March 2, 2010 (Alpine) – A ribbon cutting today heralded opening of the new Chico’s store at the Viejas Outlet Center in Alpine. This is the first outlet store in San Diego County for Chico’s, an upscale women’s clothing and accessory retailer with 600 stores nationwide. Representatives of Chico’s, Viejas Outlet Center and the alpine Chamber of Commerce were on hand to celebrate the occasion and welcome customers.

Students at Barona Museum get hands-on experience

By Miriam Raftery

February 21, 2010 (Lakeside) – “You start by crushing the rock to get out pebbles. This is native clay,” said Robert Freeman, artist and instructor at a pottery-making class held yesterday at the Barona Cultural Center and Museum in Lakeside. “We don’t buy clay,” he said, using a grindstone to pulverize clay dug up locally (photo, left). “We do it from scratch like they did a hundred or two hundred years ago.”

 
Creative Partnership Overcomes Economic Obstacles to launch innovative new program

December 14, 2009 (Alpine) – Despite deep education budget cuts statewide, kids at schools in Alpine are benefiting from an innovative, new program that improves math and music skills, thanks in part to proceeds from concerts and other events held at Viejas Casino and Outlet Center in Alpine.

December 7, 2009 (Alpine) – San Diego East  Visitors Bureau celebrated the grand opening last week of its new office in the Viejas Outlet Center in Alpine. The site is an official California Welcome Center, providing information for tourists on attractions in East County and the San Diego region.
 

“This is the first California Welcome Center ever opened on tribal lands,” said Charlie Brown, director of Viejas Community Relations.

 
 
December 1, 2009 (Alpine) -- The San Diego East Visitors Bureau & San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce invite the public to a holiday mixer and open house/grand opening of the San Diego East Visitors Bureau. Guests are asked to bring an unwrapped gift for Stoney’s Kids East County Toy Drive while joining in an evening of festivities that includes ice skating, bowling, refreshments, and more.

November 24, 2009 – Tribal Council leaders rolled out the first strikes following a ribbon cutting ceremony today at the new Viejas Bowl, located in the Viejas Outlet Center in Alpine. (www.shopviejas.com. Opening ceremonies included a blessing and smudging, or burning of sage, to bring good luck to Viejas’ newest entertainment venture.

By Leon Thompson, the East County Eater

October 25th, 2009 (Alpine) -- “Smokin’ in the Park,” the state’s largest BBQ competition sponsored by Viejas, was held Oct. 17 at the Viejas Outlet Center. Last year’s event drew over 9,000 people and from the looks of the long lines of hungry barbecue aficionados waiting to sample the fare here, I’d say this year’s event was an equally savory success.

Viejas Outlet Center transforms into a winter wonderland complete with ice skating, holiday tree lighting & shows

November 10, 2009 (Alpine)– Viejas Outlet Center officially kicks off the holiday season this Friday, November 13, with the opening of Southern California’s largest ice rink including skating show at 6 p.m., holiday tree lighting at 7:30. p.m., the return of the Legend of the Ice Princess performance, plus  holiday savings at all retail stores.

 
October 30, 2009 (Alpine) -- A traditional Kumeyaay blessing, birdsinging and smudging conducted by Viejas Tribal Councilmember Virginia Christman heralded the opening of a new Asian Cuisine restaurant, Far East Winds, at the Viejas Casino in Alpine last week.  
 
Far East Winds expresses  past, present and future contributions of the Chinese in developing the West. The menu encompasses Chinese dishes from the four main regions of China: Cantonese (Southern China); Szechuan (Western China); Mandarin (Northern China); and Shanghainese (Eastern China), each offering a variety of unique flavors.

 
October 29, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – Want to be a winner at a casino—without having to gamble any money? Several area casinos are hosting Halloween costume contests and paying out big cash prizes. Others are offering parties, gifts, and Halloween eve concerts.

 
Teams from around the country cook up a good time at free “Smokin’ in the Park” Festival

October 14, 2009 (Alpine) – Looking to spice up your week?  Viejas Casino & Outlet Center will host California’s largest BBQ cooking championship again this year in one of East County's most popular free events of the season. The “Smokin’ in the Park” BBQ Championship & Festival (www.viejasbbq.com) is back for its fifth year…bigger and better than ever. This year, more than 60 teams will compete for $23,000 in cash and prizes, making it the largest competition of its kind in the state.

Thousands enjoyed free concert, car show and kids fun zone

Story and Photos by Leon Thompson

Viejas (September 26, 2009) Thousands of enthusiastic rock music fans of all ages convened in the parking lot of Viejas Casino to hear a free concert co-sponsored by radio station Magic 92.5 on Saturday, October 3. The event, new this year, was clearly a success—as evidenced by a line of cars backed up to the freeway exit by mid-afternoon.

The event featured attractions for the whole family including free rides in the fun zone for the young and young at heart, a vintage and custom car show. A troop of young spray-can outlaws fascinated the crowd by transforming a blank wall into living art that seemed to jump from the wall. (The artists, who declined to have their faces photographed, honed their skills from years of practice in places not so welcoming as here.)

October 5, 2009 (Alpine) – On Thursday, over 250 school children will join firefighters, tribal representatives, Smokey the Bear and Sparky the firedog from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for hands-on learning about the importance of fire safety. The event, held at Viejas Recreation Center in Alpine, is being held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week.

By Miriam Raftery
 
September 3, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – Thousands of tribal members from across the United States as well as many local participants and spectators are expected to flock to the Barona and Syucan reservations in East County during the first two weekends in September.

Native American dancers, drummers and bird singers compete for prize money at the traditional celebrations, which are free and open to the public. These events provide opportunities for the public to learn more about our tribal neighbors’ rich culture and heritage.

 
 
 
VIEJAS BOWL continues Viejas Outlet Center’s transformation into “lifestyle center”

August 27, 2009 (Alpine) – Viejas announced plans today for a new, boutique bowling center, to be called Viejas Bowl, at the Viejas Outlet Center, across from the award winning Viejas Casino.

The new development boasts 15,667 square feet of space and will include 12 United States Bowling Congress certified lanes, plus numerous flat screen TVs for sporting and other events. Other features will be announced at the opening of the center slated for late fall.

By Marisa Kezirian
 
Photos by Miriam Raftery
 
August 16, 2009 (La Jolla) – It was a day filled with education and excitement for Native American youngsters enrolled in Camp Heyaay Coome Kooknumch, which means “The Elders Long Ago Tell Our Stories.”
 
On an August 3rd field trip sponsored by the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, more than 60 local Indian children and teens visited the Birch Aquarium at Scripps to learn about their origins and ancestral history--then headed to the beach for summertime fun complete with surfing lessons.

 
July 15, 2009 (San Diego)--Congressman Bob Filner announced that the Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians, along with six other Indian Tribes in California, will have improved access to vital water services through funds awarded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, otherwise known as the stimulus bill.
 

July 7, 2009 (San Diego)--A new chapter was added to the history books at San Diego State University on July 1. The arena on the SDSU campus has been known as Cox Arena ever since it opened its doors 1997. But Wednesday, the name officially changed to Viejas Arena.
 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — June 1, 2009 — For the first time, Viejas Outlet Center is excited to welcome all dogs to the center for a “doggone” day of fun. On Saturday, June 6 Viejas will host the 5th Annual Novelty Fun Dog Show and the Service Dog Celebration.

By Miriam Raftery

June 1, 2009 (Warner Springs)—“It’s always fun when we get an adult to volunteer to be the cow,” Sherri Freeman quipped, then deftly lassoed a running parent. Nearby, youngsters saddled up on a bucking mechanical horse, ground acorns, studied history of the Butterfield Stage Coach, hiked with an ecologist, visited farm animals, and learned about wild herbs from a Native American healer.

Watch our slideshow

View our videos! Acorn-grinding lesson; teacher lassos a parent “cow”

May 28, 2009 (Alpine)-- The Alpine Little League presented a plaque to the Viejas Tribal Council on May 27th, expressing the organization’s appreciation for the Tribe’s ongoing support of their efforts to promote youth sports in the Alpine area community.

ALPINE, Calif. — May 28, 2009 — As the weather begins to heat up and children get out of school, Viejas offers a place to beat the heat with an array family-friendly events. The annual Power of Nightfire show will feature performances at 9 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday, until Labor Day. The unique performance intrigues the audience with water fountains, lasers, pyrotechnics, special effects and intricate choreography. The show tells the story of an ancient Kumeyaay Indian who saved his people from the evil “water spirit” and brings the valuable water back to his village. The show, which is free and open to the public, is suitable for all ages.

May 27, 2009 (Alpine)--MMA Veteran Vernon “Tiger” White will face one of Temecula Team Quest’s stand out Lew Polley at Wargods “Five” at the Viejas Casino in Alpine, California on Saturday, May 30th. Doors open at 5:30 for the event, which starts at 6:30 p.m.
 

“I had a dream that I would have a drum,” recalled Neka’asawe, a drum maker who was among the many vendors displaying indigenous crafts at the Sage & Songbirds Festival at Viejas Outlet Center in early May. “I went into a sweat lodge and prayed. A spirit told me I would make many drums.”

Reprinted with permission from East County Communities Action Coalition (ECCAC)

May 6, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)--On March 23, 2009, the Viejas Bank of Kumeyaay Indians filed their appeal against the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) challenging the agency’s “Record of Decision” on the Sunrise Powerlink.

By Miriam Raftery

April 23, 2009 (Viejas Indian Reservation)—Preparing for fire season, fire engine crews from more than 60 fire protection agencies donned full safety gear and participated in structure protection drills, wildland hose lays, pumping evolutions and other exercises. Aerial resources, including helicopters, practiced coordinated fire attacks with ground crews under simulated fire conditions. The eighth annual event was hosted this year at the Viejas Indian Reservation east of Alpine on April 18, 21, 22 and 23.

By Miriam Raftery

Bird dancers demonstrate hand-made gourds at Warner Springs Native American museum.

--A broken song beneath the snow, the echo of a soaring joy, a shape in the mist, a touch, in the rain in wilderness you come again. You tell us what we used to know. You speak for all the free wild things whose ways were ours when the world had wings.—Bev Doolittle

April 20, 2009 (Warner Springs)- Inscribed on a wall in the new Outdoor Academic Experience (O.A.E.) Native American Museum in Warner Springs, the quote above reflects the rich cultural heritage and traditions of local Cahuilla, Luiseño, Cupeño and Kumeyaay tribes preserved and displayed here. To commemorate the museum’s grand opening on April 13, a trio of Native American bird singers performed traditional songs for visiting Girl Scouts from Troop 3125 and demonstrated gourd rattles which they crafted by hand.

La Mesa Chamber of Commerce President Mary England and Viejas spokesman Charlie Brown

By Miriam Raftery

March 26, 2009 (Alpine) —“We don’t just hold mixers. We make cash registers ring,” La Mesa Chamber of Commerce president Mary England told a crowd of approximately 100 members and guests at a mixer hosted by the Chamber at the Dreamcatcher Lounge in Viejas Casino. England presented a plaque to Viejas, which donated dinners for all Chamber members and guests.

Charlie Brown is honored for his ongoing contribution to the Burn Institute.

March 23, 2009 (San Diego, Calif.) - Charlie Brown, a Viejas Tribal Member and Director of Viejas Community Relations, was awarded the Health Hero Award by the Combined Health Agencies for his contributions to the local health industry and community activism.

1st place Barona team

March 17, 2009 (San Diego) — The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians hosted the Inter-Tribal Sports (ITS) Basketball Championships on the Viejas Reservation on Sunday, March 15. The sports league, consisting of teams from 16 different tribes or tribal organizations in the Southern California area, provides athletic opportunities along with native cultural and spiritual development.