SAN DIEGO
Though the smiles were not readily apparent because of face coverings over mouths and noses, locals and visitors alike couldn’t hide their appreciation at being able to spend a sunny, warm Christmas Day in San Diego doing some of their favorite outdoor activities.
After all, the nation remains in the clutches of a pandemic that has crippled economies, closed restaurants, theme parks and theaters, sickened more than 18 million people and killed hundreds of thousands more.
So leaving the isolation of their homes where they have been sequestered on and off since March was a welcome gift.
Tom Lowe (center) points at the view while standing next to his girlfriend Kari and her daughter Luella Cota at Mt. Helix Park in San Diego on December 25, 2020.
Recount in Santee City Council race upholds results [The San Diego Union-Tribune]
San Diego County Democrats have conceded the Santee City Council election in District 4.
The group last week had asked for a recount of the votes from the Nov. 3 election, which was certified on Dec. 3 by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
The November results declared Republican Dustin Trotter, a carpenter and business owner, the winner with 3,920 votes. Trotter had five more votes than opponent Samm Hurst, a Democrat and public health scientist/college instructor, with 3,915.
Monday’s all-day recount of four of the five precincts in District 4, the area near Santee Lakes and Mission Trails Regional Park, tallied one extra vote for Trotter, and one for Hurst.
San Diego County Democrats have conceded the Santee City Council election in District 4.
The group last week had asked for a recount of the votes from the Nov. 3 election, which was certified on Dec. 3 by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
The November results declared Republican Dustin Trotter, a carpenter and business owner, the winner with 3,920 votes. Trotter had five more votes than opponent Samm Hurst, a Democrat and public health scientist/college instructor, with 3,915.
Monday’s all-day recount of four of the five precincts in District 4, the area near Santee Lakes and Mission Trails Regional Park, tallied one extra vote for Trotter, and one for Hurst.
The popular campground at Lake Jennings is in the early stages of some big changes.
The five-member governing board for the Helix Water District, which oversees the reservoir and its 350-acre parkland in Lakeside, agreed to put nearly a quarter of a million dollars into fixing up the nearly 100-spot camp site.
The board last month unanimously approved to budget $230,000 for a contract with the outside firm KTUA for planning and landscape architectural services from Helix’s capital budget for the first phase of Lake Jennings campground improvements.
Helix Water District owns and operates Lake Jennings and surrounding land that has been developed over the last five decades for recreational purposes. In addition to day-use picnicking, hiking, fishing, boat launch and boat/kayak rental availability, the facilities include a 96-site campground first constructed in 1966.