By Helen Ofield, President, Lemon Grove Historical Society

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

November 1, 2015 (Lemon Grove) -- He will be. The witching hour is 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the H. Lee House, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove.

Of course, you knew that.  Come November, neither you, we, nor anyone within earshot is exempt from visions of sugar plums, the hope of reindeer hooves on the roof, the hearkening to Donner and Blitzen, and the careful setting out of a post prandial libation and figgy pudding for The Great Claus.

He is William Swank and the name fits.  He is swell, swank, super-duper and silver-tongued.  He's been Santa Claus for 14 years, including seven in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. He's an author of 10 books, too, bringing us to the main event.

November 1, 2015 (Ramona) – This year’s Ramona Art and Wine Festival will feature 15 local wineries, artists, vendors and chefs on November 7 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at a new, expanded location at Begent Ranch (18528 Highland Valley Road, Ramona).  Hand-painted barrels will be auctioned to benefit the Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project, a 501c3 nonprofit.

By Miriam Raftery

October 29, 2015 (Alpine) – For Alpine parents, it sounds like a Halloween horror story.  But it's an unexpected treat for the board majority at the Grossmont Union High School District.  Today, Superior Court Judge Joel Pressman (photo) issued a tentative ruling granting Grossmont 's motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Alpine parents and taxpayers. 

The suit sought to  force the district to turn over funds to build an Alpine high school, which voters twice voted to approve in Propositions H and U. The board's action drew scrutiny from the County Grand Jury, which issued a scathing report titled "Fool us once, fool us twice?"

The tentative ruling comes as a shock since Judge Pressman  previously denied an attempt by Grossmont to dismiss the case and set a trial date for early December, as ECM reported. In his earlier ruling, the judge rejected Grossmont’s arguments that it did not have a contract commitment with Alpine to build a high school and that the text of Prop U did not compel the district to build the long-promised school.

East County News Service

October 24, 2015 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Fall is in the air and it’s a great time to take a hike.  The Jacumba Hikers/Walkers have a series of hikes coming up to intriguing locations, with various levels of difficulties from easy to extreme. 

November’s destinations include Tule Canyon, Round Mountain, the Old Butterfield Stage Coach route, and Amadeo’s Straw bale cabin compound. In December, the group will hit the trail for an ancient waterfall and Davies Valley, wind caves in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, an ancient juniper forest, and the Valley of the Moon. 

“Thou shalt not” is soon forgotten, but “Once upon a time” lasts forever.” (Philip Pullman)

October 22, 2015 (Santee and Escondido)--Tellabration is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling.  Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment.  Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values.  Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters and narrative point of view.

East County News Service

October 21, 2015 (La Mesa)—Asked by relative to conduct a welfare check on an elderly couple in their 70s, La Mesa Police found both the man and woman dead in the home in the 6900 block of Wyoming Avenue on Wednesday, October 14^th.

By Sylvia Sullivan

October 22, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Anger and frustration filled the overflowing room of irate ratepayers at the recent Helix Water District meeting.

The meeting started off tense but restrained as the public sat politely listening to the almost hour long staff presentation. When told the consultant, from Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. would make another presentation the people had enough. The discussion became as heated as the temperature in the room.

East County News Service

October 22, 2015 (Lemon Grove) The City of Lemon Grove invites Lemon Grove residents to Fall Cleanup this Saturday, October 24 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Civic Center Park, 3200 Main Street.

Bring household items including furniture, appliances, debris form home improvement projects, green waste such as tree trimmings and grass, recyclables (empty bottles/containers, metals, paper), e-waste (comptuers, monitors, TVs, cell phones, etc.)

East County News Service

October 20, 2015 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis will be the special guest speaker at a no-host social mixer to speak on La Mesa’s Oktoberfest.  He will also be available to chat with guests afterword on topics of interest.

The event, hosted by La Mesa Conservations, will be held Thursday, October 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Johnny B’s Burgers, Brew & Spirits, 8393 La Mesa Blvd. in La Mesa.

East County News Service

October 20, 2015 (El Cajon)--The Circle Players of El Cajon will be performing “Wrangle at Red Mountain Ranch” November 13th and 14th at 7:00pm and November 15th at 2:00pm.  This mystery dinner theatre is set at a dude ranch and we encourage all attendees to wear their western attire and have a rip-roarin’ good time!  Performances will be held at Richardson Hall, 551 Farragut Circle, El Cajon.

By Miriam Raftery

October 19, 2015 (La Mesa) – Award-winning country music star Brent Payne charmed the audience with a sizzling hot performance at the first La Mesa Fall Fest Saturday night in the parking lot at Grossmont Center, hosted by the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce.  It wasn’t hard to see why this self-proclaimed “country cowboy and southern gentleman” has rocketed to the top of the charts internationally and won fans in performances from Vegas to NASCAR to the National Rodeo Finals.

By Janis Russell

October 17, 2015 (La Mesa)-On Thursday November 5, the Caregiver Coalition of San Diego and the City of La Mesa are hosting a free educational event on caring for veterans. This event is geared towards the caregivers or family members caring for a veteran. There will be educational seminars, resource fairs, and lunch is provided by AARP.

Caregivers or family members can learn about services that are beneficial to veterans as well as community resources available to caregivers. The event is from 9:30am to 2:30 p.m. at the La Mesa Memorial Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa.

East County News Service

October 17, 2015 (El Cajon)--East County’s only haunted amusement park trail debuts this Halloween season at the abandoned Marshal Scotty’s amusement park in El Cajon (14039 Ridge Hill Road, at the Lake Jennings exit).  Rumored to be haunted by past park employees, Marshal Scary Scotty’s “Scare Trail” will be open October 28-31, 2015 from 6 to 11 p.m.

This year, see the bumper car carnage, try to stay in one piece through the slaughter trailer and the haunted park offices, visit the frightening Ferris wheel….and don’t forget to brace yourself as you walk through the remains of the death coaster.

By Miriam Raftery

October 17, 2015 (El Cajon) – Two suspects spotted cutting open and climbing through a fumigation tarp over an apartment complex are now behind bars, thanks to an alert citizen who called El Cajon Police. Officers concluded that several apartments were burglarized and recovered stolen property, including jewelry and computers, Lt. Steve Kirk reports.

But the accused thieves may be lucky to have lost only their liberty, not their lives. The El Cajon Police Department reminds citizens that entering structures being fumigated, without proper training and protective equipment, is “extremely dangerous and could result in serious illness or death from exposure to harmful chemicals,” a police press release states.