East County News Service

September 21, 2022 (La Mesa) – The 49th annual La Mesa Oktoberfest attracts revelers from across Southern California with three days of festive live music, games, and three biergartens (beer gardens) featuring German and craft beers. This year’s festivities, hosted by the La Mesa Village Association, take place September 30 through October 2 in the downtown La Mesa village.

By Miriam Raftery

September 16, 2022 (La Mesa) – Helix High School in La Mesa has been honored as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, one of just 29 California schools to make the grade. 

These are among the state’s highest performing schools based on all student scores, subgroup student scores, and graduation rates. Helix is a charter high school within the Grossmont Union High School District.

The prestigious award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that made significant progress in closing achievement and opportunity gaps among student subgroups, and where students achieve high learning standards.

East County News Service

September 9, 2022 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the County of San Diego, invites you to “Shop & Dine La Mesa” to enjoy free family-friendly activities, entertainment, a car show, raffle prizes, live music and more.

The event takes place at The Marketplace at Lake Murray Village (at the corner of Lake Murray Blvd. and Baltimore Drive) in La Mesa on Saturday, September 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

By Miriam Raftery

August 24, 2022 (La Mesa) – Good job, La Mesa drivers.  A DUI checkpoint conducted by the La Mesa Police Department Saturday night of 427 vehicles found nobody driving under the influence. No arrests were made for DUI or any other criminal charges.

By Henri Migala

August 12, 2022 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa City Council voted Tuesday to approve a Conditional Use Permit and allow Urbn Leaf to build a cannabis (marijuana) dispensary at 7901 Hillside Drive. The Council unanimously voted 5-0 to repeal its earlier approval of an appeal that had blocked the project, after applicant Urbn Leaf filed a legal challenge.

East County News Service

August 1, 2022 (La Mesa) -- On Saturday, agents from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and detectives from the La Mesa Police Department conducted a “shoulder tap” sting operation targeting adults who furnished alcoholic beverages to minors. A decoy contacted several adults throughout the operation and three arrests were made.

East County News Service

July 18, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Today, Assemblymember Akilah Weber, MD, held a press conference to announce success in securing $51,550,000 dollars in state funds in the budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom for several projects in her 79^th Assembly district.

By Henri Migala

Photo, left: ECM editor Miriam Raftery with Allan Durden, organizer of La Mesa’s Juneteenth event.

June 21, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Several hundred people came out to commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth at MacArthur Park in La Mesa on Sunday, June 19, with food, music, history, entertainment, including the MLK Choir, step-show dance groups, bounce house with slide, crafts, and family fun.

This La Mesa Juneteenth and Friends celebration is a grassroots community effort to bring the rich heritage, culture, and fun of a Juneteenth Jubilee to La Mesa, East County and the wider San Diego region.

Juneteenth commemorates the official end of slavery in the U.S., when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedoms on June 19, 1865, over two years after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The inaugural commemoration of it was in 1866, and it was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

By Miriam Raftery

June 14, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Each year, a pair of Cooper's Hawks has chicks raised in their nest atop a large ficus tree on our property on Mt. Helix in unincorporated La Mesa. 

Today, one of the fledglings landed on our gate just a few feet from me, unpreturbed by my close proximity, and I snapped this photo of our newest resident bird of prey.

East County News Service

June 11, 2022 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Village Association invites you to enjoy the La Mesa Classic Car Show running each Thursday night from 5 to 8 p.m. throughout June, July and August.  Visitors can stroll down La Mesa Blvd. between 4^th Street and Spring to see beautiful pre-1974 cars, trucks, and vans. Also enjoy live music from local bands that play atop the iconic La Mesa Lumber truck "stage" located at 3rd & La Mesa Blvd., as well as a DJ during the festivities.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: CC by NC-ND via Bing

June 2, 2022 (La Mesa) – Wedding attire can leave many betrothed couples with sticker shock. So Goodwill’s La Mesa retail store is hosting a special event offering wedding wear – including gowns by brand-name designers, some with original tags still attached. Items available include bridal gowns, dresses for bridesmaids, mother-of-the-bride and flower girls.  You’ll also find jewelry, shoes, gloves, bowties, tiaras and wedding décor items.

East County News Service

May 24, 2022 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Flag Day Parade salutes “Old Glory” at the 23rd annual event on Saturday, June 4.  The parade begins at 10:00 a.m., marching west through the La Mesa Village along La Mesa Blvd. to Acacia. The parade will be led by the United States Marine Corps 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band and Grossmont High School Navy Junior ROTC Color Guard.  This year’s Grand Marshal will be healthcare and essential workers from Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Cheer on marching bands, active and retired military members, service clubs, and youth groups. 

Candidate denounces Deputy Sheriff’s Association for funding misleading ads, says actions show need for reforms

By Miriam Raftery

May 20, 2022 (San Diego) – Mailers landing in mailboxes and an online ad on Facebook contain deceptive messages regarding Sheriff candidate Dave Myers. The ads falsely state that Myers is a “lifelong Republican” who opposes democratic values, depicting him as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”  But in fact, Myers is the only candidate in the race who is endorsed by the state and county Democratic parties.  He was also endorsed by the Democratic party in a prior run for Sheriff as well as when he ran for La Mesa City Council.