September 22, 2014 (La Mesa)--The La Mesa Oktoberfest is one of East County’s biggest street festivals, drawing 200,000 people every year. This year’s Oktoberfest will be held October 3-5 in the heart of La Mesa’s downtown village on La Mesa  Boulevard between 4th Avenue and Acadia.

The event, sponsored by the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce and the La Mesa Village Merchants Association, began as a small street fair over 35 years ago. Now the three-day bash features over 250 vendors, food including German bratwurst and a beer garden, kids’ activities and entertainment ranging from German music to classic rock and roll.

Originally published in La Mesa Today

By Anthony D. Mc Ivor

September 19, 2014 (La Mesa)-- In November, La Mesa voters will decide whether to change the Municipal Code and put into law a significant new ordinance. The ordinance will tell us – and future generations of La Mesa voters – who we can vote for, who we can’t and when.

By Miriam Raftery

September 18, 2014 (La Mesa)—Former La Mesa-Spring Valley School District board member Penny Halgren passed away yesterday afternoon.  Halgren served on the school board from 1994 until January 2013. She resigned to move to Arcadia in Los Angeles County to be with her boyfriend and started a quilting business there.

A long-time La Mesa resident, Halgren also served on the board of the East County YMCA for 16 years and was actively involved with the La Mesa Rotary Club.

Click here to hear a podcast of our interview with opponents of La Mesa’s term limits campaign

September 11, 2014 (La Mesa)--East County Magazine recently sat down to interview Kristin Kjaero and Dexter Levy, organizers of The No Term Limits for La Mesa Campaign. Levy chairs the City’s Planning Commission and Kjaero serves on La Mesa’s Sustainability Commission.   In our interview, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio, the two long-time La Mesa residents share their concerns about the proposed term limits initiative on the November ballot—including why they believe the measure reduces choices for La Mesa voters and could open the door for special interests to buy influence in La Mesa, a century-old city often likened to Mayberry for its sense of community.

By Miriam Raftery

September 8, 2014 (La Mesa)--Executives of a company that hired a man with no tree trimming experience to trim a towering eucalyptus tree may soon stand trial for the man’s death.

September 9, 2014 (La Mesa)--The date has been announced for the 2014 Kids Care Fest, a free, family-oriented event open to the public featuring free health care screenings. This year’s Kids Care Fest will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Briercrest Park, 9001 Wakarusa St., La Mesa. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Now in its 13th year, Kids Care Fest is presented by the Grossmont Healthcare District, La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation and the City of La Mesa.

Organizers expect more than 1,000 children will receive free, potentially life-saving, health care screenings, including hearing, vision and dental screenings, from healthcare professionals.

By Miriam Raftery

September 8, 2014 (La Mesa)—The East County Cash Mob is back – and you’re invited to help several struggling small business owners in La Mesa’s downtown village all day on September 13th.

“Times have been tough with local construction on the city streets. Their business has dropped 80 percent,” says Susan Barron, organizer of the event, said of the impact that torn up streets from a downtown revitalization project is having on local merchants.

Cash mobs organize through social media to draw customers and support small businesses during tough times. To participate, simply come prepared to spend $20 or more at any of the following businesses:

• Act ll                   8321 La Mesa Blvd.
• Wildflowers          8323 La Mesa Blvd.
• Amethyst Moon    8329 La Mesa Blvd.
• O’Dunn Fine Art    8325 La Mesa Blvd.
• Glamour Girlz    special invited guest inside Amethyst Moon
  

Photo, left: rattlesnake in Ramona, by Elena Pena

By Miriam Raftery

September 3, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Neurotoxic snake bites, known as “super bites”, were formerly  rare in our region, found mainly in the Mojave Desert. But 10 News reports these serious bites are occurring now in suburban areas of San Diego and East County.

A dog with a neurotoxin bite in Del Cerro, for example, went into shock and had difficulty walking. The dog was treated at Pet Emergency and Specialty Center in La Mesa, where vets told 10 news that three of the ten snakebites treated in the past week have been neurotoxic bites.

September 1, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A reward of up to $1,000 is offered by Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest of Tavarris Deshawn Garcia.

August 27, 2014 (La Mesa) - Torrey Pines Bank is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its La Mesa office, at 8379 Center Drive, this August. The attached  image captures the bank’s grand opening ten years ago. Then, Torrey Pines Bank started in 2003 with $20 million in initial capital and today has more than $2 billion in assets.

August 27, 2014 (La Mesa) – A thief hungry for cash was foiled from robbing a Carl’s Junior on Parkway Drive in La Mesa, thanks to the actions of the fast food outlet’s assistant manager.  La Mesa Police seek public help to locate the suspect.

August 25, 2014 (La Mesa) - East County news partner 10 News has tracked down the man shown in a video being beaten aboard a trolley in La Mesa on September 18^th by MTS security officers.

“A vote is too precious to limit.” – No Term Limits in La Mesa slogan

East County News Service

August 11, 2014 (La Mesa)--With the slogan “A vote is too precious to limit,” a group of La Mesa residents has joined together to form No Term Limits in La Mesa, to oppose a term limits initiative  in the city of La Mesa that will be on ballots this November. The group asks the public’s help to spread the word through a people-powered grass roots campaign using word of mouth, a website (www.NoTermLimitsInLaMesa.com ), social media and downloadable graphics to print your own flyers, car signs, posters and T-shirts.

The group objects to term limits on principle, Kristin Kjaero explained, saying “The Founding Fathers didn’t give us term limits, they gave us the Bill of Rights which guarantees our right to free expression. The most fundamental form of that expression is our vote, which allows us to put teeth behind our opinions.”

Source: Helix Water District

August 7, 2014 (La Mesa)--Helix Water District’s board of directors voted yesterday to put Drought Level 2 into effect in response to the State Water Resources Control Board’s passage of mandatory water conservation measures to deal with the current drought.

Since February, the district had been in Drought Level 1, which called for numerous voluntary actions to eliminate water waste. Drought Level 2 makes them mandatory.  Residents and businesses are required to take the following conservation steps:

August 4, 2014 (La Mesa) – Notice is hereby given that a General District Election will be held in the Helix Water District on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, for the following offices for which candidates may be nominated: