by Richard Lederer and Caroline McCullagh       

March 23, 2014 (San Diego)--Tinkering is a time - honored American pastime. Many men and women can’t leave well enough alone. They’re always trying to create something or improve something. As with most creative people, they benefit from the work of those who came before them, but they add that little spark of genius that can take their invention figuratively or literally into the stratosphere. Here are some of our best:

By Ryan Harrison

Photo by harmonicagoldfish via Flickr

March 22, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Preparing your swimming pool for the upcoming summer season means more just than taking off the cover and refilling it. After a long winter, your pool may be green and full of gunk and debris. More than 53,000 in-ground pools and 171,000 above-ground pools were sold in 2012, according to The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. Before opening your backyard for swimming, take the time to thoroughly clean and make upgrades to your existing pool for both the health of the swimmers and the pool.

March 21, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - The Jacumba Hikers will hit the trail on Saturday, March 22 to the Valley of the Moon. This trip may include:  Smuggler’s Cave, an old hideout of bandits and smugglers off  I-8 East just past the San Diego/Imperial County line in a high desert area near the Mexican border. We’ll also hike in through the Valley of the Moon, Elliot Mine and Blue Angels Peak Monument.

By Miriam Raftery

March 21, 2014 (Rancho San Diego) – Julian Fraire, 16, was on his way to school at Steele Canyon High School Thursday morning from his home on Mt. Helix in unincorporated El Cajon.  He never made it to class.  The minivan he was driving crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming pickup truck on Steele Canyon Road.  The teen died at the scene.

It’s far from the first tragic accident to impact the school and the families who attend Steele Canyon.  Another 16-year-old, Zachary Jannenberg was killed in March 2007 when he lost control of the Ford Explorer he was drivin while on his way to school.

By Miriam Raftery

March 21, 2014 (Santee) - A 911 call tape from August 29, 2009 reveals the terror experienced by California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and his family when the accelerator jammed in the Lexus vehicle Saylor was driving that night on State Route 125 in Santee.M

March 20, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) --Raul was blind for four years due to diabetes.  He lives alone and couldn’t leave his house, walk to the store or do daily tasks.  Last winter he was very cold because he couldn’t see well enough to make a warm fire. 

With the help of Mountain Health’s Senior Transportation Program, Raul has been able to get to and from his doctor’s appointments including surgery for his eyes, and pick up his eye drops and diabetes medications.  Today, Raul can see 70% better in his right eye after having multiple surgeries.  He recently underwent surgery on his left eye that resulted in seeing shadows and light. 

Raul said, “Your program is God sent.  Without it, none of this would have happened.  It’s just a miracle!”  He has a better outlook on life and states with a huge smile on his face, “My future is looking brighter now that I can see my grandkids.”

March 19, 2014 (El Cajon) – If you’re ready to get in the swing of things this spring, Cottonwood Golf has announced a series of golf tournaments in April, May and June. Many of these events will benefit local charitable causes, from children’s programs to wounded veterans to the Mother Goose Parade.  In addition, Cottonwood will host brunch in its garden area each Sunday through June 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with mimosas or champagne for adults and a menu with child pricing.  Cottonwood is located at 3121 Willow Glen Drive in EL Cajon. For reservations call:

619-442-9891 x 22.

By Miriam Raftery

March 19, 2014 (San Diego) – Should workers have the right to earned sick days? Should the minimum wage be raised in San Diego?  A City Council committee will hold a hearing on these issues on Monday, March 24 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall.

A new organization, Raise Up San Diego (www.raiseupsandiego.org) will hold a rally outside Council Chambers at 202 C Street in support of these proposals.

March 19, 2014 (El Cajon) –  A half-day seminar at Cuyamaca College Friday opened many eyes to the experiences facing today’s military veterans as they pack away their service uniforms to join the civilian world, often coming to community colleges to begin a new chapter in their lives.

By Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Could big energy projects proposed in East County lead to the decimation of federally endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep? 

From 1972 to the present, the Carrizo Gorge band of these bighorns has plummeted from about 120 sheep to less than 40.  “Off-road vehicles, trespassing cattle, poaching in the 1960s and ‘70s, drought, disease and Mountain Lion predation have worked together to push this population o the edge. We hope we can save this group before it is too late,” Mark Jorgensen, advisor to the Bighorn Institute and former Superintendent of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park wrote in the Desert News.

In his comments submitted on  four solar projects proposed by Soitec in Boulevard, Jorgensen writes that “Construction of yet another group of solar projects will further impede the free movement of wildlife by reducing habitat connectivity and ruining wildlife corridors.”  He further notes that Soitec’s sites are very near lands purchased and set aside specifically to protect species  the endangered bighorn, golden eagles and other species in peril.

New column! 

(If you would like to sponsor the Baja Blog, or any column on ECM, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org)

By Susan A Mahalick

Photos by Sitara Monica Perez

March 19, 2014 (Baja)--You walk into a long space broken up by curves of white walls, stained glass windows and a large bar with lights behind the stained glass at the base at night. Both bistro type seating and regular dining tables are available in the main dining room. There is a second room for events or private parties. A very large window at the rear overlooking the Pacific opens to the fresh salt air. Ceiling fans circulate in key locations. The ceiling is made from plastic, clear tiles which provide plenty of natural light.

By Lori Abbott, California News Service

March 19, 2014 (Sacramento). - Many newer vehicles come with fancy GPS and on-board computers that collect data about where a person drives, how fast, and any accidents they may have had. Legislation introduced at the state Capitol on Tuesday would give vehicle owners more access to that data, which is currently controlled mostly by automakers.

March 18, 2014 (San Diego)-- Reps. Susan Davis and Scott Peters, along with members of San Diego’s medical research community have joined together to call on Congress to increase federal funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which funds critical medical research.

Memorial service set for March 29

March 18, 2014 (Santee) - “It is with great sorrow that we inform you of the death of one of our founding members, Elaine Murphy,” Rita Lee, Secretary of the Santee Historical Society wrote in an e-mail to members. “Ms. Murphy's great passion was the Santee Historical Society, and she was a leading force in reviving the Santee Historical Society after the death of Harriet Wade.  Ms. Murphy was President of the Santee Historical Society several times and was always there to give some helpful tips or a helping hand to any of our members.  Ms Murphy was not only part of the life’s blood of the Society, she was a dear friend. She will be sorely missed.”