COUNTY LIMITS VACATION RENTALS IN JULIAN, APPROVES HIGHRISE HOTEL TO MAINTAIN TAX BASE

By  Forrest Castle

April 1, 2024 (Julian, CA) – The San Diego County Supervisors today voted to restrict Air BnB and other vacation rental homes in East County’s historic mountain community, following concerns raised by Julian residents over noise, fire and safety concerns at short-term rental properties.

DONORS HALL OF FAME

We deeply appreciate the support of local businesses and nonprofit organizations that have donated to suppport East County Magazine's news reporting in the public interest and/or our East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts!

Please support  these local businesses and organizations -- and let them know you that value their support of community journalism!

Our 1st quarter 2024 business and organizational donors and sponsors are:

 

Platinum Level Sponsors ($5,000 or more)

Grossmont  Healthcare District

 

 

 

Gold Level Sponsors ($1,000 to $4,999)

Moon Valley Nurseries

 

 

 

San Diego Chimney Sweeps

 

 

 

 

San Diego Regional Fire Foundation

 

 

 

 

Silver Level Sponsors: ($100 to $999)

Bronze Level Sponsors ($25 to $99)

  • Barn House Barbecue in Lemon Grove
  • Jessyka Heredia hairdresser,  El Cajon
  • Purple Owl Cafe in Julian

FUTURE OF PARKWAY PLAZA MALL REENVISIONED

City awaits Council’s next motion

By Rachel Williams

July 14.2024 (El Cajon) -- With online sales taking a bite out of retail traffic, shopping malls across the U.S. are struggling and some have closed down. Seeking to avoid that scenario, the City of El Cajon commissioned a market analysis envisioning redevelopment options for Parkway Plaza,  East County’s largest regional shopping mall.

Council members unanimously favored a motion to move beyond proposed aspirational measures and begin the next step toward transforming Parkway Plaza into a mix of residential, retail, offices, entertainment and community space.

These “Eatertainment” facilities would combine compelling, traditional dining options and immersive sport-centered bars with unique, dynamic lifestyle retail shops, all oriented around a linear park.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: PALISIDES FIRE IN LOS ANGELES

East County News Service

January 8, 2025 (Los Angeles) – No, that’s not a tornado or mother ship descending.   Henri Migala snapped this apocalyptic image of the Palisades Fire which is devastating Los Angeles. This photo was taken from the Westin Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport.  As of today, the fire has burned 15,832 acres, has destroyed many homes and forced evacuation of some 70,000 residents in several communities including Pacific Palisades, Topanga, Malibu, and Santa Monica. It remains zero percent contained.

 

Anyone in the path of this fire is urged to evacuate. High winds grounded firefighting aircraft last night and some hydrants ran out of water, leaving firefighters without the means to halt the destructive blaze which has burned all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

BE A WEATHER-WATCHING GARDENER

By Melinda Myers

Photo:  rain barrels can help manage the water on your property and provide water to use in your gardens.  Photo courtesy melindamyers.com

January 14, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- Each gardening season seems to offer new growing challenges. Our gardens are exposed to more drastic and variable weather with changing weather patterns. Floods, droughts, wind, temperature extremes, and unseasonable weather episodes can have immediate and long-term impacts on our plants.

THE COLONIAL FARM: LA MESA AUTHOR’S LATEST BOOK FOCUSES ON PLIGHT OF KENYAN FARMWORKERS

By Wanjirũ Warama

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

January 1, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Wanjiru Warama a resident of La Mesa, provides true stories of how her family and community lived in abject poverty on British colonial farms in Kenya in her novel, The Colonial Farm. Her historic memoir sheds light on the struggles of Kenyan farmworkers and rural populations under the British colonial rule. She then covers how Kenya’s rulership developed after the British retreated from governing.