March 8, 2010 (Ramona) -- The Ramona Music Fest benefit concert is March 20, from 2 to 6 p.m., at Dos Picos Park, 17953 Dos Picos Park Rd. in Ramona. The third annual event hosted by Ramona Kiwanis and Ramona Rotary clubs will feature two stages and wandering musicians.
 
A variety of music is promised, from mellow rock to jazz, from ’50s rock to country, headlined by Cactus Twang & Whyte, whose music is reminiscent of Crosby, Stills & Nash.

February 6, 2010 (El Cajon) Updated 11:45 p.m.. - A serious accident involving several vehicles caused CHP to shut down all lanes on I-8 westbound at Murray Drive in El Cajon, diverting traffic onto 125.  CHP's website reports one vehicle flipped over and a person was trapped inside with fluid leaking.

 
 
February 6, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The League of Conservation Voters’ San Diego chapter seeks new board members from the East County area.
 
“Our goal is electing and monitoring public officials relative to their positions on environmental issues,” says  Nikki Symington, board member of the nonpartisan organization. “We need more representation from the East County and meet monthly.”

“This is a major initiative about the future of East County,” -- G. Cole Davis, El Cajon Community Development Corporation

By Miriam Raftery

February 4, 2010 (El Cajon) – On Saturday, community leaders from throughout East County convened in El Cajon for “The Challenges and Opportunities of Imaging the Future of the Greater San Diego Region.” The event was the seventh such function held around the County by San Diego Foundation’s Civil Society. The goal?

To create a Regional Vision Initiative with a 50-to-100 year strategic plan that will encompass the shared values and priorities of residents.

December 29, 2009 - At year's end, we'd like to share with our readers a few of our favorite images taken along East County's backroads and byways during the four seasons in the past year.

By Miriam Raftery

December 18, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – Where can you find Christmas tree ornaments that are unique and reflective of life in the eastern areas of Sa Diego County? Here are a few of my favorite finds, from hand-blown glass to Native American handicrafts to critters crafted from corks at a local winery.

Rural retreat to host Thanksgiving potluck feast--and soon, a writer’s retreat

By Miriam Raftery

November 23, 2009 – It's not Plymouth Rock--but it may be the most dramatic natural setting in San Diego County to celebrate your Thanksgiving. 

“When I saw this, I felt sure there were ceremonies here in ancient times,” said Sharon Courmousis, standing before a natural rock cathedral at Sacred Rocks Reserve in Boulevard. “I also felt a sense of sacred space.” Sharon and her husband, Dmitri, offer guests opportunities to nurture creative artistry, enjoy stargazing, stroll a labyrinth--and savor a Thanksgiving Day potluck amid a natural retreat complete with campground, cottages and a clubhouse for the feast.

 
November 18, 2009 (San Diego's East County) - If you don't want to cook this Thanksgiving, you'll find an array of sumptuous holiday repasts in San Diego and East County.  Choose from an old-fashioned feast amid rustic rural charm, a football fan's favorite, a bountiful budget buffet, a potluck at an outdoor retreat, or a Thanksgiving Day jazz festival to liven up your holiday. 

This month, we bring you the many faces of our community - plus some holiday spirits!

 
Does the thought of going house-to-house Trick or Treating make you feel uncomfortable? How about mall Trick or Treating?
 
Mall Trick or Treating is an easy way to take the little ones for out for an evening of fun. On Saturday October 31st, two local malls--Grossmont Center in La Mesa from 4 to 6 PM and Parkway Plaza in El Cajon from 3 to 5 PM--are the places to be in East County to be for a frightfully good time.

Dear Readers - Please send your favoritie photos taken in East County or San Diego's Eastern Regions to editor@eastcountymagazine.org for consideration in our "best photos" section.
Here are a few of our favorite pics for July:
 
La Mesa Democratic Club leaders pose in front of "The Swamp" refreshment stand during a "M*A*S*H Bash held in honor of a visit from Mike Farrell, star of the popular TV show.

 
 Top Stories About East County in other publications, including:
• FIRE SERVICES PARTNERSHIP EMERGING
• LAKESIDE YOUTH IS COUNTY’S 44th WITH WHOOPING COUGH
• OFFICIALS’ SUPPORT SCRIPTED BY SDG&E
• WIND FARM SET FOR CAMPO RESERVATION
• DESCANSO AREA TARGET OF USFS GRANT TO GREATER SAN DIEGO RCD
• GOVERNMENT AGENCIES’ OPENNESS ON WEB VARIES
• NEW AERIAL FIREFIGHTING AGREEMENT

May 13, 2009 (El Cajon)--The public is invited to a free Vintage Aircraft Fly-In and Classic Car Show at Gillespie Field on May 16 and 17. In addition to 1920s- to 1950s-era aircraft, classic cars will also be displayed. Aircraft include a 1930 Stearman 4E Speedmail formerly used to deliver mail; the last remaining 1931 Laird LBC 300; and the late Steve McQueen’s 1945 Boeing Stearman bi-plane. Visitors can also see one of two remaining 1926 Boeing FB-5 Navy Fighters (the other is in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum) that made its maiden flight off the carrier Langley. The show also features the oldest Boeing flying today--a 1928 40C Mail and Passenger plane that was found crashed on a mountain in Washington and meticulously restored. Some of the planes will fly during the two-day show, adding to the excitement. In addition, an aviation swap meet will also be held.

By Miriam Raftery April 1, 2009 (San Diego's East County)--Aloha! Viejas teams up with El Cajon to host a brand new festival on Saturday, April 4. The new "It's 5'clock Somewhere Party" includes transformation of a downtown warehouse into an inland "beach" paradise complete with tiki bar, Hawaiian food and music by Shipwrecked, a Jimmy Buffet-style band. Also this weekend, community members are invited to turn out for a Community Mural Project and "River Blitz," both hosted by the San Diego River Park Foundation. Need a laugh? On Saturday night, TV comics team up in Lemon Grove for a rib-tickling Comedy Extravaganza Comedians Show.

March 19, 2009 (San Diego's East County)--What's up this weekend and next week? Plenty! Flowers are still in bloom in portions of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Stop by the visitor center for info on best viewing areas to view wildflowers; also ask for tips on where to spot bighorn sheep, including young lambs. There's lots more coming up in East County, including a vineyards party, an NCAA basketball championship, museum showings, a wind farm tour, dance and tumbling recital, a homebuyers fair, an open house for fire survivors, guided nature walks, a national healthcare presentation, and more.

February 18, 2009 (San Diego's East County)--Concerts, circus performers, art shows, the AMGEN tour and wheelchair ballroom dance lessons are among the many exciting activities coming to San Diego's eastern region this week.

February 7, 2009 (El Cajon) -- Circus Vargas will present dazzling and death-defying feats in its 40th anniversary production, coming to El Cajon February 19th-23rd in the Parkway Plaza parking lot. Acrobats, clowns, magical illusionists, horses, motorcycles, music and dance are among the entertainment slated.

Early-birds will be treated to a preview show in which children of all ages will be invited into the center ring to experience life under the Big Top and received a crash course in circus skills such as juggling, feather balancing and hula-hooping.

February 1, 2009 (Ramona)--Each Saturday in February from 9 a.m to noon, the public is invited to visit the Ramona Grasslands with the Wildlife Research Institute, Inc. for a free educational program. You will see raptors such as the Golden Eagle, the wintering Ferruginous Hawk, the Red-tailed Hawk, Prairie Falcon and the Red-shouldered Hawk. Nineteen (19) species of raptors alone have been recorded at this Raptor Hotspot.

UPDATE 9 p.m. A winter storm warning remains in effect through Thursday morning. I-8, closed earlier in portions of East county due to snow, has been reopened, according to the California Department of Transportation website, though many accidents are reported and conditions remain hazardous-. State Route 79 remains closed from I-8 to 11.9 miles south of the junction of State Route 78. State Route 78 is closed from Washington Street in Julian to 11.9 miles east of the junction or SR 79. For updates on these and other roadways, check the California Department of Transportation website at http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi. Six to eight inches of snow have fallen in Julian today and ten to twelve inches at Mount Laguna. At Camp Palomar, Middle School students are reportedly snowed in. Send your photos of winter weather conditions to editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

December 17, 2008, 12 noon  (San Diego's East County) — Heavy snowfall is blanketing much of East County, clogging major highways.

"Snow is falling on I-8 from the Golden Acorn Casino east to Jacumba," CAL FIRE Captain Nick Schuler told East County Magazine, calling from Boulevard where an estimated one to two inches of snow covered the ground.  "I'm out here with a four-wheel-drive vehicle and I wouldn't recommend cars out here.  We are responding to accidents on the I-8 corridor."  CAL FIRE also responded to a fire on BIA 15 south of Highway 94 this morning, where a home burned to the ground, Schuler reported.

October 14, 2008, 11:00 p.m. -- All major highways in San Diego County are open tonight.
The Juliet Fire, which burned 3,980 acres in the Oceanside area after spreading from Camp Pendleton, is now 60% contained and evacuation orders in Fallbrook have been lifted. The Shockey Fire in Campo is 100% contained after burning 200 acres. A small fire in Rancho Bernardo has also been extinguished. A red flag alert for high fire danger remains in effect through 10 p.m. Wednesday night.

October 14 (12:30 p.m.) - Santa Ana winds are fueling new fires in several portions of San Diego County, forcing closure of several major highways and evacuations in the Rancho Bernardo, Oceanside, Fallbrook and Campo areas last night and today.

Police have ordered evacuation of homes on the west side of a fire on a hillside at Camino del Norte and Camino San Bernardo in the 4S Ranch area near Rancho Bernardo. Two helicopters are dropping water on the flames; fire engines and ground crews are also dousing hot spots. Details and video: www.cbs8.com/stories/story.143243.html.

October 13 (Campo) 9:30 a.m. -- Three hundred homes have been ordered to evacuate due to a 100-acre wildfire that began at Highway 94 near Shockey Truck Trail. The blaze has burned 100 areas on both sides of 94 and is 50% contained. No structures have been lost. Evacuation centers have been established at at the Potrero Library and Mountain Empire High School.