter, human trafficking victim and advocate for survivors Kathi Torres on how to protect young people locally, Bob Gam on how his parents survived the holocaust, Dilkhwaz Ahmed, License to Freedom, and Bob Gam, Co-chair, Welcome Home, on helping refugees and asylum seekers; Bill Powers on the County’s Regional Decarbonization Framework, Clovis Honore, Grid Alternatives and Green New Deal Alliance on the future of solar energy in Calif., Amie Zamudio and Joanne Standlee: Housing 4 the Homeless on hospitals dumping homeless and seniors on streets, plus highlights from a heated hearing in Alpine on closure of Loveland Reservoir after extreme draining and other top local issues.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Note: Some shows were reruns; original run dates are listed below. Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

For links to listen plus an index with topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down. Audio links are below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.) 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Lilian Serrano, Director, Southern Border Communities Coalition

May 18, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) —the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at the University of California, San Diego, issued a blistering report accusing Border Patrol of endangering migrants’ lives by depriving them of food, water, shelter, medical care and other necessities. The damning report is titled Lives in Danger:  Seeking Asylum Against the Backdrop of Increased Border Enforcement. It was published on May 16, two days after ECM broke the story of some 1,000 to 2,000 migrants in Jacumba Hot Springs who were aided by residents after Border Patrol failed to provide food or shelter.

In addition, the nonprofit humanitarian group Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) has filed a federal complaint with Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, alleging mistreatment of the Jacumba asylum-seekers and violations of both U.S. and international law.

Lilian Serrano, director of SBCC, told ECM in an interview for KNSJ radio that volunteers withessed ”families, children, elders waiting outdoors for days without access to food or water.”  Regarding filing the complaint, she said, ”Our hope is that we can find out why were there outdoor detention facilities in our area, what was the reasoning behind that, and why were agents in full, clear violation of their policy – but more importantly, what can we do to prevent this from every happening again? Because regardless of your situation, whether you are coming in for asylum or not, basic standards need to be met. We cannot allow another child to go hungry in front of a federal agent.”

Hear the audio of ECM’s inhterview with Bob Gans on KNSJ.

View the slideshow, The Life Saving Kindness and Courage of Strangers, the story of Greta and Ruby.

By Miriam Raftery

April 14, 2023 (San Diego) -- In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 16,  ECM interviewed Bob Gans,the son of Holocaust survivors. He has created an educational project titled, “The Life Saving Kindness and Courage of Strangers, the story of Greta and Ruby.”

The 55-minute slide show that he presents to local groups relates the story of how his parents survived the Holocaust and  it’s relevance today.  He believes the most important aspect is “the lessons that can be learned” and applied today, encouraging people to speak out if they see wrongdoing and to offer help to those in need.

View video of full interview; Hear audio

March 24, 2023 (San Diego) – Earlier this month, East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery interviewed San Diego County’s new Sheriff, Kelly Martinez, for our radio show on KNSJ.  She’s been in law enforcement since 1985, working her way up the ranks from Deputy Sheriff to Undersheriff before winning election as Sheriff last November. She’s also the first woman to serve as San Diego’s top law enforcement officer. In our interview, she spoke about efforts to improve jails and reduce jail deaths, combat human trafficking and fentanyl overdoses, hold deputies accountable for wrongdoing, address homelessness issues, and expand staffing - including some jobs currently open, and more.

"God allows U-turns." -- Kathi Torres

By Miriam Raftery

View video interview by clicking image, right

February 26, 2023 (San Diego) – Kathi Torres with Freedom from Exploitation, an organization that helps survivors of human trafficking, is also a survivor of sex trafficking. In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine originally aired on KNSJ radio, Torres speaks out on her own experience, how to protect teens from traffickers, and how to get help for victims here in San Diego County, a national hub for human trafficking.

She also calls for repeal of a state law, Senate Bill 357, that decriminalized loitering to solicit prostitution, which she says has cut off the main avenue for victims to get help. 

“Because of this new law, police can’t stop, cite or arrest anyone for loitering to solicit prostitution,” including victims as well as men driving around looking to pick up prostitutes. But when police can’t detain trafficking victims, the victims don’t get referred to programs that can help them escape from being trafficked, says Torres, who was also a panelist at a recent presentation of “Stolen,” an NBC San Diego investigative series on trafficking.

Our radio shows from June through December 2022 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Highlights included interviews with Supervisor Joel Anderson on the dumping of asylum seekers at local transit stations, environmental activists on the draining of Loveland Reservoir, Lemon Grove residents working to reopen their recreation center,a Water Conservation Garden expert on monarch butterflies, women’s rights advocates on the overturning of Roe v. Wade,  El Cajon officials on homelessness concerns, as well as candidates running for offices across East County (published pre-election in our Politics section) and more.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Note: Some shows are reruns; original run dates are listed below. Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo  left:  water drains from Loveland Reservoir in Alpine to Sweetwater Reservoir in Otay;

Photo, right: bare mudflat at Loveland, once  400 surface acres, now doomed to be dropped to just 10.

November 23, 2022 (Alpine) – Without any regard to impacts on wildlife, fire danger, rural residents or recreational users at Loveland Reservoir near Alpine in San Diego's East County, the Sweetwater Water Authority (SWA) on November 16 began draining down the lake with an intent to reduce it to “dead pool” level – less than one-half of one percent of the reservoir’s capacity, once draining is completed over the next couple of weeks or so.

The water is being transferred to Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley. From there, it will be used to provide drinking water and other water needs to residents in the South Bay communities of Chula Vista, National City and Bonita.

But critics say  the action is destroying habitat for wildlife, perhaps forever, also eliminating fishing at the area's only reservoir with free fishing access, and threatening firefighters' ability to combat fast-moving wildfires .  Critics also contend that draining the reservoir so low is unnecssary at current drought levels. Yet the people most negatively impacted have no representation on the SWA board, which doesn't include East County.

By Miriam Raftery, based on interview by Henri Migala

October 6, 2022 (La Mesa) – In an interview with East County Magazine’s Henri Migala originally aired on KNSJ radio, La Mesa City Council candidate Mejgan Afshan shared her experience as a civil rights leader and her goals to build a more equitable La Mesa if elected. She is one of four candidates running (a fifth, Kathleen Brand, has dropped out); ECM will be publishing interviews with all of the candidates over the next several days.

By Miriam Raftery

October 4, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- Amy Reichert is running for the 4^th Supervisorial District seat currently held by board chairman Nathan Fletcher. She is a licensed investigator and pastor who founded Reopen San Diego, a nonprofit that fought against shutdowns of schools and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as vaccine mandates. She’s married with two sons. and calls herself a “Mom on a mission.”

Her top issues include homelessness, cost of living, and increased crime. View her full interview with East County Magazine, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the image on the left, or hear the audio at the audio link, or scroll down to read highlights.

By Miriam Raftery

September 27, 2022 (El Cajon) – On September 20, East County Magazine interviewed Graham  Mitchell, El Cajon’s City Manager. He’s the man behind the curtain who keeps everything running smoothly in the city and on occasion, steps in to troubleshoot when concerns arise. He spoke with us about the city’s concerns over the county placing homeless people into eight motels in El Cajon, what steps the city is taking to help the homeless, as well as some other issues and some positive things happening in El Cajon.

You can hear our full interview recorded for our show in KNSJ radio by clicking the image on the left, or scroll down to read highlights.

By Miriam Raftery

September 2, 2022 (El Cajon) – Arnie Levine is a realtor running for the El Cajon mayoral seat.  He wants to  revitalize El Cajon as a "new city."   His priorities include reducing homelessness and lack of housing affordability, protecting public health, supporting the arts, and according to his website, "restoring hope" to all El Cajon residents.

ECM’s editor, Miriam Raftery, interviewed Levine for the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ.   Hear audio, view video, or read highlights from our interview below.  You can also learn more at his website: https://arnielevine4elcajoncamayor.com/.

 By Miriam Raftery

Hear audio of interview

Update: After this interview aired, the City Council voted to reopen the Lemon Grove Recreation Center one day a month, on Saturdays, in a win for citizen activists.  Watch for an in-depth story on the Council action soon.

July 19, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – The Lemon Grove Improvement Council , a nonpartisan organization, was founded by citizens eager to help to fulfill needs of the community, a city with limited revenues. A key goal of organizers is to see reopening of the city’s recreation center, which has been closed for more than a decade.

Jessyka Heredia and Chris Williams from the Lemon Grove Improvement Council sat down for an in-depth interview with East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery, originally aired on our radio show on KNSJ. 

Heredia hopes to partner with the city.  “If we collaborate together as a team, we can get it done….We’re here to help.”

The group held a Lemon Grove Citrus Festival on July 9 with family-friendly activities such as sack races, tug-of war, ball pitching, bounce house and slides as well as vendors, food and lemon-themed items galore.

By Miriam Raftery

April 18, 2022 (San Diego) – Kelly Martinez is the first woman to serve as San Diego County's Undersheriff. Now she's a candidate hoping to become the first woman Sheriff in our region, aiming to fill the vacancy left by long-time Sheriff Bill Gore’s retirement. Last week, with East County Magazine held an in-depth interview with Undersheriff Martinez, which also aired on KNSJ radio. 

She’s spent 37 years in the department, where the started the Sheriff’s Homeless Assistance Resource Team and Marijuana Enforcement teams. She helped manage the department’s responses through the pandemic and civil unrest. She says she’s committed to investing in improving public safety and jail safety, as well as filling vacancies amid critical staffing shortages.

View video of the full interview. Hear audio version.  Scroll down to read highlights.

View video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Shc-5Og5pc

Note: This interview was recorded in early February.

March 22, 2022 (San Diego) – Joseph Rocha, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate in the newly redrawn 40^th State Senate district currently represented by Republican Brian Jones, recently sat down for an in-depth interview with East County Magazine that originally aired on KNSJ radio.  He’s running to focus on jobs, housing, infrastructure, veterans and climate change among other important issues. The interview addressed these topics and more.

Rocha is a veteran of both the Navy and Marine Corps. He served as a bomb dog handler in the Persian Gulf and later, after obtaining his law degree, as a Marine Corps captain and prosecutor. He’s also a former intern at East County Magazine, where in 2008 he gained interest in politics while interview candidates for Congress and City Council. 

“I think the adversity in my life has given me the passion for service,” he says.  “I’m second generation Mexican-American,” he says. His mother was a grocery store worker who struggled with addiction; his father worked as a truck driver, raising five children. “These bread and butter, working class issues of the middle class have been a core passion of mine since I can remember," Rocha says.