June 28, 2013 – Keys Creek Lavender Farm is holding English High Teas on June 29, July 12 and 13. The teas begin at 2 p.m. and feature 3 courses, including appetizers, sandwiches and petite sweets. All courses are served with an assortment of rich flavored teas.
Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased here.
June 28, 2013 (Ramona) – Join Jim, Milagro Farms winemaker, on June 29 at 4 p.m. for a guided hike around Milagro Farm Vineyards & Winery’s 20 acres of grapes. This is a moderately strenuous hike and will finish at the tasting room with a private tasting.
Tickets are $10 per person or free with a bottle purchase. RSVP to Audrey@milagrofarmwinery.com. The winery is located at 18750 Littlepage Road, Ramona.
June 28, 2013 (San Diego) – Neil Jordan’sByzantium is cinema’s best answer to the Twilight series since Tomas Alfredson’s Swedish vampire masterpiece Let the Right One In (not counting Matt Reeves’ equally crafted American remake Let Me In). It takes the now all-too-familiar forbidden vampire-mortal love story and breathes into it an intoxicating mix of realism, atmosphere, and wicked sexiness.
June 28, 2013 (San Diego's East County) - Lighting can transform a scene into a magical display. Milt Cyphert captured one of those golden magic moments with this photo, taken at a Laguna Mountain meadow.
June 27, 2013 (San Diego)—The United States Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill today with 68 Senators voting for it, and 32 Senators voting against it.
In addition to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants and other provisions, the bill contains many provisions that would impact many in East County, including businesses, agriculture, and bolstering medical personnel.
It also calls for a border security “surge” including hundreds of miles of new border fencing and 18,000 additional federal agents on the U.S.-Mexico border. Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who supports the bill, said it would create “the most militarized border since the fall of the Berlin Wall.”
June 27, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for our region, with record high temperatures possible. Extremely hot weather is forecast Friday through Sunday, with temperatures reaching 116 to 122 in the lower deserts and 110 in the upper desert areas. In the mountains and foothills, temperatures could hit 100 to 105,
Hot temperatures will continue Monday and Tuesday, though slightly cooler than the weekend.
June 26, 2013 (San Diego) – Commemorating the 53rd anniversary of Somali independence, the 9th annual Somali American Cultural Fest will be held on Saturday, June 29 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Market Creek Plaza at Jacob Center in City Heights, 3- 8 p.m.
Thousands of Somali refugees and immigrants now call San Diego home. The event will feature music, dance, poetry, a fashion show, children’s activities, food and vendor booths as well as free health screenings. The event is organized by Somali Youth United.
June 27, 2013 (San Diego)--The San Diego State athletic department has announced the 2013 promotional and giveaway schedule for the defending Mountain West championship football program's six home games.
More fires are reported on July 4 than any other day of the year; fireworks also cause many serious injuries each July
With the Fourth of July approaching, the Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit reminds San Diegans that it's illegal to possess and use fireworks in the county. It's also illegal to transport fireworks from elsewhere into San Diego County or to make homemade fireworks or explosives.
Under California law, illegal fireworks include sky rockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and other items that explode, go up in the air, or move across the ground in an uncontrollable fashion. Those convicted can be fined up to $50,000 and sent to prison or jail for up to one year.
June 27, 2013 (San Diego's East County) --ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
June 27, 2013 (San Diego) – The San Diego County Department of Animal Services (DAS) impounded the animals May 23 when they were found without food and water. DAS had been monitoring the herd since May 20 when several of the horses were found on the highway. The California Highway Patrol and Intermountain Fire and Rescue safely moved the horses off the road and returned them to a nearby property. Intermountain Fire and Rescue also filled the horses’ empty water containers. DAS could not take any action then, but when animal services officers checked on the horses May 23, they found the herd was again out of water and lacked food so they seized the animals.
June 27, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:
Governor Brown orders county clerks to begin same-sex marriages as soon as 9th Circuit Court lifts stay
By Miriam Raftery
June 26, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme court, in closely divided 5-4 rulings, handed down decisions today in two landmark same –sex marriage cases. The rulings are being hailed as victories for supporters of same-sex marriage, while opponents vow to continue the battle at the state level. In California, however, the high court's dismissal of the Proposition 8 case opens the door for weddings between same-sex couples to resume soon.
For Dayna Dunbar of Spring Valley, the news sparked an emotional chord. She and her partner, Brenda, have been together since 2001 and have an adopted son, Jesse (photo, left).
“We were just holding each other, in tears,” she told ECM today. When their son heard news of the court decision, Dunbar added, “He was so excited, he hugged us about three times each.”
Columnist's elation over marriage equality rulings is tempered by dismay over high court's ruling on Voting Rights Act
June 26, 2013 (San Diego)--The sun is shining this Wednesday, June 26 and it’s a beautiful, if rather hot, day in San Diego. I sent my husband Charles off to work this morning after we both got up early to watch MS-NBC broadcast news of the United States Supreme Court’s rulings on two cases involving the rights of same-sex couples to marry each other. It was a personal story to us because Charles and I are legally married.
June 26, 2013 (La Mesa) – “Isn’t this amazing?” Linda McWilliams, winemaker at San Pasqual Winery, exclaimed, standing inside the company’s new winery in a former industrial building in La Mesa. Hundreds of guests packed into the 4,500 square foot space for the winery’s grand opening celebration last weekend, savoring the fruits of McWilliams’ labors.
Those labors are yielding some impressive results. At this year’s San Diego County Fair, San Pasqual Winery picked up six awards, including a gold medal for the winery’s most popular offering, Habañera passionfruit wine.
June 26, 2013 (Descanso) -- Get ready to kick up your heels, because there will be live music and dancing in Descanso on Friday evening, June 28, 2013. Mountain Empire Men’s Club presents their 5th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser at the Descanso Town Hall. The newly designated “historical” town hall is located at 24536 Viejas Blvd. in Descanso. The event is from 5-10 p.m.
Descanso Junction Catering is hosting the event and cooking up a delicious smoked barbecue dinner. This special event also features a silent auction and raffle prizes. All funds collected will go directly to the Scholarship Fund for students in the Mountain Empire School District, of which Descanso is a part.
June 25, 2013 (La Mesa) – The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free senior discussion group presentation on “The Importance of Sleep,” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26. The public is invited to attend, and RSVP is not required. The speaker will be Jason Chagnon, senior technician with Grossmont Hospital Sleep Disorders Center.
June 25, 2013 (El Cajon) – Grossmont College will offer a “family-friendly” schedule of theater productions in the 2013-2014 season, starting Oct. 3-12 with Pygmalion, the George Bernard Shaw play that was converted into the musical My Fair Lady, and ending May 8-17 with “a new spin” on Alice in Wonderland, according to Beth Duggan, chair of the Theatre Arts Department.
In between those two offerings, students will also act in, design costumes and build sets for such productions as To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday by Michael Brady (Nov. 14-23); Follow Me by artist Dominic Pangborn (Dec. 6-7, followed by a tour of local elementary schools); Inside the Actors Process by Grossmont faculty member Jerry Hager (Feb. 7 and 8, followed by a tour of local high schools); and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (March 13-22).
June 25, 2013 (City Heights) – Skateboarders in City Heights will soon be able to enjoy recreation at a Mini-Park and Skate Plaza. The site, designed as a safe place for families to enjoy outdoor activities, will also include a tot lot, playground, turf area and plaza with games, landscaping and trees. Construction will begin in October 2014 with completion due in November 2015.
The total site is slightly less than two-thirds of an acre, with the skate plaza 0.145 acre. A design phase will include community outreach and input.
June 25, 2013 (San Diego) -- San Diego ranks 9th on the list of most expensive cities. Kiplinger’s ranks the ten cheapest—and also the ten most expensive— US cities to live in based on the Council for Community and Economic Research’s calculations of living expenses in 307 urban areas. The Cost of Living Index measures prices for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services and also screens out cities with populations below 50,000.
June 25, 2013 (La Mesa) – The Senior Resource Center at Sharp Grossmont Hospital offers free or low-cost educational programs and health screenings each month. The Senior Resource Center also provides information and assistance for health information and community resources. For more information, call 619-740-4214. For other programs, call 1-800-827-4277 or visit our web site at www.sharp.com.
Originally posted Wednesday, June 19 at the Reno Dispatch
June 25, 2013 (San Diego) – The news of Michael Hastings' death comes as a total shock. Michael, 33, who was killed early Tuesday in a car crash in Los Angeles, was among the last of a disappearing breed of fearless investigative reporters. A friend and former colleague, he and I worked together often when we were fellow writers at Newsweek.
I'll never forget our marathon phone conversations about politics, war, civilian casualties and General David Patraeus. Michael was probably the general's most outspoken critic, as you can see in this article he wrote for Rolling Stone. Michael ripped the general in that story, and in others. I haven't exactly gone easy on Patraeus, either, but I've typically left it to my sources to evaluate him in stories such as this one for Newsweek/Daily Beast. Michael had no time for that. It just wasn't his style. He called it the way he saw it, and I admired him for it.
June 25, 2013 (Borrego Springs) - Hotel Managers Group (HMG Hotels) and Casa Del Zorro LLC., the ownership and management team for La Casa Del Zorro Hotel and Resort in Borrego Springs, CA. recently announced that Lure Agency and Jen Roche PR have been selected as social media marketing and public relations agencies of record respectively. The two agencies will work in concert to rebuild the brand of the iconic property, which will reopen in fall 2013.
June 25 (Tuesday, 5:00 pm) — Author: Professor Larry Berman will be signing his new book Zumwalt: The Life and Times of Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt. Jr. at Bay Books, 1029 Orange Ave, Coronado. It is a compelling and rich portrait of one of the most important Navy leaders of the 20th century. The book offers a fascinating, detailed look at an extraordinary man and is an inspiring portrait of leadership.
"Discrimination at the ballot box is intolerable, and we must ensure that minorities don’t have their votes purged, packed, gerrymandered, and redistricted away.” -- Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, commenting on the decision
By Miriam Raftery
June 25, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – By a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a requirement for states and communities with a history of discrimination against minority voters to obtain federal approval before changing their voting laws. The Court did not find the Voting Rights requirement of preapproval itself unconstitutional, but ruled that Congress must act to assess which areas still have evidence of discrimination.
The action in the Shelby v. Holder case has triggered outraged reactions from civil rights leaders across the nation.
“Communities of color, and young, women, elderly, and disables voters are at risk,” the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) warns. The NAACP has launched a petition asking Congress to act to protect voting rights . (Petition:http://www.naacp.org/page/s/vra-no-voting-rights?subsource=strucklb)
Event is part of massive roll-out to educate local refugees on new healthcare laws and more
By Miriam Raftery
June 24, 2013 (City Heights) – “This is the largest refugee resettlement community in California and one of the largest in the United States,” Councilmember Marti Emerald said at Somali Family Service Community Healthcare Fair held on World Refugee Day event Saturday in City Heights Community Park, in collaboration with East African Collaborative.
June 23, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – This week, a phenomenon known as a Supermoon is occurring. The Moon will be closer to the Earth than at any other time during the year - in fact, the upcoming Starting today, Supermoon will be the closest encounter between the Earth and the Moon until August 2014.
June 23, 2013 (Lakeside) – A head-on collision late last night on Lake Jennings Road just west of El Monte Road in Lakeside resulted in two dramatic rescues and one fatality. The crash involved a four-door Altima sedan and a four-door Jeep.
Sheriff’s deputies were first on the scene and extinguished a fire in the Altima. Lakeside Fire Protection District arrived to find two patients trapped in their vehicles and another who had self extricated. Lakeside resident Harold Wise IV, 21, the driver of the Altima, was pronounced dead at the scene.
June 23, 2013 (San Diego)--Using misinformation, deception, and coercion, Border Patrol and ICE officers have pressured hundreds, if not thousands, of Mexican nationals with deep roots in the United States into forfeiting their right to a fair hearing and a chance to live here lawfully, alleges the ACLU in a lawsuit filed June 4 in federal court in Los Angeles.
Plaintiffs include the mother of an autistic son who is an American citizen, a grandmother of U.S. citizens, a man with an American wife and children, and a man engaged to marry a U.S. citizen who has since wed his fiance in Mexico. All are barred from returning to the U.S. for at least 10 years.
June 23, 2013 (La Mesa) – If you bought a Powerball Lottery ticket at Excalibur Liquor on Baltimore Drive in La Mesa, you could be a millionaire. A ticket sold at the store matched five of six numbers chosen, state Lottery officials reported Thursday. The winning ticket is worth $943,604.
June 28, 2013 – Keys Creek Lavender Farm is holding English High Teas on June 29, July 12 and 13. The teas begin at 2 p.m. and feature 3 courses, including appetizers, sandwiches and petite sweets. All courses are served with an assortment of rich flavored teas.
June 28, 2013 (Ramona) – Join Jim, Milagro Farms winemaker, on June 29 at 4 p.m. for a guided hike around Milagro Farm Vineyards & Winery’s 20 acres of grapes. This is a moderately strenuous hike and will finish at the tasting room with a private tasting.
Highlight is KGB Sky Show August 31
(Christian Science Monitor)
Originally posted Wednesday, June 19 at the Reno Dispatch
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