Seat Belt Safety Campaign Runs Through Memorial Day 

May 20, 2023 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Police Department reminds everyone taking a trip to visit friends or family over the Memorial Day Weekend to always buckle up and keep children in child safety seats. This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign is from May 22-June 4. 

East County News Service

May 15, 2023 (La Mesa) - The California Note Catchers, a women's four-part harmony chorus, will be presenting "Sounds of Summer" on Saturday, June 17, at 2 p.m. The concert will be held at the La Mesa First United Methodist Church, 4690 Palm Ave., La Mesa. 

East County News Service

May 15, 2023 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s 14th annual popular “foodie” event is set for Monday, June 26 from 4:30 to  p.m. at the newly renovated Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley. The popularity and crowd of this annual event has outgrown the La Mesa Community Center, where it was held for the first 10 years.

East County News Service

May 15, 2023 (La Mesa) - Members of the Letitia Coxe Shelby Chapter, NSDAR held their annual tea in Santee on April 14th, 2023. The tea was held in honor of their Revolutionary War patriots. The Daughters of the American Revolution is a women’s service organization dedicated to community service, preserving history, educating children, as well as honoring and supporting all who serve and have served this great nation.

Source:  La Mesa Chamber of Commerce

April 30, 2023 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Chamber invites you to join in welcoming Casa Gabriela to the business community at a fun-filled evening on Wednesday, May 17. 

Source:  City of La Mesa

April 15, 2023 (La Mesa) - After an extensive recruitment process, Amanda Lee has been chosen for the Assistant City Manager position for the City of La Mesa. Ms. Lee comes to La Mesa after ten years at the City of Vista, California where she was the Assistant City Manager for the past two years. As Assistant City Manager at Vista, Ms. Lee provided direct supervision over Homelessness and Housing, Communications, Code Enforcement, Climate Action Plan implementation, Grants and Governmental Relations, and administrative support staff. Ms. Lee has been serving as the Acting City Manager at Vista for the past six months where she was responsible for leading the City’s Department Directors and Management Team.

East County News Service

April 11, 2023 (Mt. Helix) – Atkinson Plumeria Farm in La Mesa will be hosting a plumeria cutting and tropical plant sale this weekend, April 15-16.

Eleven vendors will be selling hundreds of cultivars,  thousands of cuttings and rooted plants from small to large in a many different colors; some as low as $5.These are water-wise plants.

Plus there will be other tropicals such as hibiscus, air plants, hoyas, heliconia, ginger, and more.

East County News Service

April 8, 2023 (Mount Helix) – The 106^th consecutive Sunrise Easter Service atop Mt. Helix will be held tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.  Free shuttle services begin at 5 a.m. from Grossmont High School, since there is no parking at the amphitheater.

The event is the second longest running Sunrise Easter Service in America, according to the Mt. Helix Park Foundation. The nation’s oldest is in Salem, North Carolina, which has held consecutive services since 1772.

The Mt. Helix Park Foundation and College Avenue Church invite you to enjoy a glorious sunrise over the mountains just as the service begins. 

By Miriam Raftery

April 6, 2023 (La Mesa) – Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber has announced Thursday that she will run for the 39^th State Senate seat held by termed-out Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, after Supervisor Nathan Fletcher dropped out of the race amid accusations of sexual misconduct.  

Today, La Mesa City Councilman Colin Parent announced that he will run for Weber’s 79^th State Assembly seat.  Since Parent’s term on the Council ends in 2024, his announcement also means La Mesans can expect to have a new face on the City Council after the 2024 elections.

By Jessyka Heredia 

April 2, 2023 (La Mesa) -- Clear Channel Outdoor Vice President of Public Affairs Layne Lawson gave the La Mesa City Council a presentation on a proposed digital billboard plan during the March 28 Council meeting. The company is proposing that the City enter a development agreement with Clear Channel for two digital billboards that would display advertisements generating an annual development fee payment of $125,000 per new advertising structure for the City, plus a 3% annual increase, starting in the second year. 

April 1, 2023 (La Mesa) – Surfrider Pizza in La Mesa will donate 15% of all food and beverage sales on April 2 between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. to the James Cerebral Palsy Foundation (tax and gratuity not included). 

This applies to dine-in and to-go orders, but not to-go orders through a third party company. You must mention the fundraiser when you order, or print and bring the flyer in this article.

City also lifts pandemic emergency declaration, proposes enforcement of affordable housing rules

By Jessyka Heredia

March 21,2023 (La Mesa) -- At Tuesday’s meeting, the La Mesa City Council voted to have staff draft a project labor agreement, form a subcommittee to consider stricter regulation of tobacco sales, and create fees for monitoring compliance with affordable housing in the city, among other items.

East County News Service

Photos courtesy Steve Covault, rockmusicphotos.com

March 3, 2023 (La Mesa) – Local and national stars will be playing American blues harmonica music at Spring Harp Fest. The family-fun event, which raises funds to benefit music education countywide, will be held April 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Harry Griffen Park, 9550 Milden Street in La Mesa.

Since 1999, the Spring Harp Fest has introduced local musicians and music lovers to the great American art of Blues Harmonica. The unique once-yearly showcase includes local jams, competition among unknown players, and some of the best professional players in the music scene.

By Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2023 (La Mesa) — The City of La Mesa has reached a settlement in a civil case filed by Leslie Furcron, a 59-year-old great-grandmother struck in the head by a beanbag projectile fired by a La Mesa Police officer during a racial justice protest that ended in a riot on May 30, 2020.  The City will pay out $10 million to Furcron in one of the largest officer use-of-force settlements in the San Diego region, according to her attorney, Dante Pride.