East County News Service

April 2, 2016  (Ramona) – East County Magazine subscribers are invited to join us to savor “Mountain Magic” at the beautiful Vineyard Grant James (25260  Old Julian Highway) in the heart of Ramona's wine region on Saturday April 16 from 1-4 p.m.  (Not yet a subscriber? Join free.)

This very special afternoon will include wonderful wine-tasting, savoring Cheeses from the Cave gourmet cheeses, fresh fruits, chocolates crafted by master chocolate-maker GB Treats  and other delectable delights, plus live music by the award-winning Baja Blues Brothers and a wealth of prizes!

Drawing and silent auction prizes include mountain getaway vacation, wine lovers’ baskets,  gardener’s gifts,  hand-crafted pottery, yoga, personal training, Santee Lakes family fun pack, Mountain Hempire gift basket, bookstore gift certificate, music CDs, coffee lovers basket, and more!

East County News Service

October 31, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Thanks to all who turned out for our Masquerade party on Halloween Eve! 

Our guests went all out on costumes, also enjoying the wonderful music of Paul Nichols. When Paul played "Monster Mash," the night came alive as our elaborately costumed guests took to the dance floor and vied for prizes.

Our staff regaled guests with some spooky ghost stories--all based on local legends right here in East County, from a ghostly ship in the desert to a phantom white horse and more. (Watch for an audio version of these tales to be posted soon.)

We also had some "celebrity" guests pop in, including Donald and Ivana Trump, Mother Nature and more:

August 28, 2015 (Lakeside) -- The Heartland Foundation, publisher of East County Magazine, an award-winning community publication, has been named a media partner of the 2015 Kids Care Fest, a free, family-oriented event open to the public. Kids Care Fest, featuring free health care screenings, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds,12584 Mapleview St., Lakeside. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

East County News Service

July 31, 2015 (San Diego) – East County Magazine picked up three more awards from the Society for Professional Journalists San Diego pro chapter last night during the annual awards banquet at the Bali Hai restaurant.   Two of the awards honor coverage on our East County Magazine Show on KNSJ Radio while the third is for an investigative report at our online news site (www.EastCountyMagazine.org), bringing our total awards to 83 since our founding in 2008.

Last night’s honors, all second place awards presented to Miriam Raftery (photo, left), include our radio interview series with local Chaldeans’ efforts to halt genocide in Iraq, a radio interview with a Kurdish woman about her family’s ordeal fleeing ISIS, and an online investigative report on a San Diego company’s failure to disclose negative impacts of a proposed energy project.

You can read and hear our award-winning entries here:

April 19, 2015 (Ramona) – You’re invited to East County Magazine’s Spanish Fiesta celebration on Sunday, April 26^th from 12-2 p.m. at the beautiful Hacienda de las Rosas Winery in Ramona!

Your ticket includes wonderful wine-tasting, live flamenco guitar music by Myles Moynier, Peruvian Paso equestrian demonstration by Jorge Valenzuela, fabulous lunch by Jeremy’s on the Hill, delightful desserts from Grove Pastry Shop,  plus a silent auction and fabulous opportunity drawing prizes!

This event is limited to our subscribers--subscribe free at http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/wild-fire-alerts for our weekly newsletter, wildfire alerts or both.  Proceeds benefit our wildfire reporting for fire season. 

RSVP by Wednesday to enter a drawing for a Spanish guitar CD by the famous Romeros family. 

SDG&E will also be on hand with free gifts and energy saving tips.

For detail on the event, our fabulous line-up of prizes and more, click "read more" and scroll down.

Fabulous prizes! Olaf Wieghorst signed Western print, barbecue grill and accessories, Hacienda de las Rosas wine basket, happy hour at Hatfield Creek Vineyard, Ramona Ranch Vineyard wine, vintage jewelry from Antiques in the Village, arrowhead jewelry from Mountain Gypsy, earrings from Warm Hearth, Hand-wove scarves from Weaving Works in Santa Ysabel, gift certificate from Kathy’s Dress Shop, Array Mbira music lessons, guitar or vocal lessons from Ed Barrena, craft items, gift baskets, tickets to Julian Wild & Scenic Film Festival, tickets to Sage & Songbirds garden tour and festival, Circle Players "Cafe Murder" theater tickets, wine and tastings from Woof 'n' Rose Winery, and more!

January 2, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Our November radio shows are now online!  You can listen online now (note sound files may take a minute to load). For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics and interviews in November, click here and scroll down.

We covered many hot issues and spoke with fascinating newsmakers including: Kumeyaay elder and former Hot Shots firefighter Charlie Brown,  Gretchen Burns-Bergman from A New Path on drug sentencing changes,  Anne Hoiberg with the United Nations and  KNSJ president Marie Johnson on efforts to stop violence against women, Pastor Harold Brown from East County Transitional Living Center on his programs helping the homeless, Art Neill from New Media Rights on net neutrality, insurance broker Marilyn Lyons on Covered California and Medi-Cal options, Tyler Strauss from Outlier Collective on medical marijuana issues, former State Senator Nathan Fletcher on his Three Wise Men foundation to help veterans, Chaldean community leader Mark Arabo on local priests ordered to Iraq, Grossmont school board candidate Barbara Stevens, and Pastor Terry Masango from Salvation Army on the East County Toy and Food Drive. 

We also spoke with authors and artists including La Mesa Police Chief Dan Willis on his book, Bullet Proof Spirit, San Diego Jewish World editor Don Harrison on his new book, Schlepping Across the West: There’s a Jewish Story Everywhere, Author Paula Margulies on her novels from a Native American viewpoint, and Maestero Anthony Mostardo with the San Diego Festival and Chorus, airing Vivaldi's Gloria.

November 27, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Our October radio shows are now online!  You can listen online now (note sound files may take a minute to load). For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics and interviews in October, click here and scroll down.

We spoke with top newsmakers including Congresswoman Susan Davis, many candidates for local offices (note: we invited ALL candidates in races we covered to be interviewed), authors, a theater producer, a mother who started the EP Save-a-Life foundation after losing her own son, the founder of Angels for Haiti, a Water for Children Africa spokeswoman on a new technique to derive drinking water from air, an executive from the East County Boys and Girls Clubs, and a Comic Fest organizer, among others.  We also went on location--covering events from the Jacumba Hot Springs Centennial to a Ramona benefit to save wild cheetahs. Plus we had news stories on many more hot topics.

You can listen to the East County Magazine Radio Show live on KNSJ 89.1 FM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. and reruns airing Tuesday and Thursday at 9.a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m.

PARTY WITH THE PRESS!

Yes we still have space available -- so come on out and "Party with the Press" & benefit East County Magazine's nonprofit community media:

Sunday, October 26 from 4-7 p.m.  at Next Door Wine & Craft Beer Bar

7235 El Cajon Blvd.in San Diego  (just east of La Mesa; take I-8 to 70^th, left on El Cajon Blvd.)

Includes wine tasting & craft beer tasting, a fabulous feast, lots of prizes, & fun galore! 

 Details below. Cheers!

Hear our audio promo in our new studio:  http://kiwi6.com/file/pk5dpheb7i

August 1, 2014 (El Cajon) – As the newest tenants in the El Cajon Medical Center, the East County Magazine & Media Center will provide media coverage and community radio broadcast demonstrations during the East County Wellness Center’s grand opening event on August 5^th.  We invite our readers to stop by and join in the celebrations!

The wellness center offers zumba, yoga and pilates classes as well as massage services.  The grand opening festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with a ribbon cutting by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce at 6 p.m.  All event guests can enjoy a Wellness seminar, free chair massages, beverages and hors d’oeuvres, prize drawings and more. The East County Wellness and Yoga Center is located at 1625 East Main Street, Suite 205 in El Cajon, CA 92012.

East County Magazine & Media Center now offers audio services and more for local community members in our new recording studio. Stop by our suite 204 for a tour, radio broadcast demonstration, and drawing for prizes( including a free ad on East County Magazine (averaging 150,000 visits each month) and a complimentary 15-minute recording session/podcast  for your organization.)

In April, we interviewed top newsmakers on hot local issues ranging from closure of rural fire stations to a State Senate race.  We also covered some national and international topics including an interview with a local pastor whose family is impacted by Uganda’s new law criminalizing homosexuality.  Plus we’ll take you on the road to discover Lakeside’s colorful history, cover the 50^th anniversary of the Lakeside rodeo, interview local authors and much more.

For a complete list of interviews and topics covered in April, and to listen to our shows online now, click here.

You can hear our show Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. on KNSJ 89.1 FM.

By Miriam Raftery

March 21, 2014 (Santee) -- Our Mardi Gras celebration at Pinnacle Peak in Santee was a hit - thanks to our wonderful readers, the fabulous Bayou Brothers Band, and our generous donors and sponsors!  Your support will help East County Magazine continue to provide award-winning coverage of important news that matters here in our region -- as well as providing wildfire and emergency alerts.  We're your community media!

Oh, and we do like to put the "fun" in fundraising, too!  Scroll down to see lots more photos of our readers enjoying the festivities -- and if you missed the best party in town, be sure to click "subscribe" (it's free!) at the top right side of our homepage to be added to our email list for future fabulous events.

February 28, 2014 (Santee) – Are you ready for a rollicking evening of New Orleans-style festivities including the award-winning Bayou Brothers band, Cajun/Creole dinner feast, masks and beads for all guests, prizes drawings and silent auction with thousands of dollars in prizes?   Then you won’t want to miss our East County Mardi Gras party March 12 from 6-10 p.m. at Pinnacle Peak restaurant, 7927 Mission Gorge Road in Santee!   

Hear our radio interview with the Bayou Brothers (and some lively music) here: http://kiwi6.com/file/lk1mwrss4u

January 30, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – East County Magazine has been awarded the World Council for Nature’s 2013 award.

“A number of articles published in East County Magazine have been brought to my attention,” Mark Duchamp, Chairman of WCFN, a global organization based in Spain, wrote in an e-mail to ECM’s editor. “The work you do informing people of the threats against nature in your county is commendable. The World Council for Nature wishes to honor your publication with the WCFN award for 2013.”

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.

October 9, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) – Once again, East County Magazine writers and photographers are well represented among the winners listed in the 2013 San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards.