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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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: DESERT PANORAMA

Printer-friendly versionNovember 11, 2012 (Ocotillo) – Tom Lemon sent in this photograph of pristine desert before the construction of the wind project in Ocotillo.  “The view from the bottom of Mountain Springs Grade has been a favorite for many years,” said Lemon, who shot this view looking south. In the foreground are the SD&AE railroad tracks; above is I-8 and

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH: CHALDEAN FESTIVAL

Printer-friendly versionNovember 4, 2012 (El Cajon) – “Doesn’t the “spirit” of those kids/young adults shine thru in the photo beautifully?” says Rebecca J. Williamson, who captured the moment at last month’s 3rd annual Chaldean Festival at Prescott Promenade in El Cajon. The annual event, sponsored by the Saint George Chaldean Association, draws thousands of attendees enjoying live entertainment, booths, food and

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OSPREY NESTING TOWER TAKES WING AT LAKESIDE RIVER PARK

Printer-friendly versionStory, photos and video by Billy Ortiz View video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Y0hc267sA November 3, 2012 (Lakeside) — On a cool, cloudy autumn morning on October 20 in East County a group of teenage Boy Scouts from troop 801 in Coronado arrived at the Lakeside River Park. They brought heavy timbers and other materials to build what they hope will become a

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WIND TURBINES SCAR VIEW FROM MCCAIN VALLEY’S CARRIZO GORGE OVERLOOK

Printer-friendly version October 28, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Construction of the Tule Wind project in McCain Valley has not yet begun, though developer Iberdrola has pledged to preserve the most scenic portion of views across the Carrizo Gorge.  But photographer Tom Lemon stopped by  McCain Valley’s famed Carrizo  Gorge Overlook this weekend in McCain Valley, discovering to his

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SPACE SHUTTLE’ ENDEAVOR’S FINAL JOURNEY

Printer-friendly version October 14, 2012 (Los Angeles)– ECM photographer Ron Logan, in Los Angeles this week, snapped this historic image of the Space Shuttle Endeavor on its final journey to the California Science Center in Inglewood.  Astronauts, movie stars and political leaders were on hand. State Senator Roderick Wright concluded, that the reason for making the California Science Center the

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: A TOWN SURROUNDED

Printer-friendly versionOctober 8, 2012 (Ocotillo) – Photographer Daren Sefcik visited Ocotillo in May, before construction began on the Ocotillo Express wind project, then returned on October 3. Through still photos and dramatic panoramic videos that reveal 360 degree views, Sefcik documents turbines dwarfng mountains and looming in close proximity to homes. “The landscape has already been destroyed by Pattern [Energy] and it

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HELP CREATE A LIVING PHOTO HISTORY OF EAST COUNTY! OCT. 7 DEADLINE

Printer-friendly versionSeptember 23, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Help tell East County’s story through  photos!  The Far East Project, a print/multimedia anthology and performance project, is comprised of personal narratives, interviews and histories from East County communities and residents.  This living history project for our region is sponsored by San Diego Foundation Arts and Culture Foundation along with So

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: A WIND FARM RISES

Printer-friendly versionSeptember 21, 2012 (Ocotillo) — Parke Ewing forwarded these images showing transformation of the desert landscape in Ocotillo, where public outcry and seven lawsuits have thus far failed to stop the Pattern Energy’s wind project.  The first image reveals excavation for just one of the 112 wind turbines; this hole measures 16 feet deep.  In the sunset shot, towering wind turbines

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SUNSET OVER LAKESIDE

Printer-friendly version September 10, 2012 (Lakeside)–Billy Ortiz snapped this colorful image of the setting sun over Lakeside’s historic downtown district. To submit a photo of the week, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: PERSEIDS METEOR SHOWER

Printer-friendly version     August 14, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — Daren Sefcik photographed our own East County light show—the Perseid Meteor Shower illuminating the night sky above Blair Valley on August 11.  Printer-friendly version

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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.