Today’s Big News

San Marcos sued for blocking community gatherings

Fear of insurrection? Had enough of that whole free speech thing? Don’t like people getting together for social interaction, fun or education? A controversial San Marcos conditional use permit requirement barring community group gatherings came under legal challenge this week at San Diego federal court. Shera Sandwell, owner of non-profit Bheau View Ranch, which she founded in 2000, represented by litigation attorney Jeremiah D. Graham,…

Click Here or title to read more

Unlawful trespass and secret legal action: City’s unjust pursuit against San Marcos landowners decried

San Marcos residents wanted this week to bring call attention a troubling pattern of behavior involving San Marcos officials and longtime City Attorney Helen Holmes Peak and her Escondido-based law firm, Lounsbery Ferguson Altona & Peak, which has been handling municipal ordinance violations. This law firm has been taking excessively harsh legal action over minor infractions, such as failing to apply for permits—permits that city…

Click Here or title to read more

Uninformed and malicious voters: Thanks for NOTHING

In the grand theater of nations, nothing matters now but the ruin we have invited upon ourselves. Neither the evident decay of reason nor the depths of ignorance; not the tempest of unbridled emotions nor the campaign built upon venom and folly; not even the absurdity of schemes so unworkable that only malice could defend them. None of it mattered. Behold the man: the candidate…

Click Here or title to read more

The Escondido Grapevine has provided factual, informative and interesting information and news since 2015. It has been our pleasure and civic duty to do this, especially considering the status of North County as a news desert given the demise of The North County Times and low coverage priority of regional corporate, for-profit media.
We have provided this service free of charge and never asked for financial support from the community. We exist to carry your voice. We do that for the good of the community. We produce excellent professional community journalism, commentary and analysis on issues, people and organizations that often go ignored in the mainstream press.

We will never charge you to access our reporting. And while we truly appreciate the generous support of many local corporate sponsors and members, we need your support to continue and to grow.

If you feel that The Escondido Grapevine has uplifted, inspired or encouraged the many voices of our community, please consider making a contribution.

You may also mail checks to: The Escondido Grapevine PO Box 8432 Rancho Santa Fe, CA. 92067. Thank you for considering giving your financial support to keep our local, community journalism free for everyone. Click the PayPal "Donate" Button and start the ball rolling... If you or your business would like to sponsor a section or topic area, please email escondidograpevine@gmail.com.

Surf’s down: Legendary ‘The Endless Summer’ surfer Mike Hynson, of Encinitas and La Jolla, dies at age 82

The Endless Summer officially ended on Jan. 10 for legendary Encinitas surfer Mike Hynson who epitomized the image of the bronzed surf god as a star of the hit 1966 surfing documentary “The Endless Summer”and, with his outlaw instincts, embodied the rebel ethos of the sport on his way to being hailed a colossus of the curl, according to The New York Times. They say…

Click Here or title to read more

Haiku La Jolla do it — The people of La Jolla want out

La Jolla dreams big, signatures scrawled in ink waves, new city whispers. Six months on the streets, gathering hope, paper, faith, freedom feels so close. La Jolla seeks more, a study will show the cost, San Diego waits. Money must balance, a city stands or it falls, payments bridge the gap. Hopes rise with the tide, will the mayor take notice, fix what has been…

Click Here or title to read more

Stefon San Diego hookahing it up at Nat City cannabis

Escondido Grapevine, this place has everything… National City’s hottest new spot is Sessions by the Bay. Picture it: Seven years after pot became legal, the cannabis community finally has a place to chill—and let me tell you, getting here wasn’t easy. It took years of hard work, planning, and convincing skeptical politicians. (whispers) Which, honestly, is the hardest part. But now, this lounge has it…

Click Here or title to read more

Popular Posts

1,000 new 2025 California Laws now being enforced

California, ever the avant-garde of legislative theatrics! Starting January 1, 2025, prepare for a smorgasbord of new rules, ranging from the progressive to the peculiar. Cannabis cafés and expanded outdoor drinking? A toast to your libations, but do mind the irony of laws encouraging indulgence while protecting your credit score from the ravages of medical debt. Even financial institutions aren’t safe from the guillotine of…


Parked cars, blind corners, and ‘Darwin’s Crosswalk’

A new ” Darwin’s Crosswalk” law in effect this year could surprise drivers with a $64 parking ticket. California’s new “daylighting” law aims to improve pedestrian safety by prohibiting drivers from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk. But not all off-limit spots will be marked. A law with the kind of practical, no-nonsense thinking that usually comes along after someone’s had enough funerals is…


Escondido’s 2025 Cosmic Compass: A year of awakening and expansion is written in the friggin’ stars, believe it.

May the stars guide you, Escondido. Cosmic Affirmation for Escondido 2025: “With harmony as my guide and the stars as my compass, I rise from the Hidden Valley to shine with brilliance and balance.”Escondido, the universe weaves your path with the threads of change, opportunity, and renewal. As you walk through 2025, remember that your greatest strength lies in your ability to unify: past with…


Stephen Miller’s fear factory targets California leaders

Stephen Miller, our self-appointed prophet of jurisprudence, has descended once more from his ivory tower, pen in hand, to dispatch 249 missives of divine judgment to the unwashed, lawless hordes of California and beyond. These epistles, dripping with righteous indignation and the ink of a bureaucracy in heat, are not merely letters—they are commandments, etched in the stone of Miller’s towering ego. Each one a…


Editor’s Picks

Larry King comes to San Diego for Kids Korps

I met Larry King at a Kids Korps gala event in March 2007. He made me laugh, and was a fun person to interview. February 2021 I recall he had this to say about Kids Korps: “As a whole, KK the best thing about it is your kids getting involved and getting something done. It is not that complex. They see a goal they accomplish…


Pot wins big across county, state ballots

Election Day not only ushered in marijuana legalization wins in five states, it also brought more than two dozen victories at the city and county levels in California, opening the door to new local markets for cannabis businesses up and down the state. All told, there were at least 37 marijuana ballot questions in 35 cities and counties, according to tallies by California NORML and…


Saying Goodbye to all that at Petco Park, Escondido Style

It was all over, especially the shouting, little that it was, as the San Diego Padres wrapped up their 2015 home schedule at Petco Park. And oh, by the way, in this season of their continued discontent, the Padres humbled their apparent arch-nemesis Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 behind Ian Kennedy’s best game of a 9-15, 4.28 ERA season. Believe it or not, the Brewers had won…


Escondido Union School District Board: ‘Another Embarrassment Parts I-II’

Another Escondido Embarrassment, Part II (Dec. 15) Jose Fragozo had to phone it in again last night, but the connection was much better. Even though he was given very short notice to obtain a room, with ADA accessibility, he was able to do so at the NCLA office at 370 Mulberry Drive, San Marcos. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the next relevant item on the agenda…


San Diego County health officials address recent local COVID misinformation, COVID shots for kids 5-to-11

An independent panel of local doctors today addressed COVID-19 misinformation brought up at the Nov. 2 County Board of Supervisors meeting. The Nov. 3, 2021 virtual event, which was interpreted live into Spanish, was moderated by Dr. Eric McDonald, County chief medical officer, and included Dr. Siu Ming Geary from Scripps Clinic La Jolla, Dr. Jeannette Aldous from San Ysidro Health, Dr. Zulma Curet with…


Sheeeee’s baaaaack. San Diego GOP recycles old chair removed in April for DeMaio ethical vile-lations

The fetid stink of political theater hung thick in the air at the Legacy Hotel in Mission Valley on the night of December 9, as the San Diego County Republican Party Central Committee — much like the Soviet Politburo — convened to re-coronate Paula S. Whitsell as their glorious figurehead. Whitsell, a Chula Vista relic who first wormed her way into this backwater power circle…


Breaking News

End of an era for Champion’s Restaurant

Tough to cull the sweet from the bitter on Wednesday Jan. 20, 2016 as customers at Grand Avenue’s landmark, iconic Champion’s Family Restaurant ate their last meals with tears flooding food-splashed eyes. Like the condemned with no remaining reprieve, customers bade sad farewells to all that tasty comfort food with final portions of signature corned beef hash topped off by to-die-for cinnamon rolls. Come to…

Click Here or title to read more




Politics

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…

Click Here or title to read more

VOTE TO END THE TRUMP ERA

THE EDITORIAL BOARD VOTE TO END THE TRUMP ERA You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to thosewho know him best. He tried to subvertan election and remains a threat to democracy. He helped overturn Roe, with terrible consequences. Mr. Trump’s corruption and lawlessness go beyondelections: It’s his whole ethos. He lieswithout limit. If he’s re-elected, the G.O.P. won’t…

Click Here or title to read more

Bully Barr should be reviled, not given award

Editor’s Note: Updated… HM Alumni Council Shares Statement Regarding Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement Petition – June 6, 2020 “We have heard concerns expressed by current students, alumni, and school employees regarding the Horace Mann School Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Achievement presented to US Attorney General William Barr in 2011. In response, we are convening our Council to canvass the views of our alumni…

Click Here or title to read more

What President Biden said at Rancho Santa Fe event

The White House Tuesday released a complete read-out of formal remarks made by President Biden from 6:47 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. Monday at the Rancho Santa Fe residence of tech entrepreneurs Allan and Megan Camaisa. He made those remarks during a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Grassroots Fund in which he reportedly raised $1 million. This was Biden’s final stop after a…

Click Here or title to read more

Escondido

Remembering the 2007 Witch Creek Fire

Fifteen years ago this week the Witch Creek Fire devastated Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe and North County San Diego. This is part of my first-hand coverage done as editor of the Rancho Santa Fe Record. I won the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s first place prize for local news coverage for this, and the other 26 stories, numerous photos, and overall coverage I produced during, and…

Click Here or title to read more





Surprising and Strange

In age of Drumpf, Tony Clifton claims foul

Editor’s Note: Michael Patrick Welch, renowned New Oreans writer, musician, teacher and friend of The Escondido Grapevine, conducted an interview with the provocateur known to Andy Kauffman and Bob Zmuda fans as Tony Clifton. While others have shunned this outstanding piece of informational journalism, we embrace it and re-print this as a public service. “After years of chasing Tony Clifton to get his thoughts on…

Click Here or title to read more

Why are so few people born on Christmas Day, New Year’s and other holidays?

Christmas and New Year’s are days of celebration in many parts of the world when people gather with family and friends. One thing many typically don’t celebrate on those days is a birthday. That’s because Dec. 25 is the least popular day in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand to give birth. In England, Wales and Ireland, it’s the second-least popular, behind Dec. 26, when…

Click Here or title to read more

27 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…

Click Here or title to read more

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…

Click Here or title to read more

Featured Content

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…

Click Here or title to read more

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…

Click Here or title to read more

Vick Vannucci comes back to Mother Earth

Former tennis prodigy, model and TV presenter Maria Victoria “Vick” Vannucci lived through the photograph, then figuratively died by the photograph. Former owner and chef at Normal Heights’ Pachamama Restaurant, Vannucci pursues a new socially aware image featuring her tale of personal redemption centering on giving back to the community and educating people about healthy food and animal conservation. “My story is a special story,”…

Click Here or title to read more

Re-booting the past: Escondido shoe repair shop one of the few left around North County

Not a lot of us are left, Doart Shoe Repair owner Lucia Capuano says before jumping out of her lunch to wait on yet another customer. Capuano’s talking cobblers, not customers. A steady stream of the latter enter the 35-year-old fixture at 103 S Broadway, just south of the 100 block of W Grand Avenue, constantly interrupting her attempt to lunch. Not to worry, time…

Click Here or title to read more

Bringing mid-20th Century modern furniture aesthetics to early 21st Century lives and homes

Applying an international twist to the American Dream, the globe-trotting French native Aymerick Rondeau, 44, now scours the world for authentic 1960s Scandinavian mid-century modern furniture, bringing it all back to his San Marcos warehouse and home. Like Cher and Oprah, the effervescent Rondeau is known by first name only as Aymerick. He followed the sun as a young man working in the hospitality industry…

Click Here or title to read more

Grid and Bear It

Last but not Least

1,000 new 2025 California Laws now being enforced

California, ever the avant-garde of legislative theatrics! Starting January 1, 2025, prepare for a smorgasbord of new rules, ranging from the progressive to the peculiar. Cannabis cafés and expanded outdoor drinking? A toast to your libations, but do mind the irony of laws encouraging indulgence while protecting your credit score from the ravages of medical debt. Even financial institutions aren’t safe from the guillotine of…

Click Here or title to read more

Parked cars, blind corners, and ‘Darwin’s Crosswalk’

A new ” Darwin’s Crosswalk” law in effect this year could surprise drivers with a $64 parking ticket. California’s new “daylighting” law aims to improve pedestrian safety by prohibiting drivers from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk. But not all off-limit spots will be marked. A law with the kind of practical, no-nonsense thinking that usually comes along after someone’s had enough funerals is…

Click Here or title to read more

Escondido’s 2025 Cosmic Compass: A year of awakening and expansion is written in the friggin’ stars, believe it.

May the stars guide you, Escondido. Cosmic Affirmation for Escondido 2025: “With harmony as my guide and the stars as my compass, I rise from the Hidden Valley to shine with brilliance and balance.”Escondido, the universe weaves your path with the threads of change, opportunity, and renewal. As you walk through 2025, remember that your greatest strength lies in your ability to unify: past with…

Click Here or title to read more

Stephen Miller’s fear factory targets California leaders

Stephen Miller, our self-appointed prophet of jurisprudence, has descended once more from his ivory tower, pen in hand, to dispatch 249 missives of divine judgment to the unwashed, lawless hordes of California and beyond. These epistles, dripping with righteous indignation and the ink of a bureaucracy in heat, are not merely letters—they are commandments, etched in the stone of Miller’s towering ego. Each one a…

Click Here or title to read more

Evergreen’s Christmas miracle a 2024 Gift of the Magi

In the season when hearts grow tender and hopes seem brighter, there is always room for a miracle, even one wrapped in fur and tucked beneath the fragrant boughs of a Christmas tree. Such a miracle came to light in the rolling hills of Valley Center, where December breezes carried the mingling scents of pine needles and chimney smoke. Amid this tableau of holiday cheer,…

Click Here or title to read more

USD prof says your calamari once was sentient creature

We named him Squirt – not because he was the smallest of the 16 cuttlefish in the pool, but because anyone with the audacity to scoop him into a separate tank to study him was likely to get soaked. Squirt had notoriously accurate aim. As a comparative psychologist, I’m used to assaults from my experimental subjects. I’ve been stung by bees, pinched by crayfish and…

Click Here or title to read more

Think The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry died in the 19th Century? Don’t tell Ramona.

For many a year, Karen Carlson, a steadfast farmer and rancher in the rolling hills of Ramona, has tilled the soil and tended her groves with an unyielding spirit. Now, she’s setting her sights on something larger than her own five-acre spread. With a heart as big as the valley itself, she’s rallying to breathe new life into the California State Grange and rekindle the…

Click Here or title to read more

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! A $7M lotto ticket was sold Christmas Eve 2015 at Nordahl Liquor

Who was it, you, to whom Santa brought a very supercalifragilisticexpialidocious holiday bounty down the chimney on Christmas Eve, 2015? Or was it a discarded scrap sitting amiably in an unattended drawer somewhere along the Highway 78 corridor around the Great Grapevine? Only the Shadow, possibly Santa, Mary Poppins and state lottery officials knew. And they were not telling. It was all over but the…

Click Here or title to read more

SPONSORSHIPS PROVIDED BY…