California’s hospitals thought they were ready for the next big disaster. They’ve retrofitted their buildings to withstand a major earthquake and whisked patients out of danger during deadly wildfires. They’ve kept patients alive with backup generators amid sweeping power shutoffs and trained their staff to thwart would-be shooters. But nothing has prepared them for a crisis of the magnitude facing hospitals today. “We’re in a…
Looking for some good news? Due to coronavirus, along with the nasty crude oil spat between OPEC and Russia, gasoline prices have plummeted throughout Escondido, San Diego County and America. Unfortunately, this so-called good news is fairly off-putting, since pretty much all the places to go are closed. Escondido gas prices Monday dropped to their lowest levels since January 2016 when prices dipped to the…
Due to fears of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, some local governments and property owners in California have temporarily ceased farmers market operations, while other markets remain open after bolstering safety measures to prevent spread of the virus. Abruptly closing markets, affected organizers say, hurts farmers and market customers, especially when access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a must to boost…
The Escondido City Council voted unanimously on March 5 to move forward with an ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping in outdoor dining areas, public places including sidewalks, and public events such as parades. The smoke-free policy will come back for final approval on April 1 and, if approved, will become effective 30 days later. A new policy requiring all tobacco retailers to obtain a license…
(Editor’s Note: We will be updating coronavirus information on a regular basis starting today, March 16, 2020. This is not intended as a comprehensive source, but aims to highlight resources and news of interest to the community.) San Diego County schools closed, student meals continue The kids, hopefully, will be — apologies to The Who — alright, but they’ll be doing it at home for…
Escondido city officials announced Wednesday morning that longtime Escondido Councilman John Masson has died. Flags at all city facilities, including City Hall, offices and parks, were lowered shortly after 10 a.m. and will remain lowered until the day of Masson’s internment. Masson, who was 55 years old, died after a yearlong battle with cancer. Funeral services are pending. The city-issued statement said: “The Escondido City…
There was a method to the madness of presenting San Francisco legend Herb Caen’s three-dot lounge history along with its various re-interpretations. That was to set up Escondido Grapevine’s own three-dot lounge approach to local news. For more about the concept, visit our story here. For more local three-dot news, keep on trucking below… Lake Hodges Wildlife gets down to business First came the mating of…
Ammar Campa-Najjar led the way in 50th Congressional District and top county results Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar advanced to the run-off in the race to fill the vacancy left by disgraced former Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter in California’s 50th District. Campa-Najjar will likely face former Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who’s attempting a congressional comeback, and beat out former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio in the all-party primary held on…
A giant $1 million arch targeted to loom large over Grand Avenue just east of Centre City Parkway got a giant donation from a mystery donor. What gives? The heck with downtown homelessness, health care and community wellness projects. The Escondido Community Foundation (ECF) under the auspices of the San Diego Foundation has been trying for several years for some reason to spend $1 million…
Today is a day that lives in showmance-famy. This marks the birthday of an Escondido musical legend, Ukulele Ray Masters. Escondido’s Ukulele Ray was a man of many faces, many names and many talents, always entertaining and many time surprising. Scroll down the right sidebar and you’ll see some of his “Only in Esco” cartoons he drew for The Escondido Grapevine. Sharry R. Han, 58,…