Deaths Down; Study Shows an Addict Can Cost Taxpayers $2,000 per Month

By Jeremy Los

“This issue has received band-aid approaches to fix it when it needs a tourniquet.” – La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid

“We look at them as a resource… they are the eyes and ears of the community… they certainly know when something is going on.” – El Cajon Mayor Mark Lewis, on the homeless in his town

 "I do not feel there needs to be a regional center for the homeless in East County." -- Lemon Grove Mayor Mary Sessom

"I am not in the homeless business." - Santee Mayor Randy Voepel

April 26, 2011 – Four East County mayors shared their reactions on a new study on the many homeless in our region. Their views differed dramatically on how to address the homeless problem.  In addition, three of the four mayors questioned the study findings and voiced doubts on the numbers of homeless people listed in their cities. 

According to the 2011 Point-In-Time Count by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, East County is now home to 8.9% of San Diego County’s homeless population, with El Cajon staking claim to the highest number of homeless people. However, the majority of El Cajon's homeless are in shelters--while in other East County communities, the homeless are living on the streets, in cars, or camped along riverbeds.  

Guests savored fare served up by Chefs de Cuisine & S.D. County Vintners Associations;

Tough-to-build line was once called the “impossible railroad”

April 18, 2011 (Campo) – More than 400 fans of fine foods, winetasting and vintage trains turned out on April 2nd at the“Chef’s Fire Up the Iron Horse” celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo. Guests learned the colorful lore of San Diego's own railway line, rode the rails--and savored some memorable wining and dining.

 

Chefs de Cuisuine carved up up a whole roast pig as well as other mouth-watering dishes served up at seafood, barbecue and dessert stations. Owners of local wineries poured a generous array of samples at the San Diego County Vintners Association table. Other sponsors included Ballast Point Brewery, Café Calabria, and Viejas.

April 14, 2011 (San Diego)--The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is working with San Diego American Indian Health Center (SDAIHC) to notify patients who were possibly exposed to tuberculosis (TB) at SDAIHC’s downtown location. The period of exposure was from Oct. 1, 2010 to April 1, 2011.

Suspects also accused of using stolen credit cards at local businesses

By Miriam Raftery

April 12, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Sheriff detectives, following an extensive theft and fraud investigation, have made several arrests related to vehicle burglaries at local hiking trails including the El Capitan Preserve in Lakeside, Blue Sky Open Space Trail in Santee, and trailheads at Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego.

By Miriam Raftery

April 9, 2011 (San Diego)—Inside the Safari Market bazaar, a Somali woman sells bright-colored beaded head scarves,  jewelry and rugs. Two dozen vendors offer other wares and services. Nearby, African Spice restaurant serves up savory sambussas (pastry shells filled with meats, vegetables and African spices), succulent fish, lamb, goat, and an aromatic tea seasoned with cloves. Safari Market also sells groceries, such as large bags of cinnamon and rice, some labeled in Arabic.

No, this isn’t a street scene out of Africa. It’s a new business incubator in the East San Diego neighborhood known as “Little Mogadishu” – a hub where refugees from war-torn East African nations such as Somalia, the Sudan, Eritria and Ethiopia are starting new lives in America, aided by the nonprofit organizations Horn of Africa Community and Somali Family Services. The Safari center has created 125 jobs for East African refugees, mostly women.  Now it's become a model that is being replicated in other U.S. cities.

April 6, 2011 (San Diego)--The San Diego Better Business Bureau (BBB) has announced it has a Speakers Bureau with volunteers who are available to speak for free to breakfast and luncheon meetings of community groups, service organizations, churches and senior groups. The speech that BBB volunteers will deliver is titled “The Top 10 Consumer Scams.”

 April 1, 2011—East County Magazine has the exclusive scoop on astounding major stories breaking today.

Is truth stranger than fiction? You decide. Click this link to our extra-special edition Friday, April 1st . Trust us, you won't want to miss this news. 

 What are your thoughts on these stories? Post your comments!

Bonus points if you can answer these questions:

By Joy Ryder

April 1, 2011 (Julian) – Highway 67 is notorious for the many head-on collisions and fatality crashes which have occurred on the winding stretch from Lakeside to Julian. Today, Cal-Trans and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) announced a solution.

In a joint press conference outside Julian Apple Pie Company, a major project sponsor, officials from both agencies revealed plans to replace old 67 with a new double-decker freeway from Santee to Julian.
 

By R. U. Smart

 April 1, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Faced with a growing budget gap, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District today announced a major new means of boosting tuitions and revenues.

“Cuyamaca College will open our district’s first satellite campus this summer in Thailand,” announced Henri Migala, executive dean of institutional advancement. “Cuyamaca has gained an international reputation for our instruction in green jobs and sustainable technology, which we will now be outsourcing to Asia.”

By Rob Deason, Deerhorn Valley Antler Editor

April 1, 2011 (Deerhorn Valley) -- I saw them first out the kitchen window. The two big rattlesnakes were poised about a foot apart, heads high, their tails sizzling like frying bacon. They were squaring off, two big males I guessed 'cause they sure looked mean and fierce.

By Christopher Mohr

March 24, 2011 (San Diego) - The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), an organization providing support for American soldiers injured in combat, is holding a series of local events this weekend that are part of the grand opening of the organization's new office in San Diego's Liberty Station.

Public participants are sought to join the ride and raise funds to help America's wounded combat veterans. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 20, 2011 (Santee) – An estimated 20,000 people turned out to run, walk, bike and party atop the last link of Highway 52 at yesterday’s “Sea to Santee” celebration. Now open to traffic, the new freeway segment is the last link connecting Highway 67 in East County to Interstate 5 and La Jolla.

Transportation improvements have historically heralded changes in East County, starting with cattle drives and the coming of stagecoach and railway lines in the 19th century. Invention of the "horseless carriage" brought construction of Highways 94 and 80, connecting East County to San Diego and Arizona. The aviation era led to the airfield at Gillespie Field. More recently, construction of Interstate 8, Highway 67 and now Highway 52 further improved access to East County for visitors from around the county and across the nation. 

The new highway will also make it faster for East County residents to reach San Diego destinations including employment and yes, beaches.  Surf's up, Santee!

By Jeremy Los

March 15, 2011 (San Diego) -- San Diego will be the scene for one of many national rallies being held Tuesday night in reaction to deep budget cuts in California, Wisconsin, Washington and across the nation. Inspired by protests in Wisconsin, America's heartland, over gutting collective bargaining rights for workers, organizers say such cuts are destroying the American dream.

Entitled “Defending the Dream,” the rally will take place at County Administration Building,1600 Pacific Highway in San Diego at 6 p.m.

TOKYO FLOODED BY TSUNAMI

TSUNAMI COULD REACH SAN DIEGO FRIDAY  

AT 8:41 A.M.

TSUNAMI WATCHES/WARNINGS ISSUED FOR HAWAII, ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, AUSTRALIA, RUSSIA, TAIWAN, GUAM, PHLIPPINES, INDONESIA, MARIANAS ISLANDS, SOUTH AMERICA, ANTARCTICA & MORE