Escondido

Escondido, Homelessness March 12, 2023

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…

Courts/Law, Escondido, Valley Center March 4, 2023

Esco CBD product company sued for $300K wage fraud

In three years, James Woo racked up more than $200,000 in personal credit card debt while fronting the cost of flights, meals, hotels and trade show bookings for his employer, a CBD product company based in Escondido.  Then in 2020 the company abruptly fired him without paying him back, according to court documents. Woo filed a wage theft claim with the state and sued the…

Education, Escondido, History, Surprising and Strange, The World February 27, 2023

Death and dying with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

The archive of the influential psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who developed the theory of the five stages of grief, has been given to Stanford Libraries, Stanford University officials said this week. What does that have to do with Escondido? Plenty. Of special note in the archive are complete runs of newsletters from the Shanti Nilaya Healing Center, which Kübler-Ross founded in Escondido, as well as manuscript…

Entertainment, Escondido, Music February 22, 2023

Mike Bickle, North Bar owner, memorial JamFest Sunday

Tributes continued to pour in this week for Mike Bickle, 53, well-known bass player and owner of Escondido’s iconic North Bar, who died in his sleep on Jan. 15, 2023. Cause of death is as-yet not known. Friends and family will host a special, free with music and food as well as spoken word, Memorial Jam Fest from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb….

Escondido, History, Travel February 17, 2023

Beyer’s Byways: At San Pasqual Battlefield

One of the habits Laureen has when we travel, and I believe everyone should, is using her phone to search for interesting sites near us when we stop. No matter where we are, there seems to be someplace we haven’t visited or — in this case — never even knew existed. After visiting friends in San Diego recently, we stopped off in Escondido for fuel….

Arts, Entertainment, Entertainment/Arts, Escondido, Music, The World, Theater February 4, 2023

Dancing for the apocalypse (another Doug Porter joint)

A widely advertised dance performance this week (Feb. 8-14) at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido — tickets are $90 to $200 — and San Diego Civic Center (April 21-23) is actually part of an international right wing propaganda effort. Images of a beautiful dancer in a midair leap grace the web and billboard ads for local performances of Shen Yun, one of eight touring…

Business, Entertainment/Arts, Escondido January 23, 2023

Escondido Stadium 16, Imax closing, Regal Cinemas says

Bad news, Escondido lovers of the cinema. Regal Cinemas has included the Escondido Stadium 16 and Imax at 350 W. Valley Parkway in its list of 39 US theaters to close due to the corporation’s bankruptcy filing. Parkway Plaza Stadium 18 and Imax at El Cajon also was scheduled for closing. Regal Cinemas, the second-largest chain of movie theaters in the U.S., will close 39…

Animals and pets, Escondido January 18, 2023

Escondido reptile museum about to go cold…forever

Reptiles may like to heat up, but in the case of Escondido’s EcoVivarium living museum, life may be getting way too cold for comfort for the snakes and such due to a mounting electric bill. It’s a constant challenge keeping these cold-blooded suckers warm and kicking. Operators of the 13-year-old private non-profit 10,200-square foot museum at 641 E. Pennsylvania Ave. issued an “emergency plea” for…

Business, Escondido, Featured Business Review, Retail January 16, 2023

Re-booting the past: Escondido shoe repair shop one of the few left around North County

Not a lot of us are left, Doart Shoe Repair owner Lucia Capuano says before jumping out of her lunch to wait on yet another customer. Capuano’s talking cobblers, not customers. A steady stream of the latter enter the 35-year-old fixture at 103 S Broadway, just south of the 100 block of W Grand Avenue, constantly interrupting her attempt to lunch. Not to worry, time…

Community, Entertainment, Entertainment/Arts, Escondido, Music December 24, 2022

Ukulele Ray Christmas Ranch Sing-A-Long

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 one of his “Only in Esco” cartoons he drew for The Escondido Grapevine. Ray also drew the winter cartoon atop this story, which he captioned: “Harry didn’t always dress like ‘The Grimace!’ We moved to Escondido, so…