Courtesy of Cabrillo National Monument

Photo: Dignitaries including California’s Governor rode the flume across East County, from Lake Cuyamaca to Lake Murray.

February 23, 2023 (San Diego) -- 134 years ago, the San Diego Flume opened. Today, the word flume is often used to describe a type of theme park ride in which users get splashed while riding in a wooden roller coaster. While such a thing would be ahead of its time in the 1880s, the San Diego Flume was far more significant, because it provided something essential to the residents of the small but growing city of San Diego than any thrill ride could: abundant water. 

The Flume’s construction began in 1886 with the goal of bringing a reliable and plentiful water supply to the residents of the growing city and county of San Diego. The Flume project dammed the San Diego River's waters at the bottom of the Cuyamaca Mountains and then through a 35 mile complex of wooden chutes, trestles, and tunnels delivered it to a reservoir in La Mesa. From there, water was conveyed to places across San Diego where residents could reliably irrigate their farms and gardens and enjoy plentiful drinking water. 

This event has been postponed to March 4 due to rain.

East County News Service

February 25, 2023 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove’s Black History Celebration 2023 will take place on March 4, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Treganza Heritage Park (3200 Main Street, Lemon Grove). The event has been rescheduled from Feb. 25 due to rain.

The celebration will include spoken word, drumming, African dancers, music artists, art, youth activities, steppers, soul food vendors, food trucks and special community recognition of local black businesses and organizations.

The annual event is hosted by Thrive Lemon Grove, a non-profit community organization dedicated to advancing public health and safety initiatives through collaborations to elevate the quality of life in Lemon Grove.

East County News Service

February 22, 2023 – The storm has caused power outages amid frigid weather in some parts of East County. While power has been restored in most areas, power went down in parts of Borrego Springs last night due to weather affecting SDG&E equipment, and is not expected to be restored until this evening.  Borrego resident Nikki Symington posted on Facebook, “I am freezing. No electricity since 9 last night."

According to SDG&E, “Last night at its peak 11,000 SDG&E customers were without power during the night, in addition to momentary outages caused by high winds. Crews have made significant progress in restoring thousands of customers and are working to restore remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible.”

The utility states that to protect the safety of its customers, employees and communities, the company has taken proactive steps to prepare for winter storms this week, with the strongest storm due this weekend. A news release from SDG&E states, “In anticipation of these storms, SDG&E increased the number of field crews and equipment available to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. The company’s meteorology team is also monitoring weather conditions minute-by-minute to help provide situational awareness to crews working hard to maintain the infrastructure that serves our communities. However, preparedness is a community effort, and the company encourages all of its customers to have a plan in place in case of unplanned outages.”

To help customers prepare for the upcoming storm, the company is sharing the following safety tips to help keep you and the region safe:

By Jacob Pamus

February 22, 2023 (Proctor Valley) – There has been an ongoing legal battle between environmental groups like the Sierra Club and others, against developers who want to turn Proctor Valley, a large tract of land between Chula Vista and Jamul, into a housing development. A judge has ruled in favor of the environmental groups that the Village 14 site of Proctor Valley is to not become a housing development, due to severe fire hazard, as ECM previously reported..

Now, Peter Anderson with Sierra Club San Diego has said that he would hopes to see the Proctor Valley site become part of the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve, so that it may be protected in perpetuity. He could not divulge details due to ongoing negotiations.

East County News Service

February 21, 2023 (San Diego) – A winter storm warning has been issued for San Diego’s mountain areas and desert slopes from 6 p.m. tonight until 3 p.m. tomorrow, and for coastal and inland areas through Wednesday at 8 p.m.. Wind gusts as high as 100 miles per hour are forecast. A second winter storm is forecast starting Tuesday, when snow could drop to 2,000 feet, with rain elsewhere in the county. Heavy snows and cold temperatures are predicted through next weekend, with powerful winds returning, the National Weather Service predicts.

“Expect rain, snow, high wind and surf, as well as possible flooding and mudslides. Frigid conditions and poor visibility will impact travel,” the San Diego Sheriff’s department posted on Twitter. “Expect delays and use precautions while driving. Secure your boat and patio furniture.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left via Calico Ranch on Facebook: Fred Coleman discovered gold, starting the Julian Gold Rush in 1869.

February 21, 2023 (Julian) - Many San Diego County residents have visited Julian, a historic gold rush town in the Cuyamaca Mountains. Some may know that is was founded by former Confederate soldiers after the Civil War. But many are likely unaware of the black settlers who also played key roles in the town’s history.

It was Fred Coleman from Kentucky, a freed slave and rancher who discovered gold in a stream on what is now Calico Rancho; his find started Julian’s gold rush in 1869. Coleman married a member of the Santa Ysabel tribe. He had previously been a miner in Northern California. The Coleman Mining District in what is now known as Julian was named for him, and he served as its first recorder.

America Newton, a widow and formerly enslaved black woman, and her daughter, Clara, came to Julian from Kansas and started a laundry business that served war veterans, European immigrants, Native Americans, and newly freed African-Americans. She used her work ethic to build a new life of freedom.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo of burned trailers via Cal Fire on Twitter

February 21, 2023 (Ocotillo Wells) – A fire on private property has caused heavy damage to six recreational vehicle trailers in Ocotillo Wells.

Cal Fire San Diego posed on Twitter early yesterday evening that it was at the scene of multiple large vehicles on fire along Split Mountain Road south of Highway 78 in Ocotillo. 

East County News Service

February 20, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County has a wide range of creative events, from Black History Month to Fido Fest, from birdwatching tips to the return of HoooleyFest, Touch-a-Truck, a liar’s contest in the desert, a harmonica festival in La Mesa, a chili cookoff in Lemon Grove, and an Earth Day Boulder Fair in Jacumba Hot Springs.

East County News Service

Note: This event was postponed due to rain from Feb. 25 to March 11.

February 20, 2023 (Ramona) – The County of San Diego invites you to its “Love Your Heart Community Fair” on Saturday, March 11 from 12-3 p.m. at the Ramona Library, 1275 Main Street in Ramona.

Learn about good heart health and how to control your blood pressure—and get a free blood pressure monitor as well as a blood pressure check.

Plus there will be information booths, a Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Murals walk, and food distribution. In addition, the fair includes vaccines available free for COVID-19 and flu, as well as Naloxone distribution to prevent overdoses.

By Assemblymember Marie Waldron

February 19, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- San Diego County has more tribal governments than any other county in the nation. Since these communities are all located within the 75^th Assembly District, tribal issues are very important to me, especially regarding their safety and prosperity.

The Aztecs are in a three-way tie for second place in the Mountain West

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

February 16, 2023 (San Diego) - The Aztec women’s basketball team (21-8, 11-5) fell to Wyoming 70-58 inside Viejas Arena Saturday afternoon. SDSU led by 15 points early in the third quarter, but the Cowgirls scored 50 second half points while shooting a blistering 79 percent from the floor in the second half to come back and steal a win.

Federal government releases breakdown by Congressional district as Supreme Court readies to hear cases challenging program

By Miriam Raftery

February 17,2023 (San Diego)—The U.S. Department of Education has released a chart showing federal student loan forgiveness applications and approvals broken down by Congressional district.  The data shows that “In every single congressional district, at least half of eligible borrowers either applied or were deemed auto-eligible for debt relief, and that was only in the one month that the application was available before the program got blocked because of lawsuits.”

Nationally, about 40 million student borrowers were eligible for the program and around 26 million applications were received, of which 16 million were approved before a court blocked the program pending review by the U.S. Supreme Court, leaving borrowers in limbo for now.

In San Diego County, over 400,000 borrowers would be eligible for the loan forgiveness, if the high court allows it to move forward.  Over 240,000 of those have applied and around 154,000 local borrowers have been approved.

Here is the breakdown by district:

By Miriam Raftery 

February 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – At 12:45 a.m., a truck towing a water tanker on Interstate 8 east near Tavern road struck a 26-year-old man from Lakeside who was standing outside of a disabled vehicle, a 2002 Cadillac Eldorado, on the roadway’s shoulder.

By Miriam Raftery

February 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Dane Terry, 67, co-founder of the Cadillac Wreckers jazz and blues band, lost his life February 13 of injuries sustained when an SUV ran a red light in San Carlos and struck the motorcycle Terry was riding.  He was known as “Mr. Chromatonic” and was widely known and respected among San Diego’s music community.

A resident of El Cajon, Terry moved to San Diego County in 1987 from Los Angeles. His musical interest began early in life, when his parents gave him a harmonica before he started school. Later, he sang in church and played with several blues bands before founding a harmonica trio and later, the Cadillac Wreckers band, in which Terry played harmonica as well as serving as vocalist.

The band has performed jazz, blues and dance music at popular venues across the county including House of Blues, Humphrey’s Backstage Live!, and the Gator by the Bay festival. They also performed at many East County venues including street festivals, Spring Harp Fest in La Mesa, Hooley’s Irish Pub and Girll, Main Tap Tavern, and Wynola Pizza and Bistro. He was also amember of a bluegrass band headed by Chris Clarke.