November 14, 2013 (Descanso) – Looking for a place to do some early holiday shopping?  Descanso is hosting an Arts and Crafts Fair, where you can enjoy free refreshments, listen to some wonderful live music, and purchase hand-crafted items, all while taking in the fresh mountain air along with a little backcountry hospitality.

November 14, 2013 (San Diego) -- Join Mission Trails Regional Park's resident stargazer, George Vargas, for a "star party" on Saturday November 16 from 5 to 8 p.m.  Meet at the far end of the Kumeyaay Campground day use parking lot, where a telescope will be available to veiw the nighttime sky. 

The moon will be one day short of being Full so it will contribute to light pollution. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and its companion M32 are well in position for viewing. Light from these two objects takes about 2.5 – 2.9 million years to reach Earth. The Double Cluster in Perseus will also be visible be in the northeastern sky.

November 14, 2013 (El Cajon)--The only employee on the Grossmont campus who can remember military service during World War II is Bob Yochum, a graphic artist, who at age 86 still works two days a week.

November 14, 2013 (San Diego) – “We’ll take all of the stress out of your Thanksgiving Dinner this year,” Bistro 60/San Diego Dessert’s website promises. The restaurant, located at 5987 El Cajon Boulevard in the SDSU College area is taking orders for Thanksgiving dinners with all the trimmings for $165 – or less than $15 per person.  Orders must be placed and payment received by  November 19.

The menu includes oven roasted turkey (serves 10-12, additional turkeys available for $50), all of the following side dishes:  cranberry relish, homemade stuffing, corn bread, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and glazed carrots.  Dessert includes choice of pumpkin, pecan or apple pie. Extra pies available for $15.

November 14, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--Our October shows are now online—including special reports on East County issues, interviews with top newsmakers, local musicians, authors, colorful characters and people making a positive difference in our community.  Click here for a list of October shows and guests with links to listen online now.

You can also hear our show live when it airs on KNSJ 89.1 FM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. and reruns Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9 a.m.  Or listen live online during those hours at www.KNSJ.org.

East County Magazine's special report on the Cedar Fire, originally aired on KNSJ, is now online. Listen here:

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

Our editor, Miriam Raftery, covered the Cedar Fire back in 2003 for several publications and our own publisher, Mark Hanson, lost his home in Lakeside's Wildcat Canyon. Thus we were able to reconnect with a broad network of contacts to create our special report, which includes some never before told stories and interviews with fire survivors, firefighters and elected officials including Cal Fire Captain Mike Mohler,   Lakeside resident Mark Hanson,  Lakeside Fire Chief Andy Parr,  burn survivor Rudy Reyes,  Supervisor Dianne Jacob, San Diego Councilman Mark Kersey, Santee Councilman Brian Jones, retired Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Ostrander, Kathy Kassell, cofounder of the Cedar Fire Rebuild Resource Group, and other eyewitness stories from California’s worst wildfire ever. 

We conclude with reflections on what’s changed since then, as well as a reading from The Fire Outside My Window by Lindra Millers Younger.

River cleanup and monitoring events planned Nov. 17 and 18

By Jordan Schaffner

November 13, 2013 (San Diego)--Living on the San Diego River can be amazing.  For a while, it seemed to change every day.  It could be dark green and deep, beautiful with a flowing current.  Living here gives you a sense of being on a camping vacation every day, just by looking at it. Yet we are still in central San Diego. Since it is a nature preserve, many wild creatures come and go, making the river their home.  Some permanent, some temporary.

November 14, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) –Electrical failures cause thousands of home fires every year, says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Those fires cause death and injuries and close to $1.5 billion dollars in property damage. One simple way homeowners can prevent costly electrical fires is with a home fire inspection.  Many fire departments offer this service—often free of charge.

Ask your local department about having an inspection for potential electrical issues and recommend steps for improving fire safety. An inspection should review all fire hazards in your home, from testing smoke detectors to making sure curtains and other flammables are a safe distance from heat sources.

November 13, 2013 (Santee) – Thanksgiving 5K road races, also known as Turkey Trots, have increased in popularity in recent years, as they provide participants an excellent opportunity to lace up their sneakers and get some much-needed exercise before the big holiday meal.  Now, residents of Santee and surrounding areas can enjoy this fun holiday tradition right in their own backyard, while also helping two very special local charities.

On Thursday, November 28 at 8:00 am, Pathways Community Church will be hosting the 2nd Annual Waddle and Trot 5K and Fun Run.  This fun family event is intended for runners and walkers of every fitness level, and all proceeds will go to Santee Santas and the Santee Food Bank.

Display spotlighting works of the organization’s san diego chapter members will also feature educational programs for art enthusiasts

Photo: Grace Schlesier at her show at the Wieghorst Museum in 2012.

November 13, 2013 (El Cajon) – Members of the California Art Club’s San Diego Chapter and the Olaf Wieghorst Museum unveiled the “Landscapes of the West” exhibition with a gala opening at the Museum on October 5. The display will be on view through January 11, 2014.

Art enthusiasts at the opening enjoyed hors d’ oeuvres and wine, while viewing over 35 juried works by some of San Diego’s finest painters.  The event was also coveted by collectors, who appreciated the opportunity to have a first look at the paintings, all available for acquisition. A portion of proceeds from sale of artwork will benefit both the Club and the Museum.

Educational programming during the exhibition will include a November 14 presentation by CAC Artist Member Mark Fehlman on California Art Club’s history. Reservations are suggested for the lecture and the reception that will precede Fehlman’s talk, as space is limited.

November 13, 2013 (La Mesa) – La Mesa City Council Vice Mayor Kristine Alessio will meet with members of the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® (PSAR) starting at noon today at the PSAR East County Service Center, 1150 Broadway, El Cajon. Topics will include an update on new projects in La Mesa, new development opportunities in La Mesa, the city’s homebuyer assistance program and a review of the city’s boards and commissions.

Admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. For more information and to RSVP, call PSAR at (619) 579-0333 or visit www.psar.org. PSAR, a trade group for San Diego-area realtors, offers educational training, advocacy and other services and resources to its realtor members.

Faulconer, Alvarez surprisingly similar on issues; Aguirre drops bombs

By Mark Gabrish Conlan • for East County Magazine, www.eastcountymagazine.org

November 13, 2013 (San Diego)--Three of the four so-called “major” candidates for mayor of San Diego in the November 19 special election — Republican Kevin Faulconer and Democrats David Alvarez and Mike Aguirre — debated November 11 at California Western School of Law in an event co-sponsored by the school and KNSJ 89.1 FM Descanso, San Diego County’s new community radio station. The fourth “major” candidate, Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Nathan Fletcher, did not appear.

Surprisingly, given how most of the local media outlets have scripted their coverage of the race — Faulconer the center-Right Republican, Alvarez the progressive Democrat and Fletcher the man in the middle — Faulconer and Alvarez, colleagues on the current San Diego City Council, agreed on as many issues as they disagreed. It was Aguirre, running a distant fourth in most polls, who challenged the other two candidates and confronted many issues that both Faulconer and Alvarez did their best to duck.

November 12, 2013 (Poway) -- Scott Dixon with the San Diego Astronomy Association (SDAA) shot this fiery image showing the head of the Pelican Nebula. The photo was taken in Poway in August.

To view more dramatic astronomical images, visit the SDAA website gallery at http://aisig.sdaa.org/objects.asp.

November 11, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The past month has been deadly on East County roadways.  Accidents in Jamul, Spring Valley, San Diego, Lakeside, and Ramona have claimed the lives of several local residents.

Steven John Eastman, 24, of El Cajon died November 3 of injuries sustained when he was struck by a cement truck while walking along Mission Gorge Road and Cottonwood Avenue on November 1. Witnesses called 911 and paramedics found him unresponsive. He was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where despite treatment, his health declined.

Murder Is A Family Affair, by Donalie Beltran, (Killing Time Press, LLC, 2013, 352 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

November 8, 2013 (San Diego)--Donalie Beltran, an author with strong religious convictions, has written an historical true crime novel that uncovers the ancestry of a sordid and evil past that belies her faith: Murder Is A Family Affair. The author sets the stage for this story and  the tone of this well-written novel by asking a rhetorical question: “Do you have a murderer in your family – maybe a violent tempered wife beater – those who feel they have a right to take a life?”