Lakeside residents made a good showing on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the public comment meeting for the El Monte Sand Mining Project. About 500 folks filled the Lakeside Community Center and dozens spoke out against the project. Others protested with signs, applause and shout-outs. If any were in support of the project, they did not make themselves evident, though the mastermind behind the sand mining – Bill Adams – was identified in the audience.
He sat stoically and silently throughout the meeting.
Lakeside residents made a good showing on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the public comment meeting for the El Monte Sand Mining Project. About 500 folks filled the Lakeside Community Center and dozens spoke out against the project. Others protested with signs, applause and shout-outs. If any were in support of the project, they did not make themselves evident, though the mastermind behind the sand mining – Bill Adams – was identified in the audience.
He sat stoically and silently throughout the meeting.
You can still comment on the project by mail or email – the deadline is Oct. 29 at 4:00 p.m. Write your county supervisors to voice your opinion. Be sure to identify what you are commenting about (El Monte Sand Mining Project).
You can also contact the project manager: Heather Steve at Heather.Steven@sdcounty.ca.gov , (858) 495-5802.
Some residents at the meeting passed out flyers opposing another controversial Lakeside project: the Food-Scraps-to-Energy Project.
You can sign-up for updates on this project at www.foodscraps2energy.com .
There is a third large and impactful project looming in Lakeside’s future.
The East County Advanced Water Purification Project is in the early stages, but has already published a public notice of “intent to adopt a mitigated negative declaration.”
Led by the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the project goal is to create “a new local, sustainable, and drought-proof water supply” for the East County.
A facility would be built at Santee Lakes, with an underground pipeline “conveying” the water to Lake Jennings for storage. The upshot is that a new pipeline would be built through Santee and then into Lakeside. The proposed route is under Riverside Drive, then across the San Diego River and next to (west of) El Capitan High School to Mapleview Street, to El Monte Road, to the old pump station. There, another facility (to be built) will transfer the water up and into Lake Jennings.
Public comment is now being accepted (and has been since Sept. 14), but do not wait too long. Comments must be postmarked by Oct. 15; emails are accepted and also have to be in by Oct. 15, no later than 5:00 p.m. For information on the project and where to send comments, go to www.padredam.org/99/Public-Notices.
Lindo Park School garden event
What could be more fun for kids than to play in the dirt and get dirty – at school?
The students of Lindo Park School did just that on Sept. 19, part of a school wide event that not only taught how to plant and garden, but how to eat healthy. The smell of freshly turned dirt wafted over the excited students as they dug deep into rich soil and placed plant after plant into their new school garden on campus.
The thought of gardening as a science may not readily occur to most, but it makes sense when you realize that food is key to health and well being. This gardening event is just the beginning of a long term lesson for these students about the science of gardening, with the ultimate goal of better eating and improving health.
“Kids who plant tomatoes will eat tomatoes – kids who plant kale will eat kale,” said Matt Titlow, co-owner and CEO of Compound Solutions, Inc. and one of the many community partners involved with the event.
A Carlsbad company, Compound Solutions is a science-based company that supplies sports and food nutritional ingredients to manufacturers.
“Teach kids and it will trickle up,” Titlow said. “They will inspire their parents to eat better.”
The gardening event had its roots (so to speak) last year, when the school partnered with several groups to plant an orchard on campus, which has already borne fruit.
Now, each grade will have its own garden bed to work and maintain. Every student will learn not only about gardening and soil, but about pollinators and pollinator gardens, how earthworms enrich the soil and how to create garden art.
Future lessons will include food preparation and cooking with seasonal vegetables, all geared toward the ultimate goal of healthy eating.
On this day, there were nearly as many parents and community supporters pitching in as there were students. Guillermo Rodriguez stopped by to check on the project. The school had reached out to Rodriguez and his company, True Lawn Care. Rodriguez suggested ideas for planting and contacted local nurseries to secure the needed flora. Rodriguez has a vested interest; his wife is a teacher and his son, Diego, a first grader at Lindo Park School.
Another parent, Johnny Rausis, brought eight members of his First Class Petty Officers Association from the locally ported USS Gabrielle Giffords to help with the event.
Other community partners included the Lakeside Optimist Club, the “Helping Our Way” nonprofit group, Lakeside’s Labor of Love Community Garden, the Lakeside Garden Club, and PTA families.
With this gardening event, Lindo Park School is teaching responsibility through experience and fun – and the fun and education has just begun.
New Lakeside Unified School District trustee
Congratulations to Andrew Hayes, the newest Lakeside Unified School District trustee. Andrew was running to fill a vacancy on the board and has won the election by default, as no one else filed.
Andrew is well known in the community as Senator Joel Anderson’s district representative and has become a regular figure in Lakeside. His new job might be historic: Andrew may well be the youngest board member in LUSD’s history. Due to assume his duties in early December, we will have more on Andrew then.
For your calendar:
Lake Jennings Park is hosting two October weekends of “Spooky Camp-o-ween” – Oct. 19-21 and Oct. 26-28. There will be ghost stories and smores, campsite trick-or-treating and more! Reservations are required. Call (619)390-1623 or go to the website at www.lakejennings.org.
Sunshine Ranch is hosting their annual Fall Festival and Fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. It will feature a carnival and pumpkin patch, pony rides, a petting zoo, a silent auction, raffle prizes, food, and more! The non-profit therapeutic riding ranch is located at the Heartland Ranch Equestrian Center, 12139 Moreno Avenue.
Admission is $8 person and free for kids less than two years of age.
This month’s One Street at a Time cleanup in Lakeside will be held Saturday, Oct. 20, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. As usual, meet in the parking lot at 12421 Woodside Avenue.
Lakeside’s regular Revitalization Meeting that was scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 25, has been cancelled. According to an email, a conflict has come up and Supervisor Jacob will not be able to host the meeting. No new date has been announced.
The Lakeside Halloween Festival for kids will be held at Lindo Lake County Park on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Trick-or-treat in the park and enjoy over 30 booths, a bounce house, face painting, and more – including a costume party for all ages. Then watch “Hocus Pocus” from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m., a favorite Halloween movie.
More Halloween fun: Bring your kids to the annual Trick or Treat on Maine Avenue this Oct. 31. From 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., local businesses on Lakeside’s main street will hand out candy to young costumed ghoulies. The event is sponsored by Lakeside Royalty, the ladies of the Miss Lakeside Scholarship Pageant, who will also be on hand to help and escort our young ones.
