August 11, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Get Back-To-School healthy with a free food demonstration! This free workshop begins at 6:00 pm on Thursday, September 10, in the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive. This is the fifth in our series of healthy community interactive workshops and features presenter Kristie Holt, MPH, CHES, CLE who will demonstrate some healthy lunch and back-to-school snacking ideas. School aged kids are welcome to attend with a parent or guardian and will have an opportunity to decorate a lunch bag to show off their healthy choices to classmates.  Kristie will lead you in hands-on preparation of some delicious and nutritious examples that you and your kids can make and sample on the spot.

August 5, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The City of La Mesa was recently approved for $992,500 from the SANDAG Smart Growth Incentive Grant Program (SGIP). The grant programs are funded by the TransNet regional half-cent sales tax for transportation approved by San Diego County voters. The grant will fund pedestrian and bicyclist safety enhancements along North Spring Street between University Avenue and the I-8 interchange.

July 31, 2015  (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Chamber invites you to attend the upcoming “Summer Bash” Business Expo on Wednesday, August 12, 2015. This unique evening provides the public, as well as other business members with the opportunity to meet and enjoy conversation with over 50 local businesses that will be there. In addition to the fun-filled evening, the majority of the businesses participating will be giving away a free raffle item to lucky winners throughout the evening.

August 2, 1015 (La Mesa) -- Yesterday at approximately 8:42 p.m., the La Mesa Police Department received a report of a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle in the 7500 block of El Cajon Boulevard. 

The pedestrian/victim (61 year old male) was walking across westbound lanes of traffic when he was struck by a 2-door sedan. The driver of the sedan remained at the scene and was cooperative with the investigation. Alcohol was not a factor in the collision.

July 30, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce was proud to host a gift giving activity in partnership with the Town & Country Resort & Convention Center. "Christmas in July” allowed toys to be given to the La Mesa City Employees Association, who will distribute them to deserving children during this year’s holiday season.

July 28, 2015 (La Mesa)--Hospital food that’s not only healthy, but also savory, full of fresh ingredients, and visually stunning?  That’s what two celebrated San Diego chefs plan to cook up when they redesign the kitchen menu at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. These culinary experts collective experience includes cooking up feasts for heads of state, rock stars and other celebrities, starring on cooking shows, serving as top chefs at resorts and top hotels, plus winning a Culinary Olympics competition.

As the new executive chefs at Sharp Grossmont, Larry Banares and William Sauer bring their extensive culinary talents to the Sodexo team at Sharp Grossmont, which operates food and nutrition services at the La Mesa hospital. 

East County News Service

July 27, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - Lamplighters Community Theatre continues its 78th season with “The Supporting Cast,” a comedy to be staged August 14 through September 13, when Ellen, the wife of a successful author, writes a sizzling novel her friends are thrilled — until she invites them to her Malibu beach house and reveals that they are the characters!

Hear our interview with Spencer Powell and Mickey Mounarath from Visionary Dance Theatre here:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

By Miriam Raftery

July 26, 2015 (La Mesa) –Visionary Dance Theatre and Visionary School for the Performing Arts is asking for help to move to a safer, more family-friendly location.  Visionary specializes in helping to keep the arts accessible and affordable to students regardless of income and also make the arts accessible to the community.

Newflash! Visionary also hopes to find space large enough to include East County Magazine’s office and recording studio at its new location – at a minimal cost or ultimately, free for our nonprofit! (Our rent where w are has gone up, and we need to move, too.)  We're looking at space in or near La Mesa - with your help.

We think this is a perfect partnership, enabling us to support local arts and theatre while also providing the affordable space we need to grow!  Donations can be made at http://GoFundMe.com/MovinOnOut. Please help - every dollar counts!

County News Service

Photo: County crews work to clean up mud flow on Rutherford Road in Ramona, where over 3 inches of rain fell on Sunday.

July 20, 2015 (San Diego) -- The remnants of Hurricane Dolores created record rainfall in San Diego County, taking residents by surprise over the weekend. If your property or small business sustained damage from the weekend’s heavy rains and flooding, the County would like your help to estimate rain damages in our region.

The County Office of Emergency Services is asking storm-affected residents to complete a short damage survey form that will assist the County in collecting damage information and associated costs from the weekend’s heavy rains and flooding.

The information gathered from the surveys will be used to estimate total damages countywide and will determine if enough damages occurred to qualify the region for federal disaster assistance, such as low interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration for those who are uninsured or underinsured.

July 19, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Kristin Kjaero shot this sequence of photos during the mid day storms on Saturday, July 18, 2015.

The photos show Mt. Helix disappearing in the clouds, then reappearing in the sunshine.

July 18, 2014 (La Mesa) -- There are numerous power outages right now around the county, including San Carlos, El Cajon City Heights and Poway.

Information about service interruptions and estimates when power will be restored can be found on

SDGE's Outage Map.

July 16, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Join the La Mesa Police Department and Heartland Fire and Rescue in celebrating the 4th annual “National Night Out against Crime” and Emergency Preparedness Fair Event, Tuesday, August 4th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the La Mesa Police Station Parking lot (8085 University Avenue - same location as the La Mesa Farmers Market).

Food Bank Distribution July 18

School Supply Drive through August 9

July 16, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Journey Community Church currently has two outreach programs underway in La Mesa.

East County News Service

July 16, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Congressman Duncan Hunter, who represents the 50th District, will be the keynote speaker at the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce breakfast, Tuesday, August 25, 2015 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Marie Callender's (6950 Alvarado Road, San Diego, CA 92120). The public is welcome to attend and have the opportunity to hear from our energetic and knowledgeable Congressman. 

By Kristin Kjaero

July 14, 2015 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Grossmont Center and the Cushman family, to submit a Special Events application to the City for a beer garden event October 16 – 17.

Describing it as “family-friendly,” the application proposes live music, 4-5 food vendors and 3-4 sponsor tables, to be held in the parking area where Hooley Fest has been held in the past.