INTERNATIONAL AEROBATICS COMPETITION TAKES PLACE APRIL 10-12 IN BORREGO SPRINGS

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By Miriam Raftery

March 21, 2025 (Borrego Springs) – An international aerobatics competition will be held at the Borrego Springs airport Thursday through Saturday, April 10-12, organized by the International Aerobatic Club’s Chapter 36.  A highlight for viewers is Saturday’s four-minute freestyle flights set to music, usually involving smoke, flown by top pilots, IAC36 president Bryan Jones advises.

Thursday is practice and registration, while Friday features contest flights all day long.

You can also stop by the Propeller Bar and Grill, where you can enjoy food and drinks plus a rooftop deck to view the flying.

The IAC Chapter 36 is based in Borrego Springs and promotes precision aerobatics through coaching, competition and comraderie. The Borrego airport boasts the world’s finest, permanent surface-waivered aerobatics box.

For a full schedule of events, visit https://iac36.org/ .

 

CITY OF EL CAJON LAUNCHES ELECTRIC MICRO-TRANSIT PROGRAM, VIA SAN DIEGO, TO EXPAND TRANSPORTATION ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS

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East County News Service
 
March 20, 2025 (El Cajon) – The City of El Cajon announces the launch of “Via San Diego El Cajon,” a new app-based, on-demand transit program designed to expand transportation access for residents and visitors. Service went live on March 17, and all rides are free for the first month.
 
Via San Diego allows anyone within the El Cajon service zone to book a shared ride in the app (available in the App Store and Google Play) or by calling 619-413-9986. With the program, residents can affordably and conveniently reach local destinations like work, shopping, education, appointments, regional transit hubs, and more without needing a private car.
 
How does it work?
 
  • Once someone books a ride, Via’s technology matches them with other riders headed in the same direction into one small electric vehicle – creating quick and efficient shared trips.
  • Riders are directed to “virtual bus stops” (typically a short walk away from their pick-up and drop-off location), which minimizes detours and keeps trips running smoothly for everyone.
  • The program will operate Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free ride period ends April 17, after which trips will cost $2.50 each.
  • Riders with mobility issues can request door-to-door services and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
 
“Via is thrilled to partner with the City of El Cajon to launch this zero-emission, tech-enabled micro-transit program as part of the broader Via San Diego platform,” said Brian Nelson, West Coast Partnerships Lead at Via. “The debut of Via San Diego will transform how the El Cajon community moves – whether that’s commuting, connecting with other transit options, or reaching important local opportunities.”
 
El Cajon’s decision follows a similar initiative by City Heights and North Park Main Street, which launched the “Mid-City GO” program using the same Via San Diego app in January. Via San Diego El Cajon is funded by a $1.5 million award from the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Voucher Pilot Program, with additional support from the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program.
 
For more information on Via San Diego El Cajon, please visit: city.ridewithvia.com/san-diego.
 
ABOUT VIA: Founded in 2012, Via pioneered the TransitTech category by using new technologies to develop public mobility systems — optimizing networks of buses, shuttles, wheelchair accessible vehicles, school buses, autonomous vehicles, and electric vehicles around the globe. Building the world’s most efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation network for all riders — including those with limited mobility, those without smartphones, and unbanked populations — Via works with its partners to lower the costs of public transit while providing transportation options that rival the convenience of a personal car while reducing the environmental impact. At the intersection of transportation and technology, Via is a visionary market leader that combines software innovation with sophisticated service design and operational expertise to fundamentally improve the way the world moves, providing technology in 700 communities and more than 35 countries and counting.
 
ABOUT THE CLEAN MOBILITY OPTIONS PROGRAM: Clean Mobility Options (CMO) is funded by California Climate Investments and the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Clean Transportation Program. CMO, a California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission project, is a statewide initiative that provides funding for zero-emission shared mobility options to under-resourced communities in California. CMO is available throughout California to all eligible disadvantaged and low-income communities and tribal governments to increase access to safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable transportation options. For more information, visit cleanmobilityoptions.org. 
 
ABOUT CALIFORNIA CLIMATE INVESTMENTS: California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in underserved communities.
 
ABOUT CEC’s CLEAN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM: California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program is investing more than $1 billion to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission transportation infrastructure and support in-state manufacturing and workforce training and development

CHEERS TO THE VALLEY WINE FESTIVAL APRIL 5 IN RAMONA

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East County News Service

March 20, 2025 (Ramona) -- The Ramona Valley Vintners Association and the Ramona Chamber of Commerce invite you to Cheers to the Valley Wine Festival on Saturday, April 5 from 12 to 4 p.m. at Begent Ranch (18528 Highland Valley Rd., Ramona).

The event includes catered small bites, arts and craft vendors, live music by a local artist, unlimited tastings from nine local wineries and a complimentary tasting glass.

For tickets and lists of participating wineries and vendors, visit https://ramonachamber.com/cheerstothevalley

 

EGG PRICES STILL RISING RAPIDLY AMID AVIAN FLU OUTBREAKS; JUSTICE DEPT. LAUNCHES PRICE GOUGING INVESTIGATION

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By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo courtesy of Brian McNeeley

March 19, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise by more than 40%, on top of already steep price rises in 2024. While egg producers blame bird flu outbreaks, the Justice Department this month announced an investigation into whether egg producers might be sharing information and engaging in price gouging, ABC News reports. 

President Donald Trump’s campaign platform including a pledge to bring down inflation including egg prices, but so far, prices continue to skyrocket.  Now, the administration is offering its first details on its plan to fight avian flu and ease costs. 

With an emphasis on farms tightening their measures to prevent avian flu’s spread, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest another $1 billion on top of the $2 billion it has already invested, since the outbreak first began in 2022, AP reports. 

The main reason egg prices have climbed (hitting an all-time average high of $4.95 per dozen) is that more than 166 million birds have been slaughtered to limit the virus’ spread when cases are found. Most were egg-laying chickens. Just since the start of the year, more than 30 million egg layers have been killed. 

 

However, new research by Food and Water Watch suggests that major egg corporations might also be using the avian flu as an excuse to raise the price of eggs, the Guardian reports. 

The Price of Eggs Is Rising 

The USDA is predicting that the cost of eggs will go up by 41.1% this year. 

Prices have more than doubled since before the outbreak began, costing customers at least $1.4 billion last year, according to agricultural economists at the University of Arkansas. Some customers are even paying more than a dollar per egg (over $12 a dozen) in some places. 

Rollins acknowledged that it will take some time before customers see an effect at the checkout counter. It takes infected farms months to dispose of deceased birds, sanitize their farms and raise new birds. 

“It’s going to take a while to get through, I think in the next month or two, but hopefully by summer,” Rollins told AP News. 

What Is The Administration’s Plan? 

The plan calls for $500 million investment to help farmers bolster biosecurity measures, $400 million in additional aid for farmers whose flocks have been impacted by avian flu, and $100 million to research and potentially develop vaccines and therapeutics for U.S. chicken flocks, and explore rolling back what the administration sees as restrictive animal welfare rules in some states, such as California’s cage-free requirement, a humane animal treatment measure that was approved overwhelmingly by voters. However, increasing crowding by keeping poultry in cramped cages could actually increase spread of the disease. 

The USDA has already paid farmers roughly $1.2 billion for the birds they had to slaughter,  AP reports. The additional aid will continue going to those payments, and help farmers bring in new flocks more quickly. 

The administration is in talks to import about 70-100 million eggs from abroad in the coming months, Rollins said. But there were 7.57 billion table eggs produced in the U.S. last month, so those imports don’t appear likely to make a significant difference in the market. 

Trump administration officials have suggested that vaccines might help reduce the number of birds that have to be slaughtered when there is an outbreak. However, no vaccines have been fully approved for widespread use in poultry, and the industry has said the current prototypes aren’t practical because they require individual shots for each bird. Plus, vaccinated birds could jeopardize exports, since some countries have restrictions. 

Fired Workers Are Being Rehired 

Rollins said she believes the USDA has enough staff to respond to avian flu, even after all the cuts to the federal workforce at the direction of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

“Will we have the resources needed to address the plan I just laid out? We are convinced that we will… as we realign and evaluate where USDA has been spending money, where our employees are spending their time,” Rollins told AP News. 

Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar said the new plan is an important step, but the USDA needs to confirm it rehired everyone involved in the avian flu response who was mistakenly fired. 

“At a time when producers are already grappling with the bird flu, the public is facing high prices, and all Americans are on edge about what broader spread of this virus could mean, the last thing the administration should have done was to eliminate these positions,” Klobuchar told AP News. “USDA must rehire these crucial personnel immediately.” 

The Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers who were involved in the government’s response to the ongoing avian flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years. 

A USDA spokesperson said the department “continues to prioritize the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)” and several key jobs like veterinarians, animal health technicians and other emergency response personnel involved in the effort were protected from the cuts. Some employees of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) were also eliminated. 

“Although several APHIS positions supporting HPAI were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” the department spokesperson told AP News. 

Politico and NBC News reported that the jobs that were eliminated were part of an office that helps oversee the national network of labs the USDA relies on to confirm cases of avian flu and other animal diseases. It wasn’t immediately clear how many workers the department might be trying to rehire, or if any of them worked at the main USDA lab in Ames, Iowa. 

Avian Flu Is Affecting Egg Production 

Egg and poultry farmers have already been working to protect their birds by making workers change and shower before entering barns, using separate sets of tools, and sanitizing any vehicles that enter farms. The challenge is that wild birds easily spread the virus. 

The department has already done biosecurity reviews on about 150 farms and only one had an outbreak afterward, the USDA said, so officials believe more can be done to protect birds and they are going to make those reviews available to more farms. Any farm that has an outbreak has to undergo a biosecurity audit, and the government will help pay up to 75% of the needed biosecurity improvements. 

The vast majority of avian flu outbreaks have been on factory farms where hundreds of thousands (or sometimes millions) of egg-laying hens are caged in close proximity, creating ideal conditions for the rapid spread of infectious diseases. 

If one hen is infected, federal regulations call for the entire flock at the affected site to be killed – due to the risks posed by the deadly and highly contagious virus to other poultry, animals and humans, further disrupting supply and increasing costs. 

So far, 70 human cases have been confirmed in the US. One person has died and another three have required hospital treatment. Almost 1,000 cattle herds have been infected, and more than 54 million birds have been affected in the past three months. The virus has also been detected in almost every US territory. 

Almost 631 million eggs were produced in January 2025 (nearly 10% fewer than January 2022, as flock sizes continue to drop). The USDA tracks pullets (the chicks hatched to replace egg-laying hens) which have been below the five-year average most months since the outbreak began in February 2022. 

Corporations Are Also To Blame 

While avian flu has been a principal driver of rising egg prices, the highly concentrated egg market may also be contributing, according to an analysis by Food and Water Watch (FWW). 

“Bird flu does not fully explain the sticker shock consumers experience in the egg aisle… corporate consolidation is a key culprit behind egg price spikes,” Amanda Starbuck told The Guardian. 

“Powerful corporations that control every step of the supply chain (from breeding hens to hatching eggs to processing and distributing eggs) are making windfall profits off this crisis, raising their prices above and beyond what is necessary to cover any rising costs,” Starbuck added. 

The analysis found that in some regions, prices were going up even before the new strain of the deadly H5N1 virus had affected poultry flocks and reduced egg production. Even as egg production recovered in 2023, prices did not come down. 

The country’s largest egg producer, Cal-Maine, boasted a sevenfold increase in gross profits in 2023, after increasing prices above rising costs despite its flocks not being affected by avian flu during that period. 

Cal-Maine, which produces one in every five eggs eaten in the US, issued shareholder dividends totaling $250 million in 2023 – 40 times more than the previous year. The company sold 7% more eggs in 2024 (compared with 2021) and tripled its profits over the same period, according to company filings. 

“The working class is struggling to afford groceries while companies like Cal-Maine are raking in huge profits and rewarding their shareholders,” Democratic congressman Ro Khanna told The Guardian. “The Trump administration has the power to lower grocery bills, but instead they are imposing blanket tariffs on allies, firing federal workers who are trying to prevent the bird flu, and putting billionaires over ordinary Americans.” 

The top five egg companies own almost half (46%) of all egg-laying commercial hens. Headquartered in Mississippi, Cal-Maine is the only publicly traded US egg producer, and has 75% more hens than the next largest company. 

In its financial documents, Cal-Maine suggests egg prices are outside the company’s control: “We do not sell eggs directly to consumers or set the prices at which eggs are sold to consumers.” But many of its customers rely on Cal-Maine for the majority of their egg needs, according to company filings, so the price it sells its eggs factors into grocery store prices. 

Lakeside egg rancher speaks with ECM 

East County Magazine  spoke with Frank Hilliker, co-owner of Hilliker’s Ranch Fresh Eggs in Lakeside. 

Hilliker said that while his business doesn’t have the avian flu, “it’s driven prices of eggs so high that a bunch of people don’t want to buy.” 

Regarding the many chickens killed nationwide due to exposure to avian flu, Hilliker said, “When you take that kind of supply off the market,” it will heavily affect the production of eggs, as well as their prices. 

Hilliker said bird flu has actually increased demand, forcing rationing of sales per customer. “We’ve always sold eggs at the farm, and we’re not selling any more eggs out of the farm now than before, but we have more customers.” He added that they also “put limits on what people can buy,” which make it so they’re, “able to spread it out a little bit more that way.” 

The farm has capacity for 30,000 chickens, according to Hiilliker. As for steps being taken to prevent bird flu from infecting his flocks,  Hillkier explained the farms’ health and safety protocols. “We’re locked down in our chicken areas. Everything that goes through the gates where the chickens are, is disinfected,” which includes people and equipment, he said. 

Sources: 

https://apnews.com/article/record-egg-prices-usda-bird-flu-virus-92e9f5fbc4e0a792be484a4aee5b9c16 

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-investigating-major-egg-producers-amid-soaring-prices/story?id=119589959 

https://apnews.com/article/usda-firings-doge-bird-flu-trump-fdd6495cbe44c96d471ae8c6cf4dd0a8 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/04/egg-prices-bird-flu-corporate-profits?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1

MYSTERY DINNER THEATER AND FRENCH CUISINE DINNER APRIL 5-6 IN EL CAJON

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East County News Service

March 20, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The Circle Players will be performing the dinner theatre production of “Everyone’s A Critic” on April 5th at 6:30 p.m. and on April 6th at 1:30 p.m.  Performances will be held in Richardson Hall, 551 Farragut Circle, El Cajon.  All seats for this mystery dinner theatre show are $30 and includes a 3-course French-themed meal.  

 

About the show directed by Joel Gossett  On the brink of a famous food critic’s first bite, the staff of the exclusive French restaurant Goût de Paris has a traitor in the kitchen who appears to be bent on sabotaging the evening.  You, the audience, while enjoying a delicious French three-course meal, must guess who the culprit is.

Reservations can be made by visiting the website at www.thecircleplayers.org and clicking on TICKETS

 

SAPS AT SEA HOSTS LAUREL AND HARDY FILM SHOWINGS APRIL 5 IN EL CAJON

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East County News Service

March 19, 2025 (El Cajon) -- Saps at Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the International Laurel and Hardy fan organization, presents: Ollie Feigns Illness to Attend Lodge Events!  

 

 

Films include Laurel and Hardy in "Be Big!" and "Sons of the Desert", plus Harold Lloyd's "High and Dizzy" and Will Rogers' "Big Moments from Little Pictures".  Movie-related books will be available for purchase.

 

Saturday April 5, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church of El Cajon, 867 S Lincoln Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020. Admission is $10 and includes dessert.  Free for children 12 and under. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., program starts at 5 p.m. 

 

Visit the Saps At Sea - San Diego Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/111118255744315

 

TASTE OF LAKESIDE APRIL 8; SAVOR FOODS FROM 10 RESTAURANTS TO SUPPORT THE MAINE AVENUE REVITALIZATION

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East County News Service

March 18, 2025 (Lakeside) -- The Maine Avenue Revitalization Association (M.A.R.A.) invites you to the Taste of Lakeside, its upcoming fundraise on April 8 from 5-8 p.m. This event brings together ten local restaurants, including Cali-Stack, Ranch House, Octavio's, East Bound, Yogurt Barn, The Parks, Caffeine Queens, and the VFW, offering attendees the opportunity to sample their culinary delights.

To prevent overcrowding at any single location, participants will receive one of four maps. This will ensure a pleasant and enjoyable evening of food and fun. A $30 donation grants access to the event, including a lanyard to be presented at each participating restaurant.

Tickets may be purchased from a M.A.R.A. member, Mary's Donuts, or the Lakeside Historical Society on Saturdays. A QR code is also provided at the bottom of the flyer for convenient ticket purchase. All funds raised will directly support Downtown Historic Lakeside.

 

MT. HELIX PARK CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL APRIL 12 WITH DUELING PIANOS, DINNER AND DANCING

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By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2025 (Mt. Helix) – You’re invited to join the 100th anniversary celebration of Mt. Helix Park with a Roaring ‘20s themed party on April 12 from 4:30 - 8 p.m. in the Mt. Helix Nature Theater. Enjoy delicious appetizers and dinner from Bekker's Catering, followed by dueling pianos and dancing under the stars. Beer, wine and soft drinks are included as well.

All tickets include shuttle service to and from the parking lot, entertainment, appetizers, dinner, dessert, beer, wine, and soft drinks.

Ticket Price: $125 Single - $1,250 Table of 10

Optional add-on VIP Valet from the Top: $50 per car

Buy tickets at this link:  TICKETS

The 501(c)(3) Mt. Helix Park Foundation was formed by community members to save the historical amphitheater and nature preserve in 1999. Governed under the original Yawkey Family Trust from 1925, the Foundation  does not receive government funds, and the board of directors, in partnership with volunteers and our two staff members, works year-round to raise money to cover expenses and ensure the park will remain free and available to future generations.

 

LILIAC FESTIVAL ABLOOM AT FORT CROSS IN JULIAN APRIL 19 - MAY 11

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East County News Service

March 18, 2025 (Julian) - Fort Cross Adventures in Julian hosts its spring lilac festival from April 19 through May 11 on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Preregistration is advised to assure space.

General admission ($10) includes entry into a lilac maze, family farm area and more.

A festival activity package ($25 per person) including a wagon ride, treasure hunt, interactive reptile show, visits with farm animals, hoedown and jug band show, painting craft and lilac-themed candle dipping. Additional activities are available for a fee.

Visitors can also purchase fresh lilac bouquets at the farm stand seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For reservations and information, visit ​fortcross.com/lilac-festival.

 

SANTEE BUNNY TRAIL APRIL 12 OFFERS FUN FOR KIDS

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East County News Service

March 18, 2025 (Santee) – The city of Santee invites you to hop on over to Santee’s Bunny Trail on Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Santee Trolley Square.

Guests can enjoy photos with the bunny, games, crafts, face painting, giveaways and carnival rides.

Santee Trolley Square is located at 9884 Mission Gorge Rd.in Santee.