LEMON GROVE WILL START PILOT PROGRAM TO OPEN RECREATION CENTER SATURDAYS STARTING JULY 30

By Elijah McKee

July 29, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — Starting on Saturday, July 30, Lemon Grove residents — many who called for restored public access to the Recreation Center — will see a new step taken in that direction, as the City looks for a fresh start with its recreation offerings.

For the next six months, the City will run a Recreation Center Open Saturdays pilot program at the facility, during which they will collect data on its usage and either continue, modify, or discontinue the program in January based on what is learned.

This effort was added to the agenda on the heels of the City Council’s April priority-setting session. According to a staff report, the pilot program will cost $11,328.

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HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: JESSYKA HERREDIA AND CHRIS WILLIAMS, LEMON GROVE IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL

By Miriam Raftery

Hear audio of interview

Update: After this interview aired, the City Council voted to reopen the Lemon Grove Recreation Center one day a month, on Saturdays, in a win for citizen activists. Watch for an in-depth story on the Council action soon.

July 19, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – The Lemon Grove Improvement Council , a nonpartisan organization, was founded by citizens eager to help to fulfill needs of the community, a city with limited revenues. A key goal of organizers is to see reopening of the city’s recreation center, which has been closed for more than a decade.

Jessyka Heredia and Chris Williams from the Lemon Grove Improvement Council sat down for an in-depth interview with East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery, originally aired on our radio show on KNSJ.

Heredia hopes to partner with the city. “If we collaborate together as a team, we can get it done….We’re here to help.”

The group held a Lemon Grove Citrus Festival on July 9 with family-friendly activities such as sack races, tug-of war, ball pitching, bounce house and slides as well as vendors, food and lemon-themed items galore.