Photo by Jill Wellington via Pixabay

November 13, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- This holiday season is shaping up differently due to the pandemic – but several East County locations are still finding ways to celebrate the season with drive-through holiday light displays, socially distanced celebrating, and virtual visits with Santa. 

La Mesa Holiday in the Village Dec. 5

La Mesa will host its annual Holiday in the Village on December 5^th from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., including a holiday craft market, with modifications approved by county health officials.

East County News Service

November 11, 2020 (San Diego) -- Matthew T. Hall, editorial and opinion director at The San Diego Union-Tribune, will share his favorite writing tips for the San Diego Press Club’s next “Write Better Right Now,” a one-hour, writing webinar from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17. 

East County News Service

November 10, 2020 (Spring Valley) - The Enchanted Village is back in San Diego for its third year with modifications made to accommodate social distancing guidelines. The holiday extravaganza, typically a walk-through of the eight-acre grounds of Noah Homes in Spring Valley, is now a COVID compliant drive-thru experience.  

East County News Service

November 9, 2020 (El Cajon) – Visiting Santa is a treasured holiday tradition. This year, despite a pandemic, Parkway Plaza regional shopping mall in El Cajon is making sure that every child can see Santa. With help from the elves and partners at Cherry Hill Programs, you can either visit Santa at the mall or online now through December 24.

For in-person Santa visits and photos, you can make an appointment here:  https://www.whereissanta.com/#4/41.88/-87.62. Walk-ins will be taken on a space available basis and children won't be sititng on Santa's lap this holiday season, due to social distancing needs.  

Or visit  createholidaymagic.com  to browse and schedule your child's personalized virtual holiday experience.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Nov. 9, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) Veteran’s Day, this Wednesday, Nov. 11, can be celebrated in East County and all over San Diego County in a myriad of ways. Some events are strictly for active duty military, veterans and/or spouses and families, while others offer a way for all of us to honor and celebrate our military members.

The pandemic has changed many local event calendars with a number of entities planning on picking up their events again in 2021. However, there are still many to enjoy virtually or in a socially distanced manner.

El Cajon’s Singing Hills Golf Resort at Sycuan will be holding a golf tournament.  Local military teams, competing on 36 teams from local military commands, will compete on the links.

Fleet Week San Diego has numerous activities such as the Innovation Zone, art exhibits, student stem day, scattered and scheduled around the region with the nucleus of the activities set up at the Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego. The activities span the dates of Nov. 9-15. 

Additionally, if any East County residents wish to participate in the boat parade, they should register by Nov. 11.  

Source: City of La Mesa

Photo: CC by SA

October 15, 2020 (La Mesa) - The City of La Mesa Community Relations and Veterans Commission along with the Youth Advisory Commission have scheduled a round table discussion event titled LIVABLE LA MESA: Youth in the Age of COVID-19, to take place on Wednesday, October 28 at 6:00 p.m. The goal of the 90 minute virtual event is to foster a dialog on how changes due to COVID-19 have affected the everyday lives of families. Panelists from the La Mesa Spring Valley School District and the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency will be on hand to provide tips and tools.

By Kathy Carpenter

October 11, 2020 (San Diego) - 2020 is a history making year, one historians will be documenting for years. But as much as times change, they stay the same. Almost a hundred and twenty years ago Teddy Roosevelt faced the same struggles we are facing today including bullying, racism and riots.

The Roustabouts Theatre Company, fairly new to the San Diego theatre community, has moved into digital media like some of the others in town. From October 10 - November 2, 2020. they are streaming Roosevelt: Charge The Bear.  A new one man play by Phil Johnson & Marni Freedman, starring Phil Johnson.

With a compelling, storytelling plot, phenomenal actor Phil Johnson has you believing you are in the room with Theodore Roosevelt himself, glued to each word, as he tells his story. The plot is the story of the new President Roosevelt, as he takes over from President William McKinley,.after McKinley’s assassination.

East County News Service

October 11, 2020 (San Diego) – Is it “who” or “whom?” Or, “that” or “which?” Or, “is” or “are?”

Also, where do you stand on terminal prepositions, split infinitives, “hopefully” as a floating adverb and “they” as a third-person singular pronoun?

East County News Service

October 6, 2020 (Campo) -- Join the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association in its annual Pumpkin Express Halloween Celebration.  Come ride decorated vintage railcars through the San Diego county mountains as fall descends upon Campo, CA.  Walk through a themed Display Building complete with Halloween scenes, a pumpkin patch, and our creepy cast of ghosts and ghouls.

By San Diego County Parks and Recreation

October 3, 2020 (San Diego's East County) - Throughout the month of October – or as we like to call it, Hawktober – we will be airing educational videos on local birds of prey. Learn where they live, what they eat, how they hunt and other survival mechanisms that allow them to thrive throughout this region. 

East County News Service

September 28, 2020 (El Cajon) – El Cajon resident Cliff Albert, news director at KOGO-AM Newsradio 600 and one of San Diego’s leading radio news personalities for the past 35 years, will share his favorite broadcast writing tips at the San Diego Press Club’s next “Write Better Right Now,” a one-hour webinar from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 30.