By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – A heat wave will bring toasty temperatures in triple digits to our inland region starting Friday through at least Tuesday. The National Weather Service cautions that heat advisories, watches or warnings may be issued due to health risks posed by high heat.

East County News Service

August 1, 2019 (San Diego) -- National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August—including a dozen locations in San Diego County.

You can come meet deputies who patrol your neighborhoods, learn about services the Sheriff’s department provides, and get crime prevention safety tips. You can also explore Sheriff’s programs such as senior volunteers, home vacation checks, the You Are Not Alone program for homebound seniors and the disabled, and Jr. Explorers. Visitors may also meet McGruff “The Crime Dog” and view a Sheriff’s K-9 demo. The events also offer free food and drinks, giveaways and a bicycle raffle at some locations.

Click on one of the communities below for an event flyer at each of these Sheriff's stations and substations including several  East County locations:

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: HeART of Mt. Helix

Listen to our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link.

August 1, 2019 (Mt. Helix) – Krista Powers with the Mt. Helix Park Foundation shared some fascinating history of Mt. Helix and the evolution of the foundation in an interview on our East County Magazine Radio Show. 

She also talked about the upcoming heart of Mt. Helix food, wine and art festival coming up on August 10^th.  The benefit event features live music and dancing, art demonstrations, a high-value raffle and auction, food tastings from local restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries and more – all at the mountaintop amphitheater with 360 degree views. This year, the Old Town trolley will shuttle people to the event.

“They come up the mountain and right away, guests walk into a live art experience,” Powers says. Up to Sunset Peak, you can do tastings and enjoy music, after which there will be a live auction with vacation stays and more, cooking demonstration, and even a new VIP seating area with lounge chairs and continued tastings. After sunset, the Good Mojo band will provide dancing under the stars. 

The event helps fund habitat restoration in the park and a wealth of other events held there, including a Halloween Harvest Festival, yoga, astronomy nights, classes, concerts, and a holiday event that this year will including the annual caroling party as well as an event similar to the Christmas markets of Europe.

Photo: San Diego Fire and Rescue

Update August 2, 2019 ,11 a.m.  The Caliente Fire is 60% contained at 490 acres. An arson investigation is underway; Fox 5 interviewed a witness who saw teen boys fleeing scene when the fire began.  NBC 7 reports two businesses burned, but no homes were lost.

Update August 1, 2019, 8 p.m.  The fire has burned 490 acres and is 50% contained. Around 70 structures were evacuated but none were lost. A pallet fire caused explosions, but no one was injured, Chula Vista Fire reports. Evacuation orders have been lifted and all roads are now open.

By Miriam Raftery

August 1, 2019 (Santee) – Off Broadway Live Theatre in Santee will present a live musical play, “Roadshow,” on Sunday Sept. 29 at 3 p.m.   The performance follows a roadshow as singers barnstorm across the country to win a record deal.

By Mike Allen

Photo: A community choice energy option would give residents an option to buy electrical power from the county instead of from SDG&E. Many Lakeside residents objected to SDG&E’s construction of  Sunrise Powerlink high-voltage lines through scenic areas such as the El Capitan reservoir (photo, left)  and El Monte Valley in Lakeside.  CCA plans also enable local governments to provide power from clean, renewable resources such as solar The electricity would still flow through powerlines and infrastructure maintained by SDG&E, but profits off energy production would flow to the county to benefit taxpayers, not SDG&E shareholders.

August 1, 2019 (Lakeside) - That the county is on the verge of declaring a community choice aggregate (CCA) appears evident, given the tenor of a recent forum held at the Lakeside Community Center July 30. Under the CCA, the county would buy and sell electrical power to residents and businesses, providing an alternative for consumers to SDG&E. The board is scheduled to receive a final report on the issue Sept. 10, and take a vote either then or soon after. 

By Carol Morrison

July 31, 2019 (Alpine) – The Alpine Historical Society invites you to a meeting and potluck lunch on Sunday, August 18 at the Alpine Woman’s Club (2156 Alpine Blvd., Alpine).  Sam S. Webb, a fourth generation Californian and family biographer, brings stories of Alpine’s earliest and most influential settler and his family’s many adventures in the area. Hear about Alpine’s first school, the toll road to Julian’s gold mines, protection of the first school marm from dastardly deeds of a Frenchman and more.

By Miriam Raftery

July 31, 2019 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon branch of the County Library has closed unexpectedly due to major maintenance and repair issues.

“Based on the best information I have, they anticipate re-opening the library on Friday,” Assistant City Manager Vince DiMaggio advised the Mayor and City Council in an e-mail.

The Library’s website confirms that reopening is expected Friday at 9:30 a.m.

By Miriam Raftery

July 31, 2019 (Campo) – Campo Creek Vineyards (29556 Highway 94 in Campo) will host a grape picking and stomping party complete with barbecue on September 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event admission ($20 for ages 6 and up) includes barbecue trip tip and chicken provided by Heftyboy BBQ and one beverage.

By Michelle Mowad, County of San Diego Communications Office

July 30, 2019 (San Diego) - Six San Diego County parks will be closed in August, a safety measure taken each year because of the month’s typically high temperatures.  El Capitan Preserve near Lakeside, Hellhole Canyon Preserve in Valley Center, Mt. Gower Preserve near Ramona and Wilderness Gardens in Pala will be closed Aug. 1 through Aug. 31. In addition, Agua Caliente Regional Park in Anza Borrego and Vallecito County Park near Julian are closed all summer; they reopen Labor Day weekend.

East County News Service

July 30, 2019 (Spring Valley) - Saps at Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the official Laurel & Hardy fan society, invites you to their next meeting on August 31 at 6:30 p.m. in Williams Hall at Trinity Presbytarian Church in Spring Valley. 

Source:  City of La Mesa

July 30, 2019 (La Mesa) - Enjoy two free outdoor movies as part of the 2019 Summer Movies in the Parks series. Movies are free to the public and will be shown on a large screen. Bring a picnic along with a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy this family activity in the park. Movies will begin at dusk. 

By Miriam Raftery

July 30, 2019 (Santee) – Cindy Green, a retired pediatric nurse and long-time Democratic Party activist, was found dead in her Santee home on July 27th.