Articles by The Grapevine

President Biden fundraises at Rancho Santa Fe, visits San Diego region with British, Australian PMs

President Joe Biden went to an undisclosed Rancho Santa Fe location Monday evening where he met with Rep. Scott Peters and 40 guests for about 40 minutes in an effort to raise $1 million for the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, sources said. This was his final stop after a daylong visit to the San Diego area Monday where he met with…


Most Escondido homelessness funds went to police, not homelessness programs, according to city staff report

Some $1.4 million of $2 million targeted to address homelessness in Escondido went to the city’s police department rather than homelessness services, according to a city staff report released last month. The money that specifically comes from the city’s general fund came under fire from some residents at a February 15, 2023 city council meeting, according to the Voice of San Diego. “We keep seeing…


Move over Octomom, Birch Aquarium welcomes 70 baby weedy seadragons carried to birth by proud papa

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is celebrating the arrival of more than 70 tiny newborn Weedy Seadragons, which are incredibly difficult to breed and rear in captivity.  Only a handful of facilities have successfully hatched and reared this unique species of fish that are related to seahorses and pipefish. “This is huge for us. We’ve been working on this…


Carlsbad’s iconic Flower Fields doing its colorful thing

It’s that time of the year again. Carlsbad’s iconic Flower Fields opens for the season Wednesday, March 1, 2023. That’s 55 acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus and a variety of new events through May 14. The attraction’s new theme, “Live Colorfully,” covers everything from the ranunculus, a flower known for its large, double-petaled blooms that sit atop tall, straight stems, to the seemingly endless rows of…


Meet the Cosmic Ray Deflection Society of North America (RIP Also Aswell)

 (RIP CHUCK ALSTON AKA ALSO ASWELL, GRAND FOUNDER AND POOBAH OF THE COSMIC RAY DEFLECTION SOCIETY AKA KRUDZNA INK. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Aswell worked for many years as a chef at New Orleans. Also, a prolific artist and thinker, Aswell led the way for numerous storied events and adventures. Following a long series of health battles, he died peacefully in his sleep…


Walk-up weddings all the rage at SD County office

Love is in the air? San Diego County will be issuing marriage licenses and performing ceremonies on Valentine’s Day for those love birds wanting to tie the knot or renew their wedding vows. Nearly 100 San Diego couples said no to expensive dinners, bouquets and treats last Valentine’s Day, instead they opted to take it a little bit further and say ‘I do.’ “San Diego…


Business briefs: Mall changes, store closings, zero-waste

For your consideration: Westfield Mall has yet another new name and owner, Bed Bath and Beyond closes stores, former Yale women’s soccer player goes zero waste at Encinitas…. Meet the new Westfield Mall, sort of the same as the old mall except… Escondido’s Westfield Mall has been sold to a California partnership that hopes to revitalize the nearly 40-year-old center with new shops, restaurants and…


Charles Manson and the ‘American Dream’

When Charles Manson died in November 2017, his name carried weight even among those who weren’t alive when he committed his crimes. For decades, Manson was the symbol of evil, a real-life boogeyman who loomed as the American conception of wickedness incarnate. His death ended 48 years of imprisonment for a series of murders in August 1969, some of which he committed, most of which…


Animal Kingdom edition of mammals behaving badly

Move over Dallas Zoo, San Diego Zoo red panda climbs tree to escape enclosure A red panda climbed a tree to escape her enclosure at the San Diego Zoo, prompting hours of efforts to lure her back to her habitat, officials told news outlets. Adira, a 2-year-old red panda, broke out of her enclosure by climbing a tree into a nearby habitat Sunday, Jan. 29,…


$100K grant to fight child hunger in rural SD County

San Diego may seem like a wealthy area, but the mountain communities in the eastern part of the county still struggle with hunger and poverty. Now, a new $100,000 grant from Save the Children’s Innovation Lab will fund the development of a program to mailboxes of shelf-stable food to low-income rural families, starting next year. Anahid Brakke, president and CEO of the San Diego Hunger…