April 22, 2015 (El Cajon)—El Cajon has rolled back its sales tax from 9% to 8.5% due to the sunsetting of Proposition O, a temporary sales tax that helped build public safety facilities and more.

Playing now through April 25 at Valhalla High School Theatre Arts

By Kathy Carpenter

Associate and Youth Reviewer sdtheatrereviews

PHOTO: Paul Barnes, president of Shea Homes in San Diego ,presents El Cajon historian and author Eldonna Lay with a check for his firm’s lifetime membership in the El Cajon Historical Society. The two stand behind a historic marker installed by Shea Homes to commemorate the adjacent ancient site of El Granito Springs that once flowed beside the high granite ridge along Avocado Blvd. Photographer: archivist Mike Kaszuba, El Cajon Historical Society.

East County News Service

April 16, 2015 (El Cajon )--The boulder and brass plaque requested by the El Cajon Historical Society honors the ten thousand years or more that El Granito’s spring waters were used by tribes of local and far-flung Indian nations traveling between the desert and the Pacific Ocean shores.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2015 (El Cajon) --  Recently, Citizens Oversight founder Ray Lutz challenged the city of El Cajon’s allocation of community development block grant funds to the East County Transitional Living Center for programs that benefit homeless people seeking to get off the streets. In a complaint sent to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Lutz argued that the program was illegal due to church-state separation requirements of the U.S. Constitution.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Phil Konstanin

April 10, 2015 (El Cajon ) – Rock and roll superstar Chubby Checker will perform a concert with a “Twist” on  April 23^rd at Sycuan’s Live & Up Close Theater.  Checker rocketed to fame in 1960, when his recording of “The Twist” was the number one song in the nation, sparking a new dance craze and countless variations such as the “Peppermint Twist”, “Let’s Twist Again” and “Twist and Shout.”

April 9, 2015 (El Cajon) – The 17th Annual Morning Glory Brunch will be held on April 11^th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (2199 East Madison Ave.) in El Cajon. The event benefits the center’s programs for adults with developmental disabilities.

By Paul Kruze

Photo by Miriam Raftery: Performers on stage at ECPAC in brighter days

April 10, 2015 (El Cajon)--It has been said that “the opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” If all goes as planned, the fat lady could be soon be setting a date to sing on the stage at the shuttered and embattled East County Performing Art Center (ECPAC) sooner than later.

In a move that pleased local community activists who have decried the prolonged shutdown of downtown El Cajon’s entertainment venue, the City of El Cajon released an extensive request for bids to fix the theater’s leaky roof and bring about extensive technical upgrades throughout the facility.

Update April 8, 2015: The victim has been identified as Carly Ramirez, 3, daughter of Carlos Ramirez and Brandy Teague.

April 5, 2015 (El Cajon)—  Brandy Teague, a 31-year-old mother, is under arrest after a crash killed her 3-year-old daughter and injured two other children of hers in the vehicle.

The accident was reported at 9:43 p.m. Saturday night on Broadway in El Cajon. According to witnesses, the silver Hyundai driven by Teague was traveling east when it left the roadway and collided with a telephone pole. 

“The driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel before the collision occurred,” said Lieutenant R. Soulard. Teague is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs, possession of a controlled substance and driving on a suspended license.

Officers to offer full service---pumping gas and washing windows

Photo credit: Nita Jatar Kulkarni

March 31, 2015 (El Cajon)--The El Cajon Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies, is helping to launch a two month “Icon” promotion across Southern Californian on behalf of the Special Olympics.

March 24, 2015 (El Cajon) – Get ready to rev up – Cajon Classic Cruises is rolling out its 2015 season starting Wednesday, April 22^nd with a full street closure for opening night.  The cruises will continue all summer long on Wednesday nights from 5 to 8 p.m.

The second week, April 29^th will celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  Other  highlights include Jimmie Johnson night on July 22^nd , a Military Tribute June 17^th, Thunder on Main on September 30^th, and Trunk or Treat on October 28^th at season’s end.

By Robert Clark

March 23, 2015 (El Cajon)-- The headline in the San Diego Union-Tribune reads "Women's sex-harassment suit accuses El Cajon cop." 

 The story, however, is not about the sexual harassment suit just filed against Sergeant Richard Gonsalves of the El Cajon PD. (That suit is described  in Miriam Raftery's ECM posting of March 10, 2015.)  The U-T story was published on March 6, 2004, about a suit filed against El Cajon Sergeant Gary Ryno for sexual harassment by four current or former women employees of the Department. The suit also claimed that "Ryno conspicuously wore female undergarments to work . . ."  As of today, I have been unable to determine the outcome of the suit, but will keep searching.

 In another incident reported in the Los Angeles Times on May 22, 2007, former El Cajon police officer William Taylor was sentenced to five years in prison "for demanding sexual favors from women he had arrested."

Tribes & Clans Competition also held

By Robert Gehr

March 15, 2015 (El Cajon)--This popular event held on Sunday, March 15^th - was lively and very crowded with participants and spectators alike.

March 12, 2015 (El Cajon) – Photographer Robert Gehr snapped these beautiful early season barrel cactus blooms – no, not in the desert, but in the cactus garden outside the Olaf Wieghorst Museum and Western Heritage Center in downtown El Cajon.

In lively meeting, Council also hears ideas from the public ranging from creating a city-owned utility district to bringing the Chargers to East County

By Miriam Raftery

March 10, 2015 (El Cajon ) – At Tuesday’s El Cajon Council meeting, two women  spoke out to voice outrage that an El Cajon Police sergeant accused of sending naked photos of himself to women officers remains on the force.   The Sergeant. Richard Gonsalves, was demoted to officer and the city now faces a lawsuit filed by a female officer who alleges sexual harassment and discrimination.