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

November 20, 2012 (Warner Springs) – Hawk Watch Winery will be holding its Holiday Harvest Fair on November 24 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 27054 Chihuahua Valley Rd., Warner Springs. 

Wingshadows Hacienda farms will be offering up homemade, home grown holiday fare including fresh jams, jellies, sauces, marinated feta cheeses, infused balsamic vinegars and fresh bread.  Also featured will be goats milk soaps, bath oils and bath gels.  Hawk Watch will introduce their own Hawk Watch Hand Roasted coffees.

Visit www.hawkwatchwinery.com for more information.

November 20, 2012 (Jacumba)--Cal-Fire will conduct a burn tomorrow, November 21 in McCain Valley near the community of Jacumba. The burn will be approximately 35 acres and smoke will be visible off Interstate 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

By Billy Ortiz

View video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0EPuSgKJOY

November 20, 2012 (Lakeside) --Early in the morning on November 15 in El Monte Valley, I was driving slowly like always, hoping to see a cat. Today was my day--I spotted one close to the road, followed it up the mountain a bit and discovered that there was more than one. Much to my surprise, I saw a second and then a  third bobcat to my right. What I didn't realize was that I had gotten  between the mama and one of her young.

November 20, 2012 --  (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 reflecting 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:

U.S.

• Home prices rise in 81% of U.S. cities as markets recover (Bloomberg)
• How the U.S. mortgage settlement can help military members (U-T San Diego)
• BP settles with U.S. for $4.5 billion in Gulf spill (Sacramento Bee)
• 2 BP workers indicted on manslaughter counts (Sacramento Bee)
• Obama insists on tax hike in “fiscal cliff” deal (Reuters)
• Secession petitions now filed in all 50 states (Yahoo News)
• Rick Perry does not support secession (CNN)
• Federal Wildlife Services makes a killing in animal-control business(Sacramento Bee)
• Obama vows action on climate change for future generations (RawStory)
• Toxic flame retardant detected in popular soda (Rodale Press, publisher of Prevention Magazine)
• Judge approves FTC's $22.5M fine of Google  (Politico)
• Jindahl: End ‘dumbed down conservatism’ (Politico)
• Petraeus case shows ease of government email snooping (Reuters)

WORLD

Israel-Palestine conflict:

• Obama: Israel has ‘every right’ to defend itself from Gaza missile attacks (U.S. News)
• Israeli official:Truce to begin in hours; IDF drops warning leaflets in Gaza (Haaretz)
• After rockets hit Tel Aviv area, IDF renews aerial assault on Gaza   (Haaretz)
• US Senate expresses firm support of Israel (YNet news)
• Turkish PM in Cairo vows support for Gaza (U-T San Diego)
• Gunmen kill six alleged collaborators in Gaza  (Reuters)
• IAF strikes 4 terrorists hiding in media building (Jerusalem Post)
• Lebanese army dismantles rockets aimed at Israel (UT-San Diego)
• Israel assassinates Hamas military chief in Gaza (Sacramento Bee)

Other world news:

• Scandal in Ireland as woman dies in Galway ‘after being denied an abortion’ (The Guardian)    
• Egyptian jihadist urges demolition of Sphinx, pyramids  (Jerusalem Post)
• Iran ready to double nuclear work in bunker: IAEA (Reuters)

HEALTH

• Cells reverse paralysis in dogs (BBC)
• Vegetative patient: “I’m not in pain” – breakthrough research (BBC News)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

November 20, 2012  --  (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:

STATE

• California’s deficit shrinks to $1.9 billion (San Francisco Chronicle)
• California job growth drops jobless rate to 10.1% (Sacramento Bee)
• Proposed wind farm near Joshua Tree National Monument cancelled (Rewire)
• California moves full speed ahead with health care exchange  (Sacramento Bee)
• Study: California refineries operated during periods blamed for gas spikes (McClatchy News)
• New CSU Chancellor requests 10% pay cut (Sacramento Bee)
• Jerry Brown tells University of California to ‘get more grounded’ (Sacramento Bee)
• Cailfornia’s new parks director vows ‘absolute integrity’ (Sacramento Bee)

LOCAL

• El Cajon city councilman’s home is target of pre-election day shooting (East County Californian)
• San Diego County Sheriff refuses to release drone documents (MuckRock News)
• Lawsuit could threaten San Diego water supplies (U-T San Diego)
• Foreclosure registry measure passes in San Diego (U-T San Diego)
• An evening of pot and pot shots (La Mesa Today)
• Pot dispensaries headed for La Mesa ballot (U-T San Diego)
• City Council OKs 5-Story Apartment Complex at Town Center RiverView  (Santee Patch)
• Hospice threatened by Medicare audit (U-T San Diego)
• Dueling groups rally for Israelis, Palestinians (U-T San Diego)
• Where did Obama, Romney do best in the county? (U-T San Diego, interactive precinct map)
• Former Rep. Hunter supports work ethic of BP agent who killed woman (10 News)
• Lakeside youth goes from a coma onto the stage (UT-San Diego)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips!

November 20, 2012 (San Diego)--Thanksgiving signifies the beginning of the Holiday Season and many of us will be spending more time in the kitchen preparing for the Holidays according Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Thanksgiving Day is the leading day for home cooking fires, with three times as many occurring on Thanksgiving as any other day of the year. In 2010, there were 1,370 fires on Thanksgiving, a 219 percent increase over the daily average. “Thanksgiving is a fun, festive holiday, but it’s also very hectic says DiGiovanna. “All the entertaining and distractions make it easy to forget about what’s cooking on the stovetop.”

November 20, 2012 (Ramona) – Oasis Camel Dairy hosts its 3rd Annual Pomegranate Days on November 24 and 25 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.

This holiday tradition includes feeding pomegranates to the camels, a special performance of the performing bird show and a behind the scenes tour of the dairy.Camel rides will also be available, as well as camel milk chocolate, soaps and lotions. 

November 20, 2012 (Alpine) – Myra Thompson Bull, L.Ac., will present a workshop on Saturday, December 1.  Learn how to make winter wellness remedies in your own kitchen from easily available ingredients—just in time for cold and flu season. Enjoy a morning of delightful scents and wise recipes to ward off winter ailments.  This hands-on workshop will be followed by a light lunch.

November 20, 2012 (San Diego)—By a 5-3 vote, San Diego’s City Council voted last week to pass the Property Value Protection Ordinance (PVPO) aimed at helping banks clean up blighted foreclosure properties.  It requires banks to register with the city and pay a $76 fee whenever they take action to foreclose a home. The registry makes it possible to immediately identify the bank responsible for a blighted property, and the fee revenue will increase code enforcement staff to hold banks accountable for neglected properties.

By Lori Abbott, California News Service

November 17, 2012 (San Diego)-Congress returned to Washington, D.C., to begin its lame-duck session, but a veterans' group has not given up the fight for legislation to protect parts of the California desert. A bill  by Darrell Issa (R-San Diego) would designate as wilderness more than 21,000 acres of Beauty Mountain and Agua Tibia in northern San Diego County. 

November 18, 2012 (San Diego) – The Far East Project will celebrate its firs year with the 2012 Closing Ceremonies to be held at 3rd Space, 4610 Park Blvd., San Diego on November 30 at 7:00 p.m. The first year of The Far East Project draws to a close with an enormous amount of accomplishment under its belt: a conference on the future of East County arts, a photo contest, a website archiving populist submissions, events on two college campuses, and the first published volume of a people’s history of East County, “Everything Just as It Is”.

November 18, 2012 (Poway) – Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation presents Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two Woman Show on December 1 at 8:00 p.m. at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road, Poway.  Vicki Lawrence approaches everything with a sense of humor, from her eleven years with The Carol Burnett Show, her gold record for “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia and her TV series “Mama’s Family”.  She and Mama will share a double-bill for an evening of stories, songs and laughs.

Tickets are priced from $50 - $65 and can be purchased online here.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna 

November 18, 2012 (San Diego)--As temperatures cool down, home heating use goes up. It’s important for homeowners and renters to inspect their home-heating appliances and perform any maintenance necessary to avoid any health or safety hazards.