By R. Person

March 27, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Residents of the sleepy 1930s resort town Jacumba Hot Springs are awakening to the realities of a massive solar project planned for the edge of town on a site previously dedicated to a walled equestrian housing project.

The solar project, aka JVR (Jacumba Valley Ranch solar, a 90 MW project on 1,345 acres, is well into its planning stages, yet residents are being asked to voice their opinions at meetings, and submit their concerns in writing, as Phase 1 of 6 is under way.  JVR Energy Park, a project of German Bay Ware, would be located at the very East end of the town of Jacumba Hot Springs, abutting the main residential area.  

The scenario is similar to that of the proposed wind turbine project in nearby Boulevard, with its 500+ foot high towers, flashing red lights, perceived electromagnetic hazards and similarly disgruntled local opinions. Other such wind developments, as in Ocotillo to the east, have had residents complain ofindifference to their objections over noise, electromagnetic pollution, impact on wildlife and property values, and visual disturbances related to the battery of flashing red lights which accompany the wind turbines. The meetings where they can voice their concerns, and their written submissions detailing those concerns, are deemed delay tactics that residents contend give a false optimism that residents are being heard.

A meeting on March 21^st at Jacumba’s Highland Community Center attracted a healthy turnout of approximately 50 locals who raised concerns about several issues in regard to placing this large solar development so close to their homes. That’s nearly 10% of the town’s population, which measured 561 in the 2010 census.

One attendee commented, “Almost every chair was filled. Nobody actually said they were for the project.” Concerns raised included:

• the project could cause serious impacts on the water supply
• land values would go down
• whether there is a real need for the project
• potential impact on weather temperatures
• negative impacts on views and wildlife
• potential fire threat and whether there would be enough fire personnel, equipment, and supplies to suppress fires
• how long would project would last
• what’s in it for Jacumba residents, such as jobs?

Each of the concerns was brought up at the meeting, but opponents to the project were asked to also put their opinions in writing and submit thembefore the next meeting April 8 at 2 p.m. in the Jacumba Community Center.

This meeting mirrored an August meeting in Boulevard where residents were asked to express their concerns about the proposed 30 wind turbines of 500+feet tall.

East County is part of a planned Energy Corridor, according to United Nations Agenda 21, an action plan of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It is a global plan purported to be related to “sustainable development” but opponents of Agenda 21 label it a stealth program in progressall over our country and the rest of the world.    

178 governments (including the United States) voted to adopt the program at the original Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, but the plan has had outspoken opponents who call it an attempt by the UN to control people and resources throughout the world under the guise of environmental and population concern. It has also been called a Depopulation Agenda, and has been tied to events such as the recent devastating fires that have plagued Northern and Southern California rural communities.

The next meeting for the project will be April 8 at 2 p.m.  Questions can be sent to bronwyn.brown@sdcounty.ca.gov.

By Rebecca Person

March 28, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The Healing Women are back. You're invited to come for a day of renewal on April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jacumba Hot Springs Spa Resort (44500 Old Highway 80) in Jacumba Hot Springs.  Opening with an Earth &  Water blessing, the event also features a selection of healing and psychic therapies.  

Healers include Windwalker Dorn, Shaman and Grammy nominee,  using shell medicine, drum and ancient song;  Gabrielle Schultz creating Sound Baths via Tibetan bowls and Mahatma deep tissue massage; Beth Patience and Dawn providing Reiki energy sessions; Karen Richards offering ionic detox foot bath with chair massage; Maile Jewel leading chair stretching classes.

The Spa has a natural mineral jacuzzi and large pools, tasty Southwestern cuisine and a cozy bar.

Therapies range from 20 minutes to an hour ($10  -  $65).

East County News Service

July 11, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) - The East County backcountry lost one of its biggest cheerleaders on June 29, when Howard W. Cook passed away peacefully after a short illness. He gave selflessly to the community, serving as Chair and later Secretary for the Jacumba Sponsor Group and as Board Member of the Jacumba-Boulevard Revitalization Committee. 

The Revitalization Committee organized free festivals to attract visitors to Jacumba, installed new community signs, commissioned murals, secured grant money to benefit the community center, the school the park and raised funds to support the local youth sports team.

Cook spearheaded the Jacumba Lake restoration project. He worked tirelessly and sucessfully with other team members in finding a buyer for the Jacumba Spa when it was failing and about to close. This act alone created jobs for local residents and a vibrant gathering place for the community.

Two of the projects he was most proud of included his role as an activist in the campaign to rid Jacumba from the scourge of eye gnats and another to try to keep deep-pocket green energy companies from draining Jacumba’s aquifer and despoiling the land around Jacumba. While a staunch supporter of green energy, Hewas firmly in the camp that it belonged at point of usage and not in massive industrial complexes that denude the land and wreak ecological havoc for humans and wildlife. He stood steadfast in this belief despite vicious personal attacks on his property and family from those with interest in seeing the mega-projects move forward.

He resided in Jacumba, California (later renamed Jacumba Hot Springs) before moving three years ago with his wife, Danielle, to the Coachella Valley to be closer to his son and essential services. Although his body may have resided in La Quinta California, part of his heart remained in San Diego’s backcountry, where he loved to explore wilderness areas and backroads in his Sportsmobile.

Howard Cook was born William Howard Cook in Whittier, California to Quaker parents. After receiving a BA in Business Administration from Whittier College, where he played football, he went on to have a successful career in management consulting. After retiring as a Partner in the International consulting firm of KPMG, LLP Howard took on software training and quality projects for Hughes and Northrop Aircraft. He was an avid reader, historian, bike rider, boater, kayaker, hiker, ocean cruiser and explorer.

He is survived by wife Danielle Cook of La Quinta, son Stewart Cook, granddaughter Christina Cook, Joan Cook (mother of Stewart), Michelle Parolise (step-daughter)and her husband, Gary Clopp, and daughters Emily Clopp and Becca Markle and her husband, Harry.

His ashes will be scattered in a private family ceremony in the sea off Huntington Harbor where he lived, boated and biked for forty years before moving to Jacumba.

“A man of integrity, confidence, compassion and action, Howard will be sorely missed by all,” his wife, Danielle, says.

By Daniel Smiechowski

Spa exterior, restaurant and running pictures courtesy Daniel Smeichowski.  Spa water photo courtesy Miriam Raftery

July 14, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- As I drove east on Old Highway 80 about five miles to the I-8 east junction, I came upon a God-forsaken outpost of ramshackle homes, a trailer park, County library, elementary school, a few churches and a grocery store. What brought me here, however, was the iconic spa named after the town itself, the Jacumba Hot Springs Resort & Spa.

By Miriam Raftery

August 26, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – As fall and cooler weather approaches, the Jacumba Hikers have released a schedule of upcoming hikes from Sept. 21 through Oct. 26. The hikes range from easy to hard to destinations that include peaks in Anza Borrego, Kitchen Creek Falls, Jacumba’s fall festival, Valley of the Moon, Devil’s Canyon and Carrizo Creek. Below is the full schedule with details, and be sure to read the group’s safety tips. 

9/21/19 – Meditation/Hike/Potluck - Hikers will meet at 8 a.m. at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934 and carpool to Greg's. Event begins with a 30 minute meditation and then a hike and ending with a potluck meal. Hike is rated EASY approx. three mi. and will take you through the dry creek beds below Table Mountain to dirt roads in the southwestern border of Anza Borrego State Park to “Pape's Peak”. No Dogs Please! It's a Pot Luck! Please bring a Dish to Share for after the hike. Hike Leader: gregcurran@sbcglobal.net

9/28/19 – Kitchen Creek Falls and Beyond - Approx. eight miles with a 1500 elevation change. This hike is rated MODERATE (+) with some steep/slippery challenges near the water. We will hike along the Pacific Crest Trail and visit both upper and lower falls and we will enjoy lunch during one of the stops along the water. Meet at 8 a.m. at the trailhead. Take I-8 to Buckman Springs Rd. Go south to Old Hwy 80, turn east (left) and go about two miles to PCT parking along the Old Hwy. 80.  No Dogs Please! Bring three liters water, lunch & snacks. Wear sturdy hiking shoes. Hike leader: Rhonda Burt (760) 562-2503 

10/05/19 – Jacumba Walk-About & Fall Festival – This hike is rated EASY, four miles round trip. Dog Friendly on a 6’ leash. Walkers will meet at 8 a.m. at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934. This hike will take you to the Chinese Castle, the Natural Hot Springs, Jacumba Lake, Sand Wash, past the old Railroad Station, through the Jacumba Hot Springs neighborhood, Jacumba Spa, Library/Community Park the Border Fence and back. Walk Leader: Greg Curran gregcurran@sbcglobal.netJacumba Fall Festival– Community Park.

10/12/19 – Valley of the Moon - Which may include: Smuggler’s Cave, an old hideout of bandits and smugglers off I-8 East, just past the San Diego/Imperial County line in a high desert area near the Mexican border. We’ll also hike in through the Valley of the Moon, Elliot Mine and Blue Angels Peak Monument. This hike is rated HARD with the out and back distance at 7 to 8.6 miles (approx. 4 hrs. round trip). No dogs please! Hikers will meet at 8 a.m. at Jacumba Spa, 44461 Old Hwy 80l Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934. Hike Leader is Bill Pape (619) 766-4927. 

10/19/19 – Devil’s Canyon – A four mile round trip hike rated HARD.  The hike includes a mostly sandy wash with some bouldering. Bring ample water as the temperatures can reach 80 degrees even in October. The hike begins and ends near the on and off ramps of Route I-8 Mountain Springs Grade. No dogs please! Hikers will meet at 8 a.m.at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934 to carpool. Hike leaders:  Mike Rood roodlaw@yahoo.com(760) 455-1876 and Angel Somera. 

10/26/19 – Carrizo Creek – This is a four mi. round trip hike rated MODERATE (+) -  Traveling a short distance on a county maintained dirt road, through a short tunnel to the “Echoing Mountains”, down a cliff to a creek bed strewn with boulders, overgrown shrubs and Tamarisk trees. Following the creek bed we will encounter numerous pools and waterfalls. Hikers will meet at 8 a.m.at the Jacumba Spa, 44500 Old Hwy. 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934. Breakfast is available at the Spa starting at 7 a.m. No Dogs Please! Hike Leader: Karla karlacrn@yahoo.com 

Liability release

By Rebecca Person

October 2, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The weather’s perfect,  making October 5th a day for a great getaway.

Here’s what’s happening in Jacumba Hot Springs on San Diego's historic Old Highway 80.

Jacumba Hikers, a dedicated group of local hikers and walkers, leads an easy four mile round-trip Walkabout, covering the Chinese Castle, Natural Hot Springs, Jacumba Lake, Sand Wash, passing the old Railroad Station, the Border Fence and more. Hikers meet at 8 a.m. in front of the Jacumba Spa Resort (44500 Old Highway 80). The Spa’s restaurant opens at 7 a.m.

From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., Jacumba hosts its Fall Fundraiser in Jacumba Community Park. This annual event features adult, youth and children’s raffles, food by Jay’s Southern Cafe (Jay is a 5-Star trained chef!) live music, vendors, and swap meet... proceeds go to support the Community Park.. Then...

By Miriam Raftery

January 6, 2020 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Despite recent protests over the highly disproportionate percentage of sexually violent predators placed in rural East County, the Department of State Hospitals is proposing to place yet another in Jacumba Hot Springs.  A hearing will be held Feb. 3 at 9 a.m. in San Diego Superior Court (1100 Union St., Dept. 2202) to determine whether Michael Poulsom should be placed at 45612 Old Highway 80, Jacumba Hot Springs, a community of just 561 residents, according to the 2010 Census.

Poulsom is diagnosed with Pedophilia Disorder. In 1985, he was convicted in Georgia of child molestation with two victims. In 1989, he was convicted in San Diego County of a lewd act on a child under 14. In 1995, he was convicted again locally for a lewd act with a fourth victim, also under 14 and served 15 years in prison. Prior to his release, the San Diego County District Attorney’s office filed a petition to have Poulsom civilly committed to a state hospital as a Sexually Violent Predator . He was committed, underwent treatment and petitioned for conditional release, which was opposed by the San Diego D.A. and the hospital. A year later he filed for release into the conditional release program for sex offenders, which the Dept. of State Hospitals supported over the objections of D.A. Summer Stephan.

The public may submit comments between Jan. 3 and Jan. 17 to be considered by the court. You can email comments to sdsafe@sdsheriff.org, or call (858)495-3619. Comments may also be mailed tol the SVP Release/Safe Task Force at 9425 Chesapeake Drive, San Diego, CA 02123.  Comments will also be accepted at the hearing.

With the court hearing scheduled for February 3, 2020, the SAFE Task Force will be accepting public comments about the proposed placement to be included in the formal response to the Court.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob posted her objections on Facebook. “This is outrageous and shameful. The state has already dumped 11 of these monsters in the same rural East County area -- and a 12th predator, Thomas Joseph Cornwell, was just approved for placement there. Adding convicted pedophile Michael James Poulsom is more proof that the state doesn’t care about these quiet, family-oriented communities. These sex criminals should not be let out at all. But if they are, they should be housed – as other predators have been – on the doorstep of Donovan state prison.”

The facility where Poulsom is proposed for release is staffed by resident deputies who live and work in the area.

Further information about SVPs and an explanation of the legal requirements for their designation, treatment, and release from confined facilities, can be obtained via the San Diego County District Attorney’s website at https://www.sdcda.org/preventing/sex-offenders/sex-offenders.php and also at the Department of State Hospital’s website at https://www.dsh.ca.gov . Information on the SAFE Task Force can be obtained at sdsafe.org .

East County News Service

By Larry Johnson, President, Mountain Empire Historical Society

July 16, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Have you driven down scenic Highway 80 through its eastern stretch of San Diego County and noticed a lone chimney standing like a silent sentinel in a field, or a very old building that appears to date back to a previous era and wondered about their history?

If so, a new book written by historian and author Cherry Diefenbach called Renegades, Rock Houses and Resorts…the Stories of Jacumba Hot Spring and Surrounds may be just the ticket.

This nearly 500-page book provides a comprehensive history of the area using more than 1,200 photos, hundreds of old newspaper articles, and personal accounts from the descendants of early settlers. Many of the photographs have not been published elsewhere.

Finished after nearly five years of research, the book chronicles the colorful history of local mountain and desert comunities including Bankhead Springs, Boulder Park/Desert View Tower, Boulevard/Manzanita, Hipass/Tierra Del Sol, Jacumba Hot Springs, Live Oak Springs, Mountain Springs, and Oasis.

This book is available for purchase from the Mountain Empire Historical Society (MEHS).

You can order a copy through the nonprofit Mountain Empire Historical Society online at https://www.cssmus.org/bookstore.html or call Larry at (619)478-5566. You can also mail a check for $54.90 (includes tax and shipping) to MEHS, PO Box 394, Campo, CA 91906.

The MEHS is a non-profit organization which operates the historic Gaskill Brothers Store Museum in Campo. The website is open for business but the Museum is temporarily closed due to the COVIC-19 virus. 

East County News Service

(Photo by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson)

April 10, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Desert View Tower in Jacumba Hot Springs will host an Earth Day celebration on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You’re invited to come experience Earth in the high desert including an Earth blessing ceremony and Sacred black Star Eyed Eagle Dancer, an array of live music, healthy natural foods including vegan options, and a wildflower and plant walk. There will also be alternative healers, local arts and crafts, nature art, native plants for sale, herbal products and essential oils, EMF awareness, nutritional counseling, natural beauty, country collectibles and more.

The historic landmark Desert View Tower and Boulder Park is located off I-8 at In-Ko-Pah Park Road in Jacumba Hot Springs. For more information on the Desert View Tower, visit https://www.facebook.com/desertviewtower.

Earth Day admission is $7.50 for adults, $3.50 for kids ages 8-17 and free for children under 8.

Story and photos by Henri Migala 

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

June 30, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Imagine moving to a small, quiet, rural community over an hour away from a major metropolitan area to enjoy the quiet solitude of the open backcountry--only to learn that an international investment group is planning on building a massive solar project, six times larger than your entire community, within feet from you house.

 Welcome to Jacumba.

 A crowd of 100 to 150 concerned residents attended the latest community meeting in Jacumba on June 17 to express their opposition to County Supervisor Joel Anderson regarding a proposed solar power project, JVR Energy Park, to be built in their community by a foreign investor. Although the Supervisor’s staff was there, Anderson did not attend the event.

 Greg Curran, a member of the Jacumba Sponsor Group (planning group) told ECM, “This was not what the community was expecting.”  He, and others, had expected Supervisor Anderson to show up and for there to be a formal presentation.

 Instead, Cherry Diefenbach, Jacumba Sponsor Group chair, thanked Supervisor Joel Anderson’s staff for turning out and setting up several constituent information stations for the attendees, noting “It’s hotter than hell out here.”

 She asked people to leave their contact information so they can be notified of future meetings of the County Planning Commission and Supervisors.

 She said for the state to meet its ambitious green energy goals, it will need eight times the battery storage and three times the number of solar and wind projects that it currently has.

 Philip Valenzuela, who used to work for Dow Chemical, asked, ”Why are they putting this in? I don’t want this to turn into another Owens Valley! They’ve got all this desert out here they could want. I don’t want to live next to an industrial plant and that’s what we’re going to get,” citing Imperial Valley as another example.

Another resident shouted out, “They want our water!”

 Carmen Gomez Villeda said angrily of developers, “They’ve been taking our water for years and when we stand up against it, they do this!”  She recalled living near contaminated uranium landfill in a Navajo area and asked, “What will happen to the animals?” if the solar project is built.

Valenzuela again stated, “Look what Mulholland did to Owens Valley. They took the water.”

 Diefenbach then said developers are wooing County planning commissioners and have paid millions for various reports to move project forward. “I would call it hush money,” she asserted.

 Someone asked about solar panels creating a heat island effect, where solar panels warm the surrounding area in this high desert town  Diefenbach acknowledged that this is also a concern.

 A woman suggesting pooling money so residents could buy up Kitchen Creek Dairy land from the developers.

 Diefenbach said that the developer spent millions of dollars trying to get biological and cultural studies done; they have already obtained a power purchase agreement with SDG&E even though project hasn’t been approved yet, she said, adding, “He [the developer] seems to think it’s a done deal.”

 Diefenbach warned that calling the project “short-term” is deceptive because “with the electrical switchyard here, there will be another project in the future, after this one ends.”  She added, “The green energy push is “moving faster than a speeding freight train.”

 An older woman said in a soft yet anguished voice, “I came to the beautiful town of Jacumba back in 1942 when I was 10 years old.  Now I’m 89.” She called Jacumba “the most beautiful place in the county” adding “I love it and I don’t want to see anything happen to it.” 

A labor representative from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) spoke up to say that their union supports the project because it will create jobs for their members. The collective response from the audience was unambiguous in its opposition to her comments, partly because the jobs will be only temporary.

Curran noted, “I live off the grid and have wind and solar. But this project is not green energy. This is industrial, and it’s destructive.”

 Diefenbach noted, “I wrote the history book” for this region. “I’d like to keep the history as well.”

 She said the County Planning Commission is expected to meet July 9.  After that it will go to the Supervisors.  She noted that three of the Supervisors don’t have land in East County, where these projects can be sited. She encouraged everyone to voice their opinions in writing and at the hearings, and urge decision makers “not to screw Jacumba.”

 Jeffrey Osborne, who is the new owner of the Jacumba hotel/spa, spoke to the group and said, “We can’t fight to stop it but we can vote for distance – to push it back away from homes and the town.” Osborne brought a map of an alternative plan that allows for more community space, calling it “Equity for Jacumba Alternative.”

 He, along with the new owner of De Anza Resort, “want to bring this valley back and we’re putting millions of dollars into it,” he said.

 Osborne encouraged everyone to talk with the land use staff who were present at the meeting behind tables they had set up to meet the residents.  “They’re here to represent us – we’ve got to give them something to work with, a compromise.” 

 Some voiced concerns about the project’s potential negative impacts on the economy and events that draw visitors to this tiny high desert town, such as a street fair held earlier in the month.  A man in the back mentioned, “I made $400 at the street fair last week selling kazoos.”

 The community meeting disbanded, and was followed by a meeting of the Jacumba Sponsor Group, the community’s advisory planning board. The board had voted unanimously at its May 18th meeting to deny the project as the developer presented. 

 “The feelings of those on the Board is that the developer's proposal is outrageous in size and scope; 623 acres is six time the size of the village of Jacumba,” said Curran. 

 An alternate plan, proposed by Jeff Osborne, is called "Equity for Jacumba Alternative," and “reduces the footprint of the project to 300 acres with dedicated open space, space for future development, Airport Safety & Expansion and a Wild Life Corridor,” continued Curran.

Two very important dates for community input are July 9th, at 9 a.m. when there will be a hearing on the Jacumba Valley Ranch Solar Project at the County Operations Center, at 5520 Overland Ave., San Diego (public comments will be limited to 3 minutes). 

 The last opportunity for public input is August 18, at the 9 a.m. hearing at the County Administration Building, at 1600 Pacific Highway in San Diego.

 Concerned citizens, and people supporting the community of Jacumba, should are urged to attend these meetings and express their concerns.

 View a short video excerpt of the public comments made at the community meeting in Jacumba: https://youtu.be/nHJWbO8N3DI