View preview video of Santa's flight (above)

East County News Service

December 23, 2015 (North Pole) – While Santa and his elves are busy preparing for their annual journey delivering gifts to children around the world, The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has announced it will track Santa’s Christmas Eve flight once again for the 60^th consecutive year.

On NoradSanta.org you can follow along as NORAD provides video tracking of Santa’s destinations on every continent. Kids and the young at heart can also play Christmas games, listen to songs, watch videos as Santa's sleigh passes landmarks across the globe, plus learn facts about Santa, NORAD and holiday traditions from around the world. NORAD's Santa Tracker is also available as an app for your Apple, Android and Windows devices. Twitter users can follow live updates from @NoradSanta on Christmas Eve.

By Miriam Raftery

December 24, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The volunteer citizens group overseeing the spending of millions of dollars in taxpayer-approved bonds for new and improved patient care facilities at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa has a new member. Sandy Pugliese, the hospital’s community relations manager, has joined the citizens group, called the Independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (ICBOC).

By Miriam Raftery

December 23, 2015 (Alpine) – Just in time for Christmas,  Judge Joel Pressman issued a decision in the Alpine high school case that gives neither side what it wanted. 

The Judge denied the Grossmont Union High School District’s motions to dismiss the case but also denied a request from Alpine Union School District and Alpine Taxpayers to issue a summary judgment in their favor.

Judge Pressman did determine that the Appeals Court found Grossmont made a promise to build a high school that is binding. However, that promise hinges on whether or not the enrollment trigger was met or not.

East County News Service

December 23, 2015 (Ramona) –Authorities are searching for a man in a silver Mercury SUV who reportedly kidnapped two men, crashed the car, and then carjacked an elderly woman, heading south on Highway 67.  He is driving a silver Mercury SUV with California license plate 6KLF075. 

The SUV has a sunroof, roof rack and Kansas Jayhawks license plate. The suspect is desecribed as a white man, 50-60 years old, , 5'8" to 5'9" tall,  unshaven, with a thin build.  He was last seen wearing black sunglasses, a zippered hoody, faded blue jeans and light colored shoes. He might have been injured in the crash.

Deputies from the Ramona Sheriff's Substation responded to a report of a car crash on San Vicente and Wildcat Canyon Roads just after 10:00 a.m. today. Upon arrival, two men inside the car told deputies they had been kidnapped from a sports complex in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego. After the crash, the alleged suspect carjacked an elderly woman in the SUV now sought.

By Leon Thompson, Tribal Beat reporter, East County Magazine

December 17, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --  Erica Pinto (photo, left) and the Jamul Indian Village hosted the premier showing of  A Thousand Voices, a documentary film from Silver Bullet Productions an educational filmmaking program for rural and tribal communities.

This is the story of Native American women in New Mexico from the Pueblo, the Dine’ and the Apache nations.  A common thread is that all are accomplished women leaders held in esteem as keepers of the culture.  Matriarchal in many ways, men and women are equal in the creation stories of indigenous people from the beginning of time.

View the Trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXfEpcGTe9A (Scroll down or hit "read more" for our review)

December 22, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect 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.

• Feds Arrest Martin Shkreli On Fraud Charges (NPR)
• Was that steak raised in the USA? Soon it will be hard to know (NPR)
• Veterans Say 'Burn Pits' Created Toxic Clouds That Made Them Sick (NPR)
• Bernie Sanders’ campaign reaches Voter data deal with Democratic National Committee (Huffington Post)
• Donald Trump Thinks Political Leadership Means Murdering Journalist Critics(Reason)
• Carson touts “humane and reasonable” immigration solution (The Hill)

WORLD

• Russia says can breach U.S. missile defense shield - RIA (Reuters)
  
  Report: Mexico's monarch butterfly reserve lost 24 acres (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Paris synagogue goers mildy poisoned by toxin smeared on lock (JPost)
• Czech Parliament rejects labeling of products from Israeli settlements (JPost)
• Qatar anticipates $12.77 billion budget shortfall in 2016 (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Saudi bid to lead anti-terror campaign raises questions of intent (CS Monitor)
• A Hezbollah recruiting push covers its deeper role in Syria (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 'No fingerprints!' chant migrants in Italy as EU cracks down (Reuters)
• Marina Naprushkina helps refugees and locals meet as equals at her gatherings in Berlin (CS Monitor)
• Iran's October missile test violated UN sanctions, experts say (+video) (CS Monitor)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

December 22, 2015 (San Diego's East County) -- If you’re looking for a special gift for someone on your list, here are a few ideas available right here in East County that show the uniqueness of our region. This year's options range from savoring the fruits of local winemakers' labors to purchasing locally made pottery, camel milk lotions, and hand-woven weareable art to taking a staycation at a sumptuous desert resort. 

East County News Service

December 21, 2015 (El Cajon, CA) – Thirty local charities received over $75,000 in donations from Sycuan at a Gift Giving Ceremony on December 10th, an event that started back in 2006. Each member of Sycuan’s leadership team, comprised of elected tribal council members, the casino executive management team and the casino directors, had the opportunity to each select a charity of their choice to support. All 30 charities were present at the event that took place in Paipa’s Buffet, where they had the opportunity to speak to the group about their cause and receive their monetary donation.

Photo credit to Redden-McAllister on Flickr

East County News Service

December 18, 2015 (El Cajon) -- Country music singer Travis Tritt will be performing at Sycuan Casino & Resort in El Cajon on January 24 at 7 p.m.

East County News Service

December 18, 2015 (El Cajon) – A motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries in a collision with a silver Hyundai shortly before noon today in the 1600 block of Pepper Drive in El Cajon.

By Sharon Hamilton

December 18, 2015 (San Diego) -- Dear SharonAnn:  My wife and I set up our family trust several years ago. We have two grown children and named them as successor co-trustees should we be unable to act. Some friends of ours did the same thing with their three adult children. We know them and their situations. One son lives in Perth, one son lives in Shanghai and their daughter lives in BoraBora and they all come home to visit about once every three years. I read something about the details of being a trustee and I’ve been telling them it is a bad idea. In fact it may even be a bad idea for us even though ours live in Key West, Florida and Marshall, Arkansas. What do you suggest?  Signed Perplexed.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Covert Canyon owner Marc Halcon (left); neighbors Clark and Robin Williams (right)

December 17, 2015 (Alpine) – Testimony at the County Planning Commission hearing on Covert Canyon   on December 11th was heated, as concerned citizens and planners fired off concerns which project backers sought to deflect.  At stake was an appeal filed by neighbors and environmentalists opposed to the Planning Director’s decision allowing commercial firearms training of military and police at the Alpine site, which is surrounded by Cleveland National Forest lands.  Animal rights activists also protested live shooting of pigs for military medic training at the property in the past. 

Here are some of the impassioned statements made:

“What the Planning Director has done is sign a death warrant for the national forest.” – Duncan McFetridge, co-chair, Cleveland National Forest Foundation

“I live in constant fear…it is extremely dangerous.” – Robin Williams, neighbor closest to Covert Canyon

 “Military ranges are overloaded right now. Post-911, demand is up…We live in a different world now; our law enforcement and first responders have to have training to respond.” – Marc Halcon, Covert Canyon owner

“You’re allowing an unlimited decibel ordinance for 14 minutes every hour. That’s no ordinance at all…How can a firing range not have substantial impact? It’s beyond my comprehension.” – Planning Commissioner Michael Beck

“This is the most tortured interpretation of the zoning ordinance I have ever seen…You’re going to get sued, and you’re going to lose.” – Attorney Marco Gonzalez, addressing County Planning Commission

“We all know about the global war on terror…Range time equals one of our biggest challenges in San Diego…this is paramount for the success of war fighters.” – Tommy Marquez, on behalf of Congressman Duncan Hunter