Campo-Lake Morena roundup coming up this weekend
     CAMPO — The Campo-Lake Morena roundup will take place Saturday, April 8 at DDD Ranch on Lake Morena Boulevard in Campo.
     Admission is $5 per person at the gate. Events during the day include all-day gymkhana, wild cow milking, ranch roping, bull riding, a mountain man encampment, an 1800s gunfight featuring the Hole-In-The-Wall Gang, and vendor booths and exhibits.
     For more information one may contact Mike Young at 478-2147 or Martin Mendoza at 742-1050.

VFW gears up for Easter
     CAMPO — VFW Post 2080 will host its annual Bicycle Race and Easter Egg Hunt for children on Sunday, April 9.
     Prizes will include the opportunity to win a brand new bicycle (boys and girls), plus lots of other prizes including all the eggs you can find! A bake sale will be held, and soft drinks and other goodies will be available for a minimal price.
     The Easter Egg Hunt begins at noon and the bike race starts at 1 p.m.
     For further information, one may call Gloria at 478-2853 or Jane at 478-5417. VFW Post 2080 is located at 301 Sheridan Road, directly behind the Border Patrol station.

Kiwanis holds annual Easter breakfast
     ALPINE — The Kiwanis Club of Alpine will hold its 52nd Annual Carmelo Manuele Easter Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, April 16, from 7 a.m. to noon. 
Breakfast includes scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, juice, coffee and milk, and the Easter Bunny will be on hand for photos.
     The breakfast will be held at the Alpine Elementary School Auditorium located at 1850 Alpine Blvd.
     Tickets are $5 donations for adults and $2 for children, 12 years and under.
     Tickets may be purchased at Alpine True Value Hardware, The Alpine Chamber of Commerce, from any Kiwanian or at the door.

Committee to discuss new high school
     ALPINE — The Alpine High School Citizens Committee will meet Monday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Alpine Community Center.
     Grossmont Union High School District superintendent Terry Ryan and other district trustees will be on hand at the meeting to update the public on the search for a school site in Alpine and answer questions from attendees.
     All Alpine residents are encouraged to attend. For more information about the committee or the upcoming meeting, one may call Terri King at 445-8968 or e-mail George Barnett.

Free dental sealants and fluoride varnish
     SPRING VALLEY — The Grossmont Health District will be providing free dental sealants and fluoride varnish for children up to age 18 with no dental resources. The event will be held Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grossmont Spring Valley Family Health Center, 8788 Jamacha Road.
     Each child will receive one service, wither sealants or varnish, and a parent or guardian must accompany each participant.
     For more information or to make an appointment one may call 692-8858.

Kiwanis Club of Alpine participates in walk for multiple sclerosis
     SAN DIEGO — The Kiwanis Club of Alpine is sending a team, the Alpine Trailblazers, down to the Embarcadero on Sunday, April 30 to participate in the 2006 MS Walk. Walkers have their choice of taking a 5K or 10K stroll along the San Diego Bay while raising money to help those who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis. 
     The Alpine Trailblazers are looking for additional team members or those who would like to pledge them with a donation. If you would like to walk or sponsor this team please call team captain Jan Herold at 445-5255.

Vintage Alpine coming in May
     ALPINE — The 16th Annual Vintage Alpine event will be held May 7, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Summers Past Farm located at 15602 Olde Highway 80 in Flynn Springs. The Kiwanis Club of Alpine is hosting the annual fund raising event for the children of East County.
     Tickets may be purchased on line at Alpine Kiwanis or by calling 749-1145, or from any Alpine Kiwanis member. Tickets are $40 currently, $45 after April 1, and $50 at the door. Reserve your tickets now.

Second annual Novelty Dog Show
     ALPINE —The second annual Alpine Novelty Dog Show will take place June 3, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Tom C. Dyke Park, adjacent to the Tavern Road on-ramp.
     This years event will include 16 different classes for participants including , Best Six Legs, The Dog That Ate New York, and Cutest Dog.
Organizers are currently looking for sponsors to help pay for the event. For more information or to be a sponsor one may e-mail Becky Kirkwood or call her at 445-6201.

Good Friday service planned by Alpine Ministerial Association
     ALPINE — The Alpine Ministerial Association will hold its annual community prayer service on Good Friday, April 14 at noon. This simple Good Friday service includes readings from the passion story in the Bible and prayer lead by our community clergy. The Way of the Cross (or Stations) shows the path Jesus took carrying his cross. 
The 30-minute service is held outdoors at Queen of Angels’ Roman Catholic Church W. Victoria Dr..
For more information call Father Keith Acker of Alpine Anglican Church 722-1772.

Bethel invites children to Fiesta
     ALPINE — Bethel Christian Assembly invites all children ages three to 12, to a Fiesta, where children are fired up about Jesus.
     Fiesta is an exciting way for kids to learn more about Jesus’ love, and the children will have fun doing Bible learning activities, singing songs, playing team building games, nibble Maraca Munchies and take on a daily challenge to let Jesus grow in their homes.
     Fiesta begins on April 10 and continues through April 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Bethel Christian Assembly, 1929 Arnold Way.
     For more information or to pre-register your children please call 445-5508.

ACC holds spaghetti dinner and bingo
     ALPINE — The Alpine Community Center will hold a spaghetti dinner and bingo night on April 14 from 4 to 9 p.m.
     Spaghetti dinner includes salad, spaghetti, garlic bread, dessert, and one ticket for a free drink. Cost for adults is $7, seniors, $5 and children under 12, $3. Bingo cards will be sold at the door for $1 each.
     Tickets for this event are being sold in advance. For more information one may contact ACC at 445-7330.

Harbison Canyon Lions hold Easter party
     EL CAJON — The Harbison Canyon Lions will hold an Easter Egg Hunt for local children at noon on April 15 to gather eggs and enjoy old-fashioned fun, such as an egg toss and other activities.
     There will be a silent auction to raise money to help fund two Harbison Canyon Lions scholarships of $500 each, as well as other Lions' charities.
     For further information, one may call Mary Manning at 445-5044.

Junior Naturalist Training
offered at Wright's Field.
     ALPINE — Lee Kirchhevel, founding member of the San Diego Tracking Team and a guide at Wild Animal Park, will conduct a naturalist program for children age 8 to 12 that focuses on using our senses in the outdoors. Come learn how to discover your natural environment. Kirchhevel was an interpreter at Rocky Mountain National Park and has extensive training as a naturalist. $5/child, parents welcome. Space is limited so please RSVP to the Back Country Land Trust at 722-6281.
     The class will meet in front of Joan Mac Queen Middle School, 2001 Tavern Road. Questions, call Noelle Collins at 722-6281 or Linda Richards, 445-2120.

Love Alpine clean on April 29
     ALPINE — The second annual “I Love a Clean Alpine,” event will take place Saturday, April 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
     Participants will meet at the triangle in the center of town, 2157 Alpine Blvd. at 8:30 a.m. for registration and a free continental breakfast hosted by the Alpine Stagecoach Lions.
     All those interested are encouraged to bring friends, family, and neighbors to help in cleaning up Alpine.
Also, new to this year’s event, the County of San Diego Departments of Environmental Health and Public Works will be sponsoring a special one-day collection event for tires, household hazardous waste, and electronic waste.
     This will also be held on April 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Bethel Christian Assembly, located at 1929 Arnold Way.

Residents to offer comment on Star Ranch at special meeting
     CAMPO — A special meeting of Campo Lake Morena Community Planning Group and the public has been scheduled for April 10, specifically to discuss the much-disputed Star Ranch development. The meeting will be held at the Mountain Empire Community Center at 7 p.m.
     This workshop will be an opportunity for residents to ask questions of project developers and planners and hear responses regarding various community concerns. All interested residents are encouraged to attend.
Developers and Campo residents have discussed Star Ranch since 2001, when the 2,150-acre, 480-home and commercial center development was first proposed. Since then, the project has undergone many changes, suggested at several public and planning group meetings throughout the process.
     The proposed development includes 40 estate size lots of about two acres, about 400 more densely situated residences, and a commercial village center, which would abut the existing Cameron Corners commercial area. 
Developers expect Star Ranch to be constructed in six or seven phases spanning 10 years.
     Many of the concerns raised by residents, regarding the proposal, deal with the community character and keeping a rural feel to the overall area. Most often mentioned is the probable impact on groundwater.
     Project planners expect a late 2008 or early 2009 date for groundbreaking at the Star Ranch development, and build-out completion within eight to 10 years.