Story and photos by Karen Pearlman

April 24, 2025 (Mount Helix) – There are no rides or parades in its magical atmosphere, but a local garden in Mount Helix area has been influenced by a famous amusement park in Anaheim.

Bob Caparas and his childhood sweetheart, Carole, have channeled the magic of Disneyland to help them create a unique space along the 1 1/3 acres of hills and valleys adjacent to their home on Grandview Road.

Their garden allows visitors to meander along a main path of cobblestones, bamboo and dirt, with  side paths that branch out from it leading lead to several distinct “lands.” The different lands pay tribute to different areas around the globe, and honor different times and eras as well --- from Mayan/Aztec culture to the African plateaus to Greco-Roman to Polynesia and event prehistoric days of dinosaurs.

East County News Service

April 24, 2025 (El Cajon)—On May 3, the Spring Garden and Butterfly Festival returns at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College.  The event features plant sales nurtured by Cuyamaca College Nursery students as well as butterflies, live music, specialty garden-related vendors, food trucks, and family-friendly activities.

The festival coincides with the college’s Coyote Music Festival, with live bands in the amphitheater at the Garden.  In addition, Heritage of the Americas Museum next door will be hosting an arts and crafts fair.

East County News Service

March 10, 2025 (San Diego) – The Greater San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR), San Diego County’s largest trade association for San Diego-area real estate professionals, recently honored California Senator Pro Tem Emeritus Toni Atkins with the “Golden State Private Property Champion Award” for her dedication and significant contributions to protect California’s private property rights for homeowners and renters.

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) – Tomatomania returns to the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College on Friday and Saturday, March 7-8.  The free, two-day event celebrates 75-80 incredible varieties of your favorite summer treat—tomatoes. You can purchase tomato plants including some rare varieties, cherished heirlooms and legendary classics—plus get tips from experts on how to grow the most flavorful tomatoes.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 7 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 8.

East County News Service

 January 17, 2025 (San Diego) - Does your home need a design refresh or a whole makeover? Are you curious about working with a professional interior designer but don’t know where to start? The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) San Diego Chapter offers affordable in-home design advice during Winter Spruce Up. The program runs from February through March and provides in-home design consultations that give consumers an easy, affordable, no-stress introduction to working with a designer.

Drop-off locations and curbside pickup info for all San Diego County residents

Source: I Love a Clean San Diego

Image: CC via Bing

December 14, 2024 (San Diego) -- Did you know a Christmas tree can take hundreds of years to decompose in a landfill due to lack of oxygen? San Diego residents can help prevent waste and save landfill space by transforming their old Christmas trees into nutrient-rich compost or mulch.

The County of San Diego and I Love a Clean San Diego make it easy for residents to recycle their real Christmas trees by compiling a list of drop-off locations and instructions for curbside pick-up. The countywide recycling resource, WasteFreeSD.org, hosts the 2024/2025 Christmas Tree Recycling Guide with listings for curbside and drop-off locations.

View a 3-D video tour by Wow Media

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Wow Media and Miriam Raftery

November 8, 2024 (La Mesa, CA) -- The home that I grew up in is filled with warm memories—and now, a fully remodeled interior and exterior with open floorplan and a wealth of amenities -- ready for new homeowners to create memories of their own.

My brother and I inherited our childhood home at 5810 Marengo Avenue in La Mesa’s Lake Murray neighborhood. Our parents were the original owners when the house was built back in 1956; Eisenhower was president, sock hops were all the rage and Elvis Presley had just released his first gold album.

Since we each have homes of our own, my brother and I decided to sell the house we grew up in and fully remodel it, creating an open floorplan and modern conveniences while retaining elements of vintage charm that respect the home’s mid-century heritage.

By Lindsay Elias

September 27, 2024 (La Mesa) -- On Saturday, November 2, the La Mesa History Center will hold its 18th annual Home Tour: "Peaks of Preservation". The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The tour will showcase homes in Grossmont/ Mt Helix.

During the pre-sale, La Mesa History Center members can purchase tickets for $30, and non-members can buy them for $40. The deadline to purchase pre-sale tickets is October 30th. On the day of the event, tickets will be $35 for members and $45 for non-members.

By: Jared Hernandez, Program Manager

September 17, 2024 (San Diego) -- Sexual harassment by landlords or property managers is a form of discrimination that violates the Fair Housing Act. This law, designed to ensure equal access to housing, prohibits not only discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability but also includes protections against sexual harassment. For many tenants, particularly vulnerable groups like low-income single mothers, sexual harassment can be a devastating barrier to securing safe and stable housing.

In a significant development, CSA of San Diego County, San Diego’s fair housing agency, announced in August the precedent-setting settlement of CSA v. Neri (case 3:23-cv-01369), a case alleging sexual harassment of female tenants by San Diego landlord Ron Neri. Under the terms of the settlement, Neri will pay a global amount of $275,000 and is required to change his business practices pursuant to a consent decree.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in July 2023, alleges that Neri violated the Fair Housing Act by targeting low-income single mothers with housing vouchers for sexual harassment. The plaintiffs included former, current, and prospective tenants. CSA of San Diego County, also a plaintiff, investigated the tenants’ claims. Neri contested all claims in the complaint and denied any liability.

Suzanne Potter, California News Service

Photo via CNS

August 2, 2024 (San Diego) -- Tenant's rights groups are asking policymakers to move on several fronts to rein in corporate landlords who they said are worsening California's housing crisis.

Advocates said after the private equity firm Blackstone bought 5,600 apartments in the San Diego area in 2021, the company began squeezing out tenants in order to aggressively raise rents.

Amy Schur, campaign director for the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, works with a tenant group called the Blackstone Tenants Union.