By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 19, 2016 (Jacumba) - The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a permit Wednesday to build a solar farm in Jacumba that could generate enough electricity to power 5,000 homes.

Proponents and County staff said the plant fit the guidelines of the County’s general plan, would help the region meet state goals of producing one-half of all electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The plant site is located about 2 ½ miles east of the Jacumba Hot Springs in the largely rural East County community, adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico international border fence. It is also located near San Diego Gas & Electric’s East County Substation, meaning it will not require long transmission lines to hook into the region’s power grid.

“I can’t think of a better location for a solar project,” said County Supervisor and Board of Supervisors Vice-chairwoman Dianne Jacob, whose supervisorial district includes Jacumba.

The Major Use Permit approved by the Board will allow Jacumba Solar LLC to build a 108-acre solar plant on 304 acres. The plant would use a little more than 81,000 photovoltaic panels on roughly 2,200 fixed, tilted racks to turn sunlight into 22 megawatts of electricity. The plant will deliver its sun-generated electricity to SDG&E’s substation through a 1,500-foot-long overhead transmission line.

The site will include fire-access road around the project and a 184-acre open-space preserve to save important biological and cultural resources.

East County News Service

July 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The Real East County Fire Safe Council, EDCO and Team E invite you to bring your trash, green waste, e-waste and brush to community clean-up day events coming up in Boulevard, Jacumba Hot Springs and Potrero. This is a free service to community residents.

All events are on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Dates and locations are:

Boulevard

August 26 – Old Boulevard Fire Station

Jacumba Hot Springs

September 30 – CLEEF 799 Forest Gate Rd., Campo

Potrero

October 28 -- 24865 Broken Lane, Potrero

Dumping of material before the event is not allowed. Residents are responsible for hauling their own materials to the site.  This event is for residents only, not businesses, contractors, or construction materials.

For more information, you can contact RealEastCountyFSC@yahoo.com.

A Weekend Getaway in San Diego's East County

By Miriam Raftery

October 12, 2017 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – You’re invited to soak and stretch your way to relaxation and Nirvana at the second High Mountain Desert Yoga Retreat, tucked among boulders high in the In-Ko-Pah and Jacumba mountains near the eastern San Diego County line.

This four-day healing event from October 31 to November 3 will include natural sulfur hot spring pools, healing sessions at the Desert View tower including Kundalini Tantra Yoga, Reiki healing, and crystal sound healing. Guests will also savor delicious vegan meals scenic hikes and some desert surprises, plus a three-day stay at the nearby Jacumba Hot Springs Resort.

Cost is $490; or $450 for early birds.  For more information you can call 619-609-6463 or emailbaliyoga@gmail.com.

Find more details and register at www.DesertViewTower.com. 

By Miriam Raftery

December 27, 2017 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Hi ho! The Jacumba Hikers and Walkers are hitting the trail to Carrizo Gorge and Walker Canyon on December 30^th.   This six mile hike is rated hard due to a steep down and up trek across the gorge, where hikers will see an up-top view of the “Impossible Railroad” at De Anza Resort, then head north on an old road to an abandoned railroad settlement in historic Walker Canyon.

Meet at 8 a.m. at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs 91934 to carpool to the start point. Breakfast is available starting at 7:30 a.m. 

Bring plenty of water, snacks and lunch.  A walking stick is advised.  Please, no dogs on this rugged hike. Be sure to read these hiking safety tips.

For more information contact hike leader Don Bacon at donald_bacon@hotmail.com. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Herman Smith, San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept.

March 30, 2018 (Jacumba Hot Springs) — A hearing is set for April 27 on proposed release of Herman Smith at 42920 Desert Rose Ranch Road in Jacumba Hot Springs.  Smith has been convicted of sexually violent crimes including rape by force in 1993, oral copulation with a minor under age 14 by force or fear, and sodomizing a victim under age 14 with force. He has also been convicted of raping a drugged victim.

Smith was designated as a sexually violent predator with a mental disorder that makes him likely to reoffend, but the Department of State Hospitals has now recommended him for release.

The public hearing is set for April 27 at 9 a.m. in Department 2102 of the San Diego Superior Court, 1100 Union Street.

Members of the public may testify at the hearing or submit comments by April 11 through the SAFE Task Force.  You can also email comments to sdsafe@sdsheriff.org, or mail them to SVP Release/SAFE Task Force, 9425 Chesapeake Drive, San Diego, CA 92123.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob is speaking out against Smith’s release into Jacumba Hot Springs, a small, rural community in San Diego’s East County where several other sexually violent predators have been released in recent years with supervision including ankle bracelet monitoring. However at least one offender committed a new sexual offense against an elderly woman while under the monitoring program.

“These state officials must have no shame. This vile and violent predator has committed multiple rapes and other brutal acts. A jail cell is the only place that he should call home,” Jacob posted on her Twitter account.

For more information, visit San Diego County District Attorney’s website and the Department of State Hospital’s website.

East County News Service

January 4, 2016 (Jacumba)--The Jacumba Hikers and Walkers have announced their schedule of hikes for January and February in the high desert region surrounding Jacumba Hot Springs. 

The hikes range from easy to extreme, covering terrain from wilderness to a desert oasis, mountains and canyons.  You’ll also see sites rich in history reflecting the region’s Native Americans, Spanish, and pioneer settlers. Other excursions including a trip to the Chinese Castle, a Garnet Mine, Goat Canyon’s railroad trestle, and a waterfall, plus dips in mineral hot springs at the Jacumba Spa and Resort.

For a full schedule, scroll down, and also be sure to read these hikng safety tips.

1-9-16 -           Myer Creek-Upper Myer Valley - This six mile hike will begin at Mountain Springs Grade and will take you into the Jacumba Wilderness via Myer Creek.  You will see "Bob's Rock," numerous morteros, and the deserted home site of legendary recluse, "Happy," before arriving at a spectacular palm oasis.  You will hike through upper Myer Valley amid giant boulders and beautiful high desert flora. This hike is rated HARD+ and will include some bouldering.  Hikers will meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Jacumba Spa and Resort 44450, Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs CA 91934. No Dogs Please!  Breakfast is available starting at 7:00 a.m. and lunch will also be available after the hike.  *Please readattached safety tips!  Hike Leaders:  Mike Rood (760)455-1876 & Angel Somera. 

1/16/16-           Table Mountain - This hike is rated HARD, 4 mi. round trip hiking up to Table Mtn. & Squaw Tit Red Rock Plateaus. No Dogs Please! Hikers will meet at 8am at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934 then carpool to Greg’s place. Breakfast is available at the Spa starting at 7AM. Bring a Swim Suit & Towel for after the hike the owners of the Spa will provide hikers with courtesy day use in the mineral hot springs. Hike Leaders:  Dennis Ruth & Bill Pape (619) 766-4927. *Please read the attached Safety Tips!

1/23/16 -          Mortero Palms/Goat Canyon Trestle – Hikers will meet 8AM at the Imperial Valley Desert Museum, 11 /W. Frontage Rd., Ocotillo, CA 92259  to car pool to starting point. We then climb up a canyon to a palm grove known as Mortero Palms passing a half dozen morteros along the way. From there we will be tackling the rugged and difficult stretch to Goat Canyon where we will be able to view the 200’ Goat Canyon Trestle. This hike is rated EXTREME.No Dogs Please! Hike Leaders:  Richard Alcorn & Bill Pape (619) 766-4927 *Please read attached Safety Tips!

1/30/16 -         Garnet Mine Hike – A 4 mi. figure 8 loop trail to an inactive Garnet Mine. Hikers will encounter a waterfall, exhilarating views & other hidden treasures of the high desert area. Rated MODERATE to HARD Hikers will meet 8AM at Jacumba Spa & Resort 44450, Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934. Breakfast is available at the Spa, starting at 7AM.  Lunch is also available after the hike. Bring swim suit & towel for soaking in mineral hot springs after the hike, courtesy of the Spa.  No Dogs Please! Hike Leaders:  Don & Anita *Please read attached Safety Tips!   

.2/6/16 -           Border Patrol Trail & Rock House - This hike is 3.5 mi., rated EASY, taking you to the Border Fence separating U.S. & Mexico, to the Jacumba Airport & the Old Rock House. Hikers will meet 8AM at the Jacumba Hot Springs Spa & Resort 44450, Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934 . Breakfast is available at the Spa 7:30AM. & lunch is available after the hike. Bring swim suit & towel for courtesy day use of the mineral hot springs after the hike. Dog friendly hike on 6’ leash. Hike Leaders:  Greg gregcurran@sbcglobal.net& Tammy dumptruck.01@wildblue.net *Please read attached Safety Tips!              

2/13/16 -          Bow Willow to Rock House Canyon - This hike is rated Hard approx. 7.5 miles starting at Bow Willow Camp Grounds up-canyon to a rocky draw in the mountains and climbing upwards to a sandy wash to a gently sloping plateau that descends onto the broad floor of Rock House Canyon. No Dogs Please! Meet 8AM at the Imperial Valley Desert Museum, 11 W. Frontage Rd., Ocotillo, CA 92259. Hike Leaders:  Dennis Ruth, Michelle Graves & Richard Alcorn richardalcorn2455@gmail.com . *Please read attached Safety Tips!

2/20/16 -          Jacumba Walk-About – This hike is 4 mi. rated EASY and suitable for the whole family. Dog Friendly using a 6’ leash. Hikers will meet 8AM at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934. Breakfast is available starting at 7AM. This hike will take you to the Chinese Castle, the natural hot springs, Jacumba Lake, Sand Wash, Train Station, Community Park and other good stuff! Courtesy day use for the mineral hot springs after the hike so bring swim suit & towel. Hike Leader:  gregcurran@sbcglobal.net *Please read attached Safety Tips!                                                                           

2/27/16 -         Indian Hill/Gun Powder Shack – This is a 10mi. hike that is rated HARD. Starting out, west of Ocotillo in the Anza Borrego State Park across broad alluvial plains dotted with cacti, small shrubs, through rocky hills of desert-varnished granite boulders and onto a small promontory called Indian Hill which is considered one of the most significant aboriginal sites in the Colorado Desert. Next hikers will encounter sheds of an old railroad camp ruins constructed of mortar & blasting –powder cans then up the hill to see the spectacular view of Carrizo Gorge. Hikers meet 8AM at the IMDM – 11 W. Frontage Rd., Ocotillo, CA 92259. Hike Leaders:  Richard Alcorn & Bill Pape (619) 766-4927. No Dogs Please!  *Please read the attached Safety Tips!

East County News Service

January 26, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) — Soon, three portable trailer-mounted generators will provide power to local communities during local emergencies such as wildfires or earthquakes. The generators could be sent to temporary charging stations in neighborhoods without power, bringing electricity to people who rely on medical equipment.

Two remote fire stations in Boulevard and Jacumba will also be upgraded to microwave radio-based internet connectivity radios and several other stations will also receive upgraded radios.

The new equipment is made possible by a donation of nearly $100,000 from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, which obtained the funds from San Diego Gas & Electric and allocated it to the County Office of Emergency Services to purchase the generators and radios. The generators will be pre-positioned for rapid deployment.

On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to accept the donation.

East County News Service

January 29, 2016 (Jacumba) — Eric Kallen, who runs the website www.JacumbaBirding.com has counted over 191 species of birds in Jacumba Hot Springs, a high-desert community in San Diego’s East County.  “I’ve had 124 species in my backyard,” he says.

Now is a great time to go bird-watching there, since you can see wintering and year-round species as well as some early spring migratory visitors.  Here are photos taken this January of a Scott’s Oriole, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Costa’s Hummingbird, with notes from Kallen on each:  

By Miriam Raftery, East County News Service

May 16, 2016 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – A Honda Civic belonging to a missing Buena Park man, Jonathan Barmaki, has been found by Border Patrol agents on Old Highway 80 near a welcome sign to Jacumba Hot Springs on May 9th. Agents found Barmaki's cherished 15-year-old dog, Andy,  dead inside the vehicle.

The vehicle was not out of gas and Barmaki’s wallet and keys were missing, though his cell phone, along with dog food and a dog bowl, were left in the car. The car windows were rolled up and footsteps from the vehicle led 70 feet to a border fence 25 feet high. Authorities are investigating the disappearance as"suspicious,"10 News reports. 

Barmaki, a real estate agent who buys and sells homes for a living, left Buena Park on April 30^th.  According to KNSD, surveillance video showed Barmaki at the Target at Plaza Bonita mall around 9:30 p.m. last Saturday, May 7th, where he bought toiletries, a phone charger and clothes. Around 5 a.m. Sunday,  May 8th, video shows him buying gas at a National City Valero gas station.

His vehicle was found sometime in the early hours Monday morning, May 9^th and his mother was notified at 3 a.m. of the vehicle's discovery,.  But there is still no sign of Jonathan Barmaki.

His mother, Luisa, has said her biggest fear is that her son has been hurt or taken by someone. She has told other media that Jonathan had no history of mental illness and seemed happy when he left home. But when he failed to answer phone calls she became worried.

LuisaBermaki says Jonathan and his dog were best friends  and that he would never have voluntarily left his dog.  She has also indicated that he is not familiar with the San Diego area and it is unknown what led him to the Jacumba Hot Springs area.

If you have any information, please call Buena Park Police or you can reach Luisa Barmaki at 714-293-4113.

By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 19, 2016 (Jacumba) - The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a permit Wednesday to build a solar farm in Jacumba that could generate enough electricity to power 5,000 homes.

Proponents and County staff said the plant fit the guidelines of the County’s general plan, would help the region meet state goals of producing one-half of all electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The plant site is located about 2 ½ miles east of the Jacumba Hot Springs in the largely rural East County community, adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico international border fence. It is also located near San Diego Gas & Electric’s East County Substation, meaning it will not require long transmission lines to hook into the region’s power grid.

“I can’t think of a better location for a solar project,” said County Supervisor and Board of Supervisors Vice-chairwoman Dianne Jacob, whose supervisorial district includes Jacumba.

The Major Use Permit approved by the Board will allow Jacumba Solar LLC to build a 108-acre solar plant on 304 acres. The plant would use a little more than 81,000 photovoltaic panels on roughly 2,200 fixed, tilted racks to turn sunlight into 22 megawatts of electricity. The plant will deliver its sun-generated electricity to SDG&E’s substation through a 1,500-foot-long overhead transmission line.

The site will include fire-access road around the project and a 184-acre open-space preserve to save important biological and cultural resources.

East County News Service

July 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The Real East County Fire Safe Council, EDCO and Team E invite you to bring your trash, green waste, e-waste and brush to community clean-up day events coming up in Boulevard, Jacumba Hot Springs and Potrero. This is a free service to community residents.

All events are on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Dates and locations are:

Boulevard

August 26 – Old Boulevard Fire Station

Jacumba Hot Springs

September 30 – CLEEF 799 Forest Gate Rd., Campo

Potrero

October 28 -- 24865 Broken Lane, Potrero

Dumping of material before the event is not allowed. Residents are responsible for hauling their own materials to the site.  This event is for residents only, not businesses, contractors, or construction materials.

For more information, you can contact RealEastCountyFSC@yahoo.com.

Backcountry hidden pleasures:   Our guide to unique lodging and adventures in San Diego’s beautiful backcountry

By Miriam Raftery

October 12, 2017 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – You’re invited to soak and stretch your way to relaxation and Nirvana at the second High Mountain Desert Yoga Retreat, tucked among boulders high in the In-Ko-Pah and Jacumba mountains near the eastern San Diego County line.

This four-day healing event from October 31 to November 3 will include natural sulfur hot spring pools, healing sessions at the Desert View tower including Kundalini Tantra Yoga, Reiki healing, and crystal sound healing. Guests will also savor delicious vegan meals scenic hikes and some desert surprises, plus a three-day stay at the nearby Jacumba Hot Springs Resort.

Cost is $490; or $450 for early birds.  For more information you can call 619-609-6463 or emailbaliyoga@gmail.com.

Find more details and register at www.DesertViewTower.com. 

East County Magazine gratefully acknowledges the County of San Diego for providing a Community Enhancement Grant to support our “Backcountry Hidden Pleasures” weekend getaways coverage.

By Miriam Raftery

December 27, 2017 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Hi ho! The Jacumba Hikers and Walkers are hitting the trail to Carrizo Gorge and Walker Canyon on December 30^th.   This six mile hike is rated hard due to a steep down and up trek across the gorge, where hikers will see an up-top view of the “Impossible Railroad” at De Anza Resort, then head north on an old road to an abandoned railroad settlement in historic Walker Canyon.

Meet at 8 a.m. at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs 91934 to carpool to the start point. Breakfast is available starting at 7:30 a.m. 

Bring plenty of water, snacks and lunch.  A walking stick is advised.  Please, no dogs on this rugged hike. Be sure to read these hiking safety tips.

For more information contact hike leader Don Bacon at donald_bacon@hotmail.com. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Herman Smith, San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept.

March 30, 2018 (Jacumba Hot Springs) — A hearing is set for April 27 on proposed release of Herman Smith at 42920 Desert Rose Ranch Road in Jacumba Hot Springs.  Smith has been convicted of sexually violent crimes including rape by force in 1993, oral copulation with a minor under age 14 by force or fear, and sodomizing a victim under age 14 with force. He has also been convicted of raping a drugged victim.

Smith was designated as a sexually violent predator with a mental disorder that makes him likely to reoffend, but the Department of State Hospitals has now recommended him for release.

The public hearing is set for April 27 at 9 a.m. in Department 2102 of the San Diego Superior Court, 1100 Union Street.

Members of the public may testify at the hearing or submit comments by April 11 through the SAFE Task Force.  You can also email comments to sdsafe@sdsheriff.org, or mail them to SVP Release/SAFE Task Force, 9425 Chesapeake Drive, San Diego, CA 92123.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob is speaking out against Smith’s release into Jacumba Hot Springs, a small, rural community in San Diego’s East County where several other sexually violent predators have been released in recent years with supervision including ankle bracelet monitoring. However at least one offender committed a new sexual offense against an elderly woman while under the monitoring program.

“These state officials must have no shame. This vile and violent predator has committed multiple rapes and other brutal acts. A jail cell is the only place that he should call home,” Jacob posted on her Twitter account.

For more information, visit San Diego County District Attorney’s website and the Department of State Hospital’s website.

Our deserts section covers the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the communities of Borrego Springs, Ocotillo, Ocotillo Wells and Jacumba.

By Miriam Raftery

March 8, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The proposed 90 megawatt Jacumba Valley Ranch (JVR) solar project on 1,345 acres next to the Jacumba Hot Springs airport has a project footprint “much larger than the small town that is right next door,” says Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Planning Group.

An environmental impact report will be prepared and public input  is sought on what should be included in the EIR.  Comments are due by April 8.  A scoping meeting will be held on March 21, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Highland Community Center, 44681 Old Highway 80, Jacumba Hot Springs.

Below is the county’s public notice with full details:

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the County of San Diego, Planning & Development Services, will be the Lead Agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act for the following project. The Department is seeking public and agency input on the scope and content of the environmental information to be contained in the Environmental Impact Report. A Notice of Preparation document, which contains a description of the probable environmental effects of the project, can be reviewed on at http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/pds/ceqa_public_review.html, at the Planning & Development Services (PDS), Project Processing Counter, 5510 Overland Avenue, Suite 110, San Diego, California 92123 and at the public library listed below. Comments on the Notice of Preparation document must be sent to Bronwyn Brown, Planning and Development Services, 5510 Overland Avenue, Suite 310, San Diego, CA 92123 or the email address listed below and should reference the project number and name.

 JVR ENERGY PARK (PDS2018-GPA-18-010, PDS2018-REZ-18-007, PDS2018-MUP-18-022)

The JVR Energy Project involves the operation and construction of a 90 megawatt (MW) solar energy facility and a 20-MW energy storage system. The Project components include approximately 300,000 photovoltaic modules fitted on single axis trackers, an underground electrical collection system, a substation, an overhead gen-tie line, and access roads. The development footprint of the proposed facilities is approximately 691 acres. The Project would require a General Plan Amendment, a Rezone, and a Major Use Permit. Eventual decommissioning would occur at the end of the Project’s useful life. The Project site, approximately 1,345 total acres, is in unincorporated southeastern San Diego County. The area is located within the Mountain Empire Subregion of the County. The Project site is located adjacent to the community of Jacumba Hot Springs and the Jacumba Airport, and to the south of Interstate 8 (I-8). Primary access would be provided from I-8 with local access from Carrizo Gorge Road and Old Highway 80.

 A public scoping meeting will be held to solicit comments on the EIR. The meeting will be held on March 21, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Highland Community Center, 44681 Old Highway 80, Jacumba Hot Springs. Comments on this Notice of Preparation document must be received no later than April 8, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. (a 30 day public review period). This Notice of Preparation can also be reviewed at the Jacumba Branch Library, 44605 Old Highway 80, Jacumba Hot Springs. For additional information, please contact Bronwyn Brown at (858) 495-5516 or by e-mail at Bronwyn.Brown@sdcounty.ca.gov

By R. Person

March 27, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Residents of the sleepy 1930s resort town Jacumba Hot Springs are awakening to the realities of a massive solar project planned for the edge of town on a site previously dedicated to a walled equestrian housing project.

The solar project, aka JVR (Jacumba Valley Ranch solar, a 90 MW project on 1,345 acres, is well into its planning stages, yet residents are being asked to voice their opinions at meetings, and submit their concerns in writing, as Phase 1 of 6 is under way.  JVR Energy Park, a project of German Bay Ware, would be located at the very East end of the town of Jacumba Hot Springs, abutting the main residential area.  

The scenario is similar to that of the proposed wind turbine project in nearby Boulevard, with its 500+ foot high towers, flashing red lights, perceived electromagnetic hazards and similarly disgruntled local opinions. Other such wind developments, as in Ocotillo to the east, have had residents complain ofindifference to their objections over noise, electromagnetic pollution, impact on wildlife and property values, and visual disturbances related to the battery of flashing red lights which accompany the wind turbines. The meetings where they can voice their concerns, and their written submissions detailing those concerns, are deemed delay tactics that residents contend give a false optimism that residents are being heard.

A meeting on March 21^st at Jacumba’s Highland Community Center attracted a healthy turnout of approximately 50 locals who raised concerns about several issues in regard to placing this large solar development so close to their homes. That’s nearly 10% of the town’s population, which measured 561 in the 2010 census.

One attendee commented, “Almost every chair was filled. Nobody actually said they were for the project.” Concerns raised included:

• the project could cause serious impacts on the water supply
• land values would go down
• whether there is a real need for the project
• potential impact on weather temperatures
• negative impacts on views and wildlife
• potential fire threat and whether there would be enough fire personnel, equipment, and supplies to suppress fires
• how long would project would last
• what’s in it for Jacumba residents, such as jobs?

Each of the concerns was brought up at the meeting, but opponents to the project were asked to also put their opinions in writing and submit thembefore the next meeting April 8 at 2 p.m. in the Jacumba Community Center.

This meeting mirrored an August meeting in Boulevard where residents were asked to express their concerns about the proposed 30 wind turbines of 500+feet tall.

East County is part of a planned Energy Corridor, according to United Nations Agenda 21, an action plan of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It is a global plan purported to be related to “sustainable development” but opponents of Agenda 21 label it a stealth program in progressall over our country and the rest of the world.    

178 governments (including the United States) voted to adopt the program at the original Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, but the plan has had outspoken opponents who call it an attempt by the UN to control people and resources throughout the world under the guise of environmental and population concern. It has also been called a Depopulation Agenda, and has been tied to events such as the recent devastating fires that have plagued Northern and Southern California rural communities.

The next meeting for the project will be April 8 at 2 p.m.  Questions can be sent to bronwyn.brown@sdcounty.ca.gov.

By Rebecca Person

March 28, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The Healing Women are back. You're invited to come for a day of renewal on April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jacumba Hot Springs Spa Resort (44500 Old Highway 80) in Jacumba Hot Springs.  Opening with an Earth &  Water blessing, the event also features a selection of healing and psychic therapies.  

Healers include Windwalker Dorn, Shaman and Grammy nominee,  using shell medicine, drum and ancient song;  Gabrielle Schultz creating Sound Baths via Tibetan bowls and Mahatma deep tissue massage; Beth Patience and Dawn providing Reiki energy sessions; Karen Richards offering ionic detox foot bath with chair massage; Maile Jewel leading chair stretching classes.

The Spa has a natural mineral jacuzzi and large pools, tasty Southwestern cuisine and a cozy bar.

Therapies range from 20 minutes to an hour ($10  -  $65).