SUPERVISOR JACOB, COUNTY PARKS BREAK GROUND FOR LAKESIDE EQUESTRIAN PARK 5.3K
Total Views: 61 By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office Video: First County Equestrian Park Breaks Ground (County of San Diego) Photos: The Banzons (East County Magazine) October 23, 2020 (Lakeside) — County Supervisor Dianne Jacob and parks officials held a first-ever “virtual” groundbreaking to mark the start of construction of the long-awaited $16.9 million Lakeside Equestrian Park Wednesday. Jacob and a few socially-distanced parks officials and horseback riders cheered as a large earth-moving excavator dug its mechanical dipper-bucket into the ground to signal the start of the project that will include a 45,000 square-foot covered arena, an open arena and a multi-purpose building that can be used for community events. “We’re going to have people come in here to this facility (from) all over the County, and even outside the County,” Jacob said Wednesday, “because there’s nothing like it.” Jacob has served longer than any other County Supervisor in history, for 27 years after being elected in 1992, representing the Second District that includes Lakeside, and is retiring in January. The equestrian park project has been in the planning stages since 2012. Jacob said it will create jobs and become an economic engine in addition to providing Lakeside, a rural town renowned for its horse community, with a state-of-the-art equestrian and community center. County parks officials said the equestrian park will be the first in the County Parks system. The project is expected to be ready to open in early 2022. The Lakeside Equestrian Park will be located on a 13.88 acre site at the northeast corner of Moreno Avenue and Willow Road in Lakeside. The covered arena will include an announcer’s booth, PA system, stockpens, bucking chutes, header and heeler chutes, an electronic scoreboard with timing eye and bleacher seating. The Equestrian Park will also feature ADA access throughout, restrooms, a public day-use staging area with a shade pavilion, picnic tables, overnight RV parking with utility hookups and livestock and horse corrals. Printer-friendly version
5.3K viewsIN TOWNHALL, LOCAL LEADERS ANSWER QUESTIONS OVER COVID-19 AND REOPENING LOCAL VENUES 2.7K
Total Views: 44 By Miriam Raftery May 12, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Supervisor Dianne Jacob hosted a virtual town hall last Thursday along with El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and Poway Mayor Steve Vaus. They provided updates on the COVID-19 pandemic locally, addressed ideas for more businesses, churches and other paces to reopen, and fielded questions submitted by constituents. Health updates and testing Supervisor Jacob opened with a “shout out to all the nurses” on National Nurses Day, thanking them for their efforts to help COVID-19 patients. “What we know is this virus is highly contagious. It spreads very easily,” she said, adding that to date, there is no vaccine or drug proven to treat the disease. But she added, “Here’s what we know that’s positive: the mitigation measure, the safety measures put in place are working.” As of Wednesday, San Diego County has had 4,319 cases and 158 deaths, with 882 hospitalizations due to COVID-19. Over 55,000 tests have been done, double the number since a town hall meeting two weeks earlier. Hospital capacity is 6,000 beds with 3,600 occupied, of which 363 are due to COVID-19. The goal is to test over 5,000 people daily. There’s capacity for 3,500 but at most 2600 have been tested in any one day so far, so there’s a gap to fill. Some people are not showing up for tests, Jacob says. Tests are available at hospitals, community clinics, labs and the stadium with a doctor referral or call 211 if you don’t have a doctor. The state has also opened three free test sites including Grossmont College in El Cajon; you can get a free test by appointment by calling 888-634-1123. Reopening the county Supervisors this week adopted a framework to reopen. Jacob encouraged businesses, churches, recreational facilities and others shut down to read the criteria and put together a plan to reopen, even if your facility is not in phase 2. “Send it to my office,” Jacob says. She will forward to Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego’s public health official,who must approve any plans and in turn, submit those plans to the Governor, who has the final authority during the public health emergency. You can find guidelines at www.DianneJacob.com including a business safety check list. Supervisors plan a special meeting next week to take action toward loosening restrictions and have asked the Governor to allow San Diego to have total control over decisions on reopening locally, but it remains to be seen if that will be granted. Mayor Wells says El Cajon has 228 COVID-19 cases, of which 165 are in nursing homes, which skews the overall picture. He offered cautious praise for Governor Gavin Newsom. “I’m encouraged by what’s happening at the state level now. I actually think Governor Newsom has done a very good job acting quickly to try and keep us all safe.” But he adds, “I do think the time has come to allow a little balance and scale back some regulations that don’t make a lot of sense…Hopefully he will do just that.” Wells’ background is in mental health. “I worry about the body count with COVID-19 but also body counts for people suffering from depression and anxiety. We don’t know yet how many suicides, or how many will become addicted to alcohol or drugs, or fall into domestic violence” due to the stay-home orders, he noted He stressed that it’s important to stay safe from the virus but also bring back some balance. “I’m seeing people fray around the edges.” Vaus says business represents jobs. That’s why Poway passed an Emergency Assistance Recovery loan program using $2 million from reserves as a hand up, not a handout to help businesses. He says it’s had a “tremendous responses” with some funs already distributed. Some business owners who had loans approved later said they didn’t need them since other loans came through. “That’s the spirit,” said Vaus. Poway kept most parks open and has recently been able to reopen Blue Sky, Lake Poway including the trial to Potato Chip Rock and Iron Mountain, thanks to the state. Vaus also started the website AngelsWIllHelp.com for people to print a handout for neighbors offering them help such as picking up groceries. He says if he had a magic wand, he would have “more local control” over reopening decisions. Jacob observed, “Out of every crisis, and we’ve seen it in fires too, comes some good–people helping people.” Questions and answers Taking temperatures at work: Asked about a requirement for employers to take employees temperatures daily, all three politicians voiced skepticism. Jacob says she isn’t sure that’s practical and said the county needs to “push back on the thermometer issue.” Vaus said he wants to be sure the rules are the same for mom and pop businesses as for large ones such s Walmart and Costco. Wells noted that the virus can be carried for two weeks before anyone shows symptom, so taking temperatures would have only limited value. He wants people to take responsibility not to go to work if they have a fever or other symptoms. Opening churches: Asked parameters to reopen places of worship, Jacob says these are in phase 3. But she urges churches to submit a plan for reopening safely. “The goal is not to spread the virus,” she said, but notes that churches are essential for meeting many needs. Wells said, “I’m a big believer in freedom of religion, but it’s also not a good idea for people to be gathering in large groups.” He suggests allowing drive-up church services, but says the Governor so far has not allowed this. Vaus also wants drive-up religious services. “We don’t want this to explode again, but we also need to make sure constituents are getting spiritual needs met.” Little League: Asked when Little League might resume, Jacob said she doesn’t have the answer but encouraged sports groups to submit plans that would allow for social distancing and other safety rules. Wells quipped, “I’ve been
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