July 12, 2009 (Mt. Helix) -- Tickets are now on sale for the second annual HeART of Mt. Helix, a festive summer event from 5:30 pm - 10 pm at Mt. Helix Park, atop the mountain. Local restaurants will be serving signature appetizers. The event also features a "Hometown Heroes" program, music and dancing to the Mar Dels under the stars, plus additional attractions.

 
August 5, 2009 (El Cajon) -- Want to teach an old dog some new tricks?
 
Enter your canine companion in a fun-filled dog competition on Sunday, August 16 at 3 p.m. at the Challenge Ranch, 5973 Stallion Oaks Road in El Cajon.  Games, classes and contests are all part of the fun.
 
 
 
Entry categories include:
 

San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhood Family Health Care Center will benefit from Thompson Program
 

August 2, 2009 (San Diego) – Assemblymembers Mary Salas (D-San Diego) and Hector De La Torre (D-Los Angeles) announce permanent funding of $1.6 million annually to the Steven M. Thompson Program, which encourages doctors statewide to serve in low-income rural and urban communities . On August 4, the Assemblymembers and community leaders will welcome Dr. Bahghi Keflezighi to the Diamond Neighborhood Family Health Care Center as a participating doctor in the Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program, which was created to address physician shortages in low-income communities throughout the state.

Student leader tasked with keeping state board attuned
 
August 1 2009 (El Cajon) – Marc Valenzuela, Grossmont College’s new student body president, has a busy year ahead--including his latest appointment as a student liaison to the California Community Colleges’ Board of Governors.
 
Valenzuela, who also represents the nine community colleges in San Diego and Imperial counties on the Student Senate of California Community Colleges, has been selected as one of two Student Senate representatives to attend the monthly BOG meetings in Sacramento.

July 31, 2009 (San Diego) – Hosts of two radio programs and a TV show today interviewed East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery on some of the hottest topics in town-- including a fiery East County issue: SDG&E’s proposal to shut-off power during fire-prone weather. Audio, video and transcripts from KPBS and KCBQ are available below.
 
(cartoon reprinted with permission from of Voice of San Diego)

 
August 1, 2009 (San Diego) – Viejas Casino (http://www.viejas.com) has been named the “Best Casino” for the tenth year in a row. Viejas also picked up awards for “Best Casino Dining,” “Best Live Music Venue” (for Concerts-in-the-Park), “Best Steakhouse” (for The Grove Steakhouse), “Best Dance Club/Entertainment” (for the DreamCatcher Lounge). The highly-coveted honors were announced today as part of the 2009 Best of San Diego Reader’s Poll.

 
 
Story and photos by Joel Ryerson

July 31, 2009 (Alpine)--"Look how close you are!" exclaimed Lynn Hopewell, a guest of the overnight event at Lions, Tigers, and Bears in Alpine. "When I was up in Las Vegas I saw the cats at the MGM Grand, but this is a totally different experience," added Hopewell, who was amazed at how close you could get to the big cats.

The occasion was a campout last weekend to help raise funds for exotic animals at East County’s big-cat rescue facility. About thirty five guests attended the event, which included a rustic barbecue dinner prepared by the crew. Guests brought their own tents and set them up in a grassy area right next to the Big Cat enclosures. Guests were free to roam around the area and check out the variety of wild cats in the enclosures, which included tigers, lions, bobcats, mountain lions, leopards, and more.

July 30, 2009 (Ramona) -- From watermelon-eating contests to waterfights, Ramona's down-home country fair offers family fun and crowd-pleasing favorites including carnival rides, live music, food, livestock auctions, junior livestock exhibitions, many vendors and more.  
 

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.

 
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
July 30, 2009 (Sacramento)—Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently told the New York Times that he felt “perfectly fine” and said that no matter what happens with California’s budget crisis, he would still " sit down in my Jacuzzi tonight” and “lay back with a stogie.”
 
Now the Governor has wielded his veto power to terminate or drastically reduce funds for programs that help the most vulnerable Californians--including sick children, the disabled, AIDs patients, the poor, and others in need. His actions have triggered a massive backlash of protest reaching from San Diego to the State Capitol, including a potential legislative effort to override the Governor’s vetoes.

 
August 1, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – The East County Chamber of Commerce and Cuyamaca College invite the public to meet Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for Governor. Whitman, former CEO of E-Bay, will speak at the Cuyamaca College Student Center from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5th.  This event is free to the public.

Whitman, a Republican, has said that her number one goal as Governor would be to “help the private sector create 2 million jobs for Californians by 2015.”

July 30, 2009 (San Diego) – Four women, all with underlying health conditions, have died from the panedemic H1N1 influenza virus (formerly called swine flu), the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency reported yesterday.  To date, San Diego County has had 735 confirmed cases, including 12 deaths.

 
Editor’s note: Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature just slashed hundreds of millions from programs helping disabled people with medical care, finding jobs, and Special Olympics. An effort to override the Governor’s line-item vetoes is underway. Details at
http://www.sacbee.com/740/story/2054686.html.  To contact your Assemblymember and State Senator before this crucial vote,  visit our Sound Off section.

Dear Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger,

July 29, 2009 (San Diego)--I have been a Special Olympics' athlete for more than twenty years. Now I learned that you are cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from programs that serve disabled persons and communities. Please do not do this.
I have seen you many times at Special Olympics' events. From the things you said I thought I you understood how important our athletic program is.

By Marisa Kezirian

July 26, 2009 —East County resident Roberta Mattice has begun a heartfelt program to provide care packages for American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Postal Service, and the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary as part of Operation America Supports You.

 
 
FUNDRAISER PLANNED FRIDAY IN SAN DIEGO TO HELP ROSAS' FAMILY

July 29, 2009 (San Diego)--The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas, who was murdered near Shockey Truck Trail in Campo on Thursday, July 23, 2009. In addition, a $10,000 reward has been added for information leading to recover of a black .40 caliber service pistol (Heckler & Koch P2000) believed stolen from Rosas the night he was murdered.

FORMER NIXON WHITE HOUSE LAWYER & AUTHOR TO SIGN BOOKS, OFFERS NEW REVELATIONS ON WATERGATE
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
July 29, 2009 (La Mesa)--John W. Dean, former White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973 and the key government witness in the Watergate prosecution, will speak in La Mesa on Wednesday, August 5th.  The author, columnist and political commentator will speak on the Bush administration's use of torture and will also sign copies of his books, including Worse Than Watergate, Conseratives Without a Conscience, and Blind Ambition: The End of the Story, a just-released update edition with startling new revelations on Watergate. 

July 29, 2009 (San Diego)--Join Crime Stoppers, Target and the Salvation Army Kroc Center for the free National Night Out Against Crime. Meet your neighbors and enjoy giveaways, games, face painting, live entertainment, police K-9s, rockclimbing, balloon animals, community booths and more.
 

ART SHOW AUG 18-30, ARTIST RECEPTION AUG. 22IN LA MESA

July 29, 2009 (La Mesa) – Holy cow—a unique art show is coming to La Mesa! O’Dunn Fine Art has acquired some “udderly” delightful images of the cow by Danish impressionist Gunnar Bundgaard (view a complete 20th Century collection at www.odunnfineart.com.) Providing delicious contrast are post-modern renderings of the divine bovine by Lionel Talaro, on view in the gallery August 18-30.

 
Author of New Book on Anza-Borrego Desert’s Fossil Treasures Featured at Aug. 15 Event

July 29, 2009 (San Diego)—Lowell Lindsay, co-author of Fossil Treasures of the Anza-Borrego Desert: The Last Seven Million Years, will be at the San Diego Zoo’s new Elephant Odyssey Exhibit on Saturday, August 15. He will be discussing, in a hands-on presentation, one of America’s most significant fossil treasure troves—the Anza-Borrego Desert, located in San Diego’s own desert backyard.

San Diego County’s Anza-Borrego Desert region boasts the longest continuous fossil record in North America, with fossils of such unique animals as mammoths, giant camels, bathtub-sized tortoises, and a sabertooth cat.

 
July 28, 2009 (San Diego)--How can California achieve energy sustainability?  Our state's lieutenant governor, John Garamendi, wll speak on this topic in San Diego on Wednesday, August 5 from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m.  This special event will take place at the new Scripps Seaside Forum at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography on the UCSD Campus. 
 
The event is organized by United Green, a division of the nonprofit Heartland Coalition, East County Magazine's publisher.
 

 
July 28, 2009 (El Cajon)--The Administration of Justice (AOJ) Department at Grossmont College has been selected to host the 10th annual meeting of the Academy of Behavioral Profiling (ABP), an international law enforcement industry trade group, t Aug. 8-11.  The ABP’s annual meeting will be a four-day training with lectures on criminal profiling topics such as criminal psychology, crime scene characteristics, motive, victimology, ethics, forensic science and crime reconstruction.
 
ABP members will deliver lectures based on recent casework, research and legal decisions in the field. Forensic, investigative and behavioral science professionals from around the world will be on campus for this prestigious event.  The public is invited to attend. 

 
FAFSA, the federal government’s instrument for calculating need-based aid, is used by colleges and universities to determine financial aid eligibility for federal and state aid programs. Historically, a majority of the FAFSA applications received by the college are completed during the first half of the year, Copenhaver added.
 

 
 
July 28, 2009 (La Mesa)-- Twenty oil paintings by El Cajon resident Jack Jordan are now on display through the end of August at the Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa. The artwork includes landscapes, western themes and portraits. Jordan is a premier oil painter whose work has appeared in national magazines and many galleries in the U.S. and Mexico.

A review of Lemon Grove’s Concerts in the Park
 
By Leon Thompson
 
July 23, 2009 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove’s Berry Park was filled with the summer smell of barbecue, the music of children laughing and the vision of families having fun. The occasion was Lemon Gove City’s third “CONCERTS IN THE PARK” with the country band Three-Chord Justice. Under the trees, on blankets in the grass and in lawn chairs, old and young people in the crowd were electrified by the sounds of lead singer and guitarist Elizabeth Grace and amazing steel guitar player Brennan Buttah.

 
By Ryan Lescure

July 27, 2009 (San Diego)--The San Diego City council voted 6-2 today to pass a resolution in support of SDG&E’s Emergency Power Shut-Off Plan. While supporters argued that the plan is needed to prevent power line-caused fires, opponents contended that blacking out power during fire-prone conditions could actually endanger lives.

 
By Tracy Emblem
 
July 26, 2009 (San Diego)--Many of us know from personal experience that our health care insurance system is not working. Families and business owners cannot meet escalating premiums, co-pays and high prescription costs. Besides the millions of Americans who are without health care insurance at all, many are under-insured and cannot get the care they need. President Obama has stepped up to the plate to reform our health care insurance system.

July 25, 2009 (El  Cajon)--The City of El Cajon is now accepting applications for the position of Paramedic/Firefighter. Deadline for the applications is August 7, 2009. Applications are being accepted for entry-level and lateral Paramedic/Firefighter.
 
Click to view additional details:  

 
Tips on How to Survive If You Are Attacked
 
By Byron Walls

This was the headline on a story in the Contra Costa Times on August 29, 2007. It got my attention, as a person who does crime safety talks and talks a lot about rape. The story went on to say, “Police say a quick-thinking rape victim saved her own life by befriending her attacker, and she helped police arrest him by luring him back with an offer of a job.” The woman was a real estate agent in Hayward, Ca. The attacker called her three times to make an appointment to see a house. When he arrived, she walked him through the house and in the kitchen, he attacked her and tried to strangle her.

 
July 26, 2009 (La Mesa)—La Mesa invites the public to get up, get out, and get moving with the city’s Urban Walking Trails—a free program offering beginner, intermediate and advanced walking routes for all ages and fitness levels. Led by walking host Fit-X San Diego, Fitness Professionals, the walking explorations of La Mesa are held each Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

 
By Penelope Andrade
 
July, 2009 (San Diego) -- Can you say no when you need to? It's often hard to say no . . . especially to people in positions of authority. An airplane once crashed because the crew was afraid to confront the captain. The captain was distracted by a landing gear malfunction and failed to notice the fuel gauge dropping to empty.