Update Jan. 21:  Tonight's outdoor rally has been cancelled due to rain, however those who wish to protest closure of the theater will instead gather inside the Ronald Reagan Community Center at 6:30.

January 20, 2010 (El Cajon) The City of El Cajon hosts its second of two community meetings on the future of the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC) on Thursday, January 21st. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 East Douglas St. in El Cajon (1/2 block east of Magnolia).

The City has announced plans to close the theater for up to two years for renovations. Citizen’s Oversight Project, a watchdog group, plans a rally at 5:30 to protest the two-year closure. The rally will be held on Main Street in front of the theater.(This rally has been moved indoors at 6:30 at the Ronald Reagan Community Center due to rain.)

January 19, 2010 (San Diego)- The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for North West San Diego County and then extended the tornado warning for all of San Diego County until 3:15 pm. Check for further updates to come later. For additional weather updates check the NWS website http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=San+Diego&state=CA&sit...

A.G. Office Has Searchable Database of Registered Charities

January 14, 2010 (Oakland)  - Attorney General Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. today is encouraging Californians to make charitable donations for victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, but warns citizens to avoid "scam artists" who may prey on the goodwill of California donors.

January 17, 2009 (San Diego) – Two San Diego organizations, International Relief Teams (IRT) and Rescue Task Force (RTF) are dispatching teams to aid victims of the devastating 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti last Tuesday. 

The situation is criticial with infrastructure destroyed including most hospitals, the major port, roadways and the palace. Hundreds of thousands are feared dead and many remain trapped in rubble, yet survivors continued to be pulled out of debris as late as today. 

January 17, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather watch for southwestern California due to a series of storms slated to strike our region starting Monday.

January 16, 2010 (Alpine) – Virgil Frank Garrett of El Cajon has been identified by the County Coroner’s office as the victim who died in a January 9th accident in Alpine. Today would have been his 50th birthday.

December 16, 2010 (El Cajon) -- San Miguel Firefighters laid enough hose to cover the length of seven football fields during the fight to save a home in the Granite Hills neighborhood of El Cajon. The fire was reported at 12:51 Saturday morning on the 800 block of Van Horn Road. As crews responded, witnesses reported seeing flames shoot up about 40 feet into the air. Narrow streets and a very long driveway required Firefighters to lay out about 2000 feet of hose to reach the multi-story, single family structure. Four trucks were needed to pump water to the all wood structure.

January 15, 2010 (San Diego) – Vera Valdivia, a former San Diego resident and alumni of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, is in Haiti and seeks help from San Diego County residents for children in a Haitian orphanage that she co-founded and helped build. The 7.0 earthquake which struck Haiti earlier this week has destroyed the orphanage, East County Magazine has learned.

“As of right now, Valdivia and the orphanage children are living outside in the harsh, earthquake-ravaged conditions,” Denice Menard, communications coordinator for Thomas Jefferson School of Law informed ECM today. “The latest thing I heard is that they are not close enough to Port Au Prince, so they are not getting anything.”  The orphanage cares for approximately 60 children who are in need of food, milk, and other supplies.

January 14, 2010 (Alpine) – Supervisor Dianne Jacob is hosting a community meeting to inform the public about new details on potentially devastating impacts of the Sunrise Powerlink.  County representatives will be on hand to present these new findings at 6 p.m. at the Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Boulevard.

Looking for a missing family member? Search hotline, online database set up

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 8, 2009 (San Diego) -- More than $4.3 million is going to local programs that help homeless individuals find shelter and deal with challenges such as mental illness, disabilities and domestic violence. East County Magazine has e-mailed the County to inquire whether any of these funds will address the growing homelessness needs in East County.

January 4, 2009 (El Cajon) – Interstate 8 will be closed in both directions between Second and East Main streets in El Cajon, Monday through Thursday early mornings from 12:30 until 4, according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The closures will allow crews to demolish the pedestrian overcrossing at Grape Street.

January 4, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa resident James Robinson was found dead in his vehicle late this morning at a 76 gas station in downtown San Diego, slumped over his sleeping infant daughter.

January 3, 2010 (El Cajon) -- At about 8:45 this morning, a vehicle driven by a 74-year-old El Cajon resident struck a Carl’s Jr. Restaurant located at 520 N. Second St. The vehicle went through the building, striking and killing a patron who was seated in a restaurant booth. The victim was a 66-year-old male who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Part two of our four-part Year in Review