SIPS AND SAMPLES TO SAVOR AT VINTAGE ALPINE MAY 5

LA MESA HOLDS SPECIAL HEARING TODAY ON PROP L SALES TAX RENEWAL SURVEY

HUD ANNOUNCES FINAL RULE THAT WILL PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM FLOODING EVENTS AND RISING INSURANCE COSTS

PROTECTED CLASSES UNDER FAIR HOUSING ACT

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS A TENANT: FAIR HOUSING PRESENTATION MAY 1 IN SPRING VALLEY

REFUGEE JOB FAIR TO BE HELD MAY 1 AT GROSSMONT COLLEGE

STUDENT ARRESTED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON MOUNT MIGUEL CAMPUS

SAN DIEGO FARMERS PRACTICE CLIMATE-RESILIENT AGRICULTURE TO CURB CLIMATE CHANGE

11 NOROVIRUS CASES IN SAN DIEGO LINKED TO FROZEN KOREAN OYSTERS

CEMETERY PROPOSED FOR PINE VALLEY OPPOSED OVER GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION CONCERNS

A GRAVE MISTAKE

HOMICIDE IN SPRING VALLEY: WOMAN KILLED, SUSPECT LATER FOUND DEAD

SING-ALONG CHRISTMAS CAROLING ON MT. HELIX DEC. 16

November 25, 2012 (La Mesa) – Sounds of the season will emanate from the Mt. Helix Park Amphitheatre on December 16 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. during the annual Sing-along Christmas Caroling event.  Gina Seashore, known locally as That Music Lady, will be leading the caroling with her regular group of musicians.

FIFTH ANNUAL “STUFF THE BUS” HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE DEC. 1 AT ALBERTSONS STORES

ALBERTSONS pre-packaged food bags coupled with other generous donations will help meet the 15,000 lb. goal

November 25, 2012 (San Diego) - Within the last five years, the number of San Diego residents relying on the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank for their meals has almost doubled. In these challenging economic times, the Food Bank is feeding more than 350,000 people countywide each month. 

BRIDGETTE HALE’S FAMILY TAKES SAFETY MESSAGE NATIONAL: NTSB ISSUES GUIDELINES TO REDUCE IMPAIRED DRIVING AFTER FATAL CRASH ON HWY 67

November 25, 2012 (Ramona) – “Since the State of California has ignored my requests and pleas for help in saving innocent lives from dying on California Highways, I took my fight to the federal level,” Ken Vanek, brother-in-law of Bridgette Hale, told East Couinty Magazine.  Now the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on November 23 has issued new recommendations to reduce impaired driving.

Hale, a young mother from Ramona, lost her life in a head-on collision on Highway 67  in January 2010. California Highway Patrol did not order a blood test of the driver, John Holsheimer, although many witnesses reported he had been driving erratically before the crash.  A hospital blood test reportedly showed he was under the influence of drugs, but evidence could not be presented in court because tests were not ordered by law enforcement. 

UCCLM CHANCEL CHOIR PRESENTS ‘I BELIEVE, A CHRISTMAS CANTATA’ DEC. 16

November 25, 2012 (La Mesa) – The United Church of Christ La Mesa Chancel Choir will present “I Believe” on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. at 5940 Kelton Avenue, La Mesa.  The cantata, composed by John F. Wilson , will be highlighted with a multi-media presentation of scenes depicting the Christmas story.

The concert is free and all are welcome.  Visit www.ucclm.org for more information.

POLICE SEEK ARMED GUNMEN WHO ROBBED FAMILY, FORCED MOM AND CHILDREN INTO CLOSET

November 26, 2012 (San Diego) – San Diego Police seek two suspects who followed two children into a City Heights home, than forced the youngsters and their mother into a closet at gunpoint at 6:34 on Sunday. Suspects then ransacked the house at 3230 Menlo Avenue in the Swan Canyon area and stole property before fleeing. Detailed descriptions of the suspects are below; one was bald and wore glasses, the other had a mustache and tattooed left ear.

DID YOU CASH IN ON BLACK FRIDAY OR CYBER MONDAY DEALS?

Save Your Receipts – You Might Owe Use Tax

November 27, 2012 (Sacramento) -- Many California consumers are already cashing in on early Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials offered online or via smart phone applications. Michelle Steel, Third District Member of the State Board of Equalization (BOE), reminds you to save your receipts because you may owe use tax for your pre- and post-holiday shopping sprees.

DIVORCE FAMILIES CAN STILL ENJOY HAPPY HOLIDAYS—WITH A LITTLE PLANNING

Communication, courtesy and putting your kids first goes a long way

By Myra Chack Fleischer, Fleischer & Associates

November 28, 2012 (San Diego)--The holidays aren’t always warm and fuzzy like a Hallmark card for divorced and separated parents. Phones start ringing off the hook in family law offices all over the country including Fleischer & Associates as families start squabbling over custody and visitation schedules, winter vacations and even gift-giving. Serious fears about non-custodial parent abductions and unsupervised visits can arise.

BRUSH FIRE ON INTERSTATE 8

November 25, 2012 (El Cajon ) - A brush fire is burning along Interstate 8 west at East Main Street in El Cajon. The fire is burning uphill in medium fuel.   CHP shut down the freeway briefly but one lane is now reopened.

Further east, a car fire on I-8 east near Jacumba is also impacting traffic.

Sign up for free Viejas Wildfire & Emergency Alerts at the top right side of our homepage and you can also receive a free weekly copy of East County Magazine.  You can also follow ViejasAlerts on Twitter. We recommend all of the above since you don't know which communication will work best in a regional emergency.

THE MOJALET DANCE COLLECTIVE AT THE KROC CENTER NOV. 29

November 27, 2012 (San Diego) – Free Family Arts & Literacy Series hosts The Mojalet Dance Collective at The Salvation Army Kroc Center Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Ave., San Diego on November 29 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The internationally acclaimed contemporary dance company will transport you to the beautiful country of Italy using colorful costumes, witty movement, the music of Mozart and tenors Mario Lanza and Luciano Pavarotti.

FOG ADVISORY ISSUED

November 24, 2012 (San Diego's East County) -- The National Weather Service has issued an advisory warning of dense fog tonight in coastal and inland regions.  Fog is also forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday nights, clearing by Wednesday. 

Use caution on roadways and rely on low beams, not high beams in heavy fog. Flight delays are possible at Lindbergh Field.

THE WONDERS OF THE WILD ARTWORK AT MISSION TRAILS DEC. 1-21

Reception for artists Dec. 2

November 26, 2012 (San Diego) – The Mission Trails Regional Park foundation presents The Wonders of the Wild, an exhibition featuring seven award winning artists December 1 through 21 in the Visitor Center Art Gallery at One Father Junipero Serra Dr., San Diego.

MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN KILLED IN CRASH WILL STAND TRIAL

November 27, 2012 (Chula Vista) –Arlene Anna Hernandez will stand trial for causing an accident that killed two children, a judge determined today.  Hernandez had a blood alcohol level of .13 when her Kia Sedona minivan landed in an Otay lake on August 5, drowning her daughter, Lesette Hernandez Silva, and a 5-year-old La Mesa child, Giuliana Figueroa.

AN ALARMING TREND ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AROUND THE NATION: RISE IN STUDENTS SEEKING COUNSELING WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

By Bree Hernandez

November 27, 2012 (San Diego) -- There are many ways of encouraging young people to go to college, and community events like the popular “college for kids” day are good starting places. Once students enroll, our obligations to them do not end, as today’s post discusses.

Education writer Bree Hernandez takes a look at important new data suggesting that more college-age kids than ever before are suffering from mental illness.

SAN DIEGO HOSPICE PROVIDES GRIEF SUPPORT DURING HOLIDAY SEASON

Grief experts provide tips on coping with the holidays after the loss of a loved one

November 25, 2012 (San Diego) -- Signs of the approaching holiday season have descended upon the general public through vibrant store displays, jingling television and radio commercials, and a rush of decorative party invitations from employers, friends and family.  

FDA APPROVES PUMP FOR HEART FAILURE PATIENTS AWAITING HEART TRANSPLANT

November 24, 2012 (San Diego) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the HeartWare Ventricular Assist System, a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), to support heart function and blood flow in patients with end-stage heart failure who are awaiting a heart transplant.

FIRE DESTROYS TRAILER HOME IN EL CAJON

 

November 24, 2012 (El Cajon)--Firefighters with Heartland Fire & Rescue in El Cajon responded to reports of fire at the "Turn In" Trailer Park in the 200 block of South Second Street at 1:25 a.m. Upon arriva,l firefighters found a trailer home in space 15 fully involved and threatening other nearby trailers. 

NATIONAL WALMART PROTEST REACHES EAST COUNTY AS LEAFLETTERS TARGET SHOPPERS AT GROSSMONT CENTER AND COLLEGE GROVE

Walmart's low wages keep workers on the public dole, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for  its corporate profits

By Nadin Abbott

November 23, 2012 (La Mesa)-- Black Friday today was marked by a nationwide protest at 1,000 Walmart stores, including Grossmont Center in La Mesa.

Walmart workers are not unionized. So local volunteers and members of United Food & Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) staged the protest to give voice to grievances of Walmart employees who say they have been pressured to keep quiet and not participate in the demonstrations.

LA MESA POLICE APPREHEND VEHICLE BURGLARS AT GROSSMONT CENTER

November 23, 2012 (La Mesa)—At 4:07 a..m. Grossmont Center’s mall security observed a suspicious vehicle in the mall parking lot. Two male subjects were observed tampering with a vehicle before leaving in a silver two--door sedan. Grossmont Security relayed the information to La Mesa Police and officers searched the area and surrounding streets but were initially unable to locate the suspect vehicle.

MISSING MENTALLY DISABLED MAN MAY HAVE TAKEN TROLLEY TO EL CAJON

November 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Chula Vista Police seek public help to locate a missing mentally disabled man who had written “El Cajon” on a notepad shortly before he was last seen at 7:18 a.m. this morning at the H Street trolley station. 

Heriberto Tari, 48, was last seen wearing a burnt-orange dress shirt, black dress pants and black shoes.  He has a hunched-over posture and communicates by writing on a notepad that he carries.

PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATIONS ON THANKSGIVING

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. But it wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday amid the Civil War, with a proclamation in which he asked "the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation" and restore "peace, harmony, tranquility and union."

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, during the Depression in 1933 issued a Thanksgiving proclamation in which he urged, "May we seek guidance in more surely learning the ancient truth that greed and selfishness and striving for undue riches can never bring lasting happiness or good to the individual or to his neighbors. May we be grateful for the passing of dark days ... for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the common bettering of mankind."

TIPS FOR A SAFE AND WARM WINTER SEASON

By Juan Velasco

November 22, 2012 (San Diego) -- With the cold weather setting in, consumers should be aware of certain safety measures and energy-efficient tips to keep their home comfortable throughout the winter months.

1.       One of the easiest heating tips: On sunny days, take advantage of the sun to bring in heat. Adjust blinds so they are open and tilted toward the ceiling—but be sure to close the blinds at sundown.

COUPLE BRUTALLY ASSAULTED IN LEMON GROVE WHILE COLLECTING CARDBOARD

November 20, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – Sheriff’s detectives in Lemon Grove have arrested Wyatt Kirk Bradley, 24, of San Diego for a brutal attack on an elderly couple assaulted on November 14 in broad daylight at 2:05 p.m.  The couple was collecting cardboard to make ends meet behind a strip mall in the 7000 block of Broadway in Lemon Grove.

According to Sgt. G. Hampton, the suspect approached the couple and after a short conversation with the woman, attacked and beat both victims, knocking them to the ground numerous times.  He also tried to steal their vehicle but it would not start.

RAMONA GROUP SEEKS TO HAVE CPUC MOVE MEETING ON SDG&E WILDFIRE REIMBURSEMENT TO SAN DIEGO

The California Public Utilities Commission has announced that its November 29 meeting agenda in San Francisco will include SDG&E’s proposed Wildfire Expense Balancing Account (WEBA), the utility’s proposal to charge ratepayers for uninsured costs of wildfires. 

But the Mussey Grade Road Alliance, a Ramona citizens group, has filed a request asking the commission to move the meeting to San Diego.

HOT TIPS FOR A SAFE THANKSGIVING DAY FEAST

By Bill Weaver

November 21, 2012 (San Diego) – Thanksgiving is almost upon us and family and friends will come together to celebrate. Food safety is very important because large amounts of food are often prepared and served. Here are a few safety tips to prevent microscopic unwanted guests from joining your party:

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF 2012 MOTHER GOOSE CENTENNIAL PARADE IN EL CAJON

November 21, 2012 (El Cajon) – ECM videographer Paul Kruze captured video highlights from the 2012 Mother Goose Parade, celebrating 100 years of El Cajon history in the city’s centennial year. 

This year’s parade featured fewer Hollywood celebrities than in the recent past, drawing on hometown heroes, Western equestrian groups, high school marching bands and a city centennial float for this once-in-a-century celebration. In keeping with tradition, the parade's finale featured Santa Claus and his reindeer-drawn sleigh, ushering in the start of the holiday season.

View videos:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

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