Churches Rally to Clean Up Santee

More than 40 volunteers from local churches pitched in Saturday morning to remove trash and debris along major roads intersecting with State Routes 52 and 125

The volunteers collected 30 bags of trash that together weighed more than 200 pounds, along with four abandoned shopping carts.

The massive cleanup, organized by the Santee Ministerial Council, was the first to include members from several churches including Newbreak, Sunrise and United Methodist.

“Our vision is to unite all the interfaith groups in Santee and work side-by-side to beautify our community,” said Marsi Walker, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who helped organize the cleanup.

The areas cleaned up Saturday morning are right-of-ways owned by the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which historically has relied on community groups, volunteers and businesses to keep roadways tidy through its “Adopt-a-Highway” program.

Santee is trying to establish a Right-of-Way Adoption program aimed at cleaning areas near freeway onramps and offramps created when State Route 52 was extended across the city in 2011.

When landscaping along the new section of SR 52 is completed in 2015, Caltrans will rely more heavily on volunteers for trash removal.

“We want to get ahead of that and make sure we can keep those areas looking nice and trash-free and weed-free,” said Santee’s Parks and Landscape Supervisor Annette Saul.

Anyone interested in helping out should contact Saul at asaul@cityofsanteeca.gov

Santee Wins Grant for River Trail

Santee’s effort to complete a continuous trail along the San Diego River has received a boost from the State Department of Parks and Recreation, which has recommended  the city for a $247,830 grant under the Recreation Trails Program.

The Walker Preserve along the San Diego River

The grant will be used to partially offset the cost of constructing a 1.3-mile long multi-use trail along the river east of Magnolia Avenue to the city’s boundary with Lakeside. The area, known as the Walker Preserve, has been off-limits to the public  for decades while it was being used for industrial sand mining.

“This grant ensures  that Santee will continue to make progress on the San Diego River Trail, which when completed, will be a major recreational amenity and improve our standing as a walkable and bicycle-friendly community, ” said Community Services Director Bill Maertz.

Construction of the Walker Preserve Trail is expected to start in 2014. When it is finished,  Santee will have completed approximately  3.5 miles or about  80 percent of the city’s portion of the San Diego River Trail.

Santee was one of six communities statewide - and the only one in Southern California - to win the state’s endorsement for a total of $1.47 million in 2014 Recreation Trails Program grants.  In all, the state received 56 grant applications for proposed projects  totaling $20.7 million. The trails program is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Bird of the Month: Raven

We found this guy at Town Center Community Park.

They're sometimes called the Common Raven or the Northern Raven. But there’s nothing at all common about the raven, which is the largest passerine (perching) bird and highly intelligent.

 Ravens are different from crows in that they are larger, have heavier beaks and sport shaggy feathers around the throat. In flight, crows have cut-off tails, while ravens have rounded wedge-shaped tails.

 Ravens thrive in a variety of climates and are opportunistic, feeding on everything from road kill to grain, insects, small mammals and human garbage.

Olive Lane Closure

Olive Lane south of Mission Gorge Road will be closed for three days beginning Friday, Nov. 15 to allow for replacement of concrete gutters and pedestrian ramps.

Letters will be sent out this Friday (Nov. 8) to businesses and residents on Olive Lane notifying them of the closure. The city will place electronic message boards near the intersection on Monday, Nov. 11 to warn motorists.

Driveways leading to the Vons shopping center and Goodwill Thrift Store will remain open during construction. (See photo illustration).