January 1, 2012 (Lemon Grove)—“Joe Young, for more than three decades the go-to guy at the Helix Water District for all things H2O, will star on the next "History Alive" lecture,” announced Helen M. Ofield, president of the Lemon Grove Historical Society.  The lecture will be held Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove.

January 1, 2012 (Lemon Grove)—A worker cleaning a packing machine at the EDCO disposal plant in Lemon Grove yesterday afternoon was crushed and injured severely when the machine accidentally up.  According to ECM news partner 10 News, the 57-year-old man may have been in the machine for 10 to 15 minutes before anyone realized he was inside.

 
January 1, 2012 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce invites you to recycle your e-waste at Grossmont Center in La Mesa on Saturday and Sunday, January 14 and 15.

January 1, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Rose Hooper and her two teenage children lost their Jamul home in a fire December 29, two years after Rose’s husband died of cancer. Now Nick Baldwin, an El Cajon business owner, has started a drive to collect donated items to help this family in need.

January 31, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – New Year’s celebrations around the world have begun, starting in Sydney, Australia.  Those party-loving Aussies welcomed in 2012 with an elaborate fireworks display launched from barges on the water, off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and rooftops of buildings.  The extravaganza included 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects all synchronized to music.   Click to enjoy the show—and happy New Year!

For more fireworks shows around the world, scroll down to find links.

By Megan McGlamery

Photos by Woo-Jin Shim and Natalia Robert (http://full-circle-images.com/)

December 30, 2011 (San Diego)--Since 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been helping refugees rebuild their lives after fleeing tumultuous wars or other catastrophes in their homelands.  The IRC is currently active in 22 U.S. cities as well as overseas. In 2001, the IRC created its Microenterprise Program with the goal of helping refugees create their own businesses.

In the last 10 years, the IRC has helped 175 San Diego-based refugees become small-business owners. To showcase some of the great refugee-owned eateries of East County, the IRC hosted a Micro-finance bus tour, offering patrons a chance to sample some delicious cuisine from Iraq and East Africa.

December 30, 2011 (Jamul) -- Yesterday's fire at Skyline Truck Trail and Lawson Valley Road has left a family's lives in ashes.

By Miriam Raftery

December 28, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) –If you’ve over-indulged in all those holiday goodies, or just want to look and feel your best in the New Year, now is the perfect time to make a resolution to get in shape! East County Magazine invites you to join our editor and publisher in a “24 day challenge” sponsored by ECM and Advocare.  Shaping up is more fun with friends  Plus we’ll have prizes and surprises.

The 24-day-challenge starts January 5.  It includes a combination of supplements and meal replacement products, a healthy eating plan, and as a special bonus to ECM readers, a fitness “boot camp” with trainers and one-on-one personalized counseling to assure your success.  The more, the merrier! (If you have a group of 10 or more, we can set up a special fitness boot camp at your location.)

By Meg Jensen

December 28, 2011 (El Cajon) – After heated testimony, El Cajon’s Council unanimously approved a ballot measure to grant the City Council “supreme authority over state law by having El Cajon become a charter city. Council members also approved a management team for a new planned business improvement district (PBID)in its December 13 meeting.