East County Magazine
EDITOR/AUTHOR DEL HOOD TO SPEAK AT KNOX HOUSE MUSEUM’S SALON SERIES OCT. 7
Printer-friendly version September 24, 2011 (El Cajon)–The Salon Series at the Knox House Museum continues Friday, October 7, with guest Del Hood, executive editor of the former Daily Californian newspaper before his retirement. Hood, who is currently writing a book, will share stories of the newsroom. He has also written an article on El Cajon history which is featured on the elcajonhistory.org website.
ECM COLUMNIST LAUNCHES WRITER’S GUILD SEPT. 17 AT SACRED ROCKS RESERVE
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery August 27, 2011 (Boulevard) – “Be the writer you have always dreamed of being,” urged Sharon Courmousis, ECM’s “Purple Mountain Sage” columnist and owner of Sacred Rocks Reserve. Now she is organizing a writer’s guild at her East County retreat in Boulevard, California. Writers of every genre such as poems, short stories, novels and
BOOK REVIEW: MOORE DELIVERS A COURAGEOUS WORK IN “THE CITY THAT WORKS”
Printer-friendly version By Linda Loegel My how the tables have turned. I have gone from having my books reviewed by Dennis Moore to now reviewing Moore’s courageous book, The City That Works: Power, Politics and Corruption in Chicago, Part One, "Pay to Play." At present, this volume by Moore, a book reviewer for East County Magazine, is an e-book
GATHER ALL YOUR PLANT KNOWLEDGE IN ONE PLACE
Printer-friendly version Looking for a new plant for your garden or architectural endeavor? By Matt Kopjak August 4, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)–Choosing the right plant for your garden can be a daunting task, but with Plants-Pedia you can sift through 48,000 plants from the USDA plants database and narrow down your choices, complete with charts and images. You can filter
HOW SAFE IS SAN DIEGO’S DRINKING WATER? “FLUORIDEGATE” TOWN HALL MEETING AUG. 1 TO FEATURE AUTHOR/CHEMIST
Printer-friendly version July 30, 2011 (San Diego) – Effective February 2, a water fluoridation program went into effect in San Diego. All other water districts in the County also have fluoridated water, according to a researcher with Citizens Oversight Panels. Is your tap water more toxic as a result? The American Dental Association warns parents not to mix infant formula with
ALPINE LIBRARY IS GOING TO THE BIRDS ON SATURDAY, JULY 30
Printer-friendly version July 30, 2011 (Alpine) – Exotic birds from around the world will flock to the Alpine Library on July 30th at 1 p.m. for a very special program. Be sure to bring your camera! Learn about different bird species, habitats and behaviors, then come and play with the birds at this free family event. The show will
DIAMOND LITERARY DINNER CRUISE ELEGANTLY CELEBRATES LOCAL AUTHORS
Printer-friendly version By TJ Dunnivant July 18, 2011 (San Diego)–As an East County resident and local news writer, attendance at the 7th Annual Diamond Literary Festival Authors Dinner Cruise at the Bahia Resort Hotel aboard the “William D. Evans” boat was all but mandatory for me. East County Magazine’s own writer and book reviewer, Dennis Moore, was the
MEET THE AUTHOR OF CAMPO THE FORGOTTEN GUNFIGHT AT EL CAJON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Printer-friendly version July 14, 2011, (El Cajon) — Bryon Harrington, local Alpine author, will appear at s meeting of the El Cajon Historical Society on Thursday, July 28 at 11:30 a.m. Mr. Harrington will share stories and sign copies of his self-published book,Campo, The Forgotton Gunfight. See the East County Magazine review here. History buffs will enjoy this true
CAMPO, THE FORGOTTON GUNFIGHT BRINGS EAST COUNTY’S COLORFUL PAST TO LIFE
Printer-friendly version Campo, the Forgotten Gunfight by Bryon Harrington (www.CampoGunfight.com, 2009 Campo, 372 pp.) Review by Miriam Raftery July 3, 2011 (Campo) –Few San Diegans are aware that a Wild West shoot-out deadlier than the famed O.K. Corral confrontation occurred in our own East County. A patron in a Tecate cantina overheard a notorious group of banditos boast
2011 CHEF JEFF ROSSMAN’S COOKBOOK TIES FOR BEST COOKBOOK 2011
Printer-friendly versionJune 28, 2011 (San Diego) — Executive Chef Jeff Rossman’s farm-to-table cookbook-come-love story to local growers, From Terra’s Table: New American Food Fresh From Southern California’s Organic Farms (Chefs Press, 2010), adds a new honor to its list of accolades. The San Diego Book Awards Association just named the tome Best Cookbook 2011 in the Seventeenth Annual San Diego Book &
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
NEW SPORTS BOOK SCORES WINNING LOCATION FOR LAUNCH PARTY
Printer-friendly versionSAN DIEGO, CA October 20, 2009 Join author Joey Seymour in celebrating the launch of his new book San Diego’s Finest Athletes: Five Exceptional Lives on Thursday, November 5th. The launch party for the book, published by Sunbelt Publications of El Cajon, will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the San Diego Hall of Champions. The San Diego
NOTED CHILDREN’S AUTHOR IN LA MESA OCT. 16 FOR READING & BOOK SIGNING
Printer-friendly versionBook Review: Nugget on the Flight Deck By Patricia Newman New York, Walker and Company, 2009. Illustrated by Aaron Zenz. Hardback Picture Book, 40 pages, with Target Age: 4-8 years. Reviewed by Deena While “Welcome aboard, Nugget…I’ll bet you’ve never been aboard a carrier before…” October 13, 2009 (La Mesa) — San Diego may be
SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOOK FESTIVAL! OCT. 16-18 MEET YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS AT LOCAL LIBRARIES
Printer-friendly version October 12, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County Libraries will host a book festival in celebration of the written word on October 16-18. The festival includes appearances by nearly 100 authors at libraries in Bonita, Borrego Springs, Enicnitas, Poway, and Vista as well as appearances by top authors at the County Administration building.
GALAPAGOS AUTHOR TO PRESENT SLIDE SHOW, SIGN BOOKS IN EL CAJON OCT. 13
Printer-friendly version October 9, 2009 (El Cajon)–Bette Blaydes Pegas, local author of Chasing a Dream in the Galapagos: A Personal Evolution, will be at the Rancho San Diego Library in El Cajon on Tuesday, October 13th. Pegas will give a slideshow presentation on her life-changing trip to the Galapagos in the library’s conference room at 5:30 PM. She will also be available
NEXT THIRD THURSDAY IS A LESSON IN EAST SAN DIEGO’S HISTORY
Printer-friendly version October 9, 2009 (San Diego)–Independent bookstore and coffeehouse Upstart Crow of Seaport Village and acclaimed small press Sunbelt Publications of El Cajon are teaming up to offer the public a free monthly author appearance and book signing. These “Third Thursday” events began in June, and have featured appearances by local authors of books on such diverse topics as the
BOOK REVIEW: TRUE CRIME STORIES (PART II)
Printer-friendly version I’M IN THE TUB, GONE. By Richard James Carlson Publish America, Baltimore. 2004. 123 pages. Available at the San Diego Police Museum and on Amazon.com Reviewed by Walter Hall “Today is the final day of this life…” Only once in a long while do we encounter a book that just won’t let go. This
SAN DIEGO CITY COLLEGE HOSTS 4TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR, THIS WEEK
Printer-friendly version September 27, 2009 (San Diego)—The Fourth Annual San Diego City College International Book Fair kicks off a full week of literary and cultural events on Monday. Already San Diego’s largest book event, the Lucha Libro theme for 2009 assures a broad regional appeal again this year–including paticipation by some East County writers. The Lucha Libro program offers San Diegans
BOOK REVIEW: TRUE CRIME STORIES
Printer-friendly version EAST OF SAN DIEGO. The Lost History of the East San Diego Police Department, 1912-1923. By Gary E. Mitrovich San Diego Police Historical Association, San Diego, 2008. 112 pages, illustrated. Distributed by Sunbelt Publications, El Cajon, CA. Reviewed by Walter Hall To counter the reckless operation of motor vehicles, City Marshal J.P. Ayers “…declared war
HISTORY TO COME ALIVE AT LEWIS & CLARK BOOK PRESENTATION SEPT. 12
Printer-friendly version September 11, 2009 (Rancho San Diego)–James Thomas, author of Corp of Discovery: Lewis & Clark will be at the Heritage of the Americas Museum for a presentation and book signing on Saturday, September 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. Garbed in period costume, the author will make a presentation about his book and the historic Lewis & Clark
BOOK REVIEW: FIRE, CHAPARRAL, AND SURVIVAL IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Printer-friendly version by Richard W. Halsey Second Edition, Revised and Updated Sunbelt Publications, San Diego. 2008. 232 pages, illustrated, color plates. Reviewed by Walter Hall “The Viejas fire in ’01, the Galivan fire in ’02, and then again during the Cedar fire in ’03. It’s always the same damn thing.” — A weary incident commander back on
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
East County Magazine

Pretty Happy: healthy ways to love your body
Printer-friendly versionBook by Kate Hudson Review by Heidi Hope October 5, 2025 (San Diego) – Pretty Happy is a New York Times best-selling self-help book written by my favorite actress, Kate Hudson. She thoughtfully researched each area and provided a variety of questions to ask, as well as suggestions to reference and ideas for carrying out each lesson to take

Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure by Dave Grunenwald
Printer-friendly versionReviewed by Pennell Paugh September 28, 2025 (San Diego) – Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure is a children’s book for 5- to 10-year-olds. It is designed to inspire children and their families to volunteer in community programs that help those in need. In the book, two friends and a grandparent visit a group that make and deliver sandwiches. Next,

Author Tanya Harris hosts book signing Sept. 21 at Grossmont Center to benefit domestic violence survivors
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service September 5, 2025 (La Mesa) — Local author, domestic violence survivor and advocate Tanya Harris will host a powerful community book signing and awareness event on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the gazebo at Grossmont Center mall (5500 Grossmont Center Dr., La Mesa). The community-focused event is designed to

Blood in the Water: an A.J. Hawke legal thriller
Printer-friendly versionNovel by Donald McInnis Reviewed by Pennell Paugh September 4, 2025 (San Diego) —Blood in the Water, though fictional, exposes a flaw in the United States’ tripartite federal government structure as established in the Constitution. The third branch of government, the Judiciary, cannot enforce its rulings, even when those rulings are necessary for protecting an individual citizen’s rights or the constitutional powers of