Update February 23, 2017 -  Hear our interview with Dr. Patrick Sullivan, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio, by clicking the audio link.

Dr. Patrick Sullivan alleges he was harassed into resigning after blowing the whistle on secret videotaping of female patients and other concerns; hospital denies wrongdoing

East County News Service

February 5, 2017 (La Mesa) – Dr. Patrick Sullivan, an anesthesiologist with 25 years’ experience locally, has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court against Sharp Grossmont Hospital and retained a high-powered trial lawyer.

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio in January,  by clicking the audio link, and scroll down for highlights of how Esetela de los Rios believes  our region’s homeless problems could and should be solved .

February 18, 2017 (San Diego)—Estela de los Rios with CSA, a fair housing and human rights organization in El Cajon since 1969, is calling for  a change in how the homeless are treated in the city of San Diego and across San Diego County.  San Diego now has the fourth highest number of homeless people in the nation according to the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency statistics.  Yet instead of providing meaningful help to homeless people, San Diego has often resorted to criminalizing homelessness—passing out citations for sleeping in public places and having police seize tents and sleeping bags even amid cold winter storms.

Homeless has affected every city in San Diego County,  including East County cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Santee, as well as unincorporated areas of the County. As San Diego cracks down on homelessness, more homeless people have resorted to camping along river banks,  in parks and on the streets of communities in East County, where homelessness is a problem for every city.

By Miriam Raftery

Listen now to our interviews, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link .

February  7, 2017 (Borrego Springs)—In April, the Anza-Borrego Foundation will celebrate its 50^th anniversary.  We recently interviewed Paige Rogowski, ABF’s executive director, on exciting events coming up to celebrate the occasion. In addition, we interviewed Diana Lindsay, a historian who has written extensively about Anza Borrego Desert State Park. 

They shared some fascinating history with us about our desert region, and the colorful characters from the region’s past, info on the State Park, as well as the Foundation’s successes and continuing efforts to purchase and preserve privately owned lands within the largest state park in California.

East County News Service

Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio, by clicking the audio link.

January 13, 2017 (San Diego) –  Rev. Shane Harris with the National Action Network (NAN) aims to reclaim Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream here in San Diego, the eighth largest city in the U.S. , starting with a local MLK march on Monday.  This week, in an exclusive interview with East County Magazine on KNSJ,  Rev. Harris shared his concerns and visions for the future.

“What we’ve seen with the Democrats and Republicans nationally and statewide is they will run around touting Dr. King, but they don’t understand his dream and vision,” Rev. Harris explains. “Dr. King died for a poor people’s campaign.  He was getting ready to lead a poor people’s march in Washington D.C. when he was killed.”

December 30, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Oak boring beetles and other insect pests have decimated vast swaths of oak forests across San Diego's East County.  Recently, we interviewed arborist Bret Hutchinson, an expert on oak tree infestations and owner of Green Tree Forest Service, on the latest efforts to preserve oaks in our region.

Drought leaves trees more vulnerable to infestation.  Learn how to prevent problems, spot infestations, and what to do if your oak trees are stricken by clicking the audio link to hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM radio. (sound files may take a few moments to load.)

Update:   Hear our interview with Amanda Matti, author of A Foreign Affair, (originally aired on KNSJ radio) by clicking the audio link here.

A Foreign Affair, by Amanda Matti (W & B Publishers, Kernersville, NC, 2016, 343 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

December 1, 2016 (San Diego) - Amanda Matti, an El Cajon (San Diego) resident who served six years in the United States Navy, including a 2005 deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, has written a riveting true story of romance and war; A Foreign Affair. Matti provides graphic details of her experience in a war that many in this country felt never should have been.

December 9, 2016 (La Mesa)-- The new Holiday in the Village event will be bringing back some of La Mesa's most cherished holiday traditions--including chestnuts roasting on open fires,  holiday music and carnival rides for kids,  plus creating some new memories for all including booths with over 80 artisans.  Santa Claus will also be at the event slated for this Saturday,  December10th from 10 a.m.to 10 p.m. There's also a holiday card drive to brighten the holidays for U.S. troops overseas.

This is the first year that the new  La MesaVillage Association has been in charge of the event.  East County Magazine interviewed  Katie Halvin,  an organizer of the event,  on our radio show originally aired on KNSJ 89.1  FM. 

You can listen now by clicking the audio link.

By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2016 (Spring Valley) -- The San Diego Festival Chorus & Orchestra is celebrating its 25th anniversary season,  with a  Chansons de Noel Concert this Sunday. 

You can hear our exclusive interview with director Tony Mostardo by clicking the audio link, originally aired on KNSJ radio 89.1 FM.  He provides some fascinating insights into the major works in the upcoming concert,  as well what inspired him to start this marvelous community musical group.  He also recalls the group's auspicious beginning on a date now immortalized in history:  September 11, 2001,  and how the terrorist attacks impacted the group on day one.

November 22, 2016 (La Mesa)--La Mesa Chamber of Commerce  President loves giving back to help people in need during the holiday season.  This year,  the  Chamber has added military families to its list of beneficiaries to receive help this holiday season, along with seniors and children.

Hear our interview with Mary England,  originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link above to learn how you can help brighten the families for people in need in our community.

November 7, 2016 (Lemon Grove) –Charlene McAdory, president of Thrive Lemon Grove and a long-time community activist, is running for the Lemon Grove City Council.  She reached out to us to talk about key issues in Lemon Grove.  In addition, as a past member of a citizens police oversight board in another city,  she gave us her perspective on the recent police shooting in El Cajon and the importance of oversight.

You can hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ Radio, by clicking the  audio link: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au... and scroll down for more information on this race.

November 7, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Nick Marinovich chaired a school bond oversight committee in the Sweetwater Union High School District, where officials were convicted for illegal pay-to-play.  He resigned his position on the Grossmont Union High School District’s Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, contending Grossmont’s committee acted like a lapdog,  not a watchdog—failing in its oversight duties.

He reached out to us to share his concerns over Measure BB,  a $128 million school bond measure.  

You can hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...  and scroll down for highlights.

Attorney for white nationalist group developed computer program to drop minority voters off voting rosters in 30 states

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Miriam Raftery with Greg Palast at film debut in San Diego

Listen now to our interview with Greg Palast, originally aired on KNSJ:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

Scroll down for highlights.

October 28, 2016 (San Diego)--Investigative reporter Greg Palast’s Academy Award-nominated documentary, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy:  A Tale of Billionaires and Ballot Bandits, pulls back the curtain to expose a dark conspiracy to steal votes from millions of minorities across America. A seasoned gumshoe detective turned award-winning investigative reporter, Palast leaves no room for doubt as he masterfully reveals the powerful players behind this insidious scheme.

East  County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery sat down for an exclusive interview with Palast,  in town for the debut of his film in San Diego on Monday.  You can hear our interview by clicking the orange audio link,  and scroll down to  read our review of this must-see documentary.

 October 23, 2016 (San Diego's East County)-- Our September 2016 radio shows are now online! (sound files may take a minute to load).  For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews, click here.

You can hear full candidate forums we moderated with Helix Water District and Lemon Grove mayoral candidates. We also interviewed candidates for other local offices and chatted with La Mesa’s Mayor and Vice Mayor on Oktoberfest and the future of La Mesa. Hot topics in September included the shooting of Alfred Olango by El Cajon Police, water quality issues, the presidential race and more.  Plus hear our interview with a La Mesa Historical Society museum curator on an exhibit about Japanese-American students at Grossmont High School who were interned during World War II.

 The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  The shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.  Read more and listen to our September shows:

October 20, 2016 (San Diego's East County)-- Our August 2016 radio shows are now online! (sound files may take a minute to load).  For links to listen to the shows plus a full list of topics an interviews,  click here.

Our newsmaker interviews included bighorn sheep expert and author Mark Jorgensen, La Mesa City Council candidate Colin Parent, Helix Water District candidates Mark Gracyk and Dan McMillan, author and wordsmith Charles Harrington Elster, plus Mark Umphries andMike Urhammer from Helix Water District on water quality issues and more. We talked about hot issues, from the County’s controversial Border Fire report to local council actions to the presidential race.

 The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  The shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.  Read more and listen to our August shows:

East County News Service

October 15, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) --East County Magazine’s Bookshelf host,  Reina Menasche,  recently sat down for an in-depth interview with  Charles Harrington Elster, a seasoned writer, broadcaster, narrator and nationally recognized wordsmith.  Elster, known for his novel approach to SAT and ACT test preparation, Elster is also the author of 11 books,   including Verbal Advantage and Word Workout.