East County News Service

October 27, 2014 (La Mesa) – This weekend’s Soap Box Derby in La Mesa may be the final race for local youngsters.  After 14 years, the event will be terminated unless new sponsors can be found.

October 28, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – If you haven’t yet sent in your mail-in ballot, you don’t have to drive to the Registrar of Voters to assure it’s received by the November 4^th election.  Now you can drop your mail-in ballot off at 12 county libraries during their business hours through November 3^rd, the day before the election. That includes the El Cajon and Santee libraries in East County.

By Janis Russell

October 24, 2014 (El Cajon)- Jonathan Wright is running against incumbent Mayor Bill Wells and challenger Allen Theweny  for Mayor of El Cajon.

Wright participated in an exclusive interview with East County Magazine. Wright discusses his values, what his main priorities will be once elected, and his views about the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC) among other topics.  He  has a background in business management, marketing and IT support. He decided to run for Mayor to serve the people and lead the city into the future, helping get the people and the city back on track to prosperity by working to alleviate poverty for the elderly and to get people off the streets.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Left, Glenn Dickie.  Lou Russo did not respond to our request for a candidate photo.

October 25, 2014 (Alpine) – Six candidates are running for the Alpine Union School District: Michael Beraud, Glenn Dickie, Nina Gould, Al Guerra, Lou Russo, and Eric Wray.  We sent a questionnaire to all six of them over a week ago. Only two responded by deadline: Lou Russo and incumebent Glenn Dickie. (If others respond later, we will post their replies at the end of this story, so check back.)

Dickie says he strongly backs building an Alpine High School and wants to help the AUSD through unification with the Grossmont District to build the Alpine High School. Russo says he would only support unification if it is the only way for Alpine to meet its goals.

Both candidates have had children ho attended district schools.  Both platforms include financial accountability.  Both candidates are conservatives though Dickie has the County Republican Party endorsement.  Dickie has a degree in finance and career experience that includes accounting and information technology. Russo, a former Marine and ex-teacher, has made school safety the number one plank in his platform and called for armed guards on campuses. Dickie also supports safe schools but has other approaches in mind. Dickie wants to start a summer learning program and sees declining enrollment, implementing Common Core standards and increasing technology in the classroom as important issues.

Below are their responses in full.

Story and photos by Robert Gehr

© Robert Gehr 2014

October 26, 2014 (El Cajon)—El Cajon’s third annual Halloween festival was a hit once again. The festivities took place in downtown on Main Street, Sulzfeld Avenue and Rea Street as well as Prescott Park. The area became quickly crowded with many costumed people enjoying themselves as dusk began to settle in and the night enveloped the area in darkness.

October 25, 2014 (Spring Valley) – Two news item coming up will impact Spring Valley residents.

Lamar Street will be closed to through traffic for a month due to a slope repair project, the County of San Diego has announced.  Residences will remain accessible during construction and questions may be sent to Brian Rochelle, resident engineer, at brian.rochelle@tylin.com.

October 25, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- Jimmy Rodriguez snapped this photo of Mark Raftery enjoying the view atop Potato Chip Rock, the “treat” awaiting hikers on the 8-mile round trip trek to one of East County’s most unique landmarks.

By Nadin Abbott

October 25, 2014 (San Diego) Representatives of state and federal agencies held a public meeting in San Diego at the Hilton in Mission Valley to present the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) to citizens.

The plan, which covers 22 million acres of deserts in California, has the following stated goals according to the program:

Update: A resident has been arrested for arson in this fire.

October 25, 2014 (La Mesa)--At 11:42 p.m. Friday night, Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from La Mesa and Lemon Grove, with assistance from San Diego Fire, were dispatched to reports of a residential structure fire in the 6700 block of Rolando Knolls Dive in La Mesa.  Fire crews arrived within four minutes to discover heavy fire and smoke coming from the garage of a single story, single family residence.

October 24, 2014 (Rancho San Diego)--The Jingle Paws walk will be taking place December 6, 2014 at a new location: the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College.

October 24, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Superior Court has announced plans to close its appeals and small claims operations in East County, as well as North and South County. The decision would mean major inconvenience and travel costs for residents who live far away from Kearny Mesa, where operations would be centralized. The public can comment on this proposed plan up until December 21^st.  Below are details:

By Buck Shott

October 25, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- The mud is flying as the clock ticks down to the November 4^th election.  Here are some of the latest juicy stories, scandals and mud-slinging tactics on the campaign trail in San Diego and East County.

East County News Service

October 22, 2014 (Boulevard)—David Williams was arrested in Lakeside on Saturday, October 11th by the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force. He is charged with the murder of Christine Crosby, his former girlfriend whose body was found buried in a shallow grave just east of Mile Marker 29 on Old Highway 80 in Boulevard.

By Miriam Raftery

October 24, 2014 (Alpine) – A negative campaign mailer  targeting Alpine School Board candidate Lou Russo (photo, left) was funded by the Public Safety PAC based in San Carlos.  Russo is, in fact, endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police in San Diego County. 

Among those contributing major funds to the Public Safety PAC is local Diamond dealer, CK Diamonds who is owned by Charles “Chuck” Kaderabek. Kaderabek withdrew his nomination from the Alpine Planning Group after Russo exposed Kaderabek’s string of tax liens, tax delinquencies and lapsed law license.

The Public Safety PAC has also been exposed as being behind mailers targeting La Mesa City Council candidate Mary England, who has the endorsement of La Mesa’s police, fire and public safety unions.

Source: City of Santee

October 22, 2014 (Santee)--The city of Santee has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 to mark the beginning of construction of a new 1.3-mile-long multi-use recreational trail along the San Diego River known as the Walker Preserve Trail Project.