By Brian Lafferty

April 25, 2011 (San Diego) – Growing up I have witnessed firsthand a revolution in movie watching. My family went from having a VCR to a DVD player to a Blu-Ray Disc player in a span of twenty-five years. We went from renting movies from Blockbuster and Hollywood Video to Netflix.

By Jeremy Los

“This issue has received band-aid approaches to fix it when it needs a tourniquet.” – La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid

“We look at them as a resource… they are the eyes and ears of the community… they certainly know when something is going on.” – El Cajon Mayor Mark Lewis, on the homeless in his town

 "I do not feel there needs to be a regional center for the homeless in East County." -- Lemon Grove Mayor Mary Sessom

"I am not in the homeless business." - Santee Mayor Randy Voepel

April 26, 2011 – Four East County mayors shared their reactions on a new study on the many homeless in our region. Their views differed dramatically on how to address the homeless problem.  In addition, three of the four mayors questioned the study findings and voiced doubts on the numbers of homeless people listed in their cities. 

According to the 2011 Point-In-Time Count by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, East County is now home to 8.9% of San Diego County’s homeless population, with El Cajon staking claim to the highest number of homeless people. However, the majority of El Cajon's homeless are in shelters--while in other East County communities, the homeless are living on the streets, in cars, or camped along riverbeds.  

April 26, 2011 (San Diego)--A jazz concert benefiting the Grossmont College Music Dept. Scholarship Fund will be held starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 2, at Humphrey’s By the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Dr. on Shelter Island.

April 26, 2011 (Alpine) --“Mission Honored: A Dream Achieved” is the theme on May 30, 2011, when the Veterans Wall of Honor Committee hosts a community celebration to dedicate a wall of honor for local veterans.

A community leader and historian contends that the City's proposal to eliminate its recreation department is a lemon--and that residents will be squeezed.

By Helen Ofield, president, Lemon Grove Historical Society

April 26, 2011 (Lemon Grove) – [Councilman] Tom Clabby has given permission to release to you his response to Howard Cook's bizarre email. Please see below. Cook, who ran as a budget wizard, is evidently unable to fathom the same budget figures you and I have been reading.

Poison pen letters like the one to Tom, wild statements to media (Channel 10 a couple of days ago, Union-Trib, etc.) to spread inaccurate statements, skewering long-time, skilled, city employees, attempting to divide the council on trumped-up fiscal issues -- all of this is a throwback to the bad old days when we suffered with a rogue councilman, who also touted himself as a financial wizard. The said rogue has long since been discredited, but not before nearly destroying the Senior Center with his budget mismanagement. In other words, history is repeating itself.

County's Family Day in the Park Set for Spring Valley Park on April 30; Family Fun Walk added to list of activities

April 25, 2011 (Spring Valley) -- Families are invited to stretch their legs in a day of fitness and fun at the sixth-annual It’s How We Live! Family Day in the Park health festival  from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on April 30 at Spring Valley Park, 8735 Jamacha Blvd. This year’s event has an invigorating line-up of activities, entertainment and giveaways--all free!

April 25, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – A fatality accident in La Mesa involving a pedestrian struck by a car has shut down Broadmoor Street between Jericho and Kathy, La Mesa Police has informed East County Magazine. In addition, Calavo Drive at Challenge Blvd. in Spring Valley is shut down due to a tree fallen across the road, the CHP website reports.

Also use caution on Highway 67, where a signal light has been reported out at Willows Road.

In addition, readers who may have spotted smoke late this morning needn't be concerned. A fire in trees and brush in National City put up a large header of smoke, Incident Page Network reports. However Heartland Fire dispatch assures us that the blaze was swiftly doused. While structures were briefly threatened, only some fencing was damaged.

April 24, 2011 (Julian) – San Diego Sheriff’s ASTREA 12 helicopter conducted a hoist rescue late this afternoon for a victim who fell 30 feet, suffered injuries and became trapped between rocks at the base of Mildred Falls near Julian.

April 26, 2011 (Alpine) -- On Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 6:00 pm, Linda Loegel, former owner of Fred's Old Fashioned Burgers (Mrs. Fred), will present a show and tell evening featuring her new book, Bumps Along the Way.

April 24, 2011 (San Diego)--San Diego Police Department Homicide detectives have assumed the investigation into Tuesday night’s shooting of Christopher Dunn, 28, after he died last night. Dunn was standing in the 200 block of Catania Street in the east San Diego Mountain View neighborhood around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday when a two-door, white Honda Accord with a tinted rear window stopped near him. The passenger door opened and gunshots rang out.

 
County Urges Residents to Take Precautions, Avoid Disease-Carrying Pests
 

April 24, 2011 (San Diego) -- Spring is in the air, which means county residents are probably dreaming about beautiful weather and outdoor activities --- not worrying about mosquitoes, rodents, West Nile virus, hantavirus, plague and tularemia.

You shouldn’t have to worry, according to San Diego County Environmental Health officials, as long as you ake simple steps to protect yourselves and your families from disease-carrying animals and insects.

April 23, 2011 (Alpine) --Supervisor Dianne Jacob invites you to a a “Coffee with Constituents” on Thursday, April 28 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Alpine Woman’s Club, 2156 Alpine Blvd. in Alpine.

April 23, 2011 (El Cajon) -- The Rotary Club of El Cajon will host its 20th Annual Charity Auction, which this year has a New Orleans Mardi Gras theme entitled "Beads, Bourbon & Beignets!"

Nothing but the Truth!

By Will Power

April 21, 2011 (San Diego)--The Republican House majority, which has been spending trillions on worthless wars, has suddenly decided that the government is spending too much. But instead of declaring victory and bring the U.S. Army home to watch the Mexican border, the Republicans have decided to cut Medicare and Social Security.

April 23, 2011 (San Diego) – A 90-year-old woman walking on a private driveway at 4847 Art Street in the east College was seriously injured yesterday when one of her tenants was backing up a vehicle and struck her. She fell to the ground and sustained a serious head injury.