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

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!  

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

STATE’S FISH AND GAME COMMISSION TO CONSIDER LEGALIZING FERRET OWNERSHIP, FOLLOWING EFFORTS OF LA MESA RESIDENT

By Karen Pearlman

Photos courtesy of Legalize Ferrets

Photo:  Pat Wright with a ferret friend

March 18, 2025 (La Mesa) -- Eight years after persuading the city of La Mesa to become a sanctuary city for ferrets, Pat Wright is on a mission next to legalize ferret ownership statewide.

Wright and his nonprofit group, Legalize Ferrets, have attained a key milestone in the quest to remove domestic ferrets from the state’s list of restricted species.

CONGRESS AVERTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, BUT ACTION CAUSES DIVISION WITHIN POLITICAL PARTIES

 

Stopgap funding measure signed by President Trump; California’s Senators voted no

By G. A. McNeeley 

March 18 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Congress avoided a government shutdown on March 14, just a few hours before the funding deadline. The stopgap measure to fund the government until September 30 was signed by President Donald Trump on Saturday.

The stopgap would fund government operations through the remainder of this fiscal year, but it would also slash non-defense funding by roughly $13 billion and increase defense spending by about $6 billion over current budgets (including billions for deportations, veterans’ health care and the military). 

Many Democrats, including California’s Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, opposed the measure due to the non-defense cuts and because Republicans refused to include language in the bill putting guardrails on Trump and Elon Musk’s ability to continue dismantling the federal bureaucracy unchecked. The  Democrats also advocated for a shorter, four-week stopgap to keep the government running on current funding levels in an effort to buy more time for appropriators to strike a deal on a bipartisan funding package.  Republican leadership interest in those negotiations diminished weeks ago. 

COTTONWOOD SAND MINE PROPOSAL HEADS TO COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION, AFTER LOCAL PLANNING GROUP MEETS TONIGHT

East County News Service

March 18, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) – The controversial Cottonwood San Mine proposal is slated to be heard by the County Planning Commission in April, more than six years after it was first proposed.  Thousands of residents have signed petitions  and packed public meetings to oppose the project based on significant environmental, health and safety concerns, and community impacts such as traffic and potentially decreased property values.

Tonight, the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group will meet at 7 p.m. to finalize a recommendation to the County. This important  meeting will be held in the Rancho San Diego Library,11555 Via Rancho San Diego, El Cajon 92019.

The project would allow at least 10 years of open pit mining on the site of the Cottonwood Golf Course along the Sweetwater River, just upstream from a federal wildlife preserve. The develop, New West Investment, contends the project is needed to supply sand for local building and infrastructure projects, avoiding the cost of importing sand.

SDSU HOOPS: MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TEAMS SET FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT MATCHUPS

 

The San Diego State University women's team earns the 14 seed and will face third-seeded LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday. The men take on the Tar Heels in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday night's NCAA First Four match.

Source:  goaztecs.com

March 18, 2025 (San Diego) - The San Diego State University men’s and women’s basketball teams have both earned spots in the NCAA Tournament and will face tough opponents in their respective regions.

SAN DIEGO CONCERT BAND PRESENTS MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS APRIL 17 WITH VIOLIN SOLO BY NICK GRANT

East County News Service

March 17, 2025 (San Diego) - You’re invited to a concert by the San Diego Concert Band presenting music of John Williams on Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Ave. in San Diego.  Nick Grant will be featured on the theme from “Schindler’s List,” a film based on Oskar Schindler, the German who saved 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust.