August 28, 2013 (El Cajon) – A century ago, one of the first actions of El Cajon’s City Council was to outlaw saloons due to concerns over negative influences of alcohol on the community. Those restrictions were later relaxed. But yesterday, Council once again voted to restrict sales of alcohol, over the objections of local merchants and the East County Chamber of Commerce.
By a unanimous vote, Council approved the “deemed approved” ordinance aimed at curbing serial inebriates from purchasing single-serve alcoholic beverages at markets.
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Update June 21, 2013: The Council's final vote, originally scheduled for July 25, has been postponed to July 9 due to a key staffer's vacation schedule.
By Miriam Raftery
June 20, 2013 (El Cajon ) – The El Cajon City Council has allotted $2.8 million in its budget to restore and reopen the East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC) next summer, Councilman Gary Kendrick told ECM. “I proposed that we open up the performing arts center and everyone was on board with that. We’re out of the great recession,” he added. “This is a time to do great things for the city.”
The money set aside and will be available as of July 1, 2013,”said Kendrick. Council voted unanimously for a preliminary budget with the ECPAC funding and will take a final vote on Tuesday, July 9. “People interested in the performing arts center should definitely come for Tuesday’s meeting.”
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April 11, 2013 (El Cajon)--Members of the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Board on Wednesday night decided in principle (with no formal vote) to begin exploratory talks with the City of El Cajon on becoming a partner in the operation of the troubled East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC) , as well as build a multi-purpose conference center adjacent to the theater.
The Board also voted 4-1 (with Priscilla Schreiber voting “no”) to endorse building a 325-seat performing arts center on the campus of Grossmont High School at the cost of $15.1 million dollars.
Representing GUHSD on the ad hoc committee will be board president Jim Kelly and board member Jim Stieringer.
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January 17, 2013 (El Cajon) – Councilman Gary Kendrick will introduce a measure on Tuesday, January 22 that would implement a “deemed approved” system to regulate liquor licenses n El Cajon.
“It enables a city to put a whole host of new conditions on existing liquor establishments,” Kendrick told ECM. “It even covers those grandfathered in that don’t have a conditional use permit, so we could stop a liquor store from creating a nuisance in the city.” The measure would cover all off-site liquor stores, type 20 and 21 licenses, he added.
The proposal would also allow the city to charge a fee to liquor stores to funds sting operations against alcohol sellers as asll as pay for a full-time alcohol enforcement officer.
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January 8, 2013 (El Cajon)--By a unanimous vote, El Cajon’s City Council voted to condemn former Councilwoman Jillian Hanson-Cox’s embezzlement of funds from her former employer, Century Design. Council also added language to strip Hanson-Cox of any recognitions received from the City.
“Stealing is wrong, no matter what,” said Councilman Gary Kendrick, introducing the resolution. “I want to give an opportunity for the council to collectively and individually condemn her actions…I want to personally say I’m sorry to the Basso family and to what’s happened to them.”
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December 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Congresswoman Susan Davis, La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid, and El Cajon Councilman Gary Kendrick were among the elected officials who joined in our “Feasting & Merrymaking” party over the weekend—and shared some special news for our community.
Our guests also enjoyed live jazz by the amazing Chris Klich trio, fabulous food by chef Patrick Dean and the Grove Pastry Shop, wines from La Serenissima and San Pasqual wineries, plus an East County trivia game and prize drawings.
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December 19, 2012 (El Cajon ) –The Mother Goose Parade wasn’t the only beneficiary of funds stolen by former El Cajon Councilwoman Jillian Hanson-Cox, who pled guilty to embezzling more than $3.6 million from Century Design, Inc (CDI), her former employer.
Court documents reveal that she also spent purloined money to hire celebrity impersonators to appear at her campaign fundraiser in 2004. She treated the city’s former Chief of Police to a vacation at a Hawaiian resort hotel. Plus she hosted city public information officer Monica Zech at a Beverly Hills hotel, including manicures and other spa treatments.
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I have been very saddened by the discovery that my fellow El Cajon City Council Member, Jillian Hanson-Cox, was not the person I thought she was. I had always seen Jillian as a very warm-hearted, caring and honest individual. The documents now on file in the federal district court convincingly show that she is just the opposite.
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June 25, 2012 (El Cajon) – Councilman Gary Kendrick’s proposal to legalize backyard chicken ownership will be back on the agenda at tomorrow’s El Cajon City Council meeting.
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East County Performing Arts Center is among major projects at risk from the decision
December 29, 2011 (Sacramento) – Sounding a death knell for hopes to restore redevelopment funds eliminated by the Legislature to fund education, the California supreme Court today ruled that the state has the right to eliminate local redevelopment agencies. The decision has sparked criticism from local business owners and politicians on both the left and right.
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Dozens of toys, hundreds of dollars donated for East County Toy & Food Drive
December 15, 2011 (La Mesa)—Thanks to all of our generous guests , sponsors, and VIP visitors who made this year’s East County Magazine holiday party very merry indeed!As always, we invited community leaders and officials in all parties, plus other special guests.
Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego), whose district will soon include much of East County, joined the festivities.Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-Santee) sent Assembly commendations for our award-winning writers and photographers. Santa and Mrs. Claus heard children’s Christmas wishes, while an elf handed out prizes.
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October 10, 2010 (El Cajon ) – Gary Kendrick has served on El Cajon’s City Council since 2002. He takes pride in his efforts to “bring peace to a once volatile Council” and says the Council is “very much in harmony now; it’s much calmer.” His platform includes safe streets, sensible redevelopment, rights of property owners, and getting tax dollars back from Sacramento.
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
January 17, 2013 (El Cajon) – Councilman Gary Kendrick will introduce a measure on Tuesday, January 22 that would implement a “deemed approved” system to regulate liquor licenses n El Cajon. 
June 25, 2012 (El Cajon) – Councilman Gary Kendrick’s proposal to legalize backyard chicken ownership will be back on the agenda at tomorrow’s El Cajon City Council meeting. 
and officials in all parties, plus other special guests. 
October 10, 2010 (El Cajon ) – Gary Kendrick has served on El Cajon’s City Council since 2002. He takes pride in his efforts to “bring peace to a once volatile Council” and says the Council is “very much in harmony now; it’s much calmer.” His platform includes safe streets, sensible redevelopment, rights of property owners, and getting tax dollars back from Sacramento.
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