East County Magazine and the Santee Solutions Coalition invite you to meet our editor on Tuesday, August 25th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Santee Library (9225 Carlton Hills Blvd.) Help us build our new Santee and Lakeside community section!

What important community events, issues and organizations do you want covered in East County Magazine?

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Joseph Zatarain, Potrero Town on Facebook

August 16, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --Friday, August 14th was a rough day for motorists in East County. A motorhome sparked a dozen spot fires along 67, forcing closure of the highway and long delays for motorists while firefighters worked to douse the blazes.

Even longer delays were experienced by motorists along Highway 94, which was shut down for roughly 10 hours along the key border-region artery after a semi-truck collided head on with a vehicle carrying several passengers and rolled over.  Inadequate notifications from official channels left motorists stuck in traffic for hours during extreme heat of over 100 degrees and an ambulance was forced to take a lengthy detour.

“Something is wrong here,” says Kim Hamilton, Editor of the Deerhorn Valley Antler. The publication's Antler Alerts  provided the most reliable source of information for the public during most of the extended shutdown.  “Not only was the primary artery and evacuation route closed, but there was little media coverage of it while it was taking place.”

Memorial planned for September 26, 2015

By Miriam Raftery

August 16, 2015 (Descanso) –For the past 43 years, Garry McClintock has been making saddles to outfit trail riders and cowboys across our region. On August 14^th, the master  saddle maker passed away at his Descanso home. With his passage, a towering part of San Diego’s western heritage rides off into the sunset. though his memories live on.

East County Magazine’s “Sounds of History” host Helen Ofield interviewed McClintock for our radio show on KNSJ. You can hear the  series here, including McClintock discussing the art of saddlemaking in part 1 and the history of vaqueros in our region in part 2:

http://k001.kiwi6.com/hotlink/7avse2re64/Soundsof_History-GarrymcClintock-saddles1.mp3

    http://k001.kiwi6.com/hotlink/n2cwhibth1/SoundsofHistory-2McClintock-Vaqueros.mp3

East County News Service

August 16, 2015 (El Cajon)—El Cajon Police Chief Jim Redman  has announced plans to retire on December 4^th, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Redman has served as chief since 2011 and has been a member of the city’s police force since 2008.

El Cajon City Manager Doug Williford has said that the crime rate dropped 25 percent with Redman at the helm. He also credits Redman with community-based policing that shows sensitivity to El Cajon’s increasingly diverse community.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos courtesy of Camilia Sadik

August 15, 2015 (El Cajon) –This photo is not in Egypt nor Tunisia.  The scene is Iraq, this month, where demonstrators are calling for an end to corruption and a return to secular government amid scorching temperatures that have reached 122 degrees. 

A solidarity rally is planned today in El Cajon from 6 to 8 p.m. at 201 East Main Street.

“Mass demonstrations were triggered in Baghdad by lack of electricity and unbearable heat in August,” linquist Camilia Sadik told East County Magazine, also providing photos taken by her friend in Baghdad.  “They began in Tahreer Square in Baghdad on August 1 and then spread all over Iraq.  Two major slogans are `In the name of religion, we were burglarized by thieves” and “Yes to secularism, No to Shiites, no to Sunnis.”

August 13, 2015 (San Diego's East County) – The Pala Band of Mission Indians announced today that it has donated $10,000 to the San Diego Reach Out and Read program. The funds will be used to support Reach Out and Read’s education and literacy efforts throughout the region including at the four Native American clinics that the program operates.

August 14, 2015 (Santee) - Smokey and the Bandit will be the featured outdoor film on Friday, August 21^st at Santee Lakes.  Showtime starts at 8 p.m.  The film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason is rated PG-13 and this special showing will also include a beer garden.

By Jaime Mirman

August 13, 2015 (Rancho San Diego)--The San Diego Concert Band and The Water Conservation Garden presented An Evening of Music in the Garden last July 26th. Coincidentally, the Band is celebrating its 26th season this year, and their program immersed the listeners into an exciting display of treasured songs, rousing marches and gripping contemporary pieces.

The annual event took place for the third year at the amphitheater in the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, which proved to be a visually and acoustically effective environment for the performance. As expected, San Diego Concert Band delivered its interpretations with gusto, thunder and finesse. Their care and dedication succeed as a most welcome musical contribution to our community.

East County News Service

August 14, 2015 (San Diego)—Fruits, nuts, and other crops including some sold as organic have been grown using irrigation from oil fracking wastewater laced with toxins in drought-stricken California.

Now some consumer advocacy groups including Food & Water Watch are calling for a halt to the practice.  Courage Campaign has launched a petition for consumers to pledge that they won’t buy food products grown with oil wastewater, or what Courage Campaign calls “toxic sludge.”

 A shocking investigation by Mother Jones magazine reveals that oil wastewater has reportedly been sold to 90 landowners in Southern California, including Bee Sweet Citrus and  Halos, a citrus company which has the slogan “pure goodness” and Sunview, which sells grapes and raisins including some certified as organic.  Another company reportedly irrigating with oil wastewater is Trinchero Family Estates, which supplies grapes for winemakers including Sutter Home.

By Devoreo Bell

Photo: NIFC.gov

August 13, 2015 (Ramona)--Last week, East County Magazine reported on the United States Forest Service’s announcement that it will not allow its new air tanker firefighting planes to land at the Ramona Air Base. The USFS says the runway is not long enough. However Cal Fire provided a video showing a Cal Fire pilot landing the same type of plane in Ramona.

Now, all  five of San Diego’s Congressional representatives (Duncan Hunter, Darrell Issa, Scott Peters, Juan Vargas and Susan Davis) have signed a letter sent to Chief Thomas Tidwell of the USFS asking him to take action.

August 11, 2015 (Pala)--The Pala Band of Mission Indians announced today that it has donated $140,000 to the Bonsall Union School District for the 2015-2016 school year.

By Janis Russell

August 9, 2015 (El Cajon)- Last Friday, July 31, the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce hosted the first of its Dine and Dialogue series with Congresswoman Susan Davis.

Photo: "Junior Seau Chargers jersey" by Deejay from SoCal, U.S.A.  Forever #55. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

August 11, 2015 (San Diego)--The San Diego Chargers will pay tribute to Chargers and San Diego icon and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau prior to the team’s regular-season home opener against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13.  The tribute will take place prior to kickoff on the 50-yard line at Qualcomm Stadium and will feature a special video followed by an address from Seau’s daughter Sydney.