By Miriam Raftery

May 1, 2020 (Santee) – The city of Santee today announced the reopening of Mast Park and Woodglen Vista Park, with some limitations to prevent spread of COVID-19. (see below)  All other parks remain closed, however all trails and walking paths remain open.

The city asks everyone to follow the regulations below “so we can keep these parks open, and hopefully open more parks in the near future.”

By Miriam Raftery

April 28, 2020 (San Diego) – Over the weekend, 98 new cases of COVID-19 were reported by the San Diego County Health and Human Services department. The jump follows the trend in several cities where rallies were held to end shutdowns. The Sheriff arrested several local protesters over the weekend for violating stay-home orders.

The disease has spread rapidly in East County, where El Cajon now has 181 cases, La Mesa 71, Santee 29, Lemon Grove 28, Lakeside 22, Ramona 14, Jamul 6, and Alpine 4.  The communities of Ranchita, Boulevard, Potrero, Julian and Pala each have 2 cases; Borrego Springs, Descanso, and Tecate each have at least 1 case. View an interactive map with the latest updates on local cases by community.

By Mike Allen

March 26, 2020 (Santee) -- Responding to a still-evolving global pandemic crisis, the Santee City Council has approved a 60-day temporary suspension on evictions of tenants in the city who prove their financial situation has been damaged by the coronavirus.

The Council approved a temporary moratorium on evictions at its March 25 meeting by a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Rob McNelis opposed. It was the first ever gathering that was done using teleconferencing technology allowing the five elected members and other staffers to “meet” from remote locations.

By Mike Allen

February 10, 2020 (Santee) -- Santee Councilman Stephen Houlahan wants a larger say in molding the city’s future and has declared his intention to run for mayor, opposing incumbent Mayor John Minto.

Houlahan says the main issue motivating him to throw his hat into the ring is the disturbing trend by a majority of his Council colleagues to consistently undermine Santee’s General Plan and approve higher density projects.

By Miriam Raftery

January 28, 2020 (El Cajon) – A Santee man is dead after the 2016 Dodge Ram pickup he was driving crashed down an embankment and struck a boulder last night around 8:46 p.m.

According to Officer Travis Garrow with the California Highway Patrol, the driver, 46, was traveling east on La Cresta Road in unincorporated El Cajon east of Forester Creek “at a high rate of speed” when he lost control and plunged off the side of the roadway.  The vehicle became airborne before overturning down an embankment and striking the boulder.

East County News Service

November 25, 2019 (Santee) - Santee Lakes invites you join Santa at the Lakes on Sunday, December 8th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festivities will feature a snow hill for sledding fun, carnival rides, inflatable jumps, crafts, food, character meets and greets and Santa Claus.  

Parking is $10 and tickets are $1 each with activities and rides ranging from 1-8 tickets.

Get more information at www.SanteeLakes.com. 

By Miriam Raftery

October 27, 2019 (Santee) – The Fredricks family of Santee has grown a whopper of a pumpkin, tipping the scales at 1,531 pounds.  The giant gourd is the largest ever grown in San Diego County, according to Sarah Fredricks. 

It took second place at the Pumpkin Competition weigh-off at the Irvine Railroad Park on September 21, however, missing the all-time Southern California record by just two pounds. (The largest in Southern California was grown by Chris Dunn and weighed in at 1,533 pounds. The biggest statewide was entered by Ruben Frias of Napa, who won with a 1,758 pound pumpkin.)

“I have grown giant pumpkins on and off since 2001,” says Jim Fredricks, who grew the giant gourd along with his wife, Sarah, and their boys, Andrew, 5, and Joshua, 8.

By Mike Allen

Photo: Renewable  energy sources; Creative commons via N.A.

October 10, 2019 (Santee) -- Santee is having second thoughts about joining a joint powers authority with several North County cities to obtain more electrical power from renewable sources.

The proposed entity is a community choice aggregation program for the cities, giving them the ability to buy more power from sources such as solar and wind. Local utility San Diego Gas & Electric would continue to deliver and maintain transmission lines and billing operations, but the CCA would be responsible for buying all power.

By Mike Allen

September 19, 2019 (Santee) -- Santee and Carlsbad would seem to be strange bedfellows, given their geographical locations and the latter being twice the size in population. But the cities are moving closer to joining forces to form a new entity to purchase more of their power from renewable sources starting in 2021.

By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2019 (Santee) - International touring musician Mean Mary (James) will be performing in Santee on September 21 at 7 p.m. in the Summit UU Fellowship (8778 Cottonwood Ave.). Known internationally for her lightning-fast fingers and raw, unmistakable vocal sound (The Amplifier calls it “sexy, vulnerable and yet as powerful as any man’s.”), Mean Mary’s songs travel the genres of roots, bluegrass, blues, and folk rock—story songs, fast songs, sad songs, songs to make your feet tap.

By Miriam Raftery

August 1, 2019 (Santee) – Off Broadway Live Theatre in Santee will present a live musical play, “Roadshow,” on Sunday Sept. 29 at 3 p.m.   The performance follows a roadshow as singers barnstorm across the country to win a record deal.

By Miriam Raftery

July 15, 2019 (Santee) – Fanita Ranch, the controversial master-planned development proposed in Santee, is seeking to drum up community support through pop-up ads targeting East County residents on the Internet.  This reporter had one of the ads pop up while paying an online solitaire game.

The ad claims that Fanita Ranch can “improve traffic” including adding westbound and eastbound lanes as well as a high-capacity onramp at Mast Blvd.  The ad clicks open to the website https://fanitaranch.com/improvingtraffic. But project opponents take issue with the advertising’s claims.