Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

LAKE JENNINGS PHOTO CONTEST RUNS THROUGH MARCH

Printer-friendly version  February 29, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –  Photos taken at Lake Jennings during March may be entered in Helix Water District’s Lake Jennings Photo Contest.  Prizes of up to $100 will be awarded in adult and student categories. Photos can be of any aspect of the lake—wildlife, wild flowers, camping, fishing, boating, scenic views.    Photographers must stop

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EAST COUNTY VIDEO ADVENTURES: FINDING TRANQUILITY AT KITCHEN CREEK FALLS

Printer-friendly version    Story and photos by Billy Ortiz View video by Billy Ortiz and Pam Wilmers: http://youtu.be/0Aelray-VZU   February 17, 2012 (Kitchen Creek) — The name Kitchen Creek brings up many thoughts of times gone by.  One can only imagine gold miners giving this creek its name.      My friends and I came to the falls in mid-May 2011.

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: FLIGHT OF THE SUNBIRD

Printer-friendly versionFebruary 7, 2012 (Lakeside) — No, it’s not an insect or an invader from outer space. It’s an up-close view of the Erickson air crane "Sunbird" erecting the Sunrise Powerlink in Lakeside’s Wildcat Canyon/El Monte Valley area. Billy Ortiz snapped this head-on closeup image of the massive helicopter, which is capable of hoisting heavy loads including transmission towers. Printer-friendly version

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: A MID-WINTER HIKE IN LAKESIDE

Printer-friendly version  January 24, 2012 (Lakeside) — What could be more beautiful than a mid-winter’s sunrise over an East County mountainside?    Photographer Billy Ortiz shot these stunning images while hiking in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley, along El Capitan, over the Lunar New Year, marking an idyllic start to this Year of the Dragon.              

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: FULL MOON

Printer-friendly version  January10, 2012 (Lakeside)  – ECM photographer Dennis Richardson snapped this photo of the unusually bright full moon this weekend at his home in Lakeside.   “I took it from my back yard using a 100 X 400 mm Canon lens set on 400 mm,” he said.    Do you have a fabulous photo taken in East County or

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH: MCCAIN VALLEY

Printer-friendly version January 6, 2011 (McCain Valley) — Charles and Laurie Baker sent in this birds-eye shot, taken from a rocky precipice while hiking in McCain Valley.  The scene encompasses portions of a site proposed for the Tule Wind Farm. Printer-friendly version

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EAST COUNTY VIDEO ADVENTURE: RIVER PARK COMMUNITY DAY

Printer-friendly version  View East County Magazine’s video of this event:  http://youtu.be/NrWud3-lEGM   By Billy Ortiz Photos and video by Billy Ortiz   December 21, 2011 (Lakeside) —  Early in the morning on December 10 at the Lakeside River Park Conservancy, students from El Capitan High School AP Environmental Science Group, Lakeside River Valley High School, and biology students from Cuyamaca Collage joined members

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CHRISTMAS AT VIEJAS

Printer-friendly version December 16, 2011 (Alpine) – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Viejas Outlet Centers and Viejas Casino. ECM editor Miriam Raftery snapped this shot of holiday lighting at Viejas, where you’ll find San Diego’s largest outdoor ice skating rink, a holiday fountain light show, national-brand shops and more this holiday season.   Viejas employees pitched in to help collect over 3,000

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: GOLDEN TIMES AT THE JINGLE PAWS WALK

Printer-friendly version                 By Miriam Raftery November 20, 2011 (El Cajon ) – ECM editor Miriam Raftery snapped these images during a “Jingle Paws Walk” sponsored by El Cajon Animal Center for Education and Services (ACES) Foundation.  A new secret weapon for the Chargers was revealed: “Air Bud”, golden retriever of Disney movie fame put

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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.

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.”

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.