By David Dickens

Photo, left by Randy Jordan: Mayor Bill Wells presents proclamation to Jimmie Johnson

June 17, 2014 (El Cajon)-- On this beautiful day in downtown El Cajon,  friends, family, fans, and promoters gathered to pay honor to NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

June 17, 2014 (El Cajon)—A film by Robert Reich, Inequality for all: On behalf of the middle class will be shown June 19 at the East County Democratic Club’s meeting.  The film won a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival and highlights economic inequality in America.

By Miriam Raftery

June 5, 2014 (El Cajon)--Six-time NASACAR Champion Jimmie Johnson will be returning to his hometown of El Cajon for a special tribute on Tuesday, June 17. 

Weather permitting, the El Cajon City Council will hold a special celebration to recognize the hometown hero for his racing accomplishments—and also his philanthropic contributions to the community.  The City is encouraging everyone to attend and show support for one of the racing world’s biggest stars.

Community tailgate at SDG&E offices June 6 in El Cajon and July 7 in Chula Vista

East County News Service

June 4, 2014 (El Cajon)--SDG&E is going to have Community Tailgates at its branch offices, providing information on programs, services and solutions to your energy needs. Their partners, TechniArt, will be on hand offering 3 light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs for $10 (which is a $60 value) along with additional LED sizes.

LEDs use far less electricity, and because they don’t have a filament to burn out, they last up to five times  longer than compact florescent bulbs. And LEDs offer a “cleaner” light than  compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. The LEDs use so much less electricity and last so much longer that the cost savings over a traditional incandescent bulb is about $540 over the life of the bulb. That’s a solid return on the investment of $3.33 per bulb in this special offer.

June 1, 2014 (El Cajon) – A man accused of stabbing his mother to death and wounding his 14-year-old brother shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday is under arrest.

May 23, 2014 (El Cajon)--A Lebanese cultural festival takes place this weekend from Friday, May 23 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and then on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at St Ephrem Catholic Church in El Cajon.

Authentic Lebanese foods will be served, such as hummus, falafel, shawarma, tabouleh, stuffed grape leaves, chicken kabob, and a wide assortment of gourmet sweets. Visitors can expect live music and dancing, folkloric performances, and a variety of booths with Lebanese specialties, a beer & wine garden, hookah bar, carnival rides, and raffle prizes.

May 15, 2014 (El Cajon)—“The recent wildfires reminds us about how important it is to work and play together and build relationships that help us to work together when there is hardship in our communities.  We hope you will join us next week and recover, relax, and enjoy our Grip it And Rip it Golf Tournament.  It is a great opportunity to rebuild relationships for everyone,” said Eric Lund with the East County Chamber of Commerce.

A new music video will be premiered Saturday, May 10 at Grossmont College during a "Give the Dream" celebration with food and fun for the whole family.

The free event hosted by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges is being held from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will include rock climbing, dunk tanks, face-painting and food trucks. The festivities will also feature the premiere of a 4-minute music video filmed on the Grossmont and Cuyamaca campuses and which includes footage of students, faculty and community members.

By Miriam Raftery

April 24, 2014 (El Cajon) – By a unanimous vote, El Cajon’s City Council on Tuesday voted to grant $10,000 to fund the San Diego Youth Choir, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community youth choir based in El Cajon. The group’s mission statement is to empower young leaders through musical excellence.  It’s mantra is “Empowering San Diego County youth, one note at a time.”

“What it really is, is an investment in children’s future,” Councilman Gary Kendrick told East County Magazine. “$10,000 today could save us $100,000 tomorrow in police costs and property crimes.”  He added that performing together also builds self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment, as well as forging bonds that can last a lifetime.  “My son still has close friendships in Hollywood that started when he was in Christian Youth Theater in San Diego,” Kendrick recalled.

 The San Diego Youth Choir (www.youthchoirsd.org) aims to be housed in a central location in El Cajon with state of the art rehearsal space, practice rooms, dance rooms, and a recording studio.

By Miriam Raftery

April 19, 2014 (El Cajon ) – More than $45,000 was raised at this year’s Morning Glory Brunch, held on  April 12 at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center in El Cajon to benefit the center’s innovative programs helping the developmentally disabled. 

A highlight of the occasion included the ever-popular frog race, which had more than 500 entries this year vying for prizes. St. Madeleine’s swim team helped the plastic frog “contestants” along, kicking and splashing at the edge of the pool, while a “frog princess” at the opposite end declared the official winners. 

View a video of the frog race: http://youtu.be/o6kFCc-V2Uk

Click "read more" and scroll down for more photos and details from this event.

By Miriam Raftery

Updated April 11, 2014 (El Cajon) – By a unanimous vote, the El Cajon City Council on Tuesday asked the City Manager to prepare a request for proposal for groups seeking to rent or lease space at the East County Performing Arts Center. 

The theater has been closed for several years, in need of major repairs. Recently Council voted to allocate funds for renovations and is now moving forward to attract additional tenants in hopes of reopening the theater  next year.

But some community members testified that they believe the city should first make good on its promise to hire a professional theater management company, before making commitment to lock in time blocks for groups such as the Rock Church, which wants to use the theater for church services on Sundays.

April 6, 2014 (El Cajon)—Cajon Classic Cruises returns, showcasing classic vehicles each Wednesday night starting April 23 and continuing through October 29.

April 2, 2014 (El Cajon )--The City of El Cajon, Stoney’s Kids, Boys & Girls Club of East County and Foresters will join organizers from KaBOOM! (a national non-profit dedicated to ensuring all kids get the balance of active play they need to thrive) at the Wells Park on Thursday, April 3 to kick off design plans for a one-of-a-kind playground.