December 2, 2011 (San Diego) --Join chamber members and friends at the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce annual holiday party and 4th Anniversary Celebration on December 8 at the Town and Country Resort Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle North - Mission Valley, in the Tiki Pavilion. 

 November 24, 2011 (El Cajon) The public is invited to join the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce Business after hours Holiday Mixer at Crunch Fitness.  The event will be Thursday, December 1, 2011, at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The location is Crunch Fitness, 565 Fletcher Parkway, Suite 202, El Cajon CA, above Dick’s Sporting Goods, in the Parkway Plaza. The admission fee is Members $10; Non-members $15. 

November 21, 2011 (Poway)--The Poway Chamber of Commerce invites members and nonmembers to celebrate the season at a Holiday Mixer on Thursday, December 1, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m, at the Courtyard by Marriott, 11611 Bernardo Plaza Court, San Diego. Cost is $5 for members and $15 for prospective members.

November 19, 2011(San Diego’s East County) – A Pacific storm is forecast to bring several inches of snow  on Sunday to East County mountain areas above 5,500 to 6,000 feet. Gusty winds up to 40 mph are also forecast in the mountains, with thunderstorms possible. Countywide, morning showers are expected to intensify in the afternoon and evening.

 A Photography Exhibit By Eileen Madell At Mission Trails Regional Park

By Greg Dunne                               

November 16, 2011 (Harbison Canyon) -- It’s November, the month when we all enjoy turkey at Thanksgiving. So this edition of Bird Talk is on the wild turkey and the other turkey namesake bird, the turkey vulture.

The wild turkey is not native to California, although it is native to North America. Numerous attempts tointroduce the turkey to California failed. Then in the early 1990s a second attempt was successful.  Today, wild turkeys can be seen throughout the back hills of East San Diego County. 

Story by Nadin Abbott

Photos by Nadin Abbott and Jennifer Douglas

November 12, 2011 (San Diego)—Over a hundred women walked from the other side of Third Avenue downtown, pushing wheelbarrow and carrying trash bags filled with supplies such as dry socks. The rain came down hard, soaking them. Many East County women were among the crowd, including a Jamul mother and her son.

They chanted “We are the ninety-nine percent,” and “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out.” The occupiers peeked out from under plastic tarps, or came out from whatever cover they were allowed by San Diego Police, and cheered. To them, it was a surprise. A few faces, filled with emotion, had tears. View a video:

By Russ Lindquist

By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego Police Officer Jason Prokop was struck and killed early this morning while attempting to come to the aid of a motorist after his vehicle struck a stopped car ahead of him. He was off duty at the time, said Lt. Andra Brown. A five-year veteran of the police force, Prokop was married and leaves behind a toddler and an infant, ECM News partner 10 News reports.

By Anne Tolch, Vice Chairperson, Sustainability Alliance of Southern California

ECM exclusive interview
By Miriam Raftery
Video by Jack Winemiller

September 11, 2011 (San Diego) – Congressman and Mayoral candidate Bob Filner spoke with ECM at last weekend's "Big Blue BBQ" for East County Democrats.

 August 24, 2011 (San Diego) -- The Little Saigon Foundation, a local non-profit, hosts its second annual San Diego Lantern Festival and Street Fair August 26-28. Attendance is expected to be 20,000 – 30,000 guests.  This year’s theme is “Light Up San Diego” and will feature nearly 6,000 traditional silk lanterns.

August 20, 2011 (San Diego) –State Supervisors are firing back after the state slashed spending for firefighting services and enacted a fire parcel fee on rural residents.