Donuts, dog grooming always a big draw at Santee

The day after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered California’s 40 million residents to stay at home to fight the spread of the coronavirus, a shopping center along Carlton Hills Boulevard in Santee was blown up on Friday.

The GTM parking lot was full and shoppers grabbed carts as they entered, some wearing gloves, others bravely using their bare hands to enter the discount general store.

The line for cinnamon buns, donuts and donuts was five and exited from Mary’s Donuts in Santee, where a sign asked people to stand 6 feet apart and where only three customers were allowed in at a time.

Smokers looking for a solution were walking around the Santee tobacco store where an employee wearing a mask over his nose and mouth was waiting for people.

Carol Nordstrom, 25-year owner of Doggie Station pet grooming salon, shaved the paws of Lalu the White Miniature Poodle who was busy wagging his tail.

Nordstrom and her daughter, Iris, typically groom about 10 dogs a day at the store, which is open Tuesday through Saturday. She said she expected to groom about six more dogs on Friday and that she planned to be open this Saturday, unless another edict falls.

Nordstrom, over 20 feet from the counter with employee Betty Powers and the dried Lucky cocker spaniel 6 feet away from her, said she was confident she was doing what was necessary to keep her and people safe in the store.

“I disinfect my store every day,” Nordstrom said. “I also ask my clients, if they feel sick or have a fever, to stay home. And to stay at home with the dogs.

There has been no link between dogs or other pets carrying the coronavirus, although experts warn those who are sick not to pet their animals until they are feeling well so as not to transmit germs to someone else who comes in contact with the animal.

She said she felt good, and regarding the order of the state, she said, “I think they’re just trying to keep everyone safe.”

Newsom’s order cited areas of “critical infrastructure” that will always be allowed to remain open and that citizens would still be allowed to leave their homes to go to grocery stores or pharmacies but must “practice distancing at all times. social ”.

It is questionable whether the donut shops qualify as ‘critical’, but Santee Mary’s Donuts manager Joel Scalzitti has said he wants to keep this place and the Lakeside store he owns open for as long as he does. will be able to. There are hand sanitizers at the counters in both stores. Its donuts and deli on Broadway in El Cajon had to close earlier this week due to low turnout.

Scalzitti said he’s happy people can get their donut fix, as many seek solace in the things they’re used to having.

“During these times it’s heartwarming and at the same time it’s normalcy, and I think that’s what we’re all looking for,” Scalzitti said.

This was certainly the case for El Cajon’s Terry Gentry, whose toilet seat broke, taking him to Home Depot in Santee on Friday morning. He waited a few minutes while the other three in front of him received their share of powdered and frozen treats.

“I saw people lining up outside the donut store outside Home Depot and their donuts aren’t as good as Mary’s, so here I am,” he said, pointing to a box full of one. dozen fried treats.

Van Goodrich stood in line with her 2-year-old son, Ethan, and said her son asked for donuts, so despite her husband’s concerns about the two of them leaving their Santee home, they left.

“My husband is scared that I’m going out, but I mean, how can I say no to this little guy?” Goodrich said as Ethan gave him a quick smile. “We’re just trying to keep him as normal as possible. But we have a little fever in the cabins.

It wasn’t just the people of East County waiting for donuts.

Sue Christie, 71, drove down from Carmel Valley to see local friends, including Mary’s Donuts owner Mary Hennesy. She called ahead to order two dozen donuts from Mary’s, which she said she plans to freeze and analyze over the next few days and weeks. She said she paid by credit card and although the employees were wearing gloves, she sprayed disinfectant on them before putting it back in her wallet.

As she put the donuts in her vehicle, Christie let her two Yorkshire terrier-Maltese mixes, Isabella and Maggie, who were in the front seat of her car, lick some of the powdered sugar from one donut into a separate bag. .

The Del Mar Pines school project manager worked from home and said she made ‘interesting meals’ from items left in her pantry paired with thawed items she found at the back from its freezer.

“I think it’s very, very sad that people are piling things up,” she said. “I think we need to think about how lucky we are to live in the United States. Even though we have to stay home, which is a really good idea to take control of it, I hope we don’t panic. We are confined, but we can go for a walk. We can go for a walk to the ocean, roll down the windows. Go out and do your gardening.

Christie said she hopes young people understand that their parents and grandparents are people at high risk with COVID-19 and that “it’s important that we reach out to everyone we know and say hello, talk about positive things “.

Regarding the donuts, Christie said, “I can’t believe I chose donuts, but I needed something fun. Now I have something to look forward to.