HIMALAYAN RESTAURANT CELEBRATES 18TH ANNIVERSARY
By Miriam Raftery April 10, 2025 (La Mesa) – Khem Kharel, owner of Himalayan Cuisine in La Mesa, pulled out all the stops to celebrate the popular restaurant’s 18th anniversary with a lavish party on March 26. The restaurant that first opened in 2007 and expanded in 2012 specializes in Nepalese, Indian and Tibetan dishes. Guests savored a tastebud-tantalizing buffet of Chicken Tikka Marsala, Lamb Curry, Basmati White Rice, Basmati Yellow Rice, Veggie Chow Mein, Dal Makhani, Chicken Chilli, Fish Curry, and Paneer Tikka Masala. Rishi Dhakal, honorary Consul General for the government of Nepal, congratulated Kharel on his community service and invited everyone to come visit Nepal. The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting (see photo by Karen Pearlman) in honor of the occasion and La Mesa City Councilmember Laura Lothian presented a proclamation signed by Mayor Mark Araposthis expressing appreciation to Kharel on behalf of the city. Kharel thanked his customers for their support through the years and raffled off 25 prizes, including many authentic Nepalese items from the Himalayan’s market next door. For more information or to make reservations, visit https://himalayancuisineone.com
MANZANITA SPRING RENDEZVOUS: MOUNTAIN MEN, PIONEERS AND MORE
By Miriam Raftery (Click image above to view flyer with sign-up details) April 10, 2025 (Campo) – You’re invited to join mountain men, fur trappers and pioneer families from the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous for “Shinin’ Times” that rewind back to the 1820s. The organization’s spring camp will be held May 2-10 at Northcote Ranch,2402 Lake Morena Drive in Campo. Spread over 10 acres of mountain prairie, the reenactment area includes primitive camps, a trader’s row, archery range, tomahawk and knife throwing range, and black powder rifle walk-through range. Participants can learn primitive skills (such as tomahawk and knife throwing, shooting with a primitive bow and arrow, and fire starting with flint and steel), take aim at a BB gun shooting gallery, and be immersed in living history. For those wishing to go beyond a day visit, you can camp out in a tipi encampment or in the “Tin Tipi” modern camp for tents and RVs. Lunch is available at the Mule Skinner’s Café. Workshops are also available: Saturday, May 3 at 3 p.m.: Compete in a Seneca race to win raffle tickets and trader’s bucks Sunday May 4 at 1 p.m.: Learn how pioneers flesh and tan hides Thursday, May 8 at 10 a.m.: Buy a gourd and learn how to make a gourd canteen. Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m.: Learn skills to identify and track animals or humans Saturday, May 10 at 1 p.m.: Black powder rifle stake shoot, recreating a battlefield skirmish line. The public is welcome! Questions: Call Alex Wright (619)917-9120 or Rick Emms(858)395-2597 Photo, left by Miriam Raftery: Reenactors at a previous Rendezvous event
1 OF EVERY 2 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO IS ELIGIBLE FOR CALKIDS SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships worth up to $1,500 can be used for college or career training Source: CalKids Photo: Students wear CalKids T-shirts at anniversary event April 10, 2025 (San Diego) – College acceptance and financial aid letters are arriving soon, and high school seniors and college students have a major opportunity to ease their higher education costs through the CalKIDS program. CalKIDS is the nation’s largest child development account program, providing scholarships for higher education. This statewide initiative, administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, provides eligible California public school students with CalKIDS Scholarships worth up to $1,500—helping them take the next step toward college or career training by easing financial barriers to higher education. In San Diego County, more than $148 million in CalKIDS Scholarships has been made available to public school students over the last three years, providing critical financial support for their higher education. A CalKIDS Scholarship does not require students to submit essays, meet a minimum GPA, or provide recommendation letters. Claiming a scholarship is simple and takes just minutes at CalKIDS.org. “CalKIDS is an incredible resource for San Diego County families,” said State Treasurer Fiona Ma, chair of the ScholarShare Investment Board. “Claiming a CalKIDS Scholarship is the easiest step students can take on their path to higher education, and we want every eligible student to claim their scholarship account and take full advantage of this opportunity.” Eligible students can use their CalKIDS Scholarship Accounts for tuition and fees, books and supplies, and computer equipment. Since 2022, approximately $1 billion in CalKIDS Scholarships have been made available to more than 2 million of California’s public high school students. For students like Alessandra from UC San Diego, the CalKIDS Scholarship provided some much-needed financial relief. “The funds helped me not feel like such a financial burden to my mom. The funds are part of the reason I’m not in debt right now.” To get the word out about this amazing program in San Diego and ensure students and families are aware of and claim their CalKIDS Accounts, the ScholarShare Investment Board has worked diligently to establish strong partnerships with local high schools, school districts, community-based organizations, and financial aid directors at community colleges and universities. Partners like San Diego Unified School District play a vital role in spreading awareness and helping students access the funds available to them. Claiming a CalKIDS Scholarship is quick and easy. Families simply need the student’s Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), a ten-digit number which can be obtained by contacting their school directly. Once they have the SSID, parents or students can visit CalKIDS.org to check eligibility and claim a scholarship account in just minutes. The funds can be used at accredited colleges, universities, trade schools, and career programs across the country. Once enrolled in a higher education program, students can log into their CalKIDS Account to request a distribution directly to their school to cover qualifying educational expenses. “Studies show that students with just $500 or less set aside for college are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate,” said Cassandra DiBenedetto, Executive Director. “CalKIDS Accounts are more than financial assistance—they’re an investment in students’ futures, and we want to give every one of these students a reason to believe in their path to higher education.” With roughly 1 out of every 2 San Diego County public school students eligible for a CalKIDS Scholarship and key college decisions and financial aid deadlines approaching, now is the time for students and families to check their eligibility and claim their scholarship account. For more information on eligibility, scholarship amounts, and how to claim a CalKIDS Scholarship Account, visit CalKIDS.org. About CalKIDS: The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) is the nation’s largest child development account program, providing scholarships for higher education. Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, and Chaired by State Treasurer Fiona Ma, the program is designed to promote the pursuit of higher education statewide by empowering families to build assets, nurture savings habits, and raise their educational aspirations. Eligible public school students can receive CalKIDS Scholarships worth up to $1,500 and every child born in California on or after July 1, 2022, is awarded a CalKIDS Scholarship worth up to $175, ensuring more families have the resources needed to support their children’s education. To learn more, visit CalKIDS.org.
HOUSE GOP APPROVES ECONOMIC ATTACK ON POOR TO FUND ‘BIG PAYOUT’ FOR BILLIONAIRES
By Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Apr 10, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — In a party-line vote, House Republicans on Thursday approved a budget blueprint that sets the stage for the GOP to pass another round of tax cuts for the rich, paid for in part by slashing Medicaid, federal nutrition assistance, and other critical programs. The final vote was 216 to 214, with two Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana—and every Democrat opposing the measure, which now must be converted into legislation. The budget reconciliation process that Republicans are using for their sweeping bill means it can pass with a simple majority in both chambers of Congress. “Republicans are ramming through a budget that includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid and at least $230 billion in cuts to food assistance to pay for tax breaks for billionaires,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said in a statement Thursday. “These are the largest Medicaid and food assistance cuts in American history.” “Make no mistake: Republicans want to give away trillions of dollars to the richest people in our country like Elon Musk, and they want to pay for it by taking food away from hungry children and letting people die from a lack of healthcare coverage,” Tlaib continued. “We must raise our voices and defeat this dangerous Republican budget.” Passage of the blueprint came hours after Republican congressional leaders and President Donald Trump managed to win the support of GOP holdouts concerned that the forthcoming legislative package won’t reduce spending enough to offset the massive cost of fresh tax cuts, which would largely benefit the rich. During a press conference Thursday following the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) signaled that they are unified behind the goal of cutting at least $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the next decade—an objective that Trump has endorsed. “We have a lot of United States senators who believe that is a minimum,” Thune said of the $1.5 trillion figure. Sharon Parrott, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said in a statement that “in this budget framework, there is no way to cut $1.5 trillion in spending while protecting health coverage through Medicaid and food assistance through [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program].” “This budget architecture was terrible a couple of months ago,” Parrott added. “It is a far worse plan at a moment when the president’s tariffs, chaotically crafted and applied, have caused business uncertainty to soar and raised the risk of a recession, higher unemployment, and surging prices.” In a post on his social media site, Trump congratulated House Republicans for approving the measure and claimed it would deliver “the Largest Tax and Regulation Cuts ever even contemplated.” An analysis released last week by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that renewing soon-to-expire provisions of the 2017 Trump-GOP tax law would cost $5.5 trillion over the next decade. Republican lawmakers have also called for an additional $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, which would push the overall cost of the tax package to $7 trillion. David Kass, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, said in a statement Thursday that “the country is rapidly undergoing an intensifying economic crisis created by Trump and congressional Republicans, and the only legislative solution they’ve put forward is to double down on tax cuts for billionaires while eliminating healthcare access and food assistance for millions of Americans.” Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, echoed that message, saying that “in unifying behind this budget resolution, congressional Republicans are telling us they are serious about their agenda to rob everyday Americans in order to deliver a big payout to the ultra-wealthy in tax cuts.” “As they now work to actually write the bill that they intend to push through via the reconciliation process, which will deplete funding for healthcare, nutrition, and other critical human needs in order to line the pockets of CEOs and billionaires, they should know we are also serious in our efforts to fight back,” Gilbert added.
Our guide to annual festivals in San Diego’s inland region
Each year, San Diego County’s inland communities host many special events and festivals that reflect our region’s colorful history, arts and music, cultural heritage, diversity, beautiful environment, and holiday celebrations. Parades, outdoor concerts and movies, country fairs, classic car shows, powwows, rodeos, Oktoberfests, ethnic events, wine and food tastings, seasonal and holiday festivities are just some of the many annual events held in our inland region. For current and complete calendar listings, visit http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/calendar . Also see our seasonal articles on major festivals and our Destination East County column listing top festivals and events. Some of the major annual festive events in East County include the following. Actual dates vary from year to year, and new events are frequently added: JANUARY Borrego Springs Film Festival (Borrego Springs) Hawk Watch (Ramona) Lunar New Year Celebrations (Sycuan Casino) MLK Luncheon (SDSU) Poway Winter Festival (Poway) New Year’s Day Walk to the Top (Mt. Helix) FEBRUARY Black History Month events (San Diego State University) Chocolate Lovers Festival (Escondido) City Heights Multicultural Festival (City Heights) Fido Fest (Santee) Hawk Watch (Ramona) Heritage Day Parade (San Diego State University) Via Valentino Night (Bernardo Winery) MARCH Chili Cookoff (Lemon Grove Lions Club) Circle of Art Festival (Borrego Springs) Daffodil Days (Julian) Hooley Fest (La Mesa and Rancho San Diego) Nature Day on Mt. Helix (Mt. Helix) Rolando Street Fair (Rolando) Taste of Alpine (Alpine) Tomatomania (Cuyamaca College, Rancho San Diego) APRIL Aerobatics Competition: Hammerhead Roundup (Borrego Springs) Bunny Train (Campo) Cajon Classic Cruises (El Cajon) Campo Wine Train (Campo) Cruisin’ Grand (Escondido) Earth Day events in San Diego County Parks (numerous locations) Easter Eggstravaganza (El Cajon) La Mesa Classic Car Show (La Mesa) Fallbrook Avocado Festival (Fallbrook) Lakeside Rodeo (Lakeside) Lakeside Western Days Parade (Lakeside) La Mesa Earth Day Festival (La Mesa) Lilac Festival (Julian) Ramona Earth Day Festival (Ramona) Renaissance Faire (Escondido) Spring Harp Fest (La Mesa) Sweet Pea Days, Summers Past Farm (Flinn Springs) Taste of La Mesa Village (La Mesa) MAY America on Main Street (El Cajon) Cajon Classic Cruises (El Cajon) Campo Days (Campo) Cruisin’ Grand (Escondido) Dinner and a Concert (El Cajon) Escondido Street Festival (Escondido) Laguna Mountain Rendezvous/Manzanita (Campo) Lilac Festival (Julian) Movies in County parks (many locations) Ramona Music Festival (Ramona) San Diego Wine Festival (Rancho Bernardo) Santee Street Fair (Santee) Spring Antique and Craft Fair (Flinn Springs) Spring Garden and Butterfly Festival (Rancho San Diego) Valley Center Western Days (Valley Center) Vintage Alpine (Flinn Springs) Warrior Hike Challenge (Lakeside) Wild in the Country (Alpine) JUNE Artival (El Cajon) Cajon Classic Cruises (El Cajon) Cruisin’ Grand(Escondido) Dinner and a Concert (El Cajon) Grand Avenue Festival (Escondido) Julian Town Square Music Festival (Julian) Juneteenth Celebration (La Mesa) La Mesa Classic Car Show (La Mesa) La Mesa Flag Day Parade (La Mesa) Lavender Day and Antique Craft Fair (Flinn Springs) Movies in County parks (many locations) Santee Summer Concert Series (Santee) Taste of Julian (Julian) JULY Cajon Classic Cruises (El Cajon) Cruisin’ Grand (Escondido) Dinner and a Concert (El Cajon) Julian 4th of July Parade (Julian) Akrofest Aerobatics Competition (Borrego Springs) Independence Day Celebration and fireworks(Escondido) Kennedy Park Fireworks and train rides (El Cajon) La Mesa Classic Car Show (La Mesa) Movies in County parks (many locations) Old-Fashioned 4th (Poway) Pine Valley Days festival and parade (Pine Valley) Ramona Country Fair (Ramona) Santee Salutes (Santee) Santee Summer Concert Series (Santee) Sip of Julian (Julian) Spirit of the 4th (Rancho Bernardo) AUGUST Cajon Classic Cruises (El Cajon) Cruisin’ Grand (Escondido) Dinner and a Concert (El Cajon) Julian Star Fest La Mesa Classic Car Show (La Mesa) Lantern Festival (City Heights) Movies in County parks (many locations) Mount Helix Food and Wine Festival (Mt. Helix) National Night Out (multiple police and sheriff stations) Ramona Country Fair (Ramona) Santee Summer Concert Series (Santee) SEPTEMBER Adams Avenue Street Fair (Normal Heights) Alley Cat Art Walk (El Cajon) Barn Dance (Poway) Barona Pow-Wow (Barona Reservation, Lakeside) Cajon Classic Cruises (El Cajon) Chaldean American Festival (El Cajon) Cruisin’ Grand, (Escondido) Julian Apple Season (Julian) Julian Grape Stompa (Julian) Movies in County parks (many locations) Poway Rotary Parade (Poway) Poway Rodeo and After Party (Poway) Rendezvous in Poway: History Comes Alive (Poway) Sycuan Pow-Wow (Sycuan Reservation, El Cajon) OCTOBER Alpine Viejas Days & Parade (Alpine) Borrego Days Desert Festival (Borrego Springs) Cajon Classic Cruises (El Cajon) Escondido Street Fair (Escondido) German American Society’s Oktoberfest (El Cajon) Grapefruit Festival (Borrego Springs) Halloween Carnival (Kensington) Halloween Hikes with a Ranger (several parks in East County) Haunt Fest on Main (El Cajon) Julian Apple Season (Julian) Julian Open Studios Art Tour (Julian) Julian Natural Wonderfest (Julian) La Mesa Oktoberfest (La Mesa) Movies in County parks (many locations) Pumpkin Express Train (Campo) Santee Brews and Bites Festival (Santee) Sustain La Mesa Environmental Festival (La Mesa) Pumpkin Festival and Crafts Fair (Bates Nut Farm) Safe-Trick-or-Treating (Westfield Parkway Plaza, El Cajon) Sip and Scare Sunset Train Excursion (Campo) Spooky Campout at Lions, Tigers & Bears (Alpine) Trick or Treating in La Mesa Village Trunk or Treat (El Cajon) NOVEMBER Dia de los Muertos (Escondido) German Karneval (El Cajon) Midnight Madness Shopping (Viejas Outlet Center) Ramona Art, Wine and Music Festival (Ramona) Renaissance Fair (Escondido) Santee Holiday Lighting (Santee) Thanksgiving Turkey Bash (Alpine) Turkey Trot to top of Mt. Helix (Mt. Helix) Viejas Tree Lighting and Outdoor Ice Skating (Alpine) DECEMBER Alpine Parade of Lights and Snow Festival (Alpine) Antique and Craft Fair (Flinn Springs) Camp Christmas (Pine Valley) Christmas on Mt. Helix (Mt. Helix) Christmas with the Animals (Alpine) Enchanted Village (Spring Valley) Holiday in the Village (La Mesa) Holiday Lights on Main (El Cajon) Julian Country Christmas (Julian) Lemon Grove Bonfire (Lemon Grove) North Pole Limited Train Rides (Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, Campo) Ramona Valley Holiday Wine Trail (Ramona) Santee Holiday Tree Lighting (Santee) Spirit of Christmas (Lakeside) New Year’s Eve Parties (casinos and various community locations) Wild Holidays (San Pasqual) Winter Wonderland (El Cajon) Winter Wonderland Celebration (Escondido)
TRUMP’S MASSIVE GLOBAL TARIFFS WIPED OUT TRILLIONS IN US MARKETS BEFORE HE HIT PAUSE. WHAT DID, OR COULD, HIS TRADE WAR ACHIEVE?
By Matthew DeWees, Cronkite News Photo via Library of Congress: Sen. Reed Smoot of Utah (right) and Rep. Willis Hawley of Oregon, both Republicans, on April 11, 1929. The Smoot-Hawley tariff they authored has been blamed for prolonging the Great Depression. April 9, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — President Donald Trump’s tariff policy wiped out almost $10 trillion before U.S. stock markets bounced back Wednesday on news of a 90-day pause. What could make damage of that magnitude worth it? Trump and his team give three goals: leverage to get better terms from trading partners; protection for American industry; and revenue that could help pay down the national debt and cover the cost of a massive tax cut.“President Trump created massive negotiating leverage for himself,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. That was shortly after Trump declared the pause on tariffs he had slapped on roughly 180 countries and territories only one week earlier. The White House sent mixed signals about whether Trump would ever budge.Stock markets rejoiced after a week of panic selling.The S&P 500 had its best day since 2008, and the Nasdaq skyrocketed 12%. Trump boasted about the spike and shrugged off his own role in the plunge that preceded it. The markets had been poised for a big drop anyway, he said.The major indexes were still down at least 3% from a week earlier, when Trump unleashed the tariffs on what he dubbed “Liberation Day.” Economists and foreign affairs experts say the damage went deep and won’t easily be erased. Along with trillions in wealth, trust with close allies evaporated. The 10% tariff that Trump imposed on nearly every country remains in place even as he sets aside levies as high as 50%. But Trump raised the rate on Chinese imports to a staggering 125% on Wednesday. No other president has used tariffs on such a massive scale, so history provides only limited guidance on whether Trump’s tactics can work. Creating leverage As Trump sees it, Americans have been getting ripped off – “looted, pillaged, and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” he said in his April 2 “Liberation Day” speech. He points to trade deficits with China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico and almost every other nation. Economists view Trump’s understanding as simplistic.“Having a trade deficit with a country does not mean we are subsidizing that foreign country,” Domenico Ferraro, an associate professor of economics at Arizona State University, said by email. “Nobody is forcing U.S. consumers to buy foreign goods; they do so because they are either of better quality or cheaper.” In any case, he said, if Trump believes there are unfair practices, “a better way forward is by re-negotiating trade agreements, not disrupting long-term trading relationships and supply chains.” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, mocked Trump’s version of the “Art of the Deal” – the title of the president’s 1987 book – as “dangling our economy off a cliff, then claiming victory for pulling it back.” The trade war with China is still raging. Toys, rare earth minerals needed for cellphones and other electronics and clothing – all are expected to more than double in price.The president raised the tariff on Chinese imports to 125% after China raised tariffs on American imports to 84% on Wednesday. The White House said Beijing has the weaker position and Trump said he expects to end up with a deal.“President Xi is a proud man,” he told reporters on the South Lawn. “They don’t know quite how to go about it but they’ll figure it out. They’re in the process of figuring it out. But they want to make a deal.” He said more than 75 countries have reached out seeking talks in the past week.“I did a 90-day pause for the people who didn’t retaliate because I told them, ‘If you retaliate, we’re going to double it,’” he said. Bessent said “deal teams” are being dispatched around the world and the president’s hardball tactics have made their work easier. Protecting manufacturing Trump and others who support his trade plans see tariffs as an effective way to hit back against dumping – selling below cost in order to steal market share from U.S. competitors with higher labor costs – and other inequities. “We are finally going to be able to make America great again, greater than ever before,” Trump said last week. “Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country. … We will supercharge our domestic industrial base. We will pry open foreign markets and break down foreign trade barriers.” Policymakers across the ideological spectrum have embraced tariffs for this purpose. But usually, they’re more targeted.Trump put such tariffs on $300 billion worth of imported steel and aluminum during his first term, plus tariffs on a range of Chinese products, including solar panels and washing machines. President Joe Biden expanded the China tariffs his predecessor had implemented. He raised the tariff on electric vehicles to 100% and 50% on solar panels; and added 25% tariffs on EV batteries, critical minerals, steel, aluminum, face masks and ship-to-shore cranes. The EV tariff “was a legitimate case to be made that because of the Chinese government’s very heavy hand on the scale, the price differential between the cars they were importing and American cars was not one that could be fairly made up,” Ron Kirk, who served as U.S. Trade Representative under President Barack Obama, told Cronkite News by phone. But he added, blanket tariffs like Trump’s are bad policy: “The ultimate effect of a tariff is to take the decision-making out of the hand of the buyer and put it in the government.” Generating revenueThe U.S. didn’t impose an income tax until 1913. Before that, tariffs were the main source of federal revenue.George Washington, the first president, signed the
Spring Break-Out for Shelter Pets
By Yvette Urrea Moe County of San Diego Communications Office April 10, 2025 (San Diego) — Join the sun, fun and forever homes spring break “paw-ty” at County Animal Services. Shelter pets are ready to trade kennel life for beach vibes — and you can help make their spring break-out dreams come true. Come adopt your new best friend and join in the fun by dressing in your favorite beach attire — think Hawaiian shirts, board shorts or a sunny straw hat — and you’ll receive a free beach party kit to get the celebration started. All month long, you can name your own price when adopting adult dogs and cats. Plus, the county is offering 25% off adoption fees for puppies and kittens. Every adoption includes: Spay/neuter surgery Microchip Up-to-date vaccinations A one-year dog license (for residents in our service area) Visit animals at either shelter location: South Shelter: 5821 Sweetwater Road, Bonita North Shelter: 2481 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad Walk-in hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Just bring a valid photo ID — adoptions are first-come, first-served. Adoption fees are always waived for: Pets who’ve been in the shelter 30+ days Senior pets (8 years and older) Seniors adopting (60 years and older) Not ready to adopt? Try fostering! Fostering makes a huge difference in helping pets get adopted. Give a shelter pet a temporary break and help them adjust to home life — it’s a great way to help, and County Animal Services provides all the supplies you need (food, leash, bedding, etc.).
EL CAJON MAN DIES IN LAKESIDE ROLLOVER CRASH
By Miriam Raftery April 9, 2025 (Lakeside) – An El Cajon man, 57, who was not wearing his seatbelt died at the scene of a solo vehicle crash in Lakeside this afternoon. He was driving a 2006 Toyota Tacoma westbound on El Monte Rd. about a mile and a half east of Lake Jennings Road when he lost control and struck an embankment, then crossed into the eastbound lane and hit another embankment. The vehicle overturned and the driver was ejected onto the roadway. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. His passenger, a 41-year-old El Cajon man, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital. This is an ongoing investigation; it is unknown at this time if drugs and/or alcohol were a factor in the crash, according to Officer Jasmine Lopez with the California Highway Patrol.