East County Magazine
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: OCOTILLO SUNRISE
Printer-friendly version August 13, 2012 (Ocotillo) — ECM photographer Jim Pelley shot this beautiful sunrise this morning from the yard at his home in Ocotillo. Soon this dramatic landscape may be only a memory, vanished in the dust as towering ocotillo cacti are torn down and replaced by 112 wind turbines, each 500 feet tall. That’s the plan for Pattern
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: EAST OF EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly versionBy Tom Lemon August 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — When you’re driving east on Interstate 8 past Jacumba and the Desert View Tower there’s a sharp left turn and you begin to descend Mountain Springs Grade. You will drop about three thousand feet to the desert in ten miles, and can see the remains of Old
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WILD RIDES AT THE BULLS ONLY RODEO
Printer-friendly version July 29, 2012 (Lakeside) — Barry Claessens (www.bcphotography.biz) snapped these action shots at the Optimist Club’s "Bull’s Only Rodeo" at the Lakeside Rodeo arena on July 21. Rodeos began to help cowboys hone their skills and, in the case of bull-riding, showcase their bravado. Isn’t this the original extreme sport? Today there are some modern-day twists. Some local bull riders
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: ON THE ROCKS
Printer-friendly version July 23, 2012 (McCain Valley) – ECM reader Tom Lemon sent in these spectacular photos of McCain Valley, site of the proposed Tule Wind facility in San Diego’s East County. "I first visited McCain Valley around 1995 after reading Jerry Shaad’s book Afoot and Afield in San Diego County. I began camping and hiking in the Valley and
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SPACE INVADERS?
Printer-friendly version July 25, 2012 (Ocotillo) – No, this isn’t the mother ship that’s landed in Ocotillo. It’s another alien power – the first wind turbine foundation poured at Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo Express project. Photographer Jim Pelley measured a single turbine foundation hole measures 286 feet. More than 100 turbines, each 450 feet tall, are planned to invade this
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: SNOWFALL AT MCCAIN VALLEY
Printer-friendly version July 19, 2012 (McCain Valley) – Tom Klimek of Lemon Grove shared these photos that he took of McCain Valley “as few have seen it,” blanketed in snow, isolated in its pristine beauty. “On March 18, 2012 I drove to Laguna Mountain and then to McCain to enjoy the late winter storm that brought wind, rain, hail, and
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: STORM OVER OCOTILLO
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photo by Jim Pelley July 15, 2012 (Ocotillo) — Photographer Jim Pelley captured this inspiring image of sunbeams illuminating the proverbial silver lining of this storm cloud over the desert in Ocotillo. There is a tragic irony to this spectacular image, however. The landscape in shadow beneath the stormcloud is being destroyed, as excavation
DOWN ON THE FARMS: A VIDEO TOUR OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL IN LAKESIDE
Printer-friendly versionIn honor of Harold Hilliker Farm Day at Lakeside Middle School, videographer Billy Ortiz created a video documentary tour of local agricultural sites Story, photos and video by Billy Ortiz June 30, 2012 (Lakeside)– Lakeside Middle School held its first annual Harold Hilliker Farm Day on May 30. It was a day full of information on agriculture, highlighting several
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: HORNED DESERT LIZARD
Printer-friendly version June 20, 2012 (Ocotillo) — Photographer Jim Pelley snapped this image of a horned desert lizard, whose camouflaged appearance blends right in with its desert surroundings. Pelley spotted the reclusive reptile on the site of the Ocotillo Express wind energy facility, which is now under construction. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: REFLECTIONS AT SANTEE LAKES
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery May 30, 2012 (Santee) – ECM editor Miriam Raftery took a break from the hustle and bustle of news editing for a stroll at Santee Lakes. There, she spotted a majestic great blue heron and a colorful wood duck, both with images reflected in the water’s surface, as
Search by Specific Date
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.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: HOW TO SPOIL A GOOD PICTURE
Printer-friendly version February 9, 2013 (Ocotillo) — Photographer Jim Pelley brings us this perspective of how the Ocotillo Express Wind Facility has marred the beauty of nature in his desert community. “The snow can been seen from Ocotillo and it used to be a good picture from my house,” he writes. “Now the picture is littered with these monstrosities.”
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: WILE.E COYOTE IN EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly version January 29, 2013 (Santee)–Van Collingsworth, Executive Director of Preserve Wild Santee, snapped this portrait of a coyote this week. “The Coyote had just finished drinking from Sycamore Creek near the boundary of Fanita Ranch, MCAS- Miramar, and a Mission Trails Expansion Area parcel of East Elliot,” he states. “Sycamore Creek is an important wildlife corridor and is the
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: ALIEN INVASION?
Printer-friendly version January 28, 2013 (Ocotillo) – A reader on our Facebook page posted that when she drove east over the Mountains into Ocotillo recently at night, she was startled to see an array of blinking lights that resembled an “alien invasion.” Ocotillo resident Jim Pelley sent us this photo of the “invaders” — nearly 100 wind turbines flashing
PHOTOS OF THE MONTH: “BIRD HOLE ROCK” IN MCCAIN VALLEY
Printer-friendly version January 24, 2013 (McCain Valley) – Charles and Laurie Baker enjoy hiking in McCain Valley and the rugged Carrizo Gorge. They have submitted numerous photos of rocks containing large holes suitable for hawks and eagles to nest in, or perch on while scanning the valley below for prey. This is an area close to the proposed Tule
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: SNOW FALLS IN JACUMBA
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 12, 2012 (Jacumba) — This week’s winter storm brought an unusual treat for residents of Jacumba, elevation 2850: snow! Danielle Cook took these photos outside Jacumba Hot Springs, where a light dusting of snow blanketed the area. Don’t rush out to visit, though — it’s already melting away in the mid-day sun. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: ANZA BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK
Printer-friendly version January 9, 2013 (Anza Borrego) – Daren Sefcik photographed these spectacular images in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. This endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep ram was spotted in a canyon between Potrero and Squaw canyons near Agua Caliente campground. “We were out backpacking for four days through there, “Sefcik says. He also captured this beautiful sunrise over
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: FARMER’S DAY OFF
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 5, 2013 (Boulevard) – It’s clear they weren’t plowing fields at this ranch in Boulevard, where a heavy snowfall created these winter wonderland scenes on New Year’s Eve taken by Melody Ponchot. Printer-friendly version
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: TALKING TURKEY
Printer-friendly version January 4, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)–ECM editor Miriam Raftery photographed this healthy-looking flock of wild turkeys near Cuyamaca. There is some debate on whether turkeys are native or non-native in our region. Thousands of wild turkeys present today in our backcountry are descendants of wild turkeys released in 1993 by hunting groups. But it’s quite possible that
PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 2012
Printer-friendly version December 31, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A photo is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. East County Magazine’s photographers and readers have compiled an impressive portfolio of dramatic images this year. These are our editor’s picks for the photos that create an emotional chord, from inspiration to anguish. We deeply appreciate our professional photojournalists
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WHAT DOES AN ACTUAL GAS “PEAKER” PLANT LOOK LIKE?
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 2, 2013 (Otay)–“Look out, Santee, here’s your future,” Tom Lemon writes, referring to the Quail Brush gas-fired peaker power plant proposed just outside of Mission Trails Regional Park. Curious to see what a peaker plant actually looks like – not just in drawings prepared by the developer—Lemon ventured to Otay Mesa, where a gas-fired peaker plant recently opened. Note: Peaker
Search by Specific Date
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.