I’ve talked about poltergeists before and we learned that if you don’t actually see what threw the plate at you then it was, most likely, a poltergeist instead of a ghost. Ghosts don’t fool around in the background of life. They are right there to scare the puddin’ out of you every chance they get. But why? Why does a ghostly spirit get his kicks…
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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…
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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…
Click Here or title to read moreThe 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.
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In 1982, National Silver Industries—originally founded by Samuel E. Bernstein—was acquired by Towle Manufacturing Co. for $4.3 million. [1, 2] Company Overview Founder: Samuel E. Bernstein founded National Silver Co. (later National Silver Industries) in New York City around 1890. The company’s products often featured the hallmark “SEB”. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Expansion: Under his leadership and subsequent management, the company grew into a…
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…
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,”…
Every dog has its day, they say, and apparently so does every cause, effect and plain old thing. Welcome to Thursday Oct. 8, 2026. 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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Daylight saving time: It’s backward time again when clocks step forth one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8, 2026. Don’t forget to do the right thing clockwise or you’ll be out of sync. Californians early Sunday will join most of the nation in the yearly ritual of switching their clocks an hour backwards and back on daylight saving time. Will they be allowed to…
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As people in the U.S. prepare to turn their clocks ahead at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8, I find myself bracing for the annual ritual of media stories about the disruptions to daily routines caused by switching from standard time to daylight saving time. About a third of Americans say they don’t look forward to these twice-yearly time changes. An overwhelming 63% to 16% majority…
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“For the first time media is the least trusted institution globally,” Edelman, the global PR and marketing firm concluded in its annual worldwide study on trust in institutions like the media, business and government. These international findings are in line with recent data coming out of the U.S. A 2016 Gallup poll reported that just 32 percent of Americans trusted the mass media, while an…
Always a bit of an oddity, and itself a colorful exhibition of an Escondido antique dealer’s lifelong hobby, the Roynon Museum celebrating all things dinosaur, went the way of the creatures celebrated within, that is to say, extinct, on June 30, 2019. Applying the lofty title of Roynon Museum of Earth Sciences and Paleontology to its decidedly idiosyncratic exhibit and purpose, museum officials this week…
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps: He was a giant Oh, what a long —- and sudsy —- trip it has been for Dr. Emmanuel H. Bronner and the soap he created, then popularized along with a cleansing dose of proselytizing. Bronner may be gone now, but nowhere near forgotten given the hundreds upon hundreds of Web pages devoted to his memory. These pages are devoted to…
Having a ghost in your house doesn’t necessarily mean pictures fly off the wall at you and the dog cowers and growls at the top of the basement stairs. Spirits are everywhere, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and intentions Hollywood has led people to believe that ghosts are not only real but vicious things that rip flesh and possess children to…
(Editor’s Note: To order tickets, go to the Butterfly Jungle sidebar ad to the right and click.) San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Butterfly Jungle is roaring back into life through April 10. Immerse yourself in a flutter of delicate wings. Each spring, Hidden Jungle gets an added dose of color during the Butterfly Jungle event, when thousands of colorful butterflies hatch and add their fluttering…
Given the (supposed) gravitas of Congress, one would imagine top staffers would be grizzled veterans well-versed in the affairs of state. One would be wrong. Many congressional staffers are young, not attached to geography as they represent congressional offices far removed from their native lands. And many in the Republican brand play a game of office musical chairs where no chairs go unfilled although they swap…
Remember when Escondido Police last closed down a local massage parlor allegedly involved in prostitution? Seemed like just last month. Or cracked down on human trafficking, this time last September? Guess what? Theeeeey’re back. Police, that is, raiding even more Escondido massage parlors allegedly engaged in illegal activity, this time of the municipal code violation or other civil miscreant kind. “Although the majority of massage…
Chito’s Taco Shop at Del Lago Boulevard and Interstate 15 near Westfield North County in the early morning hours of Dec. 17 was the latest in a new type of brazen crime wave striking San Diego County since June. The same thing happened Nov. 6 at a Tierrasanta Chase Bank branch. And Oct. 6 at an Otay Mesa CVS Pharmacy and nearby check cashing store….
FLASH! SEINFELD & GAFFIGAN: A COMEDIC LOVE STORY ON TOUR STOP THE PRESSES! Comedy’s dynamic duo is back in action! The dapper Don of observational humor, Jerry Seinfeld (70, still sharp as ever) and the affable everyman Jim Gaffigan (58, still hungry) have turned their chuckle-fueled camaraderie into a bona fide box office bonanza. DATELINE: MANHATTAN, NINE YEARS AGO! The world first caught a glimpse…
Conflicting special election cost estimates and private lobbying of council members are just two of the lingering questions pertaining to the San Marcos City Council’s decision to appoint a new member for a 2-year term rather than allow voters to decide. After a final Thursday count, City Clerk Phil Scollick had received 24 – count ’em, 24 — applications in various stages of completion. Applicants…
Here we are in year two of Trump II, and you’d have to be blind to say the administration hasn’t flooded the zone with Project 2025 schemes, would-be Presidential monuments, Racism, and lies like nobody’s ever seen before. From day one it’s been difficult for non-MAGA types to comprehend and react to the pace of administration actions. Broken down into their actual components, they include:…
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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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They came by car. They came by foot. They came from all over San Diego County on Saturday June 14, 2025 to say to “King Donald I,” no more acting like King George III — and then some — on what protest organizers titled “No Kings Day.” “I am protesting because I am scared about what’s happening in our country,” said Michelle Cyr, an organizer…
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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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Nobody, especially Trump, knows it yet. His fate, his downfall, and his doom is, as we speak, being set in stone. And considering the roll he is on, few will believe what I am writing here. Just as well. Best not to believe or repeat what I’m telling you. Fortunately, Trump is so full of himself and too stupid to see what he is doing…
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Always a bit of an oddity, and itself a colorful exhibition of an Escondido antique dealer’s lifelong hobby, the Roynon Museum celebrating all things dinosaur, went the way of the creatures celebrated within, that is to say, extinct, on June 30, 2019. Applying the lofty title of Roynon Museum of Earth Sciences and Paleontology to its decidedly idiosyncratic exhibit and purpose, museum officials this week…
Click Here or title to read more
I’ve talked about poltergeists before and we learned that if you don’t actually see what threw the plate at you then it was, most likely, a poltergeist instead of a ghost. Ghosts don’t fool around in the background of life. They are right there to scare the puddin’ out of you every chance they get. But why? Why does a ghostly spirit get his kicks…
Click Here or title to read more
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
Every dog has its day, they say, and apparently so does every cause, effect and plain old thing. Welcome to Thursday Oct. 8, 2026. 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…
Click Here or title to read more
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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In 1982, National Silver Industries—originally founded by Samuel E. Bernstein—was acquired by Towle Manufacturing Co. for $4.3 million. [1, 2] Company Overview Founder: Samuel E. Bernstein founded National Silver Co. (later National Silver Industries) in New York City around 1890. The company’s products often featured the hallmark “SEB”. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Expansion: Under his leadership and subsequent management, the company grew into a…
Click Here or title to read more
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
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
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…
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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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“For the first time media is the least trusted institution globally,” Edelman, the global PR and marketing firm concluded in its annual worldwide study on trust in institutions like the media, business and government. These international findings are in line with recent data coming out of the U.S. A 2016 Gallup poll reported that just 32 percent of Americans trusted the mass media, while an…
Click Here or title to read more
Always a bit of an oddity, and itself a colorful exhibition of an Escondido antique dealer’s lifelong hobby, the Roynon Museum celebrating all things dinosaur, went the way of the creatures celebrated within, that is to say, extinct, on June 30, 2019. Applying the lofty title of Roynon Museum of Earth Sciences and Paleontology to its decidedly idiosyncratic exhibit and purpose, museum officials this week…
Click Here or title to read more
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps: He was a giant Oh, what a long —- and sudsy —- trip it has been for Dr. Emmanuel H. Bronner and the soap he created, then popularized along with a cleansing dose of proselytizing. Bronner may be gone now, but nowhere near forgotten given the hundreds upon hundreds of Web pages devoted to his memory. These pages are devoted to…
Click Here or title to read more
Having a ghost in your house doesn’t necessarily mean pictures fly off the wall at you and the dog cowers and growls at the top of the basement stairs. Spirits are everywhere, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and intentions Hollywood has led people to believe that ghosts are not only real but vicious things that rip flesh and possess children to…
Click Here or title to read more
It may sound like something out of a futuristic science fiction film, but scientists have managed to engineer spinach plants which are capable of sending emails, according to Marthe de Ferrer of Euronews.green. Through nanotechnology, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have transformed spinach into sensors capable of detecting explosive materials. These plants are then able to wirelessly relay this information back to…
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“A payphone (alternative spelling: pay phone) is typically a coin-operated public telephone, often located in a telephone booth or a privacy hood, with pre-payment by inserting money (usually coins) or by billing a credit or debit card, or a telephone card. Around the Big Apple, Google Sidewalk Labs is replacing them with free city-wide Wi-Fi. In Ireland, units now are used less than once every…
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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…
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Its gates are forever locked. The koi have died. A lonesome breeze blows through faded gardens overgrown with weeds. The waterfalls have ceased falling and even the roses have faded into wilted dreams. Welcome to Pikake Botanical Gardens at 15515 Villa Sierra Road, once one of the wonders of the horticultural world, now reduced to ashes and memories. A private botanical garden on nine acres,…
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Enjoy special sponsorship and membership opportunities. Email EscondidoGrapevine@gmail.com for more information. JOIN THESE GREAT SPONSORS IN THE ESCONDIDO GRAPEVINE FAMILY:
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