By Miriam Raftery

March 29, 2023 (Lemon Grove) – Community members have asked why the lower half of Lemon Grove’s historic murals are missing, near the intersection of Main and Pacific on the side of the former Lemon Grove Bakery building. So ECM reached out to Helen Ofield, historian to the board of the Lemon Grove Historical Society.

By Willie Prosper

April 1, 2023 (Alpine) – Loveland Reservoir in Alpine will be restored and transformed into a recreational paradise – thanks to a deal hammered out between Sweetwater Water Authority and the winner of California’s billion-dollar Super-Lotto, Russell Walsh. 

Walsh had been the district’s most vocal critic, faulting Sweetwater for draining the reservoir down to dead pool status. Besides killing off fish, the extreme draining preceded destruction of a fishing dock and erosion so severe that the district shut down all recreational access since January.

East County News Service

March 31, 2023 (Alpine) – Lions, Tigers & Bears, a nonprofit exotic animal sanctuary in Alpine, invites you to their annual fundraising bash, Wild in the Country on May 20.  This year’s event features emcees Jagger and Kristi from Magic 92.5 radio, as well as Broadway stars Sandra Joseph and Ron Bohmer, lead actors in Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.  Dinner will be prepared by world renowned chef Jeffrey Strauss, known as “Chef to the Stars” for pleasing the palates of dignitaries, presidents, royalty and entertainment icons.

The main event will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on May 20. There is also a pre-event reception for platinum and gold level ticket holders at 1 p.m.

East County News Service

March 31, 2023 (El Cajon) -- Homelessness is the most significant issue impacting cities across the nation, includingEl Cajon.. The El Cajon City Council wants to hear your ideas, experiences, and frustrations about homelessness during a series of four Town Hall workshops hosted throughout the City.  In this high participation format of workshops, residents will break into groups and discuss pressing issues around homeless topics. The dates are April 4, 15 and 26 as well as May 4.

Feedback from the workshops will help the City generate additional programs and approaches to address the impacts of homelessness in the community.

By Miriam Raftery

March 30, 2023 (El Cajon) – Five men have been arrested at the Best Value Inn in El Cajon for possession of illegal drugs and weapons, including two on probation, both staying there under the County’s homeless voucher program.

It all started yesterday morning, when El Cajon Police officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on North Second Street. The driver, John Bevins, 63, was on probation for stolen property and had an illegal weapon, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, according to Lt. Darrin Forster.

That led to a search of the motel room where he was staying at the Best Value Inn on Oakdale Avenue, as a participant in the county’s motel voucher program for homeless individuals.

Photo; CC by ND via Bing

March 30, 2023 (San Diego) — Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet in the House Judiciary Committee, has introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce the expense of automotive repairs and the cost of car insurance.

By Miriam Raftery

March 30, 2023 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police yesterday arrested Peter Cusimano, 51, for possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia. Officers had stopped him for causing a traffic hazard in the 1300 block of East Main St. and upon learning that he was on probation for carrying a concealed weapon, the officers conduced a search, according to lieutenant Darrin Forster.

By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

Photo credit: Pexels

March 23, 2023

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that gas stoves are bad for indoor air quality, but what about gas furnaces and other gas-powered appliances typically found in homes?

April 1, 2023 (La Mesa) – Surfrider Pizza in La Mesa will donate 15% of all food and beverage sales on April 2 between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. to the James Cerebral Palsy Foundation (tax and gratuity not included). 

This applies to dine-in and to-go orders, but not to-go orders through a third party company. You must mention the fundraiser when you order, or print and bring the flyer in this article.

East County News Service

March 11, 2023 (La Mesa) – The city of La Mesa invites you to the La Mesa Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at MacArthur Park (4900 Memorial Drive, La Mesa).

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

March 28, 2023 (San Diego) -- Seven-year-old Leslie has a serious problem. Someone is trying to kill her-- and it’s her mother. Leslie and her little brother live chaotic, often frightening lives under the care of their paranoid schizophrenic mother.

This excerpt from local author Leslie Ferguson’s memoir, When I Was Her Daughter, exemplifies those chilling conditions:

By Helen Ofield, Historian to the Board, Lemon Grove Historical Society

Photo: Roberta Bulling, Education Chair, Lemon Grove Historical Society

March 27, 2023 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove's third graders have set a record: 142 entries in the 2023 Treganza History Essay Competition--the largest number in 33 years, or since Dr. Amorita Treganza launched and endowed the competition in 1990. She was also a founder of the Lemon Grove Historical Society (LGHS) in 1978, which annually sponsors two history competitions for third and eighth grades.

By Miriam Raftery

March 27, 2023 (Potrero) – A 300-year-old old oak tree toppled onto the porch of the former Potrero Café, next door to the historic Potrero Store, which was built in 1883 and first operated by Joseph and Damond Thing. The store remains open.

“The restaurant’s been closed for six years,” Michael Streenan, owner of the property, told East County Magazine. The tree damaged two exterior porches and an asphalt parking lot, but fortunately the buildings on the property are intact, he said.

“No one was injured when the tree fell. “Nobody even heard it come down. We just came out and saw it,” says Ryan Streenan, Michael’s son.  Neither of the Streenans knows how old the café building is, though Ryan said it may have been a house for former owners of the store.

The most likely cause of the massive tree’s collapse is the recent heavy rainfalls that have left the ground saturated.  “I guarantee you we’ve had 10 inches here,” says Jan Hedlun, a member of the Potrero community planning group. “I’ve been stranded three times on my own driveway because the water’s been 15 inches deep.  I had one oak tree branch break and fall; another tree had a branch come down.”

By Editor, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  the joyful Aztecs celebrate their win over Creighton, sending them to the Final Four. Photo credit: screen shot, CBS

March 26, 2023 (Louisville) - San Diego State bounced back against Creighton Sunday to make their first Final Four with a 57-56 win at the NCAA Tournament.