This week in The Alpine Sun

Lead Stories

99 Grossmont district teachers face possible layoffs  
     Hard times are coming down the pike, or at least in this situation, they are coming down from Sacramento. Governor Schwarzenegger has signed the State Budget and it is immediately affecting our local school districts. A special board meeting was called to order on March 5 for the Grossmont Union High School District to discuss the impact and responses to budget cuts that are impending.  

CHP wants better behaved drivers on Highway 94     
     The California Department of Transportation District 11 annual media update March 3 addressed planned improvements to road projects but also provided a California Highway Patrol presentation on improving road safety through driver behavior. 

Pros and cons of undergrounding power lines  
     The utility industry’s DistribuTech conference, held at the San Diego Convention Center in February, included a panel discussion on the advantages and drawbacks of overhead and underground utility lines.   

East County seizures net more than 300 pounds of marijuana
Last night, gunshots were fired from south of the border fence in Campo as Border Patrol agents secured a load of marijuana and arrested a suspected smuggler.  

Local Kiwanis Club honors Alpine Firefighter of the Year
The Kiwanis Club of Alpine honored the Firefighter of the Year from the Alpine Fire Protection District at its weekly meeting Saturday, March 7. Captain Patrick Dotson was announced by Alpine Fire Chief Bill Paskle as the Firefighter of the Year.
 
East County couple restores 163-Acre land reserve and campground  
Sacred Rocks Reserve, (formerly Outdoor World RV Park) is a 163-acre wilderness reserve with RV and tent camping sites (Sacred Rocks RV Park), located in Boulevard. When owners Sharon and Dimitri Courmousis purchased the property in January of 2003 as a retreat and cabin-site for their family, it was heaped high with mountains of trash and the existing RV Park business situated on the land was home to drug users, drug dealers and riff raff of all kinds.

Local group visits life-size Tabernacle
A group from Alpine will walk through a life size reproduction of the Biblical Tabernacle of the Wilderness on Monday, March 16, when they visit Calvary Chapel in Oceanside. Organized by Alpine’s Susan Manis, the trip to see the tabernacle will welcome anyone interested in joining the local women for this inspiring experience.

Are you the next Miss Alpine and Miss Teen 2009?
Spring is in the air, and with it as always, Alpine’s Miss and Miss Alpine Teen pageants are about to get underway. The first orientation day for young ladies ages 13 to 21 years old is Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Alpine Community Center. The main pageant event will take place on Monday, May 4 at Viejas Casino.

Partnership, sunshine power Santee park
A solar energy project at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve is saving money on electricity, shading recreational vehicles and increasing income at the self-sufficient Santee park.

March 8-14 is National Groundwater Awareness Week
Whether you own a water well or not, every person can do something to protect ground water and reduce risks to the water supply, the National Ground Water Association said this week in recognizing National Ground Water Awareness Week, March 8-14.

Students recognized for community service and volunteer action
The “Violet Richardson Award” recognizes young women who make the community and the world a better place through their volunteer action.

District musical presents Fiddler
Fiddler On The Roof is a musical drama that takes place in the Russian village of Anatevka in 1905. The Fiddler (Dylan Tweed) plays as the Jewish villagers struggle to fit their customs or “traditions” into a changing world.

Fire abatement goes to the goats
CThe Running of the Goats was a pleasant scene in Crest on Saturday, March 7. Johnny Gonzales came into South Lane Park, setting up hundreds of feet of temporary fencing and then released 250 goats of all shapes and sizes into the park grounds to clear away grasses and brush that act as fuel for potential fires.
 

Columns/Opinion

My Turn with Joel Anderson: Google Earth is tool for terrorists

Representatives on Record with Congressmen Bob Filner and Duncan Hunter: Responding to the needs of veterans, Coverage of fallen heroes dishonors their sacrifice

Spiritual Sunrise with Merry Murray: Jesus came so blind eyes could see

Investment Insights with Tom Miller: Is the bell ringing?