Mark Gracyk

HELIX WATER DISTRICT INCUMBENTS ALL WIN RE-ELECTION AFTER DISTRICT DELAYS RATE INCREASE DUE TO COVID-19

By Jonathan Goetz 
 
Photos (L – R): McMillan, Scalzitti & Gracyk (source: Helix Water District)
 
November 9, 2020 (La Mesa) – Directors Dan McMillan, Joel Scalzitti and Mark Gracyk will all return to the Helix Water District Board, after voters rewarded the incumbents for delaying rate increases due to COVID-19, when many ratepayers are struggling financially. Instead, Helix is dipping into its reserves.
 
McMillan defeated Doug Sterling with 75% of the vote.  Scalzitti took 57% of the vote in a four-candidate race, topping Vickie Knight Butcher who got 27%, Lu Tejeda 12%, and Tyler Logan 4%. Gracyk ran unopposed. 

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REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON WATER PURIFICATION PROJECT EXPANDS LOCAL, DROUGHT-PROOF SUPPLY OF DRINKING WATER

Source: Helix Water District

May 29, 2020 (La Mesa) -- Helix Water District’s Board of Directors authorized its General Manager to sign water purchase agreements for the East County Advanced Water Purification (ECAWP) project at a special meeting on May 27.

The project is a collaborative, regional effort that will diversify the district’s water portfolio, provide a drought-proof supply and further enhance reliability by purifying treated wastewater using the district’s Lake Jennings and other facilities.

The $681 million project, led by the ECAWP Joint Powers Authority, will recycle daily wastewater flows from Santee, El Cajon, Lakeside, Winter Gardens and Alpine. Treated water will undergo membrane filtration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to produce water that is near-distilled in quality.


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HELIX WATER DISTRICT HOSTS VIRTUAL FOOD DRIVE

 
Source: Helix Water District
 
April 17, 2020 (La Mesa) -- Helix Water District’s employee volunteer program, Helix Helps, is hosting a virtual food drive in partnership with the San Diego Food Bank to help feed vulnerable families and seniors impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. 
 
The public is welcome to participate in the virtual food drive. To donate, visit hwd.fyi/food, slide food items across the checkout and pay securely with a credit or debit card. The virtual food drive runs through June 30, 2020.
 
“Right now, making sure that families and seniors are fed and have access to food is a top priority for our communities,” said Helix Water District Board President Mark Gracyk. “Not only are our employees working to ensure that our customers have access to safe and reliable water throughout this crisis, they are also looking for more personal ways to help.”
 

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“INSPIRED TO RUN”: SUSAN DAVIS, SCOTT PETERS, LORENA GONZALEZ FLETCHER, TODD GLORIA & OTHERS TO SPEAK AUG. 2 AT LA MESA'S DEMOCRATIC CLUB

 

East County News Service

July 27, 2017 (La Mesa) –A high-powered panel of local political heavy-weights will discuss what inspired them to run and why others should consider entering the political arena at the Wednesday August 2 meeting of La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club (7 p.m. in the La Mesa Community Center (4975 Memorial Dr, La Mesa).

This panel includes Congressional members Susan Davis and Scott Peters, Assembly members Todd Gloria and Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher, Helix Water Board Director Mark Gracyk, Executive director of The Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI), Dr. Kyra Greene.   (Photo, left)

Democrats outnumber Republicans in La Mesa, Lemon Grove and San Diego, yet there are scores of seats on local boards and jurisdictions where Republicans run unopposed every election cycle.  Now, Democrats are taking their “Resist Trump” agenda to the grass-roots by enticing new leaders to run for office.and inspiring those on the sidelines to get involved. 


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INCUMBENTS OUSTED ON HELIX WATER BOARD

By Miriam Raftery

November 8,  2016 (La Mesa)—It’s rare for incumbents to be unseated.  But Chuck Muse and John Linden,  two incumbents who voted for repeated rate increases including an unprecedented five-year rate hike, appear to have lost their reelection bids.   

The apparent wins for Mark Gracyk and Dan McMillan are also victories for the  local Democratic party, which endorsed both over the Republican incumbents,  though the race is officially nonpartisan. It's also a win for ratepayers ired over repeated hefty rate hikes by incuments who promised fiscal conservatism. 


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RECREATION, REDEVELOPMENT, TAXES FLASH POINTS IN LEMON GROVE COUNCIL RACE

Upate: Patch.com has coverage of a Lemon Grove Council candidate debate:  http://patch.com/A-zfM4

Six candidates vie for seats

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

October 14, 2012 (Lemon Grove)--When the Republican Party swept the 2010 elections nationwide, their triumph stretched as far down as the small city of Lemon Grove in east San Diego County. The Lemon Grove City Council switched from a Democratic to a Republican majority, and in looking for items to cut from their budget they zeroed in on the city’s recreation department.

The vote wasn’t totally party-line. Democratic Mayor Mary Sessom joined Republican Councilmembers Mary England and Howard Cook in eliminating the recreation department and its annual budget of up to $260,000 per year, while Republican Councilmember Jerry Jones joined Democrat George Gastil in voting to keep it.

But the debate over community services versus fiscal responsibility, and the lingering bitterness of some Lemon Grove residents and civic activists over the Council targeting recreation to balance the city’s budget, has become the main theme of the 2012 Lemon Grove City Council race.


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