The Santee Magazine - V04.1 - Spring 2015

SANTEE M AG A ZI NE

Bill’s Dream Team: Creating Our Community

Congratulations Santee’s Favorites Kick off Summer at the Street Fair Spring 2015

FA M I LY

Spring 2015

1

Thinking of Buying?

Let Mobile Home Connection make your dream of home ownership a reality!

Enjoy a quality lifestyle at an affordable price.

Thinking of Selling?

We are Mobile/Manufactured Home Experts.

We have specialized financing for our buyers.

Lots of beautiful properties to choose from.

We will make sure the entire selling process runs smoothly and professionally.

We have specialized Mobile/Manufactured Home financing.

We sold 163 homes last year.

Trust us to sell yours too!

Santee, Let Us Make a Mobile Home Connection for You!

Mobile Home Connection 619.596.0333 Open 7 days a week

10769 Woodside Avenue, #102 Santee 92071 www.MobileHomeConnection.com

Editor’s Notepad...

6 Creating Community

This issue of the Santee Magazine focuses on some of the unique qualities that make living in Santee special.

The cover story introduces you to the people that work in the city’s Community Services Department and some of the things they do to make Santee such a great place to live. Gary Strawn, with the Friends of Santee River Park, shares his passion for the San Diego River that runs though town and a few of his secret fishing spots.

8 Reel Fun In Santee

The annual Awards Night dinner at Barona was our biggest yet. Be sure to check out all of the photos that Arli was able to skillfully fit into this issue and find out which of your favorite businesses were named as Santee’s Favorite in their category.

I have truly enjoyed publishing this magazine and leading the Santee Chamber of Commerce during the last four years. Because of this experience I have been fortunate to meet and work with lots of wonderful people. I am grateful that the members trusted me to run their Chamber and the Board of Directors selected me for this opportunity.

9 A River Runs Through It

I appreciate everyone at the City, the School District, and in the community for supporting the Chamber and what we were working towards.

Most of all, I would like to publicly thank the ladies in the office, Kristen, Liz, Ana, Celia, Sammie, Aremy and Christen, for helping the Chamber do some pretty cool and innovative things. The Santee Chamber is a better organization because of their effort and dedication.

10

It has been my pleasure to serve the members of the Santee Chamber of Commerce and the community.

If you need to contact me you can find me some mornings at the Coffee Corner or you can friend me on facebook.com/JohnOlsen.Santee.

7th Annual Street Fair

Cheers,

John Olsen

20 Walk Santee 22 Santee’s Favorites Spring 2015 3

Chairman’s Message

Santee

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Bob Lloyd

10315 Mission Gorge Road • Santee, CA 92071 (619) 449-6572

2015 Chairman of the Board

2015 Officers Robert Lloyd, Chairman of the Board Lloyd’s Collision – 619.448.8768

Mike Clinkenbeard, Chairman-Elect Farmers Insurance – 619.442.0415

Cynthia Whitney, 1st Vice Chair-Elect Cynthia Whitney, CPA – 619.971.0733

Being the 2015 Chairman of the Board of the Santee Chamber of Commerce has been an exciting time for me.

Virginia Hall, 2nd Vice Chair-Elect

The Chamber has given me the opportunity to network with the local business community as well as city officials. At the same time I’ve been able to meet many residents of this great city.

Sportsplex USA – 619.334.1000

Since moving to Santee from Pennsylvania in 1976, I have seen the city grow into one of the most desirable communities in the region. We hope to bring more positive changes in the near future, continuing this city’s perpetual growth.

Keller Williams Realty - 619.258.8585

Eddie Vandiver, Past Chairman Pat Chambers, Treasurer/CFO Toastmasters – 619.561.2839

Sandy Pugliese, Secretary

Sharp Grossmont Hospital – 619.740.4406

2015 Directors Daniel Butler

Waste Management – 619.455.1297 The Chamber’s Ambassador Committee, led by Cynthia Whitney, has been busy visiting many of our members and participating in “Ambassadors Lunch” on the last Friday of the month where they enjoy dining at one of our members’ restaurants. If you’re interested in joining the ambassador team, contact the office for details.

The Santee Street Fair is right around the corner on May 23rd. This fun-filled event for all ages boasts plenty of food, vendors, rides and community entertainment, along with a craft beer garden.

The Chamber will also raffle off a classic 1971 Chevrolet Camaro to one lucky winner. Raffle tickets are available at the Chamber office and will be available at the Street Fair.

I invite all local business owners to join and be part of the Santee Chamber of Commerce team. We have many tools available to help your business succeed. You can signup online at SanteeChamber.com, or call the office if you’d like to take advantage of monthly payments.

As always, we encourage you to support our local businesses and to always Shop Santee.

Nathan Craig

Lundy Insurance – 619.933.1461

Ike Enzenauer

Santee Lions Club – 619.443.3510

Darlene Fenn

C.O.H.R Consulting – 858.518.3702

Alicia Kell

Sharp Business Systems – 619.258.1400

Joe Mackey

XL Security – 619.579.0442

Dan O’Brien

O’Brien Insurance – 619.449.9075

Don Parent

SDG&E – 619.441.3895

Bill Pommering

Padre Dam Municipal Water District – 619.504.9210

Barbara Ryan

Santee School District – 858.966.4080

Warren Savage

U.S. Naval Sea Cadets – 619.258.1478

Pam White

City of Santee – 619.258.4100

Ken Zuorro

Robert T. Lloyd 2015 Chairman of the Board

Individual - 619.449.6689

Office Staff

Kristen Dare

Liz Shank

Office Interns

George Flynn

4 Santee Magazine

Michael Norco

SANTEE

From the Office of the Mayor

M A G A ZI N E

A publication of the Santee Chamber of Commerce Volume 4 • Issue 1

Publisher/Editor John Olsen

Graphic Design Arli Wolfson of Graphic Resources

Contributing Editors Mike Clinkenbeard Kristen Dare John Olsen Arli Wolfson

Contributing Writers Greg Gagnon Dr. Irene Gendelman, O.D. Dani McBride John Olsen Terry Rodgers Liz Shank Gary Strawn Linda Vail

Contributing Photographers Ron Cook Ellen Henry John Olsen Jay Renard Terry Rodgers Pam White

Spring is easily the most beautiful season for Santee, and families are taking advantage of the sunny skies and great weather to enjoy the new San Diego River Trail extending through Walker Preserve. Since this 1.3-mile multi-use recreation trail opened in late April, thousands have experienced this new trail segment connecting to the Lakeside’s trail system. Better yet, this didn’t cost our local residents a cent because it was funded with a state grant in collaboration with San Diego River Conservancy and other agencies. Like our citizens, we’re also looking for new ways to conserve water. Santee was the first city in the region to use recycled water for street sweeping, and most of the city’s parks, medians and public landscaping use recycled water.

Santee is known for its community events. Over 10,000 attended the City’s Spring Eggstravaganza in early April, and over three times that number will turn out for the Chamber’s Santee Street Fair & Craft Beer Festival on May 23rd. Soon after that, the City will gear up its Summer Concert series, which are a great way to enjoy a summer evening. But one of my favorite events is the Santee Salutes celebration on July 4th with one of the greatest fireworks exhibitions in the County, compliments of Waste Management, Inc. Add to that a carnival, games, food and music and you have a huge party – with the entire community invited.

Spring also means new growth. Everywhere you look in Santee these days, there is some new project underway – multi-story apartments are under construction, streets are being repaved, recreational trails are being developed, new businesses are opening, and several new projects are on the horizon. It’s an exciting time to be a Santee resident, and an even more exciting time to serve as Mayor.

Quality of Life is a key focus in Santee, and partnerships go a long way in achieving that vision. The City is fortunate to have a close partnership with the Santee Chamber of Commerce to promote business in the community, and collaborative relationships with Santee School District and Padre Dam Municipal Water District.

We’re all striving toward the same goal of making this a better community for our residents and businesses.

Randy Voepel Joining the Santee Chamber of Commerce is a great way to meet local business owners who are involved in the community.

Check us out online at www.SanteeChamber.com

Mayor City of Santee

Spring 2015 5

– Photo courtesy of John Olsen

Santee Parks and Recreation: Being a small town is no excuse. Santee residents have high expectations. Excellent schools, gorgeous weather and convenient shopping aren’t enough.

Quality of life matters and it doesn’t happen on its own.

Someone has to be the catalyst. We at Community Services provide an essential service that helps knit Santee together.

We do this by giving our all to provide quality park and recreation experiences, including affordable enrichment classes, lively special events and special programs for teens and seniors.

Our mission is to create community, which means we’re trying to foster a broad-based comradery and shared

1 6

2 7

3 8

6 Santee Magazine

4 9

5 10

11

12

belief that we’re all part of a big extended family. We do this by “providing exceptional programs, caring for and enriching public spaces, and facilitating rewarding life experiences.” Those words between the quotes are the actual Mission Statement for our department. Yeah, somebody dug pretty deep into the thesaurus to pull those phrases together.

But seriously, we really care about creating a sense of community. There is a ‘there’ here. You’ll see it and maybe feel it if you attend one of our free summertime concerts in the park.

At these community concerts, you’ll see children tumbling on the grass and silver-haired people dancing like they were at a high school sock-hop in 1962. It’s also 1. Heather Heckman, Admin Secretary - Community Services 2. Sue Richardson, Recreation Services Manager 3. James Northum, Recreation Coordinator 4. Ed Ruiz, Senior Management Analyst 5. Anne Morrison, Recreation Supervisor 6. Bree Humphrey, Special Events Supervisor 7. Christine Edwards, Admin Secretary - Public Services 8. Chris Myers, Recreation Coordinator 9. Bill Maertz, Community Services Director 10. Jon Shellhammer, Special Events Coordinator 11. Bob Stein, Public Services Manager 12. Annette Saul, Parks & Landscape Supervisor

– Photos courtesy of Terry Rodgers

The Department of Creating Community

We produce 10 concerts between June 18 and August 27 at the outdoor performance stage at Town Center Community Park. They’re held on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., except for our Blues & BBQ and Wingstock concerts, which begin at 5:30 p.m. To reduce parking anxiety, we’re going to give prizes to folks who come to the concerts on bicycles.

Our Special Events staff is more organized than a colony of leaf-cutter ants. They coordinate Santee Salutes, the City’s 4th of July party and fireworks show. They’re also responsible for the annual Santee Bluegrass Festival scheduled for September 12th, a fundraiser that

benefits our recreation programs. Special Events also choreographs the annual Holiday Lighting Celebration at Santee Trolley Square and the Spring Eggstravaganza at Santee Lakes.

OK, so we’re more than cool party people. We do some serious work, too.

We run an exemplary citywide recycling program that diverts about 70 percent of reusable materials from local landfills. We write grants so we can stretch our city dollars. We have a Public Services division that does all sorts of thankless tasks such as removing graffiti and patching potholes. Our city arborist hugs our street trees and makes sure that roadside landscaping is healthy and attractive.

– continued on page 34

– Photo courtesy of Jay Renard/East County Herald

to see the people who bring their dogs. Date night for doggie.

Spring 2015 7

Reel Fun in Santee!

We all know you can fish in Santee, right? Santee Lakes has one of our region’s best fishing programs. You don’t even need a California Fishing License. Just buy a daily fishing permit from the Santee Lakes Park Rangers: $9 for adults, $6 for children or an annual pass $55 for seniors, children or disabled. But what if you do have a California Fishing License and you would like a little more adventure?

gill and crappie caught there. However, recent overgrowth of an invasive water primrose called Luwigia has caused eutrophication of the water. The Dissolved Oxygen level has dropped to near zero and the fish have died or moved out. The City is working hard to eradicate the plants and is working on a contract to keep it at bay. I’m hopeful that by this summer “Walmart Pond” will again be fishable.

The San Diego River runs through the middle of Santee, and our City leaders have had the foresight to make it a central part of our City Parks. Also, current projects by the San Diego River Park Foundation and the San Diego River Conservancy, in conjunction with our Santee Community Services Department, are adding acres of open public access and miles of new trails along the River. These new trails will increase public access to several very nice, fishable ponds which were originally created by sand and gravel mining operations, and until recently were off limits.

Further east, adjacent to the soccer fields at Town Center Park is “Old Man’s Pond”. Because it is deeper, it does not have the invasive weed problem like the shallower ponds.

Access to this pond will improve over the next few years as the River Park Trail is expanded. In the past, some folks have avoided this area because of a number of homeless camps. But the Santee Sheriff’s Deputies are working to control the problem, and many of the abandoned camps have been cleaned out by River Park volunteers. Although caution is warranted, I believe it is safe to fish during daylight hours.

I am often asked, “Is it legal to fish in these ponds?” The answer is yes! In fact, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Urban Fisheries Manager encourages it. However, even though the new trails are open to the public and it is legal to fish or boat on the water, in some areas the strip of land between the trails and the River is restricted. Many of the banks have been restored with native plants. If that restoration was done with public money, then it is against State or Federal regulations to disturb that area. Most of the restricted areas are marked, but I am also careful to stay on the well worn paths and I try not to disturb any native vegetation.

Some of my favorite fishing spots, from West to East: If you have hiked along the new Mast Park West Trail you may have seen a small pond on the south side of the trail, about half way to Carlton Oaks Golf Course. I call that “Sacred Pond”. It is small, access is limited and it can get overgrown with weeds in summer. But if you have a float tube and are willing to fight the weeds, the fishing for largemouth bass and blue gill can be good.

Traditionally the most common area to fish was the pond near the pedestrian bridge just north of Walmart.

Access is easy and there used to be a lot of bass, blue 8 Santee Magazine

Lastly is the real jewel. The new 1.3 mile trail in the Walker Preserve, between Magnolia Avenue and the Lakeside Little League Fields, has opened as a Santee City Park. The pond in this preserve covers several acres and is from 8 to 25 feet deep. Biologists from California Fish and Wildlife and the Regional Water Quality Control Board are studying the size and health of the fish population in that pond. The studies have not been completed but several 3+ pound bass have been inspected. Additional measures may be implemented to improve the fishing. Safe and harmless access will be a major concern. The banks are steep and 4,000 native trees and bushes have been planted as part of the restoration efforts. However, there will be accessible launch points for small fishing craft like float tubes. Just be careful not to disturb the new vegetation.

Before all of the new trails and park trash barrels, I would collect more bags of trash than the number of fish I caught. Now I barely fill one bag. The River and our Parks are becoming much cleaner. Please help keep it that way.

Use the trash barrels and fishing line recycling tubes that have been provided.

Have fun fishing in Santee.

TSM

– Gary Strawn, Friends of Santee River Park

Photos courtesy of Terry Rodgers, City of Santee

Santee’s River Park Proving Itself Sometimes, planning for the future actually works.

A good case study is Santee’s San Diego River Park Plan, which was conceived in 1981 just one year after the city had incorporated.

At that time, little attention was being paid to the San Diego River, a 52-mile-long waterway stretching from the Cuyamaca Mountains to the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Beach.

The city of San Diego, for instance, wouldn’t adopt its San Diego River Park Master Plan until 2013 following a decade of deliberation.

Santee adopted its San Diego River Park Plan in 1984, and incorporated it into the city’s General Plan, the blueprint for future growth.

This set the stage for creating a network of parks and trails along the river’s riparian corridor. It also ensured that future growth would provide public access and embrace the river’s ribbon of open space.

Douglas Williford, who was hired in Santee as an assistant planner in 1982, remembers the challenges faced by Santee in that era.

“The early planning in the 1980’s of the Santee River Trail system was part of an overall strategy to reclaim the San Diego River for recreational use and natural habitat, as well as provide Santee’s part of what was to eventually become a regional trail connection along the river from the ocean to the mountains.” said Williford, now the city manager of El Cajon.

“At the time, the long-term goals of providing such a trail through Santee seemed almost impossible to achieve as

virtually none of the system yet existed,” Williford said.

“However, through sustained, long-term, step-by-step implementation, and staying focused on the overall plan along the river, the city has made tremendous strides in realizing this goal.”

Since 2010 Santee has built a 55-acre community park and constructed approximately two additional miles of riverfront trail on the north side of the river. Completion of the few remaining gaps in the river trail – less than a half mile – is expected to occur when vacant property is developed. New trail segments will soon be constructed on the south side of the river in Town Center.

Outdoor enthusiasts are especially pleased with the city’s completion in April of the 1.3mile Walker Preserve trail, which connects to two contiguous miles of riverfront trail managed by the Lakeside River Park Conservancy.

Robin Reardon, the conservancy’s executive director, said one of the intangible benefits of multi-use paths is the unique community that develops among trail users.

“On our trails, the same people have been walking them for years,” she said. “They say hello and catch up on neighborhood news. They may not know everyone’s name, but they know their faces and it’s a very cordial environment.”

Reardon said she can foresee the day when the river trail system will be used not only for exercise and recreation but also to facilitate day trips where residents ride their bicycles to see a movie or eat at a restaurant in Town Center.

“The whole goal is to get people out of their cars and get a better sense of community,” she said.

TSM – Terry Rodgers, City of Santee

Spring 2015 9

– Photo courtesy of Jay Renard/East County Herald

7th Annual Santee Street Fair:

The Ultimate Summer Block Party The Santee Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a 1950s-themed vintage carnival at the 7th annual Santee Street Fair on May 23. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Riverview Parkway next to Trolley Square. Admission is free for guests to enjoy the more than 200 merchandise vendors, live music and entertainment.

Carnival rides and the beer garden are extra.

This year there’s a renewed focus on family friendly attractions. There will be free photo opportunities with several walk-a-round characters, including the Minions from the “Despicable Me” movies, remember to bring your camera.

Other family attractions include an interactive arts and crafts area, a workshop, bumper cars, and tons of carnival rides. Thrill seekers can soar over the street fair for 250 feet on a 3-story tall zip line.

The Staump Music School will be providing music and talent for the opening ceremony on the Chamber Main Stage and coordinating all of the family entertainment for both the Chamber Stage and the Walmart Stage. Some of the local acts include students from Expressions Dance and Movement Center, CGC Gymnastics Center, Infinity Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Staump Productions and several other regional acts.

The Whissel Realty Craft Beer Garden will feature six San Diego breweries. Returning this year are local favorites Twisted Manzanita, BNS Brewing, Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing Co. and Helm’s Brewing Co. New participants this year include Mike Hess Brewing and Pizza Port Brewing Co. There are a limited number of Beer Garden pre-sale tickets available online for only $20 that include 10 fourounce samples and either a bacon wrapped hotdog or a cheeseburger. Tickets purchased after the pre-sale expires include 10 tasters and will available both online and at the door for $20.

Parking will be available adjacent to the event off Mission Gorge Road in the HD Supply/Hartford parking lot, or you can ride with ease to and from the event with Uber and get your first ride free (up to $20). Sign up for Uber at www.get.uber.com/go/SANTEESTREETFAIR and enter the promo code SANTEESTREETFAIR. For more information about the Street Fair, visit SanteeStreetFair.com or contact the Santee Chamber of Commerce staff at (619) 449-6572, or send an email to info@santeechamber.com.

TSM

Win this 1971 Chevy Camaro at the Street Fair!

W IN CAR !

One person’s lucky ticket will get to take home this classic car!

Winning ticket will be drawn at 5pm

THIS

Purchase tickets at these local businesses or at the Street Fair: Santee Chamber of Commerce Office 10315 Mission Gorge Road, Santee Mike Clinkenbeard’s Farmers Agency 235 Town Center Parkway, #J, Santee

See SanteeStreetFair.com for official rules

10 Santee Magazine

Lloyd’s Collision Center 10410 Mission Gorge Road, Santee

Spring 2015 11

Photo courtesy of Ellen Henry

What Makes Santee Home You’re driving home from being away for a day or longer.

You crest Mission Trails Summit heading east and you come around the gentle curve to the right and then you see it: the black blanket studded with points of light, and you think, “I’m home.’ Have you ever asked yourself what makes Santee ‘home’? Sure, home is where the heart is; where you hang your hat; where the dog is. But those can be just about anywhere and you would not necessarily feel that swell in your chest or that fondness for where you live if it wasn’t in Santee. Santee has a unique quality of life that many other places just don’t have. I had to think long and hard to pinpoint the exact feeling. Of course, you may have a different feeling inside when you see that sight, but for over 30 years I have had this quickening when I know I’m getting close to my home here in Santee. I took informal polls of friends, neighbors, Facebook users, and coworkers to get their perspectives on the feeling. The overwhelming consensus was that Santee offers a sense of community, of participation and of camaraderie that is connected to this place like few others.

Santee has a ‘small town’ feel, yet we offer accessibility to public transportation, freeways and a variety of shopping on par with any budding metropolis. On the one hand, it is easy to come and go, but on the other hand, you almost don’t need to leave since everything one could need seems to be here! I love that our commerce is spread out, if for no other reason than we don’t have one big, industrial mall in the middle of town with acres and acres of open parking lots or big garages. We have beautifully consistent architectural guidelines and aesthetically pleasing shopping areas. Our Chamber of Commerce works hard to be sure we have a wide variety of everything we could need. We have community events that bring us all together; we have recreational facilities that are unmatched elsewhere.

We have fabulous open spaces and no matter what your “thing” is – be it exercise, outdoors, indoors, activities for kids – we have it all. Sometimes it can be difficult to choose!

In my informal interview, my coworker said he loves Santee because of the involvement. All of his kids’ activities have families in attendance. He’s impressed that so many activities have full families involved, not just the occasional parent. The sense of community that comes with this lets 12 Santee Magazine

him know that we are thriving. We have commonality in living with that neighborhood feel. When we have sadness, people come together. When we have triumph, people come together. When we celebrate, your neighbors are there celebrating with you.

Other friends of mine have mentioned that they love Santee because this place has great quality and beauty, with the opportunities for work and play all in one place. We have several renowned breweries. Many of our local restaurants serve the local beer. We have a great golf course, Santee lakes, Mission Trails, and all types of recreation. One of my friends said she does as much shopping as she can in Santee because we have a lower tax rate and because she likes to keep her tax dollars local. Why buy at another store outside of the city when you can buy here and support local business and our own infrastructure? I find myself doing this as well. While I may be at Fashion Valley or somewhere in La Jolla, if I see something that we have in Santee, I will wait until I get to that particular store here in town to make my purchase.

One of my poll respondents moved here specifically for the school system. She says that her son’s education is unparalleled and that he could not receive the same opportunity elsewhere. She points out that our school system is highly ranked in the nation and she could not be happier with the results he has achieved through his education. He is thriving in his various extracurricular activities and programs. He is the shining example of what a Santee student can accomplish. She is impressed with the diversity and the way the community comes together.

You never know when you may run into someone you know; not just at organized events, but around town, on the trails or bike paths, or in the parks. A quick trip to Costco can inspire a family or class reunion. I have a friend who commented on my informal poll that he’s moving back into the house where he grew up. He is very grateful to have such a wonderful place to which he can return.

He feels safe and is very appreciative of our low crime rate and feeling of security. When you have that feeling of pride, that feeling of belonging and the feeling of ‘home’ you know what makes Santee unique to live and play. TSM – Dani McBride

Lucky Chinese Food

Approaching 20 Years in Santee After a successful opening of its first restaurant in El Cajon in 1992, Lucky Chinese Food opened its second location in the heart of Santee in June of 1996 at the corner of Cuyamaca and Mission Gorge, between Discount Tire and CVS. What began as a humble Chinese takeout place has now, almost 20 years later grown into a takeout and full service sit-down restaurant with a new expanded menu.

The restaurant is a unique mix of fast-casual and full service sit-down. When you walk in, the left side of the restaurant serves up hot food in steam tables for quick takeout, and the right side offers customers the choice to sit down and enjoy a full menu with waitresses ready to serve. Master Chef Lee and his brother have a combined 60+ years of experience in a Chinese restaurant kitchen and have worked hard to put together a delicious menu mix of both popular and traditional dishes, like grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Seafood Chow Fun. Chef Lee’s style of cuisine is Szechwan Cantonese and his signature sauces can best be described as being simple, savory, and well balanced.

Lucky Chinese Food underwent a complete makeover and remodel in 2014, adding a larger dining room that can now accommodate groups and parties of 20 or more. There are additional plans to add 12 draught beers on tap (local Santee beers included!) and wine this summer.

The ownership team and staff are grateful that they have been able to serve fine Chinese food to the residents and businesses of Santee for almost 20 years at the same location. They know that they could not have been in business for this long without the support and patronage of their most loyal customers, and for that they want to say thank you.

Find out more at www.luckychinesefood.com

TSM

Spring 2015 13

14 Santee Magazine

– Photos courtesy of Ron Cook

Awards Night The Santee Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 60th Anniversary on February 19 at the Barona Resort & Casino Golf Center.

With attendees like Congressman Duncan Hunter, Senator Joel Anderson, Mayor Randy Voepel and the Santee City Council, this event has become one of the most prestigious Chamber events in the region.

Steve and Bob, from Santee’s Off Broadway Live theatre, entertained the crowd of more than two hundred and sixty business owners and community members that came to celebrate local business success, the announcement of the Santee’s Favorites Award winners, as well as the Santee’s Person of the Year presentation and several other community award presentations.

The Santee’s Favorite Award program features over three hundred businesses competing in twenty-two categories. Santee’s Favorites winners are decided by online voting over several weeks. These winners have aggressive social media campaigns and encourage their followers to vote daily.

In only its third year, the Santee’s Favorites program has proven to be a great way to promote local businesses using friendly competition.

In addition to recognizing businesses that are making a difference in the city, the Chamber recognizes community leaders from several clubs and service groups. They’ve also helped the City recognize its two adopted military groups, the Marine Heavy Helicopter HMH 426 Heavy Haulers and the Marine Regiment 2nd Battalion 1st Marines.

The Chamber recognized Eddie Vandiver, the 2014 Chairman of the Board, and introduced Bob Lloyd, the incoming Chairman for 2015.

Over the course of a few short years, Awards Night and Santee’s Favorites have become an important part of what makes Santee such an amazing place to live.

TSM – continued on page 22

Spring 2015 15

SAVE THE DATE

JUNE 25, 2015 SANTEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE &

SANTEE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUNDATION

GOLF CLASSIC

BENEFITTING THE STUDENTS OF THE SANTEE SCHOOL OUR MISSION is to provide Financial, Material and Service Resources in pursuit of Our Vision

AB C

OUR VISION is to help Santee Schools produce good citizens and future leaders for our community.

Santee School District FOUNDATION Visit www.santeefoundation.net

In Support of Technology and The Arts Each June, the Foundation’s annual Golf Classic takes place to raise funds to enhance the educational opportunities for children in Santee. The Golf Classic is a grass roots fundraiser sponsored by the Santee School District Educational Foundation and the Santee Chamber of Commerce.

If golf is not your sport, we invite you to attend the dinner for an evening of good food, silent and live auctions, fun, and prizes. In the past, participants have won cruises, vacation packages, Chargers and Padres tickets and autographed sports memorabilia, golf weekends, and more.

The annual event began 11 years ago and has continued to grow each year. Some of our many annual sponsors include Balfour Beatty Construction, Allied Waste, Pardee Homes, Al’s Sport Shop, Walmart, Costco, Padre Dam, Chickfil-A, Mission Federal Credit Union, RCP Brick, Cox Business, school district employee groups, and local PTA units. The funds raised are donated to the schools in Santee School District for defined purposes that support the vision of the Foundation... to help Santee Schools produce good citizens and future leaders for our community.

Since the inception of the Foundation, over $300,000 has been donated to the Santee School District. The donations have been used specifically to completely fund the Arts Attack art curriculum at all nine schools and to assist in providing technology and digital learning tools in classrooms. This year, the Foundation provided $12,000 for grants for schools to spark innovation in digital learning in their classrooms and $35,000 for a Cloud-based educational multi-media repository for digital learning.

The Foundation’s 12th Annual Golf Classic, held in collaboration with the Santee Chamber of Commerce, will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2015, at Carlton Oaks Country Club. Community members are invited to become part of this annual Santee event by providing a sponsorship, donating a prize, or participating in a sunny afternoon of great golf.

It’s the perfect time of year for 18 holes while supporting a good cause. Tee time is at noon.

The Foundation has made a commitment to continue to provide resources for art instruction and technology learning tools for students in the Santee School District.

Please support this worthwhile organization that donates all funds back into the Santee community! Let’s help meet this goal! Sponsors and golfers for this event are encouraged to email the Foundation at SanteeFoundation@gmail.com or visit the Santee School District Foundation website at www.santeefoundation.net for more information.

TSM

Thank you Santee! for your awesome support of the 1st Santee School District Foundation

Aloha 5K Fun Run & Walk You made it a great success!

16 Santee Magazine

A walk back in time with the +

+

Santee Historical Society

+

+

Just when you thought you knew Santee, you find out more about our City!

In 1934, the County was trying to sell Edgemoor Farm to... the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus!

An article published in the San Diego Union on Wednesday, September 12, 1934 announced the plan.

COMBINED CIRCUS MAY WINTER HERE

Winter quarters of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s circus may be established in San Diego county, it became known yesterday when the board of supervisors authorized Hal G. Hotchkiss, realty broker, to quote a price of $200,000 in offering the county’s Edgemoor farm to the circus management.

V. Earl Roberts, representing Hotchkiss, asked that a price be named to open negotiations.

The circus now has winter quarters in Florida and Paris, Ill. Roberts said. For some time circus management has desired a consolidation, and now believes that the ideal climate for both domestic animals and those whose native habitat is the jungle could be quartered satisfactorily at Santee. Mrs. Belle Benchley, director of the San Diego zoo, has been consulted by circus representatives, who quote her as saying that conditions are ideal at Santee for their purposes.

Acquisition of the county farm by the circus would mean establishment of a town of about 2200 persons at Santee. The normal payroll at winter quarters carries 700 persons.

County officials have been willing to sell the farm for some time, believing that inmates of the institution can be cared for more advantageously nearer the city, possibly at the county hospital.”

– San Diego Union Sept. 12, 1934

The plan never came to pass. How different would Santee have been today if the circus had come to town?

– Story researched by Carole Delozier

Want to know more about Santee’s history?

EDGEMOOR BARN

SanteNoew

100 th Birthday

1913 - 2013

Then... and

Santee Museum

at the Edgemoor Barn 9200 Magnolia

Open for Tours every Tuesday except the 2nd Tuesday of the month, from 10 til noon... and the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10 til 2 pm. Come visit and take a tour!

2012 +

+

+

+

al Society

Santee Historic

+

Santee Histor

ical Society

+

+

+

The Santee Historical Society has created a series of booklets about Santee’s history Available for a $5 donation at these locations: Santee Museum at the Barn

Closed the 3rd Saturday in November & December

10 to 12 noon on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Tuesday of the month and the 3rd Saturday of the month, 10 – 2

Look for special event dates on website:

Santee Chamber of Commerce

or call 619.449.2024

or look for our booth at the Santee Street Fair, May 23, 2015

www.SanteeHistoricalSociety.org

or the

(please have exact change)

Spring 2015 17

SANTEE SCHOOL DISTRICT 1:1 DIGITAL LEARNING transforming learning by tapping the power of technology

I like using the iPad for project-based learning… especially for math. We do group projects using Edmodo to figure out real-world problems. It’s way more interesting than before we had iPads.

-4th Grade Student, PRIDE Academy

Changing my classroom from all paper, pencil, and textbook learning has affected the environment of my room in a positive way. Students have an opportunity to affect their own learning, allowing more creativity, and individualize their learning by choices that they get to make, instantly.

-5th Grade Teacher, Carlton Oaks

The iPad makes it easier for kids who speak another language because it gives them a way to answer questions about things.

They can also find pictures to help them understand what we are learning better.

-3rd Grade Student, Hill Creek

18 Santee Magazine

With the introduction of 1:1 learning, my son has become more interested in learning and is engaged in class. He loves the freedom of moving at his own pace and the ability to research topics he is interested in. He is excited each day to teach us something new that he discovered.

!

-5th Grade Parent, Sycamore Canyon

Santee School District has embarked on a comprehensive 1:1

Digital Learning Program designed to transform learning. By providing a device for every student to use on and off campus a world of learning is open to our students. iPads are equipped with state-of-theart digital programs to promote critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. The apps and other learning tools were specifically selected to personalize each student’s learning and to prepare them for the future.

Research on the iPad is so much easier. With the iPad, there is so much more information than just looking in a book. I can fix my mistakes quickly without having to do everything over again, like when I would write things on paper.

!

!

!

-3rd Grade Student, Carlton Hills

Students have been excited to use their iPads as a tool to improve and show their academic growth through unique assignments. The iPad has opened doors to endless learning possibilities.

Students are much more engaged and independent.

Now, they have choices to find their own learning path. Using the iPad gives me the opportunity to differentiate learning.

-3rd Grade Teacher, Cajon Park

My daughter enjoys using the technology and actually likes doing homework now. She is also able to be challenged and is constantly looking to do more.

-5th Grade Parent, Rio Seco

-4th Grade Teacher, Chet F. Harritt STEAM School

My child is excited and enthusiastic about having the iPad in the classroom. She loves being able to take it home. It helps to teach her responsibility, too.

-5th Grade Parent, Pepper Drive

Santee School District invites you to experience our students’ remarkable abilities by visiting the Santee School District website, school websites, and following us on Twitter. For quick access to our video on 1:1 Digital Learning, scan the QR code.

www.santeesd.net @SanteeSupt

Spring 2015 2015 19 19 Spring

Walk Santee Community

Walk Santee!

We all know how important exercise is for our health, and walking is one of the best ways to get that exercise. But, if you are like most of us, you don’t like doing it alone.

The goal of Walk Santee, now a page on Facebook, is to provide a safe, local and social opportunity for walkers like yourself to connect and coordinate walking schedules for company and motivation.

In Santee we are fortunate to be surrounded by so many venues that offer walking in beautiful surroundings such as

20 Santee Magazine

Santee Lakes, Mast Park, the new Walker Preserve Trail, and many more.

Let’s hear from you... what are your favorite places to walk in Santee, how often, what level of walking are you interested in? But, most of all, make sure to ‘like‘ WalkSantee on Facebook to connect with local walkers now!

Visit our Facebook page to meet other walkers: facebook.com/walksantee – Arli Wolfson

Carbon Neutral Shipping UPS strives to protect Mother Earth

The sign inside our UPS store promoting ‘carbon neutral shipping’ might leave some customers scratching their heads.

But don’t worry; we’re not testing anyone’s knowledge of molecular science.

and the thriving community from which we operate, to me these environmental efforts are like gifts in a box that benefit everyone in the long run.

The UPS Store team at 9625 Mission Gorge Road has joined the commitment to protect Mother Earth by offsetting emissions from package transports.

Thanks to those individual customers and the many businesses that use our services, we have seen a solid increase in carbon-neutral shipping from our store. But the buck doesn’t stop there.

As the world’s largest shipper, UPS is dispersing funds to third-party verified organizations working ambitiously in the fields of reforestation, landfill gas destruction, wastewater treatment and other environmental causes.

Recently I began working with the UPS sustainability department in reaching out to come up with creative ideas for advancing this great initiative to spread out to the nation’s 4,400 The UPS Stores.

The best part is that our customers can get in on the action for 10 cents or less.

The spirit of giving back to the community from our UPS Store runs deep. In addition to waving the environmental flag, we have proudly lent our services to the Santee community. In addition to supporting our senior living center, Lantern Crest, by assisting the facility with a printing project. We also joined other companies in raising money through the Muscular Dystrophy Association to help costs for a wonderful 11-year-old Santee boy battling the disease.

The nominal charges for carbon-neutral shipping on all types of packages are based on weight, size and destination.

In most cases the cost is an easy nickel, which goes to support sustainability projects in California’s 24,000-acre Garcia River Forest as well as biogas and landfill gas capture in China’s Suzhou Qizi Mountain Landfill Gas Recovery Project and Columbia’s La Pradera Landfill Gas Project.

Since its launch, UPS has teamed up with an independent, third-party inspection and verification organization to support the program, and the UPS carbon neutral process has been certified by The Carbon Neutral Company.

In other words, the money spent on mailing a package under our carbon-neutral shipping program really does save a tree or plants a new one where needed.

At the same time, UPS is regularly evaluating fuel, water and paper usage to further reduce its carbon footprint. As a The UPS Store franchisee devoted to the welfare of our planet

That was certainly not the first or last fundraiser we plan on getting involved with.

And through the generous support of local businesses we were able to give our customers donated products from Phil’s BBQ, The Cupcake Store, Massage Envy and others over the holidays.

The year ahead won’t be any different in how we interact with customers and form solid relationships with local area businesses. Although as we continue growing with the community, our company and customers can do their part to protect the environment by supporting our ongoing Carbon Neutral Shipping program.

TSM

– Greg Gagnon

Spring 2015 21

– continued from page 15

Rowena Hart, Mirna Sabri, Carl Scherbaum of Waste Management

LES HART MEMORIAL Scholarship Recipient

Arts, Entertainment & Media

Mirna Sabri

Roger Daniel’s Alignment & Brake

Off Broadway Live Automotive Banks & Credit Unions

San Diego County Credit Union For the past two years the Santee Chamber Foundation, and the family of Les Hart, has awarded the Les Hart Memorial Scholarship to an East County student. This year’s recipient of the $1000 scholarship was Mirna Sabri.

Mirna and her family immigrated to the United States only six years ago.

Although she didn’t speak English when she started seventh grade, Mirna was motivated to progress from English Language Development classes to AP and Honors classes. She is now ranked in the top 3% of her class at El Cajon Valley High School with an overall GPA of 4.2 and is planning to attend San Diego State University after graduation.

Mirna hopes to help fellow immigrants acclimate quickly to our culture and assist them on their journey towards success and a better life in America.

She plans to use the scholarship to assist her with college expenses.

Brewery

BNS Brewing & Distilling Construction & Contracting

CGP Maintenance & Construction Services Financial Services

Cynthia Whitney, CPA General Services

The UPS Store General Services – Home

Perpetual Tree Care Health & Beauty

Hot Rodz & Betties Hair Garage Hospitality

2014

Community Awards Deputy of the Year

Barona Resort & Casino Manufacturing

TCB Embroidery Medical Services

Sharp Grossmont Hospital Non-Profit Large

Tamani Pugh

San Diego Christian College

Santee School District Educator of the Year

Santee Lakes Foundation

Joseph Kemery Les Hart Memorial Scholarship

Mirna Sabri Chairman’s Award

Bob Lloyd Person of the Year

Elana Levens-Craig Rotarian of the Year

Sandy Pugliese Santee Kiwanis American Patriot Award

Non-Profit Small Professional Services

Pure Flo Water Company Property Management/Real Estate

Kyle Whissel, Whissel Realty Recreation & Fitness

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve Restaurant – Full Service

Phil’s BBQ Restaurant – Quick Service

Chick-Fil-A Retail

Costco Wholesale Specialty Food

Sergeant Major Bill Paxton

Nothing Bundt Cake

2014 Outgoing Chairman

Padre Dam Municipal Water District

Eddie Vandiver 22 Santee Magazine

Utilities

Elana Levins-Craig Santee’s Person of the Year Santee School board member and child advocate, Elana Levens–Craig was named Santee’s Person of the Year for 2014. Levens–Craig was honored at the Santee Chamber of Commerce’s Awards Night celebration on February 19th at Barona Resort and Casino. Levens–Craig was selected by a committee comprised of Santee Chamber of Commerce Board Members and was selected from an outstanding group nominees.

Levens–Craig’s volunteer efforts are vast, with the bulk of her time dedicated to education in a variety of roles, including being a special education teacher, a leader in PTA – from the school site level all the way up to the State PTA. She currently serves as a school board trustee for the Santee School District and a board member for the Santee School District Foundation.

She has assisted the Grossmont Union High School District as a former chair of their Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee and a volunteer with their Virtual Enterprise Program at El Cajon Valley and Mt. Miguel High Schools.

Additionally, Elana is the past chair of the League of Women Voters of East County’s Education Committee and is involved with Business Education Committee in charge of Entrepreneurial programs with the East County Chamber of Commerce.

Levens–Craig also dedicates time to St. Vincent de Paul’s Hunger Project, the San Diego Book Project, Susan G. Komen Three–Day Walk, the Santee–Lakeside Rotary Club and she is a prolific promoter of the Santee Community and its activities via social media.

Rob McNelis presenting award to Elana Levins-Craig

This is by no means the first award for Levens–Craig. She has long list of recognitions including: • 2012 Women in Leadership Nominee • San Diego County School Board Associations 2011 Parent Volunteer of the Year (42 county school districts) • Grossmont Union High School District 2011 Volunteer of the Year for Santana High School • C. Allen Paul Award Winner, East County Chamber of Commerce 2011 • UT Volunteer Spotlight, March 2011 • El Cajon Citizen of the Year Nominee, February 2011 • PTA Honorary Service Award, March 2004, March 2009 and June 2012 • Paul Breen Award, June 2010 • Santee Small Business of the Year, 2007 Levens–Craig along with her husband, Scott Craig own Packaging Solutions for Today’s Industry. She has two children – Kristie age 22 and Daniel age 21. She and her husband have lived in Santee since 1998.

Levens–Craig attended SDSU where she earned a MA in Education with an emphasis in Severely Handicapped Education and a BA in Liberal Studies.

She loves to travel and has been to faraway places such as Israel, Egypt, Peru and China. Levens–Craig is also an avid sports fan, attending Padres, Chargers and SDSU Men’s Basketball games regularly.

TSM Spring 2015 23

Neighbors Helping Neighbors The Santee Food Bank is on the Move The Santee Food Bank has been an integral part of the City of Santee for 32 years, providing residents in need with temporary food assistance. Established in 1983, the food bank has relocated three times since its inception.

The Carlton Hills Evangelical Lutheran Church has now generously offered us a 10-year lease on a portion of their property upon which to permanently relocate. Once again centrally located in the heart of Santee, the food bank will be more accessible to residents who find it difficult to travel to the current Hartley Road facility.

The move will entail both time and money and for this we will need the grass roots participation of the entire community.

It is estimated that the move will cost $100,000. This will cover the cost of moving portable buildings onto the property and installing necessary utilities of water, sewer, and electricity as well as retrofitting the interior space. This will also include the cost of obtaining the required permits and the labor to complete the entire project.

Because the food bank serves approximately 600 individual families a month, it is possible that you or some of your neighbors have found it necessary to avail themselves of the bounty the food bank shares at no cost to the clients.

We now need your help to raise the money to finance this massive move.

Open to all Santee Residents Our address: The Santee Food Bank 10925 Hartley Road Santee, CA 92071 Hours: Wed & Friday - 9-11 am, 1st & 3rd Sat. - 9-11 am.

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” is the theme of our relocation project.

24 Santee Magazine

Any donation that we receive will be acknowledged and greatly appreciated. The Santee Food Bank is available to all Santee residents and we hope to continue being a vital part of the community for as long as the need exists. TSM

Home and Vehicle Safety Summer is just around the corner; whether you are planning a vacation or planning to stay in town, plan on being safe.

Home and vehicle burglaries tend to increase during the sum-mer time. Most home and apartment burglaries occur during the daytime. Thieves look for the easiest targets, avoid becoming a victim.

Here are a few precautions you can take: HOME SAFETY • Have a home security system installed. Thieves look for easy targets and will generally avoid homes that have an indication of a security system (stickers, signs).

• When you are home keep windows slightly open with supplemental locks securely fastened to keep thieves from opening the window further.

• Ensure that the exterior of your house is well lit and that bushes and shrubs are neatly trimmed. Thieves like areas around homes where they can hide or go unnoticed.

• If leaving, make sure to use a light timer and leave music playing to give the impression that someone is home. When away on a vacation, do not make it obvious that no one is home. Put a hold on newspapers and mail. Request a vacation check or extra patrol from your local Sheriff Station.

• Talk to your neighbors and make sure to report any suspicious people or activity to law enforcement. We offer FREE vacation checks. Make sure to stop by the Santee Sheriff’s Station to complete a vacation check form.

VEHICLE SAFETY: • Always lock your vehicle and keep the windows rolled up, even if parking in your garage at home.

• Never leave anything valuable inside your vehicle, thieves will break a window to steal items such as purses, wallets, cell phones, and electronics (GPS devices, iPods, tablets, etc.)

• Park in well-lit areas, away from larger vehicles that will obstruct the view of your vehicle. Never leave your keys in the car, even when running a quick errand.

• Avoid having your license plate stolen by installing license plate screws, available at your local auto parts store.

REPORT ALL SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY AND CRIME BY CALLING 858-565-5200 FOR EMERGENCIES CALL 9-1-1 Santee Sheriff’s Station 8811 Cuyamaca St. Santee, CA 92071 619-956-4000 TSM

CITY OF SANTEE UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS

Co tastin and li will b park Rec

Live Bluegrass Music

Beer, Wine & Food Sampling Silent Auction

Town Center Community Park East 550 Park Center Drive Santee 92071

Tickets available online or in person at Santee City Hall Building 6

Box Canyon

photo: Stephen Prendergast

Saturday, September 12, 2015 5:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Funds raised will benefit the Santee Teen Center, park improvement projects, and the Recreation Scholarship Program.

TICKETS $45 Advance $50 On-Site $35 Designated Driver

High Mountain Road VISIT www.cityofsanteeca.gov or call SPECIAL EVENTS AT (619) 258-4100 EXT. 201

IN khaki

c-5 m-11 y-44 k-19

brown

c- 21 m-70 y-92 k-70

sky

c -100 m-42 y-0 k-0

green

c-100 m-4 y-87 k-18

CO

RPO

I

RNIA FO

CITY O F

NTEE, CAL

SA

RA T E D

I9

www.facebook.com/santeebluegrassfestival

80

City of Santee City Seal 10601 Magnolia Avenue Santee, CA 92070 (619) 258-4100

Spring 2015 25

Firehouse Cares The award-winning fast casual restaurant chain, Firehouse Subs, is best known for serving premium meats and cheeses steamed piping hot and piled high on a toasted sub roll, which is served “Fully Involved®” with fresh produce and condiments. For a limited time only, Firehouse Subs is offering the Turkey Bacon Ranch,™ loaded with smoked turkey breast, Smithfield® bacon, sharp cheddar cheese topped with peppercorn ranch, mayo and fresh produce.

Pair any Firehouse Subs sandwich with a Coca-Cola Freestyle® fountain drink, including the top selling noncarbonated fountain drink, Cherry Lime-Aid™ and Cherry Lime-Aid™ Light, exclusive original recipes by Firehouse Subs, served with fresh squeezed lime.

As summer quickly approches, Firehouse Subs’ delicious and affordable catering options, including subs, salads, desserts and platters, are perfect to enhance any summer

26 Santee Magazine

party. Whether celebrating Memorial Day, Independence Day or simply a family backyard barbeque, Firehouse Subs catering is a convenient way to entertain family and friends.

With the ability to order online or on the phone, you can enjoy a hot or cold sandwich conveniently delivered to you and your family during these exciting summer days.

Founded by brothers and former firefighters Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire and police service.

In addition to serving tasty food, Firehouse Subs gives back to the local community through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation®, providing funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. The Foundation has given $13 million to hometown heroes in 43 states and Puerto Rico, including more than $160,160 in California.

TSM

Prevent Underage Drinking It’s Your Responsibility to Be a Party Pooper!

The season for graduations, weddings, back-yard BBQs and summertime get-togethers is just around the corner!

Celebrations are exciting and fun but can get out of control quickly if you don’t have a plan in place to ensure underage drinking does not occur. Many adults are not aware of Santee’s Social Host Ordinance. Let’s start with the basics: • Being the host of a party or gathering comes with responsibilities. Hosts must take reasonable steps to PREVENT underage drinking, consumption of marijuana and other controlled substances at the party or gathering.

alcohol, marijuana or any controlled substance. There is no price placed on life – so please host your parties responsibly.

For more information on Santee’s Social Host Ordinance, visit the City of Santee website, click on municipal code, Title 9: Morals and Welfare > Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages by a Minor (Chapter 9.72).

Santee Solutions Coalition meets monthly on the 3rd Wednesday at Santee Library 6-7:30 pm.

Follow us on Facebook and visit www.santeesolutions.org TSM

• Party hosts must control access to ALL alcoholic beverages on the premises including outside. You can do t his by circulating the party frequently watching for items brought to the party by others.

• Party hosts are responsible for knowing the ages of guests in attendance, particularly those who age 30 or younger.

• ID guests using state or government issued ID cards.

Calculate the age by date of birth listed.

• Always supervise the party!

Adult consequences are steep! Failure to follow these rules on a first offense is a misdemeanor, and could result in a $1,000 fine, and a bill for law enforcement costs, and any other first responder costs. Subsequent violations increase the fine, add community service and could result in up to 6 months in jail.

The risks to youth can be devastating and life changing.

Drinking alcohol or marijuana use is harmful to brain development of young people and affects learning.

Drinking alcohol puts young people at risk of alcohol poisoning, fighting, unintended self injury, and at the risk of committing or being a victim of an unwanted crime or sexual assault. Youth who start drinking before the age of 21 are four times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life.

We clean all Fixtures, Countertops, Furniture, Surfaces, Ceiling Fans.

Deep Cleaning in Living Areas, Kitchen, Dining, Bathrooms & Bedrooms Honest & Reliable for 13 years

The bottom line – it’s against the law to serve alcohol to a minor or provide an environment where youth consume Spring 2015 27

Grossmont Healthcare District’s Herrick Community

Health Care Library Serves East County Residents The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports many non-profit, health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County region, operates the Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, a comprehensive consumer health library specializing in providing reliable health information, accessible both on-site and via the Internet.

The library is named after the late Dr. Herrick, who passed away in March 1998, while serving as a member of the District board of directors. He also served as director of the Grossmont Hospital Pathology Department (1961-1996), chair of the Continuing Medical Education Department (1963-1993), and a founder of El Cajon Valley Hospital (1967).

The Herrick Library, which opened in 2002, is located at Briercrest Park, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa. The library provides free access to the latest consumer-level information in print and electronic formats. It is both a traditional library, as well as a digital library, with emphasis on Internet access to online resources.

Regular library hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

For more information about the library, phone (619) 8255010 or visitwww.herricklibrary.org. Like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/HerrickLibrary.

The library’s collection totals about 2,500 items. Ten computers are available for public use. The library also offers two small meeting rooms that are available to community-based non-profit organizations for workshops and meetings. The library staff is trained to assist patrons in providing reference and research assistance about their health concerns. The public can also use the library’s website resources from home or office.

The Grossmont Healthcare District, formed in 1952 to build and operate Grossmont Hospital, is governed by a five-member board of directors, each elected to four-year terms, who represent more than 500,000 people residing within the District’s 750 square miles in the East County.

The District serves as landlord of the hospital, including ownership of the property and buildings on behalf of East County taxpayers.

TSM

Visit Your Community Health Care Library The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), a public agency that supports many non-profit, health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County region, operates the Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, a comprehensive consumer health library specializing in providing reliable health information, accessible both on-site and via the Internet. The library provides free access to the latest consumer-level information in print and electronic formats. The library staff is trained to assist patrons in providing reference and research assistance about their health concerns.

www.grossmonthealthcare.org

WA K 125

BRIERCREST PARK

MURRAY DR. 8

SEVERIN DR.

T. AS US AR

28 Santee Magazine

Part of the Grossmont Healthcare District

GROSSMONT HOSPITAL

GHD is governed by a five-member board of directors, each elected to four-year terms, who represent more than 500,000 people residing within the District’s 750 square miles in the East County. Formed in 1952 to build and operate Grossmont Hospital, GHD serves as landlord of the hospital, including ownership of the property and buildings on behalf of East County taxpayers.

9001 Wakarusa St., La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 825-5010 www.herricklibrary.org Hours: Tues. 9 am–8 pm Wed.–Fri. 9 am–5:30 pm Saturday 8 am–12 noon

N

Lasik Isn’t Your Only Option Patients always ask me, “Can I get LASIK?” The word “LASIK” is often loosely used to describe any kind of vision corrective surgery. Most vision correction procedures involve reshaping the eye or replacing the lens within the eye to improve the way light focuses on the back of the eye. To allow a better understanding I will briefly explain the different procedures currently available .

LASIK (Laser in-situ keratomileusis) is the most common surgery used today and it can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. This procedure works by first creating a flap on the cornea (the clear part of the front of the eye) using a knife or a laser. A different laser guided by a computer measures and reshapes the cornea and then the flap folded back into place. This procedure averages a total of 10 minutes for both eyes and people are usually 20/20 or better almost immediately after surgery.

PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is usually an option for patients whose corneas are deemed too thin for LASIK. With PRK, no flap is created. Rather, the top layer of cells are removed, a laser reshapes the cornea, and then the cells that were removed grow back into place. Recovery can take up to 4 weeks. The results are just as good as LASIK but vision does take longer to stabilize.

reshape it. Comparatively, RK is a rather crude procedure and is not as accurate or efficient as LASIK or PRK. At one point in time it was a frequently used method but it is now obsolete.

RLE (refractive lens exchange, also known as a clear lens extraction) is similar to cataract surgery where an incision is made at the edge of the cornea and the natural lens inside the eyeball is removed and replaced by an artificial lens with the appropriate correction in it. This procedure is usually used for patients who have high amounts of farsightedness or near-sightedness, thin corneas, or very dry eyes. It is a more invasive procedure however, with today’s techniques risk of complications has been minimized.

PRELEX (presbyopic lens exchange) is the same procedure as RLE but the implanted lens corrects for presbyopia, an age related condition where the lens in the eye loses flexibility and its ability to focus at near. The lens implant used here is a premium product that more closely mimics the natural eye.

There are many options for having your vision permanently corrected.

CK (conductive keratoplasty) is used to correct presbyopia, or age related changes in reading vision. This procedure uses low energy radio waves to reshape the cornea and restore near vision. CK does have a decent immediate outcome however it tends to regress and be less permanent. It is a relatively less invasive procedure and not a commonly used method for vision correction.

RK (radial keratotomy) is used to correct nearsightedness by placing numerous incisions with a blade in the cornea to

There are many options for having your vision permanently corrected and hopefully this article has enlightened you on the available options.

Feel free to discuss and explore which option suits your visual and lifestyle needs with your eye care provider.

Irene Gendelman, O.D. is a proud member of the Santee Chamber of Commerce and an optometrist who comanages refractive surgery and provides eye care at Santee Family Optometry. You can contact Dr. Gendelman with any questions or comments at drgendelman@ santeevision.com TSM – Irene Gendelman, O.D. Spring 2015 29

Santee...

Home of Beautiful Parks Big Rock Park

Sky Ranch Park

Mast Park

Town Center Community Park

8125 Arlette Street 9125 Carlton Hills Boulevard

Santee Aquatic Center 10123 Riverwalk Drive

5850 Cala Lily Street

Riverwalk Drive and Cuyamaca

Walker Preserve

Santee Lakes

9831 North Magnolia

Santee Mini-Park

8750 Mast Boulevard

9310 Fanita Parkway 10445 Mission Gorge Road

Shadow Hill Park 9161 Shadow Hill Road

West Hills Park

Woodglen Vista Park & Skate Pocket Park 10250 Woodglen Vista Drive

– Photos courtesy of Terry Rodgers

30 Santee Magazine

8402 N. Magnolia Avenue Suite H, Santee

Spring 2015 31

Working to Improve the High School Experience West Hills High School Foundation is a volunteer organization consisting of WHHS parents, staff and community members to provide student scholarships, teacher grants and provide improvements to the school which the school cannot afford. For example, last year we raised enough money to contribute to a state of the art audio system for the gym.

various types of players.

The gym at WHHS serves many purposes from sporting events to assemblies and parent meetings. The audio system was the original since the gym was built in 1990 and the microphone and speakers were virtually non-functioning.

Through fund-raising from galas and an annual golf tournament, the Foundation was able to contribute to the purchase of a viable system. The audio system is now heard by all utilizing the gym. In addition to microphone use, music and other audio needs can be achieved with state of the art equipment which accommodates today’s

If you would like to contribute to the WHHS Foundation, check out our website at www. whhsfoundation.org. There you can see everything we have done this year, and you can sign up for our 3rd annual Frank Yancy Memorial Golf Tournament to be held on May 30th this year.

32 Santee Magazine

This year we are raising money for tables and benches for the kids to eat on. We recognized that the campus had very few and we felt the need to make this part of their day more comfortable for eating and socializing.

It’s a great time for all, and all proceeds go towards making WHHS a better environment for the kids, faculty and staff.

TSM – Michele Knighton

Printing & Mailing

Kirkland Printing & Mailing Services

A Homegrown Shop

When Jerry Kirkland took his first printing job downtown in 1980, little did he know he had “ink in his blood.” He got hooked on traditional offset printing and has never looked back or wanted to change careers.

Jerry started Kirkland Offset Printing in his garage in Mira Mesa in 1993 and has been serving San Diego County ever since with good old-fashioned customer service and custom printed products. The quality of printing is of the highest standards with custom ink mixes and unique papers to create one-of-a-kind products we or our clients dream up.

In January of 2014, Kirkland acquired another business which primarily handled bulk mailings for marketing firms and real estate companies. In 2015 a name change occurred to reflect the new business Jerry had built: Kirkland Printing & Mailing Services Inc. A General Manager plus employees were hired and the shop has doubled in size since moving to Prospect Avenue in Santee in November of 2013.

Kirkland’s offset printing department expanded in March of 2015 with the purchase of a Ryobi 3302M Twin Tower 2-color press. This press produces the highest quality printing with fast print speeds and can handle a variety of paper stocks up to 13 x 19.

We handle most bindery jobs such as cutting, padding, folding, 2-hole and 3-hole drilling, collating and saddlestich booklet making in-house.

There are too many products and services that we offer to list, so here is the short list: • Business Cards • Magnets & Calendars • Labels & Bumper Stickers • Postcards & Posters • Brochures & Booklets • Notepads • Letterhead & Envelopes • Carbonless Forms (NCR) • Mailing Services • Graphic Design • Offset Printing • Digital Printing Our digital print department has grown in the past two years and we now offer variable data printing with your postcard or flyer orders, and custom list purchasing for variable data printing.

Kirkland offers custom digital printing in small (up to 13 x 19) and large formats (24 x 100ft), sometimes in the same day! Just call us to see if we can fit it into the schedule for the day 619-713-1235.

The best thing about Kirkland Printing & Mailing is that we do not require minimum orders. We create a partnership with our customers to form a lasting relationship where they can count on us no matter what.

TSM Spring 2015 33

Creating Community continued from page 7

We have a Recreations Services staff that oversees classes ranging from A to Z, as in archery to zombie survival. That’s not a typo. We have a camp where we teach kids how to develop a plan for surviving a zombie apocalypse. We’re just dying to offer it this summer.

We’re especially focused on classes and camps that nurture kids. We offer 11 weeks of summer camp that includes a field trip each week.

We also operate the Santee Teen Center with our partners at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve and the Santee Active Older Adults program, which meets every Wednesday morning at our Civic Center Complex.

The seniors are bonkers for bunco and bingo, and each quarter they take a road trip to a fun place.

We’re fortunate that Santee’s 16.528 square miles offer a variety of natural amenities that appeal to folks who like to spend time outdoors.

Community Services is also the Department of Fresh Air. You know, outdoors. That place with a refreshing absence. of video screens and cable TV. One of Santee’s defining natural features is the San Diego River, a linear greenbelt composed of more than 1,100 acres of riparian habitat that bisect the city.

The city has three sizable parks – Mast Park (58 acres), Town Center Community Park (55 acres) and the Walker Preserve (107 acres)—along the river.

Completing a continuous east-to-west trail along the river is one of our top priorities. So far, we’ve finished more than 3 miles of riverfront trail and only a few small gaps remain.

In April, the city completed a 1.13-mile long trail at the Walker Preserve that stretches from Magnolia Avenue to the Lakeside Ball Field Complex on Marathon Parkway. The new trail, which is 14 feet wide with a decomposed granite surface, has been an instant hit. Hundreds of people each day are using the trail and gathering in the scenic beauty of the river at a property that, since the 1960s, had been fenced off due to heavy industrial activity.

In the not too distant future, bicyclists and intrepid joggers will be able use the riverfront trail system to connect with other trails that cross into Lakeside at the city’s eastern border or exit to the west into Mission Trails Regional Park.

TSM – Terry Rodgers

34 Santee Magazine

2015 Community Events Dates and Times subject to change

May

July

September

9

4

12

River Park Fest Town Center Community Park East

Santee Salutes Town Center Community Park East

Santee Bluegrass Festival Town Center Community Park East

16

4

TBA

Clean & Green River Cleanup Town Center Community Park

Golf Cart Parade Santee Lakes Campground

Lap the Lakes 5K Fun Run Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

23

9

Santee Street Fair Riverview Pkwy/Town Center Pkwy

Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

Kiwanis Junior Olympics Santana High School

6 Clean & Green River Cleanup Forester Creek

18 Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

25

18 Concert at the Lakes Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

23 Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

20 26

6 Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

Pathway’s Waddle & Trot 5K Pathways Center

December 3

13

Taste of Santee Union Bank of California

Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

6

20 Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

27 Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

Santa at the Lakes Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

ONGOING Movies By The Lake Santee Lakes every other Friday night beginning June 26th through August 21st

SanteeKiwanis.org

SanteeLakes.com SanteeLakesFoundation.org SDRiverDays.org

November

Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

25

CityOfSanteeca.gov ConcertAtTheLakes.com Pathways.cc/waddleandtrot SanteeChamber.com SanteeHistoricalSociety.org

River Blitz Mast Park

Holiday Lighting Celebration Santee Trolley Square

August

For more information about events, please check the following websites:

11

30

SSDF Golf Classic Carlton Oaks Country Club Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

River Blitz Mast Park

Santee

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Night Fishing Santee Lakes every other Thursday, June through August

CUT OUT AND SAVE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

6

Summer Concert Series Town Center Community Park East

10

!

June

16

October

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID EDDM RETAIL

Santee

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

10315 Mission Gorge Road Santee, CA 92071

Local Postal Customer

Who Represents You Matters

Property Management/ Real Estate

Highest Sales Price in Santee Since 2009 | 7264 Ocotillo Street | $954,000

Sold in 3 Days

In Escrow

3147 Mirador Street | $642,500

3141 Mirador Street | $725,000

For more information on Santee homes contact Kyle Whissel

Kyle@WhisselRealty.com | WhisselRealty.com | 858.699.3895 Whissel Realty | CA BRE#01525597

SanteeMagazine_WhisselRealty_obc.indd 5

4/1/15 4:22 PM