Photos by Jay Renard

Saturday, May 26th was the Santee Street Fair. Riverview Parkway and part of Town Center Parkway were closed to traffic. Vendor booths lined both sides of the street. Over 40,000 attended last years Street Fair.

There were carnival rides, arts and crafts, vendor booths, and a beer garden serving Manzanita Brewing Company beer. Food vendors served barbeque, hot dogs and hamburgers, and a variety of foods.

There was entertainment on three stages around the event. The main stage featured Atomic, Groove, Creedence Relived, and Liquid Blue.

This year was a tribute to the US military. Attending this year was Cpl. Michael Fox of Escondido. Fox was injured in Afghanistan. He lost both legs from a road side bomb. There were many well wishers at the event. He met a young girl, Riley, a cancer survivor. They had a private moment together.

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Photos by Jay Renard

Thursday, May 17th was the VIP Grand Opening of Lantern Crest Senior Living. The facility is at the east end of Santee on Sunset Trail. This phase is an assisted living and memory care facility. The next phase will be an independent living facility.

Thursday evening was the ribbon cutting ceremony. Attending were Assemblyman Brian Jones, Santee Mayor Randy Voepal, Santee Vice Mayor Rob McNelis, City Councilmen Jack Dale and John Minto, and former City Councilman Hal Ryan. Representing the Santee Chamber of Commerce was President John Morley and Executive Director John Olson.

Food and drink were served and guided tours were given to attending guests.

Saturday May 19th was the Grand Opening to the public. Outdoor music and Richard Lederer, Best Selling Author of “The Gift of Age” was there for a lecture and book signing.

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Photos by Jay Renard

Saturday, May 19th was Gunsmoke III, the El Cajon Valley Lions Club 3rd annual Casino Night fundraiser. The event was held at the Ronald Reagan Community Center in El Cajon.

Entrance fee was $50.00 per person. This got you food and drink and $100.00 in chips to play poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps. Those who dressed in costume were eligible for prizes.

The Casino Night is expected raise around $15,000.

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Photos by Jay Renard

Saturday, May 19, 2012, was the Youth Day of Service along the San Diego River. Groups of families and kids from across the county gathered at sites along the River to complete service projects to help create the San Diego River Park! Kids will take a leading role in protecting our natural resources and creating parks and green spaces for the community.

Locally, at The Santee Historical Society Girl Scout Troop 6174 created native plant seed bombs. Seeds were inserted in mud balls and dried for 24 – 48 hours. These “seed bombs” are then distributed along the river.

At Mast Park entrance near Walmart, several Girl Scout Troops assisted in the remove an invasive aquatic plant to protect the San Diego River bank. Volunteers also created fishing line recycling containers for the River Park system.

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Photos by Jay Renard

Saturday May 12th was the grand re opening of McDonalds in Santee. The Paul Schmid Organization, City of Santee, and the Santee Chamber of Commerce were on hand for the Grand Opening Celebration.

From 9:30 to 11:00 am, the East County Cruisers sponsored a classic car show. Among the cars there was the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazard. The car is owned by Lee and Kathy Smith.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was at 10:00 am. Present were Owner, Paul Schmid, Store Manager, Keith Grubba, General Manager, Lou Parascand, Assemblyman Brian Jones, Santee Vice Mayor Rob McNelis, Santee Councilman Jack Dale, Santee Chamber President, John Morley, Santee Chamber Executive Director, John Olsen, and Ronald McDonald. The Santana Marching Band and Cheerleaders were there for the raising of the colors and music entertainment.

Other activities included a live performance by Gary Seiler, clown face painting, mechanical bull riding, and the Ronald McDonald Show. KSON was there with a radio remote and prizes. Big Macs were a $1.00 from 11:00 am -5:00 pm.

Also there was Miss Santee, Victoria Heyne, and Miss Santee Teen Casey Maynard, and the Santee Princesses.

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