Update:  Santee reader Jerrie Dean informs us that her mother saw Larry Negrette return to his mobilehome park today.  The Sheriff's office confirms with the following details:

On Monday, May 27, 2013 at around 10:15 p.m., Mr. Larry Negrette was located in the 10200 block of Ashwood Street in Lakeside. Mr. Negrette had contacted a resident on Ashwood Street and asked for food. The resident provided Mr. Negrette with food and water. As the resident and Mr. Negrette spoke, Mr. Negrette appeared disoriented and could not remember his address or phone number. The resident became concerned for Mr. Negrette and decided to notify the Sheriff's Department. Deputies from the Santee Station responded and contacted Mr. Negrette. He was reunited with his family.

May 27, 2013 (Santee) – Larry Negrette, 70, has been missing form his home in the 9400 block of Mission Gorge Road, Santee, since 5 p.m. Saturday May 25.  He suffers from dementia and high blood pressure.

His family is extremely concerned for his welfare. His vehicle is inoperable and accounted for.  Negrette is Hispanic with grey hair, receding hair line, brown eyes, and a mustache.  He is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 210 pounds. He was last seeing wearing blue jeans, T-shirt, and white sneakers. 

May 27, 2013 (Ocotillo) -- When Jim Pelley arose at sunrise and looked out over the desert from his home in Ocotillo, he noticed something missing. So he grabbed his camera to record the unusual sight.

A Siemens wind turbine at Pattern Energy's Ocotillo Express Wind Energy facility had hurled off  a multi-ton blade onto a trail on public Bureau of Land Management recreational land.  Fortunately, since the accident occurred at night, nobody was harmed.

May 27, 2013 (San Diego) – “Our school community was deeply saddened as we learned of the magnitude of the widespread devastation caused in the community of Moore, Oklahoma and surrounding areas. The absolute destruction has profoundly affected the lives of thousands of the residents in that area,” Chaim Heller, head of the San Diego Jewish Academy wrote in a letter to parents of students.  “Jewish tradition teaches us "Al Taamod al dam re'echa" (Do not stand idly by while our neighbors are in pain). San Diego Jewish Academy has a longstanding tradition of reaching out to help any and all who are in need. We believe that our Jewish values of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and (acts of loving kindness) are essential components of our instructional program at San Diego Jewish Academy.”

May 27, 2013 (San Diego) – The San Diego Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) has named East County resident Lawrence O’Leary president of its board of directors.  The San Diego Chapter of the CLCA aims to serve, protect and promote professionalism; and advance public awareness of the landscape industry.

O’Leary is director of sales and marketing at Hydro-Scape Products Inc., a leading provider of landscape and irrigation supplies. Hydro-Scape has 18 different locations serving Southern California, Hawaii and international locations. 

May 27, 2013 (Lakeside) – Helix Water District’s Johnstown Tank, located in Lake Jennings Park Estates off Harritt Road, Lakeside, is currently undergoing complete interior and exterior recoating. Work began on Monday, May 13, 2013. The project will take approximately six months to complete.

The viewshed for this tank includes a large area along the I-8 corridor west of the Lake Jennings Park Road exit.

Residents in the area should be aware of increased traffic, elevated noise levels, and a visual change to the tank’s surface.

May 27, 2013 (San Diego) – Fields Family Wines will be holding a Wine Dinner at Bistro Sixty, 5987 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego on June 7 at 6 p.m.  The dinner includes 5 courses with pairings and costs $70 per person.

By Nadin Abbott

Photo:  Firefighters battle spot fire in Lakeside; photo by Jeff Holz

May 26, 2013 (San Diego East County)—Fire season is off to an early start. Yesterday, even as firefighters fought to contain the 1800-acre San Felipe fire in the mountains of East County, four new fires drew resources from across the region.  Here is a wrap-up on those fires in Ramona, Lakeside, the Santee/San Diego boundary area, Dulzura, and the border region.

May 30, 2013 (El Cajon ) – Round up the art lovers and music lovers in your family for the third annual Western Music Jubilee on Saturday, June 1 starting at 7 p.m. at the Cuyamaca Performing Arts Center.   The show stars Sourdough Slim, Dave Bourne, Mary Kaye, and the Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers.

It’s all to benefit educational programs at the Olaf Wieghorst  Museum in downtown El Cajon.Wieghorst was one of America’s premier western artists.  A cowboy and cavalryman who once pursued Pancho Villa,  his paintings hung in the White House and were owned by three presidents: Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

By Bill Weaver



May  24, 2013 (Alpine--originally written May 14, 2013) -- I am disappointed to report that new information has recently surfaced that indicates that Propositions H and U Bond funds have been grossly misused by the GUHSD, and that this misuse has been the subject of a cover-up by the GUHSD Trustees and Administrative staff.  A "smoking gun" has been discovered that points toward unethical and non-transparent behavior by District staff, presumably under the direction of the Trustees.



You will see from the content in the attachment that District bond construction funds have been mismanaged at best, and GUHSD fiscal policies and decision-making are a train wreck. The attachment shows that the District's ongoing bond management practices and accounting procedures have cheated taxpayers and burdened the district with unsustainable district "OPEX" Operating Expenses.

May 24, 2013 (Mountain Springs) - Photographers Jim Pelley and Parke Ewing spotted a herd of endangered Peninsular Bighorn sheep preparing to cross I-8 in Mountain Springs, at the county line separating San Diego and Imperial Valley counties. 

Residents report that wildlife is returning to the area over the past week, since wind turbines at the adjacent Ocotillo area have been silenced during the investigation into a blade that fell from a wind turbine.

How many sheep can you find ih the photo below? (click "read more" to view.)  We don't know the answer, but Pelley says spotting the well-camouflaged sheep reminds him of playing "Where's Waldo."

May 24, 2013 (Ramona)--The County Department of Animal Services (DAS) is investigating the death of a horse and is caring for another ten horses seized from an owner in Ramona late yesterday afternoon.      

DAS was called to Ramona Monday after a group of horses was found loose on Highway 78 Monday. CHP and CALFIRE returned them to a nearby property, and DAS began monitoring a herd of 30 horses at the location, noting that the animals lacked food and water. CALFIRE supplied some water, but the conditions prompted DAS to post a notice advising the horses’ owner the animals were subject to seizure.

Concerned neighbors also provided some feed to the horses, but based on the conditions officers found during a check yesterday, DAS seized all of the animals on the property.

By Nadin Abbott

Update May 24, 2013: 2 p.m. - The blaze is now 1800 acres.

Update May 24, 2013: Cal Fire held the blaze to 1500 overnight and now has 60% containment, with no threat to structures. One minor injury to a firefighter occurred.

May 23, 2013 (San Felipe)—Around 1 p.m., Cal Fire informed San Diegans through its Twitter account that it was conducting a controlled burn near the site of last year’s Ranchita Fire.Soon after, according to Cal Fire Deputy Chief Kely Zombro, “The winds shifted in an unprecedented way.”

The fire escaped the containment area, triggering mobilization of resources from across the region. As luck would have it, a multi-agency wildland training drill was being conducted at the Barona Reservation, where firefighters were swiftly shifted from the drill to the fire scene for a hands-on real-life exercise.

May 24, 2013 (El Cajon)--Grossmont College student Thirada Kingphuang has received from the San Diego Police Foundation a Rita Olsen Memorial scholarship of $2,500 awarded to women pursuing an education preparatory to a career in law enforcement.

Kingphuang left her family and everyone she knew in the rural, teak-forest-covered Uttaradit province of northern Thailand in 2009 to pursue a career in forensic science in California.  

May 22, 2013 (Alpine) – The public is invited to honor fallen veterans on Monday, May 27 at the Alpine Community Center’s Wall of Honor, 1830 Alpine Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests will also hear stories from veterans who put their lives on the line for our country, enjoy patriotic music, and a fly-over tribute by the Buecker Squadron in vintage WWII planes. A freeall-American meal of hot dogs and hamburgers.

May 23, 2013 (Alpine) – The Alpine high school graduates who are receiving college scholarships will be in attendance at the Alpine Woman’s Club last monthly luncheon for the 2012-2013 season on Tuesday, June 18 at 12:00 noon.  The new officers will also be installed at this meeting.