Spring Valley Stories

Taking up the challenge at Cali Comfort BBQ

Looking at it now, you may have to squint a little to envision the Spring Valley home that Bulgarian-farm-boy-cum-doctor Luben Walchef bought in 1972 and converted into a family restaurant about ten years later. The ...

Worker rescued from trench in Spring Valley

Pinned by a 1400-pound concrete form

A 31-year-old construction worker in Spring Valley fell into a 5-by-15-foot trench and was subsequently pinned by a 1400-pound concrete form on the morning of January 4. After being rescued by CalFire personnel, the worker ...

The Greek Sombrero

Garlic carrots and surly regulars at the Greek Sombrero.

Spring Valley Lady Allegedly Faked Death to Avoid Jail

An East County woman who may have tried to fake her own death was sentenced September 14 to 18 months in federal prison for her role in smuggling undocumented immigrants through Jacumba Hot Springs. Rebecca ...

Long-Awaited Jamacha Boulevard Completion Angers Residents

What county officials describe as a "greatly improved" road construction project has some residents of a Spring Valley mobile home park angry and complaining. "They care more for the birds and skunks than about how ...

Community of Hope Church of the Nazarene

Contact: 3310 Bancroft Drive, Spring Valley, 91977; 619-587-8106 Membership: 150 Denomination: Evangelical Christian (Church of Nazarene) Pastor: Mariota Sola Age: 45 Born: Apia, Samoa Formation: Lighthouse Bible College, American Samoa Years Ordained: 21 San Diego ...

Roadhouse Move

On the early, overcast morning of June 1, a big rig truck owned by C.E. Wilson Co. transported one half of a house from Spring Valley to a property near Barona Casino. The first half ...

Santa Sophia Roman Catholic Church

Much of the interior of Santa Sophia was straight out of the Jet Age — everything groovy, expansive, and clean. A pair of curved entrance tunnels led to a church whose high walls and ceiling ...

Scratched and Jailed

Sheriff's deputies arrested a Spring Valley rape suspect on February 27 in the 500 block of Palomar Street in Chula Vista. According to a press release issued by detective Pete Carrillo, the sheriff's station in ...

Everything's Gone

Shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24, Teri emerged from the shower and thought she smelled burnt toast. Hearing strange sounds coming from Mark's room, she opened his door to investigate and found it ...

You Can Ride but Can't Hide

At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, a California Highway Patrol officer traveling on northbound I-5 near SR-163 observed a motorcycle driving at a high rate of speed. The officer was struggling to keep ...

Girls from Spring Valley

Shortly after 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 2, San Diego Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 911 call from an apartment house at the corner of 13th Street and Grove Avenue in Imperial Beach. Three patrol ...

Billionaires for Wealth Care

A dozen protesters pretending to be ultra-rich pulled up in a stretch limo and stole the show at a town-hall meeting hosted by congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) on Saturday, August 29. The group, whose members ...

Mystery Tower

Last week in a Spring Valley business park, a tower nearly 100 feet tall sprang up seemingly overnight. It was not there on Monday, March 30, but the thin skeletal structure was noticed on Tuesday ...

Eddie + Alcohol = Air guitar

I got a call about crashing a wedding in Spring Valley a few weeks ago. I had a lot going on that day, but when I found out it was for a guy named Sam, ...

Slasher Apprehended

According to a police-radio scanner, at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, a 15-year-old male was stabbed on Central Avenue and Troy Street. Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the victim sitting on the sidewalk. Deputies ...

Oh, Hail!

Conditions were optimal for a brief, mild hailstorm in Spring Valley on Monday, February 10. A series of rapidly moving clouds headed east had caused off-and-on rain throughout the day. At 4:19 p.m., a sudden ...

Water to Gas

Run our cars on water? Yes! Anyone can build (for 50 bucks, or buy one already built for 90 bucks) a unit that converts water (H2O) into” hydroxy” (HHO) and adds it to your car's ...

Peanuts, 1963

In 1963, District 5 county supervisor candidate Al Hogan posed with peanuts. Walnuts, celery, and carnations have all had their high-production years in San Diego County, but peanuts… In 1878, a Captain Porter “made a ...

Where the Pain Is

What’s the difference between National City and Rancho Santa Fe? Well — er, uh — money comes to mind. Last year, median household income in National City was $44,130, according to figures provided by the ...

America's Own Instrument

“On the banjo, as on a guitar, there are pieces of metal — on ours they’re made of nickel silver — called frets,” says Carolina Bridges, director of public relations for Deering banjos. “They have ...

Radio Blabbermouth

Thirty Years AgoThank you for your article on our boss, Lowell Blankfort (“Press Passes,” March 30). We commend Paul Krueger’s skill in capturing the personality of this Star-News co-publisher quite accurately (in the view of ...

Faith Chapel, Spring Valley

At Faith Chapel on Sunday, the crisis had passed; the evacuees had returned to their homes. The 150 air mattresses, donated to the church along with blankets and pillows, had been packed away. The 150 ...

Get in My Belly

I got a call about a belly-dance party in Spring Valley. I'm sure my neighbors heard my car tires burn rubber. When I arrived, the place was SRO. I found space in the kitchen with ...

Gilded Shams: The Great American Fraud (Part Three)

You wonder if Alfred Huntington Isham knew his last name harbored a confession of guilt. Maybe he did. But given his dim view of human nature, and supreme confidence in his persuasive powers, maybe “I ...

Man Brings Lover Roses Then Shoots Her

Shocked shoppers see a woman fall to her death from a parking structure at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon. Was she pushed? In Chollas View, a mother loses the second of her two sons to ...

Hike or bike through a long, spring-green valley in Escondido's Daley Ranch preserve.

The nearly flat ramble along Daley Ranch's Jack Creek Meadow is best in the springtime -- and also comfortably suitable during the summer, provided you travel in the cooler early morning or late afternoon. If ...

The Oud Couple

I was on my way to a belly-dancing party in Spring Valley while talkinq to a friend on my cell phone who said, "I would drive to Reno to see a bunch of hot belly ...

Total Deliverance Worship Center, Spring Valley

"He hath sent me to proclaim liberty to captives," read the Scripture verse painted on the side wall. The Lucite lectern bore the church's logo: a crown imposed over a tilted cross, itself imposed over ...

Mojito Mixer

I arrived at Armando's 40th birthday party in a bad mood. I was invited by his girlfriend Laurie. She and I talked on the phone, and I learned that they had worked together and dated ...

Walk narrow, curving byways to the top of East County's Mount Helix.

As day breaks on many a September or an October morning, cone-shaped Mount Helix floats like a desert island above the cool, sopping-wet marine layer. While walking up along the mountainside on mornings like these, ...

Best of 2003: Best Banjos

Deering Banjo Company 3733 Kenora Drive, Spring Valley www.deeringbanjos.com 619-464-8252 The Deering Banjo Company is world-renowned for its affordable handmade banjos. Back in 1978, Greg and Janet Deering started building banjos for the beginner out ...

Within the last week 25 votes

Within the last month or so 13 votes

Over the holidays 2 votes

It's been awhile 23 votes

I don't drink enough to get hungover 36 votes

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