Articles by Special to The Grapevine

Only track crews could get anywhere by rail

Coaster and Amtrak riders this weekend found they could ride all they wanted, but it best had been by plane or automobile, not train. That is, if they wanted to get there. Rail service along the 351-mile Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo, or LOSSAN, rail corridor, was suspended in both directions on Saturday through 5 a.m. Monday from Oceanside to San Diego for track and…


Escondido fish poop helping feed the world

Today, surrounded by freezing temperatures, thousands of heads of lettuce grow, nestled in a cozy greenhouse fed by nutrient-rich nitrates. Or you could call it what it is: fish poop. The process, called aquaponics, allows farmers to grow local, organic produce anywhere at any time of year. Aquaponics is a sustainable method of farming that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in water)….


CSUSM Congress intern gets insider view

If Tyler Burch had preconceived notions about life as a congressional staffer, they quickly dissipated last fall. Tyler, who will graduate from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor’s in economics in May, spent the fall semester as a participant in the Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program, giving him firsthand experience in the inner workings of Washington, D.C. “I don’t think people who don’t work…



CSUSM student union going strong at 5

Heart of student life, University Student Union beats strong after five years… The 2018-19 academic year at CSUSM witnessed the largest influx of incoming students to date. With 17,000 students, the campus is home to a diverse array of student interests, backgrounds and values.  Since its opening in 2014, the University Student Union (USU) has become an integral part in helping to reinforce and integrate…


SD Jewish Film Festival returns Feb. 7

The annual San Diego Jewish International Film Festival will return for its 29th anniversary, Thursday, Feb. 7 through Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, according to the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture (CJC). The festival showcases a selection of the best contemporary Jewish-related films across multiple genres and aims to educate and illuminate the diverse Jewish experience through evocative, independent narrative and documentary films. Thirty-two feature films…


Field to Fork: Avos from Carlsbad to Davis

Avocados are all the rage these days. My sons don’t seem to understand their important role when it comes to supplying avocados to the family. Our older lad, who has a house in Los Angeles, has a large back yard filled with successful fruit trees — limes, lemons, grapefruit and two large guava trees. For six months, I pressured him to rip out a guava…


Social change doesn’t happen in a silo

Live Well San Diego: Creating Social Change Through Collective Impact The recent Sustainable Brands conference was a fitting stage to share the success story of Live Well San Diego, a visionary partnership that’s creating measurable progress toward a region that’s healthy, safe, and thriving. While San Diego is known for its beautiful beaches, perfect weather, and an active lifestyle, like much of the nation it’s…


Museum News: Half-price Feb. admission

People who love a deal and want to check out three Escondido and other North County museums are in luck next month. San Diego Museum Council’s Museum Month is back in its 30th year offering 1/2 priced admission to over 40+ museums throughout the month of February. Last year over 30,000 people used the promotion to explore the arts, history and culture in San Diego…


RSF’s Harold Brown, former Jimmy Carter Dept. of Defense secretary, dies at age 91

Harold Brown, who as defense secretary in the Carter administration championed cutting-edge fighting technology during a tenure that included the failed rescue of hostages in Iran, has died at age 91. Brown died Friday, said the Rand Corp., the California-based think tank which Brown served as a trustee for more than 35 years. His sister, Leila Brennet, said he died at his home in Rancho…