August 30, 2010 (La Mesa)--Norm MacDonald, star of movies and Saturday Night Live (SNL), will take the stage at Challenge Center’s 13th Annual Comedy Night on September 11 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The event benefits the scholarship fund established by Challenge Center, a nonprofit gym in La Mesa that has achieved dramatic results helping patients with strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as other debilitating conditions. Tickets for the event are $175.

 
Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

August 29, 2010 (Jamul) – “This is the most unusual ribbon-cutting I’ve ever done,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob declared, moments before driving a vintage 1907 REO car through a red ribbon at yesterday’s ceremony honoring the state’s declaration of Old Highway 94 as a historic highway. The event was held at Simpson’s “Garden Town” Nursery in Jamul—starting point for motorists’ weekend adventures.
 
To participate, just stop by the Nursery to pick up a map with a list of discounts and free items offered by merchants along the route, then present the flyer to shops and restaurants along the drive from Jamul to Boulevard today.

August 28, 2010 (Julian) – Julian, the historic mining town in San Diego’s East County mountains, has a wealth of talented local artists. From Friday, September 3 through Monday, September 4, you can enjoy works by many artists in one location: the upstairs of Julian’s Town Hall on Main Street. Meet the artists at a reception Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. Also enjoy viewings of oil, watercolor and acrylic paintings, pastels, clay, photography, weaving, jewelry, mixed media and more.

 
August 26, 2010 (San Pasqual) -- Orfila Vineyards in San Pasqual invites you to celebrate the fruits of their labors at its annual Grape Stomp from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, August 28. Tickets ($85 each) include dinner, wine-tasting reception with hors ‘de oeuvres, live music, tractor rides, and of course, stomping of the grapes. Reserve early, as this event sells out each year.
Full menu includes:

August 26, 2010 (Alpine) – It’s comedy night at The Vine in Alpine on Friday, August 27 at 9 p.m. This month’s comedians include headliner Patrick DeGuire, as well as Graci Stumpf, Willy Wilson, and Josh Lawson—with a cover charge of just $7.

How do you top that act? On Saturday, August 28 from 4-7 p.m., the Vine is offering wine tasting—at just $10 for up to 10 tastes.

August 25, 2010 (El Cajon ) – Folk dancing, authentic Chaldean food, live music and singing performed in Aramaic-Chaldean and English will all be part of the festivities at the Chaldean Annual Festival in El Cajon. A $5 admission/voucher may be used towards food, children’s games, or purchases from vendors. An art and cultural exhibition will also be held.

 
August 25, 2010 (Lakeside) – The public is invited to attend the 40th annual Barona Pow-Wow. The event, which has free admission, will be held September 3-5 at the Barona Baseball Field. More than $60,000 in prize money will be awarded in Native American dance competitions. The pow-wow, which attracts competitors from all over North America, also features vendors selling Native American arts, crafts, and jewelry.

August 25, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Want to save water--and reduce your bill?

Residents of San Diego’s unincorporated areas can pick up rain barrel systems for half-price ($30.35 + tax) this Saturday morning. The system is designed to connect to a roof downspout and gutters.  Residents who don’t qualify for the subsidy can buy a rain barrel system for $60.69.

 
August 23, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Stoney’s Kids invites you to a birthday party this Thursday, August 26th from 5:30 to 8:30 on the lawn at Sycuan-Singing Hills in El Cajon. This free event honors founder Stoney Stone’s 85th birthday and brings together East County’s business, community and education leaders to benefit the health and welfare of local children. The evening includes a full buffet dinner, live auction, and raffle, and more. Donations of all amounts are welcome at the event, which is open to all ages.

 
August 20, 2010 (Alpine) –Viejas Casino (http://www.viejas.com) announced today that legendary singer, songwriter Michael Bolton will perform at the Viejas DreamCatcher Lounge on September 12.
 
Bolton has sold more than 53 million records, won several Grammys for Best Male Vocalist, earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, and is currently on a world tour promoting his latest CD, “One World, One Love.”

By Buck Shott

August 19, 2010 (San Diego's East County) – The races are on for mayor and council positions in East Couny. Two local mayors’ seats are up for reelection in November. Both face challengers vying for the leadership spots in El Cajon and La Mesa. In addition, a pack of contenders is vying to run for council seats in East County’s cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Santee. Here's the lineup: 

Revealing art exhibit Aug. 18-Sept. 26

August 13, 2010 (La Mesa) – O’Dunn Fine Art in La Mesa unveils “A Century of Naked Ladies”, kicking off the month-long exhibition with a special celebration August 18 from 5 to 9 p.m.
 
“These artists offer their interpretation of the female form: lush, humorous, pitiless, or compassionate,” says gallery owner Shannon O’Dunn. “Each piece portrays a particular woman nuanced by her place in time, her mood, and culture.”

By Joan Casanova, for Bonnie Plants

August 11, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- You might think the end of summer means bidding farewell to fresh, homegrown veggies. Not so – many cool-season crops hit their heyday as autumn temperatures drop, and some even taste better when nipped by a light frost.

August 11, 2010 (Mt. Helix) – Tickets are now on sale for the third annual HeART of Mt. Helix on Saturday, August 14 from 5:30-10 p.m., billed as “the event of the summer at the top of the hill.” Big Daddy Orchestra  will headline this year’s event, which also features musical vignettes, wine tasting with Artesa Winery, art, auctions, food from local restaurants and dancing under the stars.

Tickets are only sold in advance ($50 general admission, $100 reserved table seating). The event, held in the ampitheater atop Mt. Helix, has sold out for the past two years. Buy tickets here.

Owner hand-crafts fantasy environment

Part II of a 5-part series on gardens featured in the Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association’s spring 2010 garden tour
 

By Miriam Raftery
 

August 7, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- “I like Disneyland, so I created an escape environment,” said Bob Caparas, who single-handedly planted all landscaping and built each masonry wall, bridge and waterway at his private Shangri-La complete with switchback trails through a tropical jungle filled with prehistoric-style artifacts off Grandview Road.

 

August 5, 2010 (Rancho San Diego) - “This has been a very big undertaking,” Valerie Harrison, president of the Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce, said of the first-ever Summer Music & Culture Festival set for this Sunday, August 8 starting at 11 a.m. in the Water Conservation Garden. “The Chamber has been working on this for nearly a year."  
 
The free event includes performances every hour on the hour, as well as free concert from 4-7 p.m.

 
East County News Service
August 5, 2010 (Julian) – The public is invited to an annual stargazing party and astronomy exhibition held on new moon weekend each August under the dark skies of Julian, amongst the grape vines and apple orchards of the Menghini Winery. Venus, Mars and Saturn will be within a 5-degree circle just after sunset, with Mercury also visible. The four-day event includes a free public star party (telescopes provided) on Saturday night, August 7, as well as presentations by noted astronomers.

Watch Perseid Meteor Showers at Stargazer Plateau, Sacred Rocks Reserve: Aug. 12-14

August 4, 2010 (Boulevard) Sacred Rocks Reserve, a 163-acre wilderness park with RV and tent camping sites, will offer “Streakin’ Star Party” packages for guests who want to view the Perseid Meteor Showers streak through the night sky from Thursday, August 12 through Saturday, August 14.
 
The park is located at an elevation of just under 4,000 feet, near Boulevard, California, approximately 65 miles east of San Diego along Interstate 8. Far from city lights, the property offers a clear vantage point from which to view the stars.

San Pasqual Winery hosts “A Perfect Pairing” event with Chef Dave and champion BBQ pitmaster secrets

August 2, 2010 (La Mesa) – San Pasqual Winery’s new tasting room in La Mesa’s downtown village invites the public to join its inaugural cooking class and sumptuous winemaker dinner on Saturday, August 7.

August 1, 2010 (Julian)--Jeremy’s on the Hill California Style Bistro in Julian will host a Seven-Course Wine Pairing Dinner featuring fine wines from five back country wineries on Saturday, August 6 at 7 p.m.

"We have so much talent here in the back country and it is such a pleasure to work with these amazing vintners,” said Jeremy Manley, the restaurant’s Cordon-Bleu trained chef.

 
July 28, 2010 (Ramona) – If you thought the only place to find carnival rides, livestock exhibitions, Midway games, live music, local crafts and fair food was Del Mar, think again! Ramona’s 40th annual country fair has all of this and more –and admission is free! (There is a fee for ride tickets.) This event also includes such country favorites as a watermelon eating contest, egg toss, chicken bingo, and the Ramona Idol talent contest.

East County News Service
 

July 24, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Mountain Empire School District, which serves rural areas of East County is asking for donations of backpacks and other school supplies for students. Communities in the district, which serves many poor families, include Boulevard, Campo, Clover Flat, Dehesa, Guatay, Jacumba, Pine Valley, Potrero, and Tecate.
 

Donations may be brought to locations in Alpine or Campo prior to Back to School Night on August 31.
 

 
 
July 20, 2010 (Rancho San Diego) – Where can you see a snake charmer and fire dancers, sample foods from around the world, savor music and dancing by top performers, enjoy beer and wine gardens, find face-painting for kids and a mesmerizing magic show—all free? Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce invites you to the first-ever Summer Music & Culture Festival on Sunday, August 8.

By Miriam Raftery

July 19, 2010 (San Diego) – A procession of around 100 visitors accompanied by their pets lined up yesterday morning outside the San Diego Mission de Alcala. The faithful and the curious turned out for the Blessing of Animals, a tradition started by St. Francis of Assisi in the 1200s.

The custom was practiced in San Diego by Father Junipero Serra, founder of the Mission, and has continued ever since--accompanied by barks, mariachi music, and an occasional "oink."
 

"The policy of the GUHSD in thunder/lightning storm conditions would be to immediately seek safe shelter at the first sound of thunder..." -- Larry Pear, Grossmont Union High School District

ECM Special Report

Story by Miriam Raftery, photos by Dennis Richardson
 

July 16, 2010 (Lakeside)—While lightning strikes caused multiple fires in East County including Lakeside, El Capitan’s football team continued practicing on an open field during a thunderstorm in direct violation of district rules.

“There was thunder and lightning in the immediate area striking the ground...during the time the kids were practicing,” ECM photographer Dennis Richardson reports. “As I was shooting pictures of the players [from a hill nearby], a man who was watching the lightning storm from the safety of his home near me told me he had just seen a bolt of lightning hit a power pole near Wildcat Canyon and Willow Road.” That’s about half a mile from the football practice, he estimated.
 

Playing sports during a thunderstorm can be deadly. In 2008, all eleven players on a football team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed when lightning struck the field. 

July 11, 2010 (Lakeside) – Bull-riding has been called “the most dangerous sporting event in America” by Sports Writers of America. On July 16-17, the Lakeside Optimist Club will host the 12th annual Bulls Only Rodeo at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds. In addition to bull-riding, the event will also feature other rodeo events such as wild horse racing and mutton busting. All proceeds will benefit youth in the community.     
 

 Click the video for a "bullish" point of view:

July 9, 2010 (College Area) – What could be better than a free feast, music, and partying with East County Magazine? You’re invited to our “Midsummer Night Mixer and Mediterranean Feast” to welcome our region’s new restaurant, Garden Fresh Grill & Smoothie in the College area.

This free event will be held on Friday, July 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. We’ll also have prize drawings—including a two-hour party with a D.J. from Nights of the Sound Table. RSVPS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT. Space is limited to the first 30 who reserve space, so RSVP now to writerink@cox.net.

By Miriam Raftery

July 6, 2010 – It’s not on the scale of Stonehenge. But stacked rocks popping up along an East County freeway are drawing the attention of passersby and sparking a mystery as to their origins. Just who has been balancing stones along Highway 52, and why?

 

 
July 5, 2010 (El Cajon) – On Friday, July 9th, fans of art, music, wine and classic cars will be prowling the streets of downtown El Cajon for the 5th annual Alley Cat Summer Fest. The event, which many consider to be the “cat’s meow,” is presented by St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center to benefit Sophie’s Art Gallery, creating opportunities for artists with developmental disabilities.

July 1, 2010 (Spring Valley) Young Actors Theater (YAT) will present Seussical, the Musical at the Encore Theater, 9620 Campo Road in Spring Valley, July 9-11 and July 16-18. Based on writings of Dr. Seuss, the production is suitable for audiences of all ages. The story centers around Horton the Elephant, who finds himself faced with a double challenge.