Articles by Special to The Grapevine

Escondido declares contaminated creek emergency

The City of Escondido is stepping forward with urgent action to address a pressing issue—one that touches not only the environment but the well-being of its people. In the quiet area near Harmony Grove, Escondido Creek has become a center of concern. Recent testing has revealed troubling contamination, much of it linked to homeless encampments along its banks. Now, the City has declared a local…


50th Cong. Dist. teens code future, one app at a time

Ah, folks, let me tell you about a little event that just happened in California’s 50th Congressional District. Congressman Scott Peters announced the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge! Now, if you’re not familiar, this is like “American Idol” for coding nerds. Instead of hitting the high notes, these kids are debugging lines of code like they’re cracking the Enigma machine. So, apparently, a…


California under Newsom getting ready for Trump

This week, California’s legislative chambers gather under the banner of a special session—a session sharply defined by the governor’s intent, yet shadowed by debate over the scope of its ambition. Governor Gavin Newsom seeks a modest $25 million allocation to arm the California Department of Justice and state agencies for the legal challenges anticipated from the incoming Trump administration. A narrowly tailored proposal, its focus…


Padres lead Dodgers in Roki Sasaki recruit-athon

At 23 years old, Roki Sasaki finds himself shackled by the red tape of MLB’s international bonus pool rules. Here’s the skinny, folks: Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old flamethrower from Japan, is the talk of baseball’s hot stove. But let’s not kid ourselves—landing Sasaki is no cakewalk, thanks to MLB’s international bonus pool rules. Unless you’re 25 and a grizzled pro with six years in a…


New immigrant welcome center opens at Escondido

San Diego County, in its restless and sprawling way, has opened another Immigrant and Refugee Welcome Center, this time at Escondido. It’s a gesture steeped in good intentions, wrapped in the hopeful language of inclusion. Here, they say, the doors are open wide, no questions asked about where you came from or how you got here. They call it a place where people can seek…


Goodbye, Max. Meet your new overlord, Charlie

Yes, Max, the once-reigning monarch of mediocrity, has been unceremoniously dethroned in the bloodless coup of 2024 pet naming trends, according to the clairvoyants over at Rover.com. The most popular male dog name is now Charlie—again—because apparently, originality is overrated. Meanwhile, for male cats, the zeitgeist has settled on Milo. Groundbreaking. San Diego, ever the beacon of cultural innovation, has crowned Luna as the supreme…


Rainbows to reservoirs, Tom Kennedy joins Rincon Water

Well, folks, Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District has just rolled out the red carpet for Tom Kennedy, a man who’s spent more time around water than a fish in a river. Replacing long-time Board member Dr. Gregory Quist, Kennedy steps into the role representing Division One after retiring from nearly a decade as General Manager of the Rainbow Municipal Water District. Guess he’s swapping…


Corporate giant IDEC snatches $49.5M Carlsbad facility

In the end, this is not a story. In yet another episode of corporate maneuvering dressed in glossy press releases, Cushman & Wakefield proudly announced its role in facilitating a $49.5 million deal that highlights the unchecked commodification of vital industrial spaces. Hill Companies, LLC, a Greenwood Village investment firm, has offloaded Studio 2200—a massive, 233,194-square-foot facility in Carlsbad, California—to IDEC Corporation, a multinational giant…


People Behaving Badly: Thanksgiving 2024 Edition

As Thanksgiving Day 2024 dawned over San Diego County, the holiday’s veneer of tranquility was marred by a series of unsettling events, each unraveling the threads of peace. In the heart of Spring Valley, a domestic disturbance escalated into a fatal encounter. Deputies responded to a trespassing call involving a 34-year-old man, Victor Rendon Jr., reportedly armed and erratic. After ensuring the safety of children…


Holiday cheer guide to North County festive escapes

Ah, dear reader, let us weave a tale of holiday cheer, as though by the pen of Dickens himself, capturing the festive spirit that stirs the hearts of North County! Picture if you will, a panorama of joy and delight, wherein every corner bursts with the enchantments of the season, inviting families and friends to partake in yuletide merriment. Carlsbad: A Tapestry of Cheer Through…