By Miriam Raftery

September
26, 2008 (El Cajon) - East County residents angered by the Bush administration’s
proposed $700 billion bail-out bill for Wall Street financial firms took to
the streets yesterday as part of a national protest action organized by True
Majority.  Thousands protested across the nation (photo: New York protest,
taken by Jeremy Scahill.)

“Many people in the evening rush hour honked. Even more gave thumbs
up or flashed peace signs.” said Wren Osborn, who participated in a protest
at Chase and Nidrah in El Cajon.  View a video from Channel 10 news with
interviews from the El Cajon event: www.10news.com/video/17562521/index.html?taf=sand.

By Miriam Raftery

Leon Thompson

“This one, this one!”  Brendan Robeson of Santee pounces gleefully on a giant pumpkin far too large for his Mom to hoist.

David and Mandy Pumphrey of Murietta used a wheelbarrow to haul their 120-pound pumpkin to the weigh-in station at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center,  where activities between now and October 31 include a straw bale maze, hayride, craft fair, costume contest and yes, even a tower where you can let your kids climb the wall—literally! 

By Miriam Raftery, Editor

Hey, beach dwellers – tired of those misty mornings?  As the fog rolls in and the first chill of fall is in the air, head east and discover the beauty of our back country.

Here are a few of my favorite pics, snapped last autumn in East County.  

By Bob Hamilton

It’s
not surprising that the American people are against the $700 billion financial
rescue plan, which was rejected by Congress on Monday.  We’ve
seen this movie before, where the government steps in with taxpayer funds to
rescue those who overdosed on greed, and we’re not interested in seeing
it again. After our government lied and mismanaged its way into a
quagmire in Iraq that has increased the burden for taxpayers by trillions,
why should we trust them now?  They say we must fork over another $700
billion to stabilize the financial system, the same financial system that allowed
banks and mortgage companies to knowingly issue bad mortgages and convert them
to risky investments that were sold to investors as safe.  At the same
time, too many of our political leaders in Washington seem more concerned about
the next election than solving the financial crisis, which leaves us disinclined
to trust them either.

Governor Vetoes Health Reforms, Terminates Consumer Protection Bills

By Senator Sheila Kuehl

On
September 30, the Governor finished wielding his veto pen and, in one sweeping
move, eliminated virtually every health reform measure that would have regulated
the health insurance company monopoly.

Health reform was not alone,
bill after bill that would have benefited consumers, drivers, people
who breathe, people who drink water, and just people who rely on their state
government to protect them, had its throat cut.

Nothing but the Truth!

By Will Power

October
1, 2008 (San Diego) - Life
has a few hard rules. Break them at your own risk.

Candidates for the La Mesa City Council answered questions from the public
in a September forum hosted by the East County League of Women Voters and the
American Association of University Women. View the complete video, provided
courtesy of Citizens Oversight Projects:

www.copswiki.org/twiki/bin/view/Common/M646

Oct. 18 event at UCSD to feature Lt. Governor John Garamendi, green
jobs fair and more

By Miriam Raftery

Event organizers Chuck Brands (left) of El Cajon and Mark Hanson of Lakeside (right) with keynote speaker, Lt. Governor John Garamendi (center)

October
1, 2008 (San Diego) - Looking for a “green” job?  Own
a business seeking to save energy and money with eco-friendly technologies?

You’ll find a wealth of information on these topics and more at Future
San Diego: Green Economy, an all-day program on October 18th dedicated to educating
the public on ways to transition our region to a more secure and environmentally
sound economy. 

September
29, 2008 (BURLINGAME, CA) - The California
Department of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are urging consumers
not to eat White Rabbit Candies sold in California.  Queensway Foods Co.
of Burlingame, California is recalling White Rabbit Candy after tests revealed
that some of the products are contaminated with melamine--the same deadly toxin
in infant formula that has hospitalized 50,000 children in China since September,
killing several infants. Melamine in pet foods also killed thousands of U.S.
cats and dogs in 2007.  

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Leon Thompson

October 1, 2008 (San Diego) - The Obama-Biden campaign hosted a presidential debate-watching party to kick-off the opening of a new campaign office at 1744 Euclid Street in East San Diego. 

“We’ve had a larger than expected turnout,” Vince Hall, spokesperson for Obama for President in San Diego County told East County Magazine.  “We’ve had more than 500 volunteers who signed up to support our campaign tonight.”

Congressman Bob Filner and Assembly candidate Ray Lutz of East County speak out against Blackwater at Otay Mesa Rally

Story and photos by Gayle Early

Sign from a military families organization opposed to Blackwater.

October 1, 2008 (Otay Mesa) – In September 2007,  17 people were shot to death in the Nisour Square traffic circle in Baghdad, Iraq, by Blackwater Worldwide security guards contracted by the U.S. State Department. Two dozen more civilians were seriously injured, including a lawyer shot in the back four times as he tried to run away. Marking the anniversary, about 150 protestors demonstrated outside Blackwater West’s new Otay Mesa Naval Training Facility on Sunday, September 14, raising concerns about the private military contractor’s presence in San Diego and along an international border already rife with tension.

By Miriam Raftery

October 1, 2008 (San Diego's East County) -Sorting
out truth from fiction in political races is challenging.   If
you didn’t watch the first presidential debate, for example, you might
get a radically different perspective on how the candidates fared if you’re
listening to a right-wing or left-wing media commentator—or the campaigns
themselves. (If you missed it, you can view a video of the full debate, narrated
by Jim Lehrer of PBS, on YouTube.

Mediterraneo Bistro Bar & Grill
1347 Tavern Road, Alpine 91901
(619)445-9902.

October 1, 2008 (ALPINE) - Dining at the Mediterraneo
Bistro Bar & Grill,
one can almost imagine oneself savoring a meal near the Mediterranean Sea.  Perched
on a hilltop with distant ocean views visible through a screen of trees in  rural
Alpine, this eatery has the feel of a sophisticated, upscale European restaurant.
Contemporary and modern décor, colorful artwork, cozy seating and a
well-stocked bar add flair to this backwater watering hole, which also features
cozy seating and large, heated outdoor dining area.

 September
25, 2008 (SAN DIEGO) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued
a consumer alert today warning that numerous products have been found to be
contaminated with melamine – the same deadly toxin that killed thousands
of cats and dogs in contaminated pet food last year. 

Lavender Raspberry Oat Muffins and Lavender Avocados

October 1, 2008 (Valley Center) – Lovely lavender blooms are good for more than sachets!  Try these tempting
recipes, compliments of The Lavender Fields in Valley Center.