June 2016

‘Fly Boy’ stuns Perez at South Philly bout

Johnson-Perez wasn’t as hot a ticket seller as the sold out Hart-Johnson event in March. Still, the match drew a reported 721 fans to the 2300 Arena. Peltz Boxing, Bam Boxing and Joe Hand Promotions were the promoters. — John DiSanto, PhillyBoxingHistory.com. Escondido’s knight in shining boxing gloves Dashon “Fly Boy” Johnson came back to Philadelphia Friday night and left another good impression on local…


Fencing camps, MLB All-Star legacy projects and college baseball transfer

San Diego Fencing Center holds summer camps Many kids are out of school during the summer, but that doesn’t mean they have to stop experiencing new horizons in learning and sporting fun. San Diego Fencing Center at  1770 South Escondido Blvd. hosts several one-week fencing camps this summer. Beginners camps cost $100 with all fencing equipment provided by the center. Week-long beginners camps introduce students to…


San Diego’s losing avocado market grip

The Gist: Salty water turns avocado leaves brown, curbs root growth and can even stop trees from producing fruit at all. In the past three years, the amount of salt in the water used by most avocado growers in San Diego County has gone up by 20 percent, according to one expert. Like any plants, avocados need water to thrive. But lately, water has been causing a lot…


Voices of North County Voters: ‘I Honestly Have No Idea About Local Elections’

The Gist: There was a competitive election for county supervisor in coastal North County, but many voters told us on Tuesday that they declined to weigh in on that race because they weren’t sure what a county supervisor does. The presidential election is driving North County voters to the polls for this primary election. Gary Dyer, a 59-year-old North County real estate investor, was so…


North County Report: Roberts, Gaspar — Not Abed — advance to D3 runoff

The Gist: Darrell Issa might have a real race on his hands, North County voters less interested in local race than the presidential contest, New York Times drops in on Carlsbad and more in our weekly roundup of North County news. Perhaps the biggest news for North County in Tuesday’s primary election was the District 3 race for county supervisor. Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar knocked…


Poems and stories found in a box

    1. COME, THE REVOLUTION   Juan was at The winter solstice. But so was everyone. His last name Didn’t catch, Anonymously equal Under a setting sun.   Light comes from Many directions. Juanita from her skew line. Pablo across his fault-line Falling, falling, falling Towards wide white lines Covering ice-cream earth.   Fernando Real Knows nothing is real If you don’t feel It…


Geezer Bandit or Geezer Bandit copycat?

Five years after his last reputed heist, could the Geezer Bandit have surfaced at a San Marcos Chase Bank around 5 p.m. Friday, June 3 armed with a money-demand note, black box he said was a bomb and a handgun? No telling, at least for now as Michael Lehman, 81, was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery and terroristic threats, among other charges, on Palomar…


Largest cupcake tower: Escondido breaks Guinness World Records record

A group of North County cancer survivors and caregivers took their battle against the disease to new heights last week by trying to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest cupcake tower; their sweet success — a 31.5 foot tower made out of 25,103 cupcakes – have crushed the previous record of 21 feet and 7,500 cupcakes, according to the World Record Academy. Thousands…


Connected for Life — Mariee Mena lives on

Curtis Kingfisher will always carry a piece of Escondido’s Mariee Mena with him. At 12 years old, Curtis received a kidney donation from Mariee, a former Escondido High School and University of Oklahoma softball player, which gave him a second chance at life. Since then, he and his family have been deeply connected with both the Menas and the OU family. When Curtis was born,…


Celebrate Dad’s Day in the dad’s way

Come, on man. Even dads need a little love, stoic as they may seem, so how about doing something on Father’s Day, which is Sunday, June 19 this year. Dads love to roar, so why not roar with the animals at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, especially with food thrown in the man cave. A special Father’s Day buffet takes place at 11:30 a.m….