Lakeside Home Journal

Photo by Joe Naiman

Stay safe this wildfire season with a defensible space. Remove all brush and dead branches within a 100-foot perimeter of your property. Low-growing ground cover and gardens are okay, but anything that could ignite should be removed. Learn more about defensible space at sdge.com/WildfireSafety.

Vol. 1 • No. 6

Owner & Publisher

Michael Raher

Copy Editor

Annette Williams

Contributors

Kathy Kassel

Joe Naiman

Lakeside Historical Society

Annette Williams

Advertising Sales

Doug Rains

Advertising Coordinator

Breanna Hecker

Layout & Graphic Design

Eva Popcke

Accounting

Sara Hine

Kayli Hine

The Lakeside Home Journal is published by JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, LLC. 1410 Main St., Suite C P.O. Box 2214 Ramona, CA 92065 760-788-8148

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Lakeside Home Journal is direct mailed FREE to more than 10,000 homes and businesses in Lakeside or you can pick up your FREE copy at one of many locations throughout Lakeside.

© 2023 Lakeside Home Journal. Lakeside Home Journal is published every month, and distributed free of charge. Advance written permission must be obtained from the publisher for partial or complete reproduction of any part or whole of the Lakeside Home Journal magazine including advertising material contained in its pages. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily the opinions of this publication. The publisher is not responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints or typographical errors in editorial or advertisements printed in the publication. We reserve the right to edit submittals. Editorials and information on calendar events are welcome. Send to the Journal Publications LLC, 1410 Main St., Ste. C, Ramona, CA 92065; phone 760-7888148; or email michael@journalpubs.com.

That’s the power to help prevent wildfires.

Clearing 100 feet of space to keep your home safe.

LAKESIDE HAPPENINGS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

16: Rhythm ‘N Brews

Lakeside Rodeo Grounds

12584 Mapleview St,

Lakeside, CA 92040

4:30 pm

20: Lakeside Republican Women Federated Ranch House Restaurant, 11510 Woodside Ave., Santee, CA 92071

10am – 11am

21: Business Matters Mixer

A Garage Door and Gate Store, 9901 Maine Ave., Lakeside, CA 92040

5:30-7:30pm

29 - Oct. 1 / Oct. 6 - 8: Oktoberfest, El Cajon

1017 Mollison Ave., El Cajon, CA 92040

Oct. 3: Skyline Church Food & Produce Distribution

Skyline Church, 9455 Los Coches Rd., Lakeside, CA 92040 1pm - 3pm

Oct. 19: Business Matters Mixer

Martin Marietta, 12535 Hwy 67, Lakeside, CA 92040

5:30 - 7:30pm

FROM THE CHAMBER

SUBMITTED BY KATHY KASSEL, PRESIDENT & CEO

Are you ready to kick up a little dust and dance the night away? Sept. 16 is the night to put on your cowboy boots and get ready to have a grand ole time at the Lakeside Arena Rhythm ‘N’ Brews event at the Lakeside Arena Rodeo Grounds!

We have a fun lineup of great local bands. Opening the night’s music is our very own Lakeside Home Journal publisher Michael Raher, who will be rocking the drums with local band Big Sky Moon with a gritty, country, Southern rock-nroll sound. Next, you will hear Whiskey Ridge, who are country with an edge. Our grand headliner, the Morgan Leigh Band, is one of the hardest-working, highenergy country bands in San Diego County!

This year, we are partnering with KSON to help make this a night you won’t forget. Lakeside Arena Rhythm ‘N’ Brews is a wonderful collaboration between the El

Capitan Stadium Association and the Lakeside Chamber. It will be our second annual co-hosting of this family fun night for all ages. Vendors, a petting zoo and games for the kids will add to the fun!

A huge thank you goes to Hamel’s Air Conditioning and Heating for being our Major Elite Sponsor again this year. We are also grateful to A.M. Ortega Construction for being a Major Sponsor this year. We have had amazing support from all our business community — we could not do this without you.

Proceeds from this event support our schools, kids and businesses in Lakeside. It is truly a collaboration of community love.

Make sure you get your tickets at lakesiderythmnbrews.com, or listen to KSON to see if you will be one of the lucky ones to win a pair!

See you at the concert!

LAKESIDE FIREFIGHTERS RAISE AROUND $7,000 FOR BURN INSTITUTE

WRITTEN BY JOE NAIMAN I PHOTOS BY JOE NAIMAN

Neither of the Lakeside firefighters who drove in the June 11 Firefighter Demolition Derby at the San Diego County Fair placed, but the Lakeside Firefighters Association was still able to raise approximately $7,000 for the Burn Institute.

Altogether, the 16 participating fire departments raised close to $100,000.

“I feel fantastic about it,” said Lakeside Fire Protection District Captain Danny Leetch.

In 1995, the Cajon Speedway, the Burn Institute and local fire departments collaborated on an annual Firefighters Destruction Derby, which was renamed the Firefighter Demolition Derby in 2017, an event that includes fundraising and promotions for the institute. The Burn Institute and local firefighters also collaborated on an annual exposition at Qualcomm Stadium. Cajon Speedway closed after the 2004 season, and there was no Firefighters Destruction Derby for five years. But in 2010, the Fire and Safety Exposition was moved to the San Diego County Fair, and the demolition derby was reinstated.

Danny Leetch

The configuration of the Del Mar Arena necessitated some changes. Cars are divided into heats. The 2023 format had three early afternoon heats, with the last two running cars in each heat advancing to the final and two last-chance qualifier heats in the late afternoon, which allowed the final remaining car from each of those to compete in the main event. The driver from the fire department that raised the most money for the Burn Institute is also allowed to drive in the final, if he has an operational car.

Encinitas firefighter/paramedic Donnie Butz won the derby for the second consecutive year. He is the son of Lakeside Fire Chief Donald Butz.

“Just super stoked that the Burn Institute does this for a good cause,” Donnie Butz said.

Lakeside had two drivers this year: Leetch and firefighter/ paramedic Patrick Sellers. It is also one of five fire departments with two vehicles — Leetch drove a 1975 Lincoln Mark IV, and Sellers competed in a 1972 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

The 2023 derby was the 10th for Leetch and the fifth for Sellers. Leetch took first place in 2011, and Sellers won in 2015. In 2019, Sellers and Leetch became the first drivers from the same fire department to capture the top two positions, when Sellers won and Leetch placed second. The event was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to coronavirus restrictions. Leetch placed second in 2022.

This year, Sellers was in the first qualifying heat. He was one of the final three drivers.

“I was doing super well, and then I broke my drive shaft,” he said. That gave Butz and Nate Diaz of the Coronado Fire Department the automatic transfers to the final.

Sellers wasn’t able to compete in the last-chance qualifier.

“Once I did that, it was all over,” he said. “I wasn’t able to weld it back together.”

Leetch was in the second heat, but his car was disabled early. He then outlasted Rancho Santa Fe engineer/paramedic Jake Elkins to win the first last-chance qualifier and earn a position in the final.

Six other drivers in the final remained when Leetch broke his flag, signaling that he could no longer continue.

“A little disappointed,” Leetch said.

Leetch had driven forward into the car of Carlsbad Fire Department driver Matt Newlin.

“We had a great car — I misused it,” Leetch said. “I should have known better than to hit that bumper.”

The Mark IV was also used in last year’s Firefighter Demolition Derby.

“We broke it this year,” Leetch said. “It ain’t coming back.”

Leetch joined the Lakeside Fire Department in 2008. Sellers has been a Lakeside firefighter for 10 years.

Patrick Sellers

VAQUEROS DOMINANT IN SEASON’S FIRST TWO FOOTBALL GAMES

WRITTEN BY JOE NAIMAN I PHOTO BY JOE NAIMAN

After the first two games of the 2023 season, El Capitan High School’s varsity football team held a 2-0 record, and the Vaqueros had outscored their opponents by a cumulative 102-18 margin.

“We’re off to a good start,” said El Capitan head coach Ron Burner. “The kids here have been working hard. We’ve got a good group of kids, a good group of players. They seem to all get along real well.”

This is Burner’s 19th season as El Capitan’s head coach and his 21st season with the Vaqueros overall.

He began his football coaching career as a West Hills High School assistant coach and was with the Wolf Pack program for seven years. Burner initially attended Lee Vining High School in Mono County before transferring to Mammoth Lakes High School when that school opened. He was in the school’s first graduating class.

CIF playoff divisions are now based on competitive balance, which is the basis for how the Grossmont Conference assigns teams to leagues. El Capitan has been in Division III since 2018 and in the Grossmont Valley League since the 2020-21 season. Last year, the Vaqueros were undefeated in six league games and had an 8 3 overall record, including a first-round loss in the CIF playoffs.

This year’s varsity roster has 56 players. Another 28 players are on the junior varsity squad, and the freshman team has 62 players.

Ten of last year’s varsity starters return to the 2023 Vaqueros, including junior Chance LaChappa, who started as both a wide Ron

Burner

receiver and a defensive back. The returnees consist of six offensive and five defensive starters. This year’s team has additional two-way starters.

“Sometimes you have those kids who are really good, and you don’t take them off the field,” Burner said.

Four of the offensive linemen are returning starters.

“Helps a lot,” Burner said.

Current senior Devin Marsh was an all-league player last year as the right tackle. This year, he is playing center.

Junior quarterback Brandt Barker threw 11 touchdown passes in the Vaqueros’ first two games. Burner uses senior Julian May and junior Ayden Banegas as both running backs and wide receivers. Tight end Gavin Ames, who is a senior, also plays linebacker. His brother, junior Marlon Ames, is a defensive lineman. The secondary includes senior cornerback Max Holbrook.

Various special teams units handle the offensive and defensive aspects of punts, field goals, point after touchdown attempts and kickoffs.

“It’s a group of hard workers,” Burner said. “We have a lot of starters on special teams for obvious reasons.”

El Capitan’s season began Aug. 18 at Valley Center. Barker threw for 317 yards and seven touchdowns in the Vaqueros’ 47-18 victory. LaChappa caught seven of those passes, including four for touchdowns, and had 168 receiving yards. LaChappa also had a 43-yard interception return, and junior

G.T. Taylor also intercepted a pass. Two of El Capitan’s four sacks were recorded by senior Shune Hayes.

“Valley Center is historically a powerhouse in our division, and I think we just caught them off guard early,” Burner said.

The Vaqueros traveled to Canyon Hills High School for an Aug. 25 game and returned home with a 55-0 triumph.

“Canyon Hills is rebuilding,” Burner said.

Barker completed all seven of his passes against Canyon Hills. He threw four touchdown strikes. El Capitan gained 246 yards in the air and 187 yards on the ground, including 103 yards on five carries by junior Brady Joralemon. The Canyon Hills quarterback was sacked four times.

Dominant victories early in the season show the strengths of a team but don’t necessarily prepare for tougher league and playoff competition.

“That’s why we have La Jolla and Steele Canyon,” Burner said. “They’re two big tests.”

After those two games, the Vaqueros will close out pre-league play Sept. 15 at home against Santana and Sept. 22 at West Hills. League play for El Capitan begins Sept. 29 at home against Monte Vista.

“I have high expectations for them,” Burner said. “The staff and the team itself have high expectations.”

The Lakeside Boathouse circa 1910

The Lakeside Boathouse circa 2018

COURTESY OF LAKESIDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Lakeside Boathouse was built in 1887, at the same time and in conjunction with the long-gone Lakeside Inn. It dates back to the very beginnings of the town, created as a lure to get people to visit Lakeside and, perhaps, even buy and settle here.

From the back of the hotel, guests of the inn could wander down a landscaped trail, through a wooden turnstile and onto a footbridge to the structure.

It was originally constructed over the water, and people could “secure a paddle at the office” of the hotel, a privilege reserved for guests only, and take a boat out onto the lake.

Back then, Lindo Lake was fed by perennial creeks that keep the water

level surprisingly high, especially during the winter and spring. Hotel guests could fish, hunt ducks or just take a slow turn around the calm lake and enjoy the quiet and solitude.

Today, the boathouse sits on land in the center of Lindo Lake Park. It sports a paint scene that approximates the original colors.

One of the oldest structures still standing in Lakeside, it is a jewel in the park and a symbol of the town’s historic birth.

The design is Romanesque Revival, a rare type of architecture when it was built. Today, it may be the only such design in the State of California.

CLUES ACROSS

CLUES ACROSS

1. Second sight

4. Standard electrode potential

7. Type of gibbon

8. John Joseph __: American industrialist

10. Manning and Whitney are two

41. No (Scottish)

42. Dialect of English

43. Former Steelers’ QB

44. Popular beer

45. It can make you sick

46. Tropical tree and fruit

48. Company officer

49. Contact lens term

50. Your consciousness of your own identity

51. “Ghetto Superstar” singer

52. Piece of turf

CLUES DOWN

1. Number of players on each side in a football game

2. Containing salt

3. Reasoning or knowledge: a __

4. Car mechanics group

5. Leave a place

6. Southern Colombian capital

8. Old English letter

9. Tide

11. Walk heavily

14. Chemical compound (abbr.)

15. Artificial openings

18. Luteinizing hormone

19. Unit of energy

20. Circular movement of water

22. A way of holding

23. Popular book of words (abbr.)

24. States’ group

27. Dashes

28. Body part

29. Electronic countermeasures

31. Consumed

32. Small bird

33. Unhappy

34. Football's big game (abbr.)

35. Valued object offered in good faith

36. Wild goats

37. Precede in place

38. Small edible fish

39. Notice of death

40. Body cavity of a metazoan

44. Partner to cheese

47. Not around

JOB SEEKING WORD SEARCH WORDS

JOB