EAST COUNTY HAPPENINGS

City council

Lemon Grove, 6 p.m. Tuesday

School board

Santee School District, 6 p.m. Tuesday

Brews & Bites Festival tickets are available Tickets are on sale for the Santee Twilight Brews and Bites Festival, taking place from 5-9 p.m. Oct. 22 at Town Center Community Park, 550 Park Center Drive. Enjoy unlimited food and beverage samples (while supplies last) from more than a dozen vendors, plus a commemorative sampling cup. This event is for those 21 and older. Funds raised will benefit the Santee Teen Center, park improvement projects, and the Recreation Scholarship Program, which helps qualifying Santee children, teens and seniors to take part in city recreation programs. Tickets are $50 ($35 for designated drivers) and are available at bit.ly/3zyhemn. Chamber hosts ‘Summer Bash’ business expo

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce invites all to its “Summer Bash” business expo from 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Courtyard by Marriot San Diego El Cajon, 141 N. Magnolia Ave. Meet local businesses, sample food from local restaurants and more. For ages 21 and older. Tickets are $10 and must be prepurchased at lamesachamber.net/summerbash-business-expo. No tickets will be sold at the door. Chamber member display tables cost $150 and include six tickets to the expo. Contact Mary England at (619) 251-7730 or email maryengland@lamesachamber.com.

College district to launch workforce drone program

The Grossmont-cuyamaca Community College District is now offering a free certificate program in the high-demand field of drone operations. Highly trained operators control drones from the ground for jobs including search and rescue operations; military missions and police surveillance; Hollywood cinematography; inspections of buildings, power lines, and windmills; and studies of the natural environment. In the San Diego region, drone operators typically earn between $30-$70 per hour. The district program will include 105 hours of flight instruction and 75 hours of additional training in one of two tracks: cinematography or surveying and mapping. Students will be expected to pay for their pilot’s license exam with the Federal Aviation Administration ($175) before moving on to one of the two tracks. Once students complete the flight school and the specialized tracks, they can transition into for-credit advanced training programs offered by the Grossmont-cuyamaca district. These programs include cybersecurity, information technology, programming, data science and programmable logic controllers. Learn more at bit.ly/3a53sie.

Festival chorus seeking new members

The San Diego Festival Chorus invites singers of all experience levels to join their friendly and supportive group. No auditions are required. The December concert will include Schubert’s Mass in G and holiday music from around the world. Rehearsals are from 7 to 9:15 p.m. Monday evenings at Hillsdale Middle School in Rancho San Diego and begin on Sept. 12. Visit www.sandiegofestivalchorus.org.

Senior volunteers wanted for Santee and Lakeside

The Santee and Lakeside Sheriff’s stations are seeking men and women ages 50 years or older to join their Senior Volunteer Patrols. Volunteers act as a second set of eyes and ears for deputies. They patrol in uniforms (supplied) and drive marked sheriff’s vehicles. Duties include patrolling residential neighborhoods, shopping centers and schools; doing home vacation and elderlywelfare checks; and working at public events. After completing the 10-day academy, volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of one six-hour patrol shift each week and attendance at a one-hour monthly meeting. Visit sdsheriff.gov and click on “Recruiting,” then “Senior Volunteer Patrol.” Or call the Santee/lakeside Senior Volunteer Patrol Administrator at (619) 972-6846.

Blood drives

The San Diego Blood Bank hosts these blood donation opportunities: • 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. today,

Journey Community Church, 8363 Center Drive, La Mesa • 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. today, Skyline Church, 9455 Los Coches Road, Lakeside • 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday,

Courtyard by Marriott El Cajon, 141 N. Magnolia Ave., El Cajon • Noon-6 p.m. Wednesday, VFW Post 2082, 2885 Lemon Grove Ave., Lemon Grove • 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday,sharp Grossmont Hospital, 5555 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, parking lot behind the Hospital for Women and Newborns • 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, Kohl’s, 2398 Jamacha Road, El Cajon • 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday, Santee School District, 9545 Cuyamaca St., Santee Those 17 and older, weighing at least 114 pounds and in good health may be eligible to donate blood. A good meal and plenty of fluids are recommended before donating. Appointments strongly encouraged. Photo ID required. Call (800) 469-7322 or visit Sandiegobloodbank.org.