Articles by The Grapevine

Mighty 1090, where are you?

Welcome to the sounds of silence. Like stars disappearing in a black hole, one of San Diego’s leading radio stations suddenly disappeared just after noon Wednesday, April 10 with a whisper, then white noise rather than a bang. The Mighty 1090 had been the top-rated San Diego sports talk station for the last 16 years. “We have lost our connection in Mexico and are working…


Let them eat (free, miniature bundt) cake

Call it a publicity stunt, but free is free, so a complimentary $4.75 miniature bundt cake, or bundtlet so-called, is nothing to turn up one’s nose at. Although there is a 300 second Cinderella window of opportunity catch. From 3 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, anybody venturing inside Nothing  Bundt Cakes at the (Winco) San Marcos Creekside Marketplace shopping center, 595 Grand Ave.,…


As climate change erodes US coastlines, an invasive plant could become an ally

Many invasive species are found along U.S. coasts, including fishes, crabs, mollusks and marsh grasses. Since the general opinion is that invasives are harmful, land managers and communities spend a lot of time and resources attempting to remove them. Often this happens before much is known about their actual effects, either good or bad. The common reed Phragmites australis is a tall perennial grass with…


Flower Fields blooming big-time through May

El Nino rain in February should mean magnificent Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch blooms beginning March 1 through May 12. Mellano & Company of San Luis Rey is the production arm and onsite grower. The Ecke family owns the land. Over 50 acres are devoted to raising the ranunculus bulb crop; approximately five acres are used for other specialty flowers. Rains that have pummeled San Diego…


Milk, cow manure, and beer trucks

Lessons from the Last Surviving San Diego Dairy “My family has always been in the dairy business. It’s a…different sort of business,” laughs Frank Konyn of Frank Konyn Dairy. Established in 1962 by his father, Konyn’s 250-acre dairy farm is nestled on the San Pasqual Valley floor 35 miles northeast of downtown San Diego. With over 800 cows, he estimates his monthly feed bill to…


SDSU: The shape of Imperial Valley water

SDSU researchers examine the effects of shrinking water supplies in the Imperial-Mexicali Valley. Whenever it rained, six-year-old Trent Biggs would get in trouble for digging ditches in the school playground. “I just liked watching water flow around,” he explained. He still does. Now a San Diego State University geography professor, Biggs leads water-use studies from the Himalayan foothills of Nepal to the Amazon rainforests of…


Buying insulin dirt cheap at Tijuana is a thing

Americans Cross Border Into Mexico To Buy Insulin At A Fraction Of U.S. Cost For one patient, a three-month supply of insulin is $3,700 in the U.S. versus $600 in Mexico. But is it legal? Data from a U.S. government survey suggest that 150,000 to 320,000 U.S. travelers list health care as a reason for traveling abroad each year. An estimated 952,000 Californians enter Mexico…


Hey Deer Springs Equestrian, Feed & Supply

Deer Springs Equestrian, along with Deer Springs Feed & Supply, at 2333 N. Twin Oaks Rd., San Marcos (760-744-9600), is a horse boarding and training facility unlike any other in Southern California. Situated on 21 acres in the historic Discovery Valley, San Marcos, Deer Springs gives the horse and rider the freedom to pursue their riding goals in a relaxed and spacious environment. With a…


CSUSM Super STEM science fair Saturday

What: Super STEM Saturday, a free interactive science festival for all ages When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday, March 9, 2019 Where: California State University San Marcos 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos Complimentary parking in Lots E, F, H. Science can be fun and the kids are going to prove it the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) campus from 10 a.m….


Tales from the brighter side of long-term care

It’s been a few months now since we first launched our #BrightenUpLTC campaign, hoping to shine a light on the positive occurrences that are happening in nursing homes across the country. We’ve received dozens of responses since that initial November call and have highlighted a handful already in our Brighter Side feature. I just wanted to take a few minutes to highlight a few of the…