April 7, 2022 (Lemon Grove) -- Hunter’s Nursery, located in Lemon Grove, California, was started in 1919 by Howard Hunter. He began by running an orchard, growing lemons and oranges. It has been in the Hunter family all 103 years.
Kendall Rhodes is a fourth-generation owner of the nursery, along with her dad. Rhodes explained that the nursery has a wide variety of ornamental plants for the yard. They also have a huge selection of house plants, along with cactuses and succulents. Many customers are now trying to grow their own food, so the Nursery now specializes in fruit trees and vegetables. They also feature a variety of roses, in a wide range of colors and sizes.
"Roses are fun to grow and fun to have as a part of your garden!” Rhodes told us.
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March 14, 2022 (Descanso, CA) -- Ana Lilia sent in this video of a mountain lion spotted in the backyard of her home in Descanso, a rural community in San Diego's backcountry. “I love how the last shot of him/her is just as he passed by our statue of St. Francis of Assisi -- the patron Saint of Ecology & Animals," she says.
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March 1, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- Local Ukrainian-Americans gathered in demonstrations these past few days in solidarity with their nation, which is under attack from Russian forces. Thursday night, a prayer vigil was held in Santee on a vacant lot, where there are plans to build a Ukrainian Catholic Church. Father Yurii Sas of St. John the Baptizer Catholic Church in San Diego led his congregation in prayer and song, asking for God to protect his people in the Ukraine:
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Santee TV has many more videos including videos of recent city council meetings, parks and recs activities, the Santee Fire Department awards ceremony, kids disc golf, and adoptable pets from the Santee Humane Society.
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November 8, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- Cynthia Robertson spotted this herd of bison while on a day trip in route to Lake Henshaw in San Diego’s East County.
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October 21, 2021 (El Cajon) -- Visitors to El Cajon's first-ever Foodie Fest on October 9 had an opportunity to savor flavors from an array of restaurants and caterers, featuring cuisines from around the world.
East County Magazine intern Cristina Lombardo visited Foodie Fest and created a video to document the experience. She spoke with local restarurant owners and an event organizer of the successful event.
Among the offerings were Iraqi, Afghan, Mexican, Italian, Hawaiian foods and more. Offerings ranged from spicy entrees to healthy smoothies to rich desserts.
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July 12, 2021 (Julian) --You’re invited to explore some of Julian's most beautiful trails in the Julian Hiking Challenge. Complete the five hikes listed by December 31, submit photos and you will receive a special certificate, sticker and entry into a raffle to win a Julian Goodie bag of Julian keepsake items, special offers, freebies-- plus the added bonus of some awesome outdoor adventures.
Send selfies to share@visitjulian.com after you finish each hike or all five hikes. The First 300 to complete the challenge will also receive a Julian Hiking Challenge Patch.
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Click to view a video tour by Angela Kurysh including full interview with Pam Meisner, or view the embedded video below this story.
April 24, 2021 (El Cajon) - The Water Conservation Garden, a beautiful and serene East County treasure located on Cuyamaca College’s campus, is open to the public for educational and recreational enjoyment.
The Garden hosts events for people of all ages. Adults can enjoy outdoor yoga classes, educational workshops and online seminars. Children can spend time with Ms. Smarty-Plants, a character created by the Director of Operations Pam Meisner.
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March 21, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- What better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than to hike to one of the most beautiful places in East County, Three Sisters Falls in Cleveland National Forest?
Scott Lagace made the trip this week with friends. The trail is a steep two-mile hike down and two miles back -- all uphill.
Despite these challenges, Lagace says,"It was a beautiful hike there and back. The falls was flowing beautifully. It was amazing at a distance and close up. I would definitely do this hike again. Just got to remember to take the road from the Julian side, not Descanso!"
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December 4, 2020 (Descanso) – Ana and Al Ruvalcaba of Descanso sent in this video of a mule deer buck and doe in their yard.
“In the video you’ll see him and his companion eating berries off of a Toyon brush tree while I’m recording from inside my house,” Ana says. “They have been coming by since Nov. 23rd.”
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November 25, 2020 (San Diego) -- Lots of smiles, tears of joy, surprise and speechless reactions greeted Sheriff's Deputies Saturday who partnered with a holiday helper for a mission of kindness. The local businessman, who asked to stay anonymous, donated $30,000 in cash and $2,000 in grocery gift cards to help struggling local families.
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November 24, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- What’s it like to scale El Cajon Mountain, often called El Capitan, one of the most impressive peaks in East County?
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October 24, 2020 (San Diego) - County emergency responders have a new tool to help keep homeowners in unincorporated areas safe during a wildfire or medical emergency. It’s called a Knox Box and when it comes to being prepared for disaster… this may be just the key.
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September 8, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- San Diego County Animal Services is working with partner agencies to care for animals whisked away from fire danger. Animal Services staff are providing care and refuge for animals at multiple sites. This video is courtesy of the County, however some information has changed; see below for updates on evacuation of large animals.
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August 14, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Local resident Richard Edwords of Alpine is a water tender who has been working fire lines in Riverside County. He sent in these two dramatic videos of the #AppleFire there, which is now 90% contained after burning over 33,000 acres.
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July 16, 2020 (La Mesa) -- Helix Water District’s new demonstration landscape, located at its administration office in La Mesa, is complete. The project beautifies the neighborhood and inspires others to install WaterSmart landscaping.
The demonstration landscape includes three unique water-wise gardens on the streets around the building, including a Mediterranean garden on University Avenue, a desert landscape on Lee Avenue and a California native landscape along the building’s main entrance on Quince Street. Each is full of flowers, colors and textures.
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June 12, 2020 (El Cajon) - Texas Roadhouse restaurant in El Cajon is back open after the COVID-19 shutdown and already drawing a wait list. Arrive before five for some great dinner specials. I got a tender BBQ pulled pork dinner with all the fixings for just $10.99, chilling out with an Armadillo Punch.
As an added bonus, enjoy some dancing cowboys and cowgirls -- actually the wait staff, kicking up their heels with some Western-style line dancing. Yeehaw!
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November 26, 2019 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells played saxophone and sang at the East County Transitional Living Center's fundraising dinner on November 14, 2019 at the Shadow Hills Community Church Center, accompanied by Jonni Glaser on saxophone.
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September 20, 2019 (Campo) – Guests kicked up their heels in more ways than one at the Campo Creek Vineyards first-ever Grape Picking and Stomping Party on September 7th.
Wine club members and other visitors first got a taste of what it’s like to pick grapes, getting tips on harvesting ripe Pinot Noir grapes on the vines.
Located on a cattle ranch that dates back to 1888, the vineyard now has 10,000 vines and the winery produces hand-crafted wines, many with labels featuring cattle, cowboys and ranching themes.
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September 6, 2019 (Ramona) – Amina, a baby camel at the Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona, enjoys frolicking in fresh pine shavings. To view more camel videos, visit www.CamelDairy.com.
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Update September 18, 2019: Cal Fire has issued corrections on inacccurate information provided in a County press release and video. This plane and others are set to be given to Cal Fire by the federal government, not sold. The planes are not yet equipped with fire retardant and are not slated to arrive in Califiornia likely for a couple of years, according to Cal Fire Captain and Public Information Officer Issac Sanchez. See our full update: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/cal-fire-issues-corrections-c-130-pla....
August 30, 2019 (Ramona) -- A C-130 air tanker on loan in Ramona has been used to train additional pilots this past week. Ultimately, Cal Fire’s goal is to purchase a C-130 to permanently base in our region, says Cal Fire spokesman Isaac Sanchez.
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May 31, 2019 (Ramona) - Looking for a challenging hike? Look no further than Mt. Gower County Preserve in Ramona. The preserve has approximately 8 miles of multi-use trails, including the Mt. Gower Ridge trail.
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By James Kecskes, County of San Diego Communications Office
May 10, 2019 (San Diego) - CAL FIRE and the County Fire Authority say don’t let the rainy weather fool you … fire season will be here before you know it. You should have a plan and be prepared now to protect yourself, your home and your community.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
By Andy Tolley, County of San Diego Communications Office
March 28, 2019 (Julian) - The time to go is now! Check out some of the beautiful flowers and green landscapes at Agua Caliente County Park. There’s probably only 1-2 weeks left of the peak bloom season at the park, so make plans and don’t forget to bring your camera!
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March 21, 2019 (Anza-Borrego) -- Our editor, Miriam Raftery, took these two videos of Bighorn sheep along Montezuma Valley Road, the steep grade into Anza-Borrego Desert State park. If you're heading to Borrego, which means "Bighorn," keep a sharp eye out for these desert denizens along rocky slopes.
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March 3, 2019 (Borrego) -- Anza Borrego Desert Park has posted a video of wildflowers blooming early across the desert, along with tips on what you should know if you plan to go wildflower watching.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
By Andy Tolley, County of San Diego Communications Office
January 30, 2019 (Lake Morena) - How about a fun, easy hike for the entire family?
The Nature Trail at Lake Morena County Park offers scenic views of the surrounding mountains and the lake. It’s just a half-mile and full of history. It even joins up with the popular Pacific Crest Trail!
Try out the trail here before hitting it with your family.
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December 9, 2018 (Borrego Springs) - It’s official, the new County Library, park and Sheriff’s office are open for business in Borrego Springs. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony took place this afternoon, kicking off a community celebration with music, artists, animals and tours of the new library and Sheriff’s office. The two buildings and park all share a 19-acre property.
The library branch is the larger of the two buildings and sits on 2.6 acres. The facility measures three times the size of the previous one and includes 2,215 square feet of community meeting space, a 330 square foot conference room, separate areas for children and teens, a technology center with a 3D printer, and a Friends of the Library Book Nook and Conversation Café.
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