By Kristin Kjaero

August 1, 2015 (La Mesa) – What a vibrant community we live in! August boasts five free concerts, three free movie screenings, two theater productions, the annual Helix High All Class Picnic, and the annual heART of Mt. Helix. There are free clubs for every age and interest at the La Mesa Library, a broad range of activities at the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center, and a number of classes at the La Mesa Community Center start in August. For those who love nature there are a number of activities as Mission Trails Regional Park and the Water Conservation Garden, and for the fitness oriented there are several walking groups, aquatics, and even a boot camp. Get out and find your bliss, and while you’re at it meet your neighbors.

No permit, no debt repayment plan yet, but the clock is ticking

By Kristin Kjaero

June 9, 2015 (La Mesa) – Although the City Council sent them back to the drawing board with a requirement that means they must come up with a repayment plan for $37,229 they owe the City before any new special event applications from them will be processed, the La Mesa Village Merchants Association yesterday evening sent e-mails to all 2014 Oktoberfest vendors soliciting applications and payments for booth rentals for a 2015 Oktoberfest.

The e-mail states, “Even though it was very hot during the day, the event was a great success. We hope that you feel the same way and will consider joining us again this year.”

The Merchants group owes the City $33,996 for Police, Fire and other support services provided for the 2014 Oktoberfest, and said at the last City Council meeting that they’d spent the revenue from it on Christmas in the Village instead of paying back the City’s General Fund.

The e-mail gives the vendors a date, time, fees for booth rental (ranging from $500 for crafters up to $2,100 for food vendors plus $100 cleaning deposit), and where to send their checks, but does not mention the debt issue or problems with their previous application which triggered a City Council policy change regarding special event applications and permits.

May 20, 2015 (La Mesa) --   The American Flag will be flown proudly at the 18th annual La Mesa Flag Day Parade on Saturday, May 30th. The parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. led by the United States 3d Marine Aircraft Wing Band through the downtown La Mesa Village.  Enjoy this year’s Grand Marshal: Sharp Grossmont Hospital Celebrating 60 years in La Mesa. View the many floats, military vehicles, active and retired war heroes, equestrian units, service clubs, and youth groups.  Arrive early to see two pre-parade concerts, La Mesa Middle School and Parkway Middle School bands, at 9:00 a.m. along the La Mesa Boulevard parade route.

By Jack Haworth. Photos by permission of the artist, Kim Stringfellow.

Professor Kim Stringfellow of the School of Art + Design at San Diego State University has been awarded the 2015 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for her latest research project called, The Mojave Project.

“For me, the Guggenheim Fellowship is one of the most honorable recognitions possible for an artist and photographer,” Stringfellow said. “Some really important projects have been done on Guggenheim fellowships so it means a lot to join this group of fellows.”

Of the 3,100 applicants this year, the Fellowship awarded 175 recipients an average of $43,000 each to assist them with their work.

By Kristin Kjaero

May 5, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa City Council voted 5-0 April 28 to issue a public notice of a possible rate increase for both residential and commercial trash pickup in La Mesa. The public hearing will occur at the June 23 City Council meeting in the 7:00 p.m. time certain slot for hearings.

EDCO President and CEO Steve South made the presentation to the Council. The company is requesting 3.6% and 1.5% increases for residential and commercial, respectively. That translated to a 68-cent increase for residential from $19.09 to $10.77, and an increase of $1.45 from $99.29 to $100.74 for commercial.

By Kristin Kjaero

April 30, 2015 (La Mesa) – With all the activities available this month, there has to be something for everyone here.

Events range from star gazing party on Mt. Helix to a free boot camp, s SANDAG public workshops on regional growth plans through 2050, what is arguable the community's most popular event, the La Mesa Flag Day Parade (if you're not in it, you're probably watching it)... and oh, so much more.

April 29, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The City of La Mesa has once again updated its economic development webpage with refreshed Commercial Space Availability Reports. According to the most recent reports, dated April 2015, there is approximately 146,000 square feet of retail space available in the City; 150,000 square feet of office space; and 37,000 square feet of industrial space.  Retail vacancy is down over 20% from April 2014 and office vacancy is down roughly 14%. 

By Bonnie Baranoff

April 27, 2015 (La Mesa) -- It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Southern California as patrons enjoy lunch and dinner at Himalayan Cuisine, and shopping at the Himalayan Bazaar in La Mesa. But on the other side of the world in Nepal and in parts of India and China, the scene is much different: it’s raining, it’s dark, and it’s destroyed.

Mr. Khem Kharel, owner of Himalayan Cuisine in La Mesa and a native of Nepal, says that his immediate family in Kathmandu--his 84 year old mother, his brother, brother’s wife and other family members--are thankfully “fine, just scared” and hungry. He has been in touch with his family, briefly, by phone, two times since the epicenter of the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the remote village of Barpak, in the northern-central Gorkha District, about 50 miles northwest from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu on April 25. The latest numbers report more than 4,400 deaths.

Source: La Mesa Chamber of Commerce

April 23, 2015 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Chamber members and local business owners joined together on Tuesday, April 14th to learn of upcoming Chamber activities and hear from the guest speaker, Supervisor Dianne Jacob. 

Supervisor Jacob shared her accomplishments from the past several years, discussed new ordinances for agricultural activities within the county and shared her new passion, The Alzheimer's Project: A Call To Arms.

The Supervisor shared the startling statistics of the negative and detrimental impact of this disease. Supervisor Jacob also informed the audience that not only does Alzheimer's impact the deterioration in the health of the patient, but it has a huge negative impact on the family members that are care givers. She is encouraging partners on this project and challenged groups to come on board and be a part of this project.