El Cajon Stories
“They threw me in the kitchen as a dishwasher. Pretty soon, I was doing chef’s work.”
"I believe the [Greek Orthodox Church] is the true church, but I'm not going to rub it in anyone's face," said Nazo Zakkak, an altar boy at St. Gregory of Nyssa Greek Orthodox Church. Zakkak …
THE #13 STREET STOCK CAR rounded the corner and violently smashed sideways into the wall, and the crowd let out a cheer. The ensuing spinout and flip-over left the car a smoking, flaming tin can, …
ARMED ROBBERY Location: 9310 Kearny Mesa Road Time/Date: 12:30 p.m. on 1/30/05 Investigation: I was dispatched to the Best Western Motel on an armed robbery that had just occurred. The radio message said the suspects …
Tina Chamberlin of La Mesa was happy when her 82-year-old mother Rena Marseli decided to give up driving this past summer. Besides being 82 years old, Mrs. Marseli "had a vision problem," Chamberlin explains. "My …
I told Mike that when I saw him out front, I couldn't decide if he looked more like Kevin Bacon or Bart Simpson. He said, "Damn, I was going for the Ryan Seacrest look.”
Last October, the rocky, brush-covered slopes of the Crestwood Ecological Reserve, east of El Cajon, were swept by the same flames that devastated the communities of Crest and Harbison Canyon. Now, some five months later, …
I noticed they had sheets with a betting pool. People had their names next to their guesses about whether Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) would stay with her new boyfriend in France or go back to Mr. Big.
The Dive Shack 787 Arnele Avenue, El Cajon 619-447-7400 Rod and Tami Tuttle sell everything you need -- wet suits, regulators, buoyancy control devices, tanks and dive computers -- but it's the "instructional classes that …
Parkway Plaza Johnson Avenue and Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon A ride on the hand-carved 1926 Herschell carousel in the southwest corner of Parkway Plaza costs $1.75. The carousel spins around to the tune of "Sidewalks …
Hiram's Guns and Spirits 660 South Magnolia, El Cajon 619-442-5353 Remember the Rugburns' "Suburbia"? "I'm dancing naked on my street...I think I'll go to Hiram's Guns and Liquor just for fun...And pick me up some …
Dietsch's Hearing Aid Center, North Park 3952 30th Street 619-297-4145 (Also El Cajon, Pacific Beach, and Mobile Service) Savvy rock stars order hollow plugs with special filters to protect their ears. They're not going deaf...why …
Babe's Billiards 'n' Brew 1246 East Main, El Cajon 619-588-0426 Babe's has six dartboards and a shop -- B&D Darts, right in the bar, stocked with all the darts paraphernalia you need. Steel-tipped or soft-tipped, …
Hair Team International 319 Parkway Plaza, El Cajon 619-579-2266 Priced from $8.99 to $79.99, this tiara selection includes more than 50 tiaras in silver and gold, rhinestones and pearls. There are small tiaras held in …
Koi-Koi Living Jewels 1975 Jamacha Road, El Cajon 619-441-9275 Owner Donita Blalock can answer all your koi questions. These fish live longer in Japan (about 75 years) than in the United States (20 to 30 …
Orchid Thai and Vegetarian Cuisine 762 North Johnson Avenue #106, El Cajon 619-447-2819 Montry Sengsouriya opened this restaurant as a fancy place, with tablecloths, napkins, and flowers. But that scared the locals off, so now …
Parkside Special Care Center 444 West Lexington Avenue, El Cajon 619-442-7744 Accepting only senile dementia patients, the residents at this 52-bed facility are allowed free range, which includes a fenced patio area with trees and …
Innocence of the 1950s variety still draws me once in a while to the Grinder sandwich shop on the corner of Second and Greenfield in El Cajon. Afterward, to conjure up memories of my father’s …
It was no accident, said San Diego clairvoyant Dr. James Capers, that movie mogul and occult aficionado Steven Spielberg attended his lecture in February, when Capers demonstrated his "spiritual gifts" at the Los Angeles Conscious …
From July of 2000 to April 2001, a new kind of crime wave hit San Diego County. Boiled down to penal-code labeling -- 211 for armed robbery, 459 for burglary -- the crimes weren't anything …
The Barbecue Pit 2388 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon 619-462-5434 Four other San Diego locations Virl's the man. He stands at his station with a huge "clog" (shoulder) of slow-roasted beef, carving away at it with …
Howard's Bakery 1097 Broadway, El Cajon 619-442-0486 Though he sold the bakery last year, original owner Howard Owens is still on the payroll. Opened in 1979, Howard's is a full-line bakery that has it all. …
Taylor Guitars 1980 Gillespie Way, El Cajon 619-258-1207 It's free, given every Monday through Friday (except for holidays) at 1:00 p.m., and all you have to do is show up. The receptionist will issue you …
Shirley King, Foothill Adult Education Center 1550 Melody Lane, El Cajon 619-401-4122 and Coronado Adult Education Center 650 D Avenue, Coronado 619-522-8911 By day, Shirley King serves as a waitress at the Hotel Del Coronado's …
Double S Feed Company 14335 Olde Highway 80, El Cajon 619-443-9211 A lesser-known fact about San Diego County is that it has more horses per capita than any other county in the United States. With …
GTM Discount General Store 7663 Broadway, Lemon Grove 619-460-2990 716 16th Street, Downtown 619-234-7122 8967 Carlton Hills Boulevard, Santee 619-499-4953 350 Cypress Lane, El Cajon 619-441-8183 Parking is sometimes at a premium in front of …
Prater's Septic Tank Service 1675 Vista del Valle, El Cajon 619-444-3318 Septic tanks act as filters while the water is released into the leach field. When the tank gets full, it has to be pumped …
Doc's Family Boxing/Athletic Fitness Club 702 Broadway, El Cajon 619-448-3551 or 619-579-8004 Sales rep Marco says, "You have access to a ring every day, all day, but first you have to prove yourself responsible and …
G.I. Joe's 544 Sixth Avenue, Downtown 619-531-1910 799 El Cajon Boulevard, El Cajon 619-401-7589 G.I. Joe's carries products honed from 200 years of military survival insights. Like Meals Ready to Eat -- military rations -- …
Paipa's Oasis, Sycuan Casino 5469 Dehesa Road, El Cajon 619-445-6002 Paipa's is definitely an Oasis from the ka-chinging that rings 24/7 through the Purple Palace out here at Sycuan. Plus, even though it costs around …
It's still not La Jolla. The buildings along Main Street between Magnolia and Avocado in downtown El Cajon form a hodgepodge of 20th-century architectural styles, from an early-century board-sided, post-and-beam warehouse to 1960s stucco boxes. …
Unarius Academy of Science 145 South Magnolia Avenue, El Cajon (619) 444-7062 Their interstellar doctrine and prophecy are not a religion, say the Unarians, but a mandate from the star people to teach humankind connective …
Banner Joe's Aerial Advertising Gillespie Field, El Cajon (619) 222-4576 You actually want your feelings flying through the sky? Oh sure, there's something thrilling about trumpeting your love on a sign behind a World War …
El Cajon Bail Bonds 118 Rea Avenue, El Cajon (619) 442-9998 When you're anxious to get a loved one out of the slammer, don't just dial the first bail bondsman you see advertised on a …
Hot Topic Mission Valley Center, 1640 Camino del Rio North, Mission Valley (619) 542-8450 Other locations in National City, El Cajon, Carlsbad, Escondido www.hottopic.com This store brings rave, goth, punk, and retro attire together like …
Golden State Flying Club Gillespie Field 1640 North Johnson Avenue, El Cajon (619) 449-0611 or (619) 286-7434 Housed at tiny Gillespie Field, just outside Santee, Golden State offers single-engine plane excursions that buzz San Diego's …
Tyler's Taste of Texas576 North Second Street, El Cajon(619) 444-92957868 El Cajon Boulevard, La Mesa(619) 466-9295 Tyler's Taste of Texas is a haven for insomniacs and those who dream of "Oinker" pork sandwiches, which are …
The Barbecue Pit 2888 University Avenue, North Park (619) 298-2400 2388 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon (619) 462-5434 920 East Plaza Boulevard, National City (619)262-0331 727 Center Drive, San Marcos (760) 432-0177 Say "barbecue" and people …
Send me a dime and I'll entertain you for life.” This blunt supplication just about sums up the purpose of Justin Duke’s website. Justin, 21, is from El Cajon and, in his own words, “flat …
“They called it ‘The Jungle’ where I lived," says Michelle Hull, now a Spring Valley resident but formerly an Emerald Avenue apartment resident. “You could see people doing drug deals in their cars — my nine-year-old daughter saw that.
A neighbor across the way coaxed a male German Shepherd into her car and turned him loose in Flynn Springs, several miles away. Her own dog, she explained, was in heat. The German Shepherd had tags.
If it had been up to Jack, he would have married Marla at the exit of the El Cajon Speedway. They had met there and he felt it was the ideal place to tie the …