Today’s Big News

Hey Issa, party’s over thanks to trump, now get lost

Congressman Darrell Issa, who’s made it through three districts in Southern California in his years of peddling a bundle of arrogant lies, is officially on the chopping block for the upcoming election in the 48th Congressional District. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Rep. Issa’s congressional district to its list of California targets. This move comes after voter-approved (65-35) Proposition 50 redistricted (on a…

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Say what? Issa says he nominated Trump for Nobel Prize

Folks, you can’t make up this stuff: Former accused car thief who was arrested and eventually pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon, Rep. Darryl Issa, (R-Bonsall???) said March 4 that he had “nominated President Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.” For real? “Not since Ronald Reagan has an American president better represented the national resolve of peace through strength or the fundamental…

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The giraffe who came to Orfila (and other things that probably shouldn’t happen at Escondido whine country)

A giraffe at Orfila Winery sparked member backlash and a PETA complaint. A surreal North County moment that felt straight out of a Christopher Moore novel. In North County, we pride ourselves on many things: avocados, sunsets, and our uncanny ability to form a traffic jam on El Camino Real at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. But last month, Orfila Winery added a fresh bullet…

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Featured Business Reviews — Visit Our Sponsors And Tell Them You Heard It Through The Grapevine

Oolong ain’t just for tea anymore, it’s an RSF art icon

Hey, you. That’s right, YOU. Art lover, cultural icon. Keeping it classy, sassy and fun. Art for any space, any place, any situation, enjoyable and appreciating in value as you appreciate it for years to come. We’re talking tons of visual and personal pleasure, enhancing any experience, providing fun and coffee plus water cooler talk for ages immemorial. Frame it, display it, do with it…


Dog Whisperer of San Marcos is now open for business

Tucked inside Vallecitos Town Center at 1254 E. Mission Road in San Marcos, stands a small storefront with a big reputation. San Marcos Grooming, owned and operated by Maria Motta, has quickly become a favorite among local pet owners—not just because of its grooming services, but because of Maria herself. Maria is more than a certified dog groomer. Clients describe her as a “dog whisperer,”…


Presenting the future of digital news & local advertising

The Escondido Grapevine: Your Premier Advertising Partner in North County San Diego Businesses need advertising platforms offering extensive reach while exemplifying innovation and adaptability in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. The Escondido Grapevine stands at the forefront of digital journalism, serving as both a model for future online presentations and a comprehensive news source for North County San Diego communities. The Grapevine offers unparalleled opportunities…



Don’t let the Grinch overcharge you for holiday gifts

The holiday season is back; the bells and the cash registers will soon be ringing. That means it’s the perfect time to remind everyone to always double-check your receipts to make sure you’re not accidentally overcharged by faulty cash registers and price scanners. While buying online has become a normal part of daily life, most of us are still heading to the stores and the…

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Popular Posts

Common Sense 2025: Gilded fool who would be king

When I contemplate the present condition of America, I am struck dumb by the sheer theater of it all — the gilded spectacle, the red-hatted congregation, the rallies that thrum like tent revivals for a man who believes himself chosen not by Providence but by poll numbers. We have suffered under the reign of Donald Trump as our forefathers once suffered under monarchs — and…


Welcome to Kevin Breslin’s Harmony Grove rabbit hole

Jimmy Breslin. That’s my lede. Jimmy Breslin. Or rather, AI Jimmy Breslin. Breslin was OK. Not a great writer, but an OK muckraker. So, sue my story tag, you’re it, Kevin Breslin, Jimmy’s apparent self-appointed nepo baby defender of the family jewels. I wasn’t a big Jimmy, and now Kevin, Breslin fan; and sometimes not a fan at all, but considered Jimmy Breslin part of…


Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 19: ‘Day at the Races’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN (The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/   CHAPTER NINETEEN Tyger, Sandy, Milty, and Armor’s spend the day at the New Orleans Fairgrounds, the third oldest horse racing track in America. Many insightful observations are made about the racing environment and the day ends with…


Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 2: ‘Night of the Living Poets’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/. Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER TWO Following the Saints playoff loss, Tyger and his friend Armor’s Tungsten attend an open-mike poetry night at the Blue Bayou club on Tchopitoulas Street.   CHAPTER 2 “Night of the Living Poets”   “SURVEILLANCE PELICANA” Chapter…


Editor’s Picks


COVID-19: Smoke-free outdoor dining

As the death, disease, and financial devastation wrought by COVID-19 begins to recede in some communities, restaurants are eager to re-open in ways that will protect customer and employee health while re-establishing profitability. And diners are salivating at the thought of savoring their favorite meals and supporting the restaurant community. “Smoke-free outdoor dining promotes healthy air and capitalizes on the intensive sanitizing efforts already implemented…


New state regulation dogs puppy mills

Escondido always has been a hot bed in the California puppy mill world, for whatever reason. A new state law that went into effect this year has rsulted in several puppy mill busts, but some puppy mill proprietors already have found loopholes to exploit. Assembly Bill 485, which went into effect at the beginning of this year, requires pet stores to get their animals from…


Coronavirus culture: ‘Walden’ and fashion

Seeking to bend the coronavirus curve, governors and mayors have told millions of Americans to stay home. If you’re pondering what to read, it’s easy to find lists featuring books about disease outbreaks, solitude and living a simpler life. But it’s much harder to find a book that combines these themes. As the author of three books about essayist, poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau,…


Illegitimate carpetbagger Issa couldn’t have won the 50th Cong. District. We must re-vote.

(Editor’s Note: After getting blowback from people who didn’t get it, let me explain this is complete satire aimed at showing Issa and other sedition party creeps that it’s oh so easy to turn their disingenuous lies and false arguments against them in the same way. Live by the lie and die by the lie.) We believe we did not have a fair and legitimate…


Fire this time: Dangers abound, San Pasqual response time improves

When it comes to North County: Fire, bad. Additional fire-fighting resources, good. The bad news this week, as if residents didn’t know it intuitively: More than half the land in San Diego County – including neighborhoods reaching almost to the ocean and densely settled foothill cities – is at high or very high potential for difficult-to-control fire according to data gleaned from maps prepared by…


Breaking News

Encinitas Musk Tesla sweatshop hit by massive protest Saturday…Breaking news will be updated as needed

1302 Encinitas Blvd. just west of El Camino Real was hit by a massive anti-Elon Musk protest all day Saturday where hundreds of patriots lined the pavement outside the criminal Musk Tesla ripoff facility. Meanwhile, many motorists at the busy intersection honked horns in support as protestors waved placards calling Musk a traitor and calling for his removal from federal government and the criminal trump…

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Politics

Notorious 50th Congressional District Rep. — and ‘top gun of greed’ — Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham dead at 83

Randall Harold “Duke” Cunningham, former 50th Congressional District representative, and Navy flyer who shot down five MiGs over Vietnam and then shot himself in the foot with greed, died Wednesday in a hospital bed in Little Rock, Arkansas. Cunningham was 83. His family put the news on social media. No cause, no grand statement. Just the way it goes: a man who once wanted the…

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League of Women Voters calls out Issa on voting rights

Hundreds of thousands of California voters could have their ballots wrongfully discounted, according to a motion to intervene filed by the League of Women Voters of California (LWVC) on Friday against a lawsuit seeking to block counting mailed ballots received after Election Day. The LWVC, represented by the ACLU and the ACLU Foundations of Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego & Imperial Counties, seeks…

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Trump and his supporters: A reckoning for democracy

As America continues to grapple with the legacy of Donald Trump, it has become increasingly clear that the former president and his loyal base are not merely disruptive forces in politics—they represent a deep and troubling erosion of the values that define democratic societies. From spreading baseless conspiracy theories to emboldening hatred, Trump’s rhetoric and actions have left an indelible mark on the American political…

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Escondido

Traveling Lake Hodges and the Del Dios Highway

Used by permission, this rather comprehensive look at Lake Hodges, Del Dios Highway and sites far and wide, first appeared at Postcards and Passports, San Diego resident Tami Zehrung Wilcox’s extensive travel blog. Only a few weeks ago, I took a day to discover Lake Hodges and the area surrounding it. I was astounded at all that it has to offer — especially its peaceful…

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Surprising and Strange

28 years ago, Heaven’s Gate couldn’t wait

Dateline Rancho Santa Fe. March 26, 1997. A 911 call came into the San Diego Sheriff’s Communications Center. It was treated as a prank call at first. From what turned out to be a nearby payphone, the caller said something so preposterous that dispatchers took their time in relaying the information to central command. “This is regarding a mass suicide. I can give you the address,” the…

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Move over D.B. Cooper for Geezer Bandit

People have been debating D.B. Cooper ever since his Thanksgiving 1971 leap into history and out of a commercial flight from Portland to Seattle with a whole bunch of money. The same, on a smaller scale, appears to be happening with North County’s own Geezer Bandit, so-called. He hit Vista — twice — Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla — twice — Poway and 10 other…

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The man who made it rain, rain, rain in 1916

It rained a lot this past winter. However, as we all know, that hasn’t always been the natural state for the arid San Diego region. It took Charles Hatfield to make it rain 109 years ago in San Diego. The only problem was he couldn’t make it stop. A deep dive through the San Diego Historical Society archives courtesy of the OB Rag reveals the…

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It’s National Fluffernutter Day. Hip Hip Hooray?

Every dog has its day, they say, and apparently so does every cause, effect and plain old thing. Welcome to Wednesday Oct. 8, 2025. It’s National Fluffernutter Day. Correct, National Fluffernutter Day is observed annually on Oct. 8, according to the National Day Calendar. This is a day set aside each year to make, and enjoy, the savory sandwich consisting of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Fluffernutter dates…

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Featured Content

Oolong ain’t just for tea anymore, it’s an RSF art icon

Hey, you. That’s right, YOU. Art lover, cultural icon. Keeping it classy, sassy and fun. Art for any space, any place, any situation, enjoyable and appreciating in value as you appreciate it for years to come. We’re talking tons of visual and personal pleasure, enhancing any experience, providing fun and coffee plus water cooler talk for ages immemorial. Frame it, display it, do with it…

Click Here or title to read more

Dog Whisperer of San Marcos is now open for business

Tucked inside Vallecitos Town Center at 1254 E. Mission Road in San Marcos, stands a small storefront with a big reputation. San Marcos Grooming, owned and operated by Maria Motta, has quickly become a favorite among local pet owners—not just because of its grooming services, but because of Maria herself. Maria is more than a certified dog groomer. Clients describe her as a “dog whisperer,”…

Click Here or title to read more

Presenting the future of digital news & local advertising

The Escondido Grapevine: Your Premier Advertising Partner in North County San Diego Businesses need advertising platforms offering extensive reach while exemplifying innovation and adaptability in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. The Escondido Grapevine stands at the forefront of digital journalism, serving as both a model for future online presentations and a comprehensive news source for North County San Diego communities. The Grapevine offers unparalleled opportunities…

Click Here or title to read more

Light’s (out) at the end of Via de la Valle: Knorr’s Candle Shop minding its own beeswax (Closing Oct. 31, 2023)

Editor’s Note From Nextdoor….. “I just learned today that Knorr’s Candle Factory on Via de La Valle is closing 10/31/23 and they are having huge sale, including holiday decor, to cut inventory. It was always one of my favorite places to shop and such a local tradition. Please support them and stop by. Everyone loves beautiful candles!!” — Chari Chanin   As the world, and…

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Mom’s Kitchen serves slice of Vista history

A slice of Vista’s past was being served Tuesday over biscuits and gravy at Mom’s Kitchen, once knows as Allen’s Alley Cafe. While a lot has changed over the last 70 years around Vista, Mom’s Kitchen has not. So, the biscuits and gravy were flowing at the town’s oldest, continuously serving restaurant much as they have since, at least, 1950 when it was known as…

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Grid and Bear It

Last but not Least

Common Sense 2025: Gilded fool who would be king

When I contemplate the present condition of America, I am struck dumb by the sheer theater of it all — the gilded spectacle, the red-hatted congregation, the rallies that thrum like tent revivals for a man who believes himself chosen not by Providence but by poll numbers. We have suffered under the reign of Donald Trump as our forefathers once suffered under monarchs — and…

Click Here or title to read more

Welcome to Kevin Breslin’s Harmony Grove rabbit hole

Jimmy Breslin. That’s my lede. Jimmy Breslin. Or rather, AI Jimmy Breslin. Breslin was OK. Not a great writer, but an OK muckraker. So, sue my story tag, you’re it, Kevin Breslin, Jimmy’s apparent self-appointed nepo baby defender of the family jewels. I wasn’t a big Jimmy, and now Kevin, Breslin fan; and sometimes not a fan at all, but considered Jimmy Breslin part of…

Click Here or title to read more

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 19: ‘Day at the Races’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN (The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/.) Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/) Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/   CHAPTER NINETEEN Tyger, Sandy, Milty, and Armor’s spend the day at the New Orleans Fairgrounds, the third oldest horse racing track in America. Many insightful observations are made about the racing environment and the day ends with…

Click Here or title to read more

Surveillance Pelicana Chapter 2: ‘Night of the Living Poets’

SURVEILLANCE PELICANA BY DAN WEISMAN The entire book appears at this link with chapters added after appearing online: Chapters 1-10: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-full-book-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/. Chapters 11-20: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-ii-chapters-11-to-20-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ Chapters 21-30: https://www.escondidograpevine.com/surveillance-pelicana-part-iii-chapters-21-to-30-chapters-added-as-they-appear-online/ CHAPTER TWO Following the Saints playoff loss, Tyger and his friend Armor’s Tungsten attend an open-mike poetry night at the Blue Bayou club on Tchopitoulas Street.   CHAPTER 2 “Night of the Living Poets”   “SURVEILLANCE PELICANA” Chapter…

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Tale of the Toppled Hurler: A Peter Hartwell Story by Bruce A. Kauffman

 Willie Gillante took the mound to pitch the game that would decide if the dream gets dashed or faith is rewarded. If Willie and his precious Red Sox lost tonight, their exhausting season-long march to the world championship of baseball would be over, and the hope gone that the crown would finally come to Boston for the first time in a long eighty-six years. The…

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‘Lord of All Indoors’ soccer legend Steve Zungul lives quietly in Escondido retirement

Reclusive and sitting in a luxury home high above the San Pasqual Valley, the charismatic  “Lord of All Indoors” Steve Zungul continues to mystify and impress, albeit out of the public eye. He hasn’t spoken to anybody in the media for over a decade. His legendary indoor soccer career continues to do all the talking. Fans of the Croatian indoor soccer scoring machine, perhaps the…

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Dog Whisperer of San Marcos is now open for business

Tucked inside Vallecitos Town Center at 1254 E. Mission Road in San Marcos, stands a small storefront with a big reputation. San Marcos Grooming, owned and operated by Maria Motta, has quickly become a favorite among local pet owners—not just because of its grooming services, but because of Maria herself. Maria is more than a certified dog groomer. Clients describe her as a “dog whisperer,”…

Click Here or title to read more

San Diego North County Japanese-Americans recall World War II internments

In San Diego County, which had a population of 2,076 Japanese-Americans in 1940, families were sent to Poston, 12 miles south of Parker, Ariz. Poston was one of 10 internment camps created during World War II after an executive order authorized the Secretary of War to designate specific areas as military zones and excluded certain people from living in them. President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order…

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