East County Magazine
PHOTOS OF THE MONTH: EAST COUNTY SHOWS ITS PATRIOTIC SPIRIT
Printer-friendly version June 19, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – From La Mesa’s Flag Day Parade to the Wings Over Gillespie Air Show in El Cajon, East County displayed its patriotic pride. At left, Dexter Levy drives a vintage auto in La Mesa’s Flag Day Parade, heralding in the City’s upcoming Centennial year of celebration. Photo by Kristin Kjaero.
WINNERS IN MISSION TRAILS PHOTO CONTEST ANNOUNCED
Printer-friendly version June 5, 2011 (San Diego) – Winners in the 19th annual Amateur Photography Contest sponsored by Mission Trails Regional Park have been announced. Verland Nolta received the Leonard Butterman Best of Show Award for “Old Mission Dam Moon Light.” The award is presented in
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: EXPLORING OTAY LAKES
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery May 21, 2011 (Otay) – Last weekend, I took a drive to explore the southeast section of our readership area. I headed south on Highway 94, then west on Otay Lakes Road, passing a parachute center before meandering among the various lakes that make up this close-to-the-border region. This area has a colorful—if largely
EAST COUNTY VIDEO ADVENTURES: PARAGLIDING OVER EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly version By Billy Ortiz View our video adventure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBqJStFzQD8&feature=player_profilepage May 20, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) — On any day in this beautiful place in San Diego’s East County, you will find para-gliders–hang-gliders sailing the winds high above the El Monte Valley. Take off point is roughly 1,800 feet above sea level and is located in Blossom Valley,
EAST COUNTY VIDEO ADVENTURE: SNEAK PREVIEW! NEW ADDITION TO SAN DIEGO RIVER PARK IN SANTEE
Printer-friendly version May 7 5K Run/walk will give public glimpse of new park lands—see it first in our ECM video adventure By Miriam Raftery Photos by Pam Wilmer Video by Billy Ortiz April 27, 2011 (Santee) – San Diego River Run is moving its 5K fun run/walk to the Walker Lakes property in Santee this year. Participants will be
PHOTOS OF THE MONTH: EAST IN EDEN
Printer-friendly version April 18, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) — While beach denizens are contending with coastal fog, the sun is shining out here in East County–where it’s just another day in paradise this time of year. We hope you’ll enjoy our local photographers’ images of springtime in East County! Dennis Richardson and Chuck Palmer headed out on a back-packing trek along Pine Creek.
WE FOUND THE END OF THE RAINBOW IN EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery April 13, 2011 – It’s official—the rainbow ends in Jamul! A spectacular rainbow arched over a field behind Donna Hendrix’s Jamul home after last week’s rainstorm week—putting in a special appearance at a party celebrating Steve Rowe’s promotion from executive director of the East County YMCA to a leadership role in the
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: MARCH 29, 2011
Printer-friendly version March 29, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)– Signs of spring abound! The past couple of weeks, our photographers found no shortage of birds and bees, flowers and trees resplendant in spring foliage. They also spotted signs of wild life both on the trail and off, as East County residents heralded in St. Patrick’s Day. Daren Sefcik spotted this red monkeyflower
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: MARCH 9, 2011
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photos by Daren Sefcik March 9, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) — You just never know what you might encounter on the trails in East County! Photographer Daren Sefcek headed out to the Anza-Borrego Desert to take photos of wildflowers in bloom–and captured a close-up of this yellow-backed spiny lizard on the trail. Sefcek also shot this image
COOLEST SNOW PHOTOS
Printer-friendly version February 27, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) — One of the heaviest snowfalls in memory, dropping snow down to under 1,500 feet, spurred many of our readers and staffers to send in photos of winter wonderland images across our region. Enjoy!
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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.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: RACCOONS IN SAN CARLOS
Printer-friendly version June 30, 2025 (San Diego) – Diana Rozenshteyn snapped this photos of masked intruders– a raccoon family– in the backyard of her San Carlos home near Cowles Mountain. You can view more of her work at her website, San Diego in Bloom | Nature Photography by Diana Rozenshteyn. Printer-friendly version

INTERVIEW WITH CAL FIRE CAPTAIN ON MONTE FIRE
Printer-friendly versionJune 22, 2025 (Lakeside) — Cal Fire Captain Robert Johnson discusses firefighting efforts in the Monte Fire in Lakeside, during an interview yesterday with Shiloh Ireland. View video. At the time of the interview, the fire had burned 1,051 acres of rugged terrain on El Capitan Mountain. El Monte County Park in Lakeside became the staging and command center for

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: LAKESIDE RESIDENTS THANK FIREFIGHTERS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service June 23, 2025 — Photographer Shiloh Ireland provided this video of Lakeside residents Sarah Ann WIlson and BIlly Ortiz unfurling a banner to thank firefighters who worked tirelessly to protect homes and halt the Monte Fire in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley. View video: Monte Fire Appreciation to Firefighters- 06/21/2025 Also see Ireland’s drone video showing the
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ELEPHANTS’ POOL PARTY!
Printer-friendly version East County News Service May 11, 2025 (Escondido) — Elephants at the the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park in Escondido found a cool way to beat the heat during this week’s heat wave–holidng their own pool party. In this video, you’ll see the herd’s matriarch, Swazi, playing in the water with the youngsters. When one elephant goes in,
ENGAGED COUPLE SEEKS PHOTOGRAPHER WHO SHOT THIS PHOTO IN BORREGO ON MARCH 16, 2024
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: PLAYING POSSUM
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service April 4, 2025 (La Mesa) – Cailin Acosta spotted these playful opossums on the fence in her La Mesa yard. “I was super excited, but my 12 year old twins were not impressed, ha,” she writes. “I did reach out and touch its fur. It was crispy, like a Bristol scrub, so interesting!”

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: MARY’S DONUTS CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Photos by Karen Pearlman March 29, 2025 (Santee) – Mary Hennessy, the 90-something owner of Mary’s Donuts, grabs a sweet treat during her business’s 40th anniversary bash Saturday morning, March 29. Hennessy, who plied the donut trade at a Winchell’s Donuts, bought the former Zona’s Donut Shop with her husband, and opened the original Mary’s Donuts

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: TREED!
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service March 28, 2025 (San Carlos) – San Carlos resident and ECM reporter Karen Pearlman snapped this photo of a pair of raccoons chased up a tree by her dog,Charlie. Printer-friendly version

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: BORDER 2 FIRE
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service January 28, 2025 (Jamul) — Robert Hobbs sent in these images of the Border 2 Fire, which burned over 6,500 acres after starting on Otay Mountain in San Diego County on Jan. 23. These photos were taken Jan. 23 and 24 from Jamul.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: PALISIDES FIRE IN LOS ANGELES
Printer-friendly versionEast 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
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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.