Looking for a new plant for your garden or architectural endeavor?

By Matt Kopjak

August 4, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--Choosing the right plant for your garden can be a daunting task, but with Plants-Pedia you can sift through 48,000 plants from the USDA plants database and narrow down your choices, complete with charts and images. You can filter your options by growth period, soil texture, lifespan, shade tolerance, temperature, toxicity, fire tolerance, drought tolerance and more, depending on your needs. This tool is simple enough for the average gardener and has enough advanced options to be useful for even the most experienced botanist.

Update August 5, 2011:  John Williams was found safely last night and has been reunited with his family, Jan Caldwell with the Sheriff reports.

by Elena Peña

Get ready to witness a different kind of learning experience this fall at the Encore! Theatre in Spring Valley. The Young Actors’ Theatre is set to bring to life the beloved musical animated series School House Rock come September. It’s sure to be a fun, knowledge-infused event for the whole family.

August 4, 2011 (Alpine) -- Gary Spivey, internationally acclaimed psychic, medium and predictor of future events, will appear August 6 in the DreamCatcher at Viejas Casino. 

by Jason Jones, J.D.

August 4, 2011 (San Diego)--As a bankruptcy attorney, I meet with clients everyday who struggle to make mortgage payments on their homes. Most of these clients participate in their bank’s loan modification program. But despite government pressure on banks to offer loan modifications, the sad truth is that most clients will never actually receive a modification.

Despite this fact, the bank’s programs will “consider” every applicant; no matter how likely they are to ultimately qualify. While it seems like this over-inclusiveness would be good, or at least neutral, it is in fact harmful to the struggling homeowner.

By Dawn Celapino
 

August 3, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--Who says the only thing you can do with your dog is take him or her on a run/walk? Kayaking is a fun thing to do on a hot day with your dog, especially if your dog enjoys the water.

July 31, 2011 (Rancho Bernardo)—Tastings by 20 San Diego County wineries plus food vendors will be on hand at the San Diego Wine Country Festival on Saturday, August 6 from 1-5 p.m. The event takes place at the Bernardo Winery, San Diego’s oldest winery founded 121 years ago.

July 7, 2011 (Alpine) -- During the months of July and August, Alpine Community Centers Concerts will present the following  concert events on Sunday summer eves from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.:

By T.J. Dunnivant
Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

August 3, 2011 (El Cajon) -- For the second week in a row, voters staged a protest outside Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter’s 52nd Congressional District office to urge that their representative address needs of ordinary citizens over corporations and the wealthy.

August 2, 2011 (San Diego)—By a unanimous vote, San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors today decided to redraw supervisorial districts to include a South Bay district in which racial minorities comprise the majority of the population The five white Supervisors, all Republicans, originally had proposed a map with all-white majority districts.

Story by Miriam Raftery; Photos by Mark and Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2011 (Alpine) -- "Oh, you're beautiful!" San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce President Scott Alevy exclaimed as his wife, Joanne, dished up a forkful of chicken.  But he wasn't complimenting her cooking. Instead, Alevy was admiring Raja--a 500-pound Bengal tiger that Joanne was feeding after winning a drawing at Lions, Tigers & Bears (LTB) in Alpine.

The Chamber hosted a fundraiser to benefit the big cat rescue facility last weekend, donating 100% of proceeds to help this worthy cause while providing a memorable experience for Chamber members. View our video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFhE9h-O0Uw

Update: The victim has been identified as Wesley Stewart Grove, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner. No other information has yet been released.

August 1, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- Very soon, East County Magazine will be unveiling a very special guide to East County written by travel writers -- offering you tips of all the very best attractions and activities.  Watch our sneak preview 7-minute video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9xrwUQnymk

Sponsors needed! Call (619)698-7617 or e-mail editor@eastcountymagazine.org to learn how you can become a sponsor for one of our 10 "video adventures" for your region in East County. Each region will highlight the history, culture, and attractions. We will also have special sections for dining, lodging, wine tasting, activities, a shopping and services directory, seasonal favorites, festivals and events, and much, much more!

By Mark Duchamp, CEO, European Platform Against Wind Farms www.epaw.org
President, Save the Eagles International www.savetheeaglesinternational.org
 

August 2, 2011 (Washington D.C.)--The US Fish and Wildlife Service is asking the public to send in their comments regarding its revised draft Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines. The deadline for sending your comments is August 4, 2011.

This concerns people from anywhere in the world, as these guidelines may inspire other countries and be used as justification for killing protected species.

By Miriam Raftery

August 1, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Sempra Energy has asked the U.S. Department of Energy for a presidential permit to construct a cross-border transmission line called Energia Sierra Juarez to import electricity from Sempra facilities in Mexico. The line would cross the border near Jacumba in San Diego’s East County.